Britain has approved development of a two gigawatt undersea electricity connection linking Suffolk in the East of England and Kent in the South East of the country, capable of carrying enough electricity to power about two million homes, it said on Friday.
Britain’s Department for Energy Security and Net Zero said the project will help strengthen the country's energy security, making the power network more resilient and reducing wasted energy, helping to bring down costs.
The 138-kilometre project is being developed by National Grid while the subsea cable being used will be manufactured by Sumitomo Electric at its £350 million factory at Port of Nigg in Scotland, National Grid said in a separate statement.
Construction is expected to begin in early 2027, with the project expected to be complete by the 2030s, subject to detailed construction planning and construction agreements, National Grid said.
Britain needs to invest about £89 billion through the 2030s to overhaul its power grid, to help strengthen ageing infrastructure, meet an expected increase in demand and accommodate more renewable power, the National Energy System Operator said earlier this year.
(Reporting by Susanna Twidale; Editing by David Holmes)