What is Yorkshire GREEN?
Yorkshire GREEN involves the upgrade and reinforcement of the high-voltage electricity network in Yorkshire to improve the transfer of clean energy across the country.
Yorkshire GREEN will allow cleaner energy to flow into homes and businesses that need it in Yorkshire and beyond. It will provide a new connection and reinforcement on the electricity transmission system.
The project is a key part of delivering The Great Grid Upgrade – the largest overhaul of the electricity transmission network across England and Wales in generations.
What are the key benefits of the project?
Increased resilience and security of our electricity grid
New and reinforced electricity infrastructure will increase the resilience of the electricity transmission network to cope with both current and predicted future increases in demand to help future-proof our power supply.
- Supporting greener technology
Yorkshire GREEN will play a key role in upgrading our electricity transmission network to allow the renewable energy we produce in the UK to be distributed to communities across the country.
- Enhancing the local environment
We will be boosting the current level of biodiversity across the site area by at least 10 per cent, leaving the area in a better condition than when it was found including woodland restoration and enhancement, new planting and improving wildlife habitats.
What does Yorkshire GREEN involve?
Delivery of Yorkshire GREEN will see the following work undertaken:
Substation construction and maintenance
We are building two new electricity substations. One will be at Overton and one at Monk Fryston.
Overton Substation
The new substation at Overton will be located just off Overton Road, northwest of York. It will have an approximate footprint of 60,000m2 (6 hectares), and it will include six gantries, which are bridge-like structures with platforms used to support equipment and cabling. There will be three new pylons near to the substation, but these are not within the boundary of the substation.
There will be underground cabling within the substation to connect one of the circuits from the overhead lines into Overton Substation. The substation will contain four Supergrid Transformers (SGT). These convert the voltage of the overhead lines (400kV) to connect into the substation (275kV).
Monk Fryston Substation
The new Monk Fryston Substation will be located adjacent to (and connecting into) the existing Monk Fryston Substation, which otherwise would be unable to accommodate the additional energy flowing from the upgraded overhead lines. The new substation will be accessed off Rawfield Lane, which is located near the villages of Monk Fryston, Lumby and Fairburn, between Leeds and Selby.
The new substation at Monk Fryston will have a footprint of approximately 80,000m2 (8 hectares), which will take the overall footprint of both substations at Monk Fryston combined to 147,000m2 (14.7 hectares). The structures within the new substation are still being designed but, in line with the Development Consent Order, they will be no greater than 15m in height.
The new substation will contain four Supergrid Transformers (SGT) to convert the voltage of the overhead lines (400kV) to connect into the substation (275kV) and will include approximately 600m of underground cables to connect the overhead line circuits to the new substation (all within the new substation boundary).
Minor works at Osbaldwick Substation
In addition to building two new substations, we will be undertaking minor works at the existing Osbaldwick Substation, including installing a new circuit breaker (a safety device that stops the flow of current in an electric circuit) and an isolator (a device used for isolating a circuit or equipment from a source of power). All new infrastructure at Osbaldwick will be located within the existing boundary of the substation. To find out more about substations, please click here.
New and upgraded overhead lines
We will be building new overhead lines to carry electricity to our new substations, as well as upgrading sections of existing overhead lines between Shipton and Monk Fryston to allow them to operate at a higher voltage. This means they will be able to carry more electricity.
This work will see 28km of existing overhead lines reconducted and strengthened, 10km of new overhead lines installed, 1km of new underground cables installed and the construction of 33 new pylons.
Cable sealing end compounds
A cable sealing end compound joins underground cables with overhead lines. They are needed where a section of underground cable carrying electricity ends and the circuit continues onto an overhead line. We will be building two new connection points at both Tadcaster Tee and Shipton Tee.
Where is Yorkshire GREEN?
Yorkshire GREEN is situated in Yorkshire. The project area runs from the north of York at Shipton (located northwest of York) down to Monk Fryston (located between Leeds and Selby) in North Yorkshire as well as along the eastern border of West Yorkshire around Leeds. We will also be working on our existing substation in Osbaldwick, to the east of York.
View the map below to see where the route is located or use our interactive map to find out what work will be happening near you.
What stage is the project at?
Preparatory works began in autumn 2024, followed by main works in January 2025. Construction is expected to be completed by 2028.
The timeline below details our anticipated construction programme:
Supergrid transformer deliveries
Between July and October 2025 we received delivery of eight supergrid transformers to our Overton and Monk Fryston Substations.
See below a photo of one of the transformers being loaded onto the specialist delivery vehicle at the port ahead of being transported to Overton Substation.
Supergrid transformers are large electrical devices used in substations to convert electricity into a higher or lower voltage. They are used to energise our substations which provide power to local homes and businesses. They weigh around 200 tonnes, which is equivalent to over 100 average sized cars.
Due to the size of the transformers, they were delivered by expert haulage companies on specialist delivery vehicles over 80 metres in length.
Overton Substation
The transformers for Overton Substation were transported from Teesport Docks, in Middlesbrough, over 50 miles via the highway network to our substation on Overton Road.
The route followed the A19, through villages including Birdforth, Thormanby and Shipton by Beningbrough before turning onto Overton Road.
Monk Fryston Substation
The transformers for Monk Fryston Substation were transported from Goole Docks , over 20 miles along the M62 and across junction 42 of the A1 (M), travelling east along the A63, before turning onto Rawfield Lane where our Monk Fryston Substation is located.
Community benefits
Our Yorkshire GREEN Local Community Fund is now open for applications. This fund is operated by National Grid Electricity Transmission.
We want to deliver meaningful and lasting benefits for the people and places hosting new electricity transmission infrastructure. We are committed to supporting local community projects and initiatives in the areas affected by the Yorkshire GREEN project. Our fund has been created by working closely with charitable organisations and community members to make sure it meets local needs.
Grants of up to £20,000 can support projects that address local community needs in one or more of the following themes:
- providing education and Science, Technology, Engineering & Maths (STEM) opportunities
- protecting the environment and ensuring access to green spaces
- improving community spaces and saving energy
- helping with the cost of living and supporting employability
- encouraging physical health and activity
- supporting mental health and wellbeing.
Grant funding is available during our construction period, which is expected to complete in late 2028. Click here to learn more about eligibility and how to apply.
Separate to this local fund, we are working to build strategic partnerships and programmes that deliver lasting social, environmental and economic benefits across the region. These initiatives focus on themes of nature positive, next generation (STEM), socioeconomic growth and community support.
We know that our responsibility goes beyond safely building new energy infrastructure to enable a cleaner, fairer and affordable future. We want to leave a lasting positive impact in the areas where we build Yorkshire GREEN, helping communities thrive and supporting a sustainable future.
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