Further electric 'superhighway' cable approved

A further multi-billion pound cable to transport renewable electricity between Scotland and England has been approved.

Eastern Green Link 1 will see the installation of a 122 mile-long (196km) subsea and underground electricity cable between Torness in East Lothian, Scotland, and Hawthorn Pit in Murton, County Durham.

It comes after Eastern Green Link 2 - between Aberdeenshire and North Yorkshire - was approved in August.

The regulator Ofgem said it approved a £2bn funding package for the project, which would help "boost energy security, cut bills and hit government green targets".

The project is being developed by  SP Energy Networks and National Grid Electricity Transmission.

The electricity "superhighway" will be able to carry power in both directions, but the majority is expected to flow out of Scotland.

The developers said the project would cost £2.5bn, but Ofgem said it had identified more than £43m of savings "cut from the project costs without impacting delivery or quality".

Pearse Murray, of SP Energy Networks, said: "Given its technically complex and innovative nature other critical decisions remain to be taken and we continue to engage with Ofgem on these."

Onshore construction work is expected to begin in Spring 2025, with offshore works commencing in Summer 2025.

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