Frequently asked questions
Here you’ll find answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about EGL 5
We hope they answer your questions, and we will continue to update them as our proposals develop. If your question is not listed below please get in touch with the team by emailing [email protected] or by calling 0800 358 4817.
About the project
EGL 5 is a new primarily offshore high voltage electricity links, with associated onshore infrastructure, between Scotland and England.
The key onshore and offshore (in England) elements of our proposals for consultation include:
- offshore high voltage direct current (HVDC) cables. In English waters, EGL 5’s cable would be approximately 415 km long (in English and Scottish waters the total cable length would be up to 555 km)
- a transition joint bay (TJB) which will enable the connection of the offshore and onshore HVDC underground cable, located onshore and underground near to our proposed cables landfall at Anderby Creek on the Lincolnshire coastline
- underground HVDC cable running approximately 9 km from the proposed landfall at Anderby Creek on the Lincolnshire coast to a converter station in East Lindsey
- one converter station located either to the north-east of Bilsby or north-west of Huttoft
- underground high voltage alternating current (HVAC) cable running approximately 3 km to connect our proposed converter station to the proposed Lincolnshire Connection Substation-B (LCS-B) and onto the electricity transmission network (please note that LCS-B is being proposed as part of NGET’s seperate Grimsby to Walpole project).
- You can read more about our proposals here.
Our proposals for EGL 5 would play an important role in building a more secure and resilient future energy system and supporting the decarbonisation of the UK by reliably transporting the increasing amount of energy being generated in Scotland and Scottish waters, particularly from offshore wind, to population centres across the Midlands and South of England.
EGL 5 would help provide the increased capacity between Scotland and the Midlands and South of England. It would carry up to 2 GW of electricity, enough to power two million homes.
Feedback from this consultation along with further information from surveys, assessments and wider stakeholder engagement will help us further develop and refine our proposals.
These detailed proposals will form part of our stage 2 consultation, planned for 2026.
Following further development and finalisation of our detailed proposals, we will submit our DCO application, including a consultation report showing how we have taken account of feedback, to the Planning Inspectorate, planned for 2027.
Between 12:00 noon Tuesday 13 May to 11:59pm Monday 23 June 2025, we are seeking your views on our updated proposals as part of a stage 1 consultation. This stage is called a ‘non-statutory’ consultation which is an optional stage of the DCO process.
Consultation is an important part of the DCO process, as it enables everyone to comment on our proposals. The EGL 5 project is in the early stages of development and feedback from all stages of consultation – along with the outcome of technical assessments and environmental surveys – will help us to develop and refine our proposals before we submit our DCO application to the Planning Inspectorate.
To find out more about the DCO process, please see the Planning Inspectorate’s website.
NGET’s EGL 3 and EGL 4 projects have now confirmed the removal of their three-ended connection to the proposed Grimsby to Walpole project, which was shown during their initial stage 1 consultation in Spring 2024. The removal of this connection means the removal of the associated converter station, direct current switching station and associated HVDC and HVAC underground cables from the Bilsby area. It also means that the number of converter stations originally proposed in the vicinity of the proposed LCS-B substation, in the Bilsby area, would not be increased with the introduction of EGL 5.
EGL 5 is in its earliest stage of development, however, we will thoroughly consider the environmental impact of the project before we submit our application for a development consent order (DCO).
An environmental impact assessment (EIA) will be undertaken, and an environmental statement (ES) produced, to support our application for a DCO, which will include the offshore elements of the project within English waters. The EIA forms a core part of the consenting process, assessing the potential effects on biodiversity, landscape, air quality, water resources, and cultural heritage, among other factors. The findings of the EIA (alongside feedback from stakeholders) will inform our project routing and siting, enabling us to either avoid, minimise, or mitigate any significant impacts.
During our next stage of public consultation, Stage 2 statutory consultation, we will publish our initial findings of this environmental assessment in a document called the Preliminary Environmental Information Report (PEIR). At that stage we will seek your views on our comprehensive assessment, and feedback received will inform the final Environmental Statement (ES) submitted as part of the DCO application.
If EGL 5 was connected to the existing network in Walpole like EGL 3 and EGL 4 are proposing, additional network reinforcement would be required in the Bilsby area to carry the power to the Midlands where demand is rising. Connecting EGL 5 to LCS-B meets the needs case for transmission upgrade as outlined by NESO in the most cost effective, efficient and environmentally sensitive way.
Local communities and the environment
The huge growth in offshore wind, interconnectors, solar and nuclear power, will all generate more electricity than the networks are currently able transport. The Electricity System Operator’s ‘Beyond 2030’ report recognises the need for networks to be delivered at pace and is an important step in unlocking a more affordable and resilient decarbonised electricity system in the UK.
We are mindful that there are several energy projects likely to be under development and construction at the same time. Some of those already have contracts to connect to the electricity transmission network. Others, and some of the proposals in 'Beyond 2030', are at a very early stage and don't have agreements to connect yet, or work has yet to be undertaken to look at all the options.
We will liaise closely with other major infrastructure projects in the area, as and when those come forward, to understand how our proposals interact. We are committed to exploring opportunities to coordinate and minimise potential impacts on local communities and the environment. We will also work with others and key stakeholders such as relevant local councils to ensure works are coordinated as much as possible.
Electricity demand in Britain is forecast to at least double by 2050, increasing the amount of energy we need to transport to homes and businesses. The existing transmission system - the infrastructure including pylons, overhead lines and underground cables which transports electricity around the country - was largely built in the 1960s. It was not designed to transport electricity from where it is increasingly being generated today - offshore and from solar.
As we seek to invest in our electricity transmission network, Lincolnshire is at a critical location to support two key network reinforcement requirements, including:
- Reinforcing boundaries – We need to enhance the capability of the electricity transmission system between the North and the Midlands, and between the Midlands and the South. Lincolnshire is a critical corridor for these transmission routes, facilitating the movement of electricity from renewable sources in the North to demand centres in the South.
- Connecting local energy generation - Lincolnshire's proximity to the North Sea makes it a strategic location for connecting offshore wind farms to the national grid. The region is seeing significant investments in renewable energy projects, particularly offshore wind, which necessitates upgrades to the grid to handle the increased capacity.
About National Grid
National Grid sits at the heart of Britain’s energy system, connecting millions of people and businesses to the energy they use every day. We bring energy to life – in the heat, light and power we bring to our customer’s homes and businesses; in the way that we support our communities and help them to grow; and in the way we show up in the world. It is our vision to be at the heart of a clean, fair and affordable energy future.
Within the National Grid Group there are distinctly separate legal entities, each with their individual responsibilities and roles. More information on National Grid can be found here.
National Grid Electricity Transmission, owns, maintains and operates the high voltage electricity transmission network in England and Wales. This network operates primarily at 400 kilovolts (kv) and 275 kV.
National Grid funds new projects such as power transmission lines through an agreement with Ofgem. They pay upfront costs, which are gradually passed on to customers over a 40 year period, easing the burden on electricity bills. Investors support National Grid, expecting profits and eventual repayment. This spreads the investment cost over years, to avoid sudden spikes in electricity bills.