Eastern Green Link 3

National Grid and SSEN Transmission signed a firm contract with Hitachi Energy for the supply of HVDC Light converter stations for Eastern Green Link 3. Hitachi Energy will deliver bipolar ±525 kV HVDC Light converter stations at both ends of the link — at Netherton Hub (Aberdeenshire) and at Walpole (West Norfolk). The contract forms part of nearly £3 billion in combined EGL3 supply chain agreements.

SSEN Transmission announced that the Marine Licence application for the Eastern Green Link 3 subsea cable is now open for public consultation, following submission to the Marine Directorate in September 2025.

Ofgem approved early construction funding (ECF) and pre-construction funding (PCF) for EGL3 (and EGL4) and set updated delivery dates, enabling transmission owners to proceed with early enabling works such as strategic land purchases, surveys, design work and procurement of major components. The decision formally recognised redesigned project scope and provided a regulatory route to fund preparatory activities that underpin construction of converter stations, cable works and substations. This approval was a regulatory step that enables the project to progress towards later construction, testing and commissioning activities.

Ofgem confirmed approval of early investment for Eastern Green Link 3, awarding Early Construction Funding (ECF) equivalent to 8% of EGL3's updated forecast project cost and Pre‑Construction Funding (PCF) at 2.5%. The decision allowed the EGL3 JV (NGET in partnership with SSEN/SHET arrangements) to proceed with enabling activities including strategic land purchases, surveys, design work and early procurement of critical HVDC components to derisk delivery and secure manufacturing slots. Ofgem linked the funding to updated target delivery dates and set incentives and protections for consumers in the event of changes or cancellation.

SSEN Transmission commenced tendering for the northern converter civil works package for Eastern Green Link 3 HVDC project at the Netherton Hub site near Peterhead. The civil works package is critical to preparing the converter station area and represents the first tender under National Grid's HVDC civils framework.

SSEN Transmission and National Grid Electricity Transmission named NKT as the preferred bidder to supply and install the 525 kV HVDC subsea and underground cable system for Eastern Green Link 3 (around 680 km total route length). The announcement described NKT’s role as delivering the critical HVDC cable system for the proposed 2 GW interconnector between Longside (Aberdeenshire) and Walpole (Norfolk) and stated the parties would proceed to negotiate a firm contract; the preferred-bidder status did not prejudge planning decisions. The project team indicated construction was planned to begin subject to approvals.

SSEN Transmission submitted a marine licence application to the Marine Directorate – Licensing Operations Team (MD‑LOT) on 10 September 2025 for the Scottish marine elements and inshore works for Eastern Green Link 3, covering installation and operation of the subsea HVDC cable corridor. The company stated the application followed pre‑application consultation and survey work; a determination by MD‑LOT was expected within ~12 months.

Ofgem published a consultation document setting out a minded‑to position on National Grid/SSEN Transmission's EGL3 Early Construction Funding (ECF) application. The regulator said the EGL3 joint venture's ECF request fell within the ASTI ECF allowance and indicated a minded‑to approval of ECF equal to 8% of the project's updated forecast cost. Ofgem also set out its position on Pre‑Construction Funding (PCF), noting the TOs had requested a higher PCF (around 3.5%) but proposing to set initial allowances at the ASTI default of 2.5% pending further assessment. The document explained the funding purpose: early procurement, strategic land purchases, surveys, design and procurement commitments to derisk delivery and secure long‑lead HVDC components.

National Grid completed its HVDC civil works supply‑chain framework awards (total ~£12bn) and confirmed the first tender under the HVDC civils framework would shortly be launched for the shared southern works required for Eastern Green Link 3 (EGL3) and EGL4. The frameworks appointed multiple large civils contractors for converter civils and onshore cable civils, signalling the mobilisation of major engineering supply‑chain capacity that will support forthcoming tendering and delivery activities for EGL3’s onshore civils works.

Aberdeenshire Council’s Infrastructure Services Committee provided verbal confirmation of planning permission in principle for the proposed Netherton Hub on 21 August 2025. The decision, following two years of development and local engagement by SSEN Transmission, covered the Hub that will host multiple assets including a 400 kV substation, a 132 kV substation, the Spittal to Peterhead HVDC converter and the proposed Eastern Green Link 3 HVDC converter station. SSEN indicated formal written confirmation and associated conditions were expected to follow.

National Grid Electricity Transmission and SSEN Transmission named Hitachi Energy as the preferred bidder to supply the HVDC converter stations for EGL3. The preferred-bidder announcement covered provision of converter station technology at both ends of the 2 GW HVDC link and followed a competitive procurement process. The developers noted that the selection does not prejudge planning decisions; the announcement supported subsequent procurement and delivery planning for converter delivery, installation and later commissioning activities.

The Eastern Green Link 3 (EGL3) project is a joint venture between National Grid Electricity Transmission and SSEN Transmission. This partnership was publicly described in the project announcement on 14 August 2025 when the joint venture named Hitachi Energy as preferred bidder for the HVDC converter stations. The joint venture structure places the two GB transmission operators as the project developers and owners responsible for advancing planning, consenting and delivery of the ~2GW, 525kV interconnector between Aberdeenshire (Scotland) and West Norfolk (England). The JV arrangement underpins procurement decisions and development responsibility while enabling the TSOs to share delivery risk and coordinate the large-scale grid reinforcement.

SSEN Transmission held a statutory pre-application consultation event on 22 May 2025 for the marine element of the proposed Eastern Green Link 3 (EGL 3). The event presented proposals to install a ~580 km subsea HVDC cable between Sandford Bay (Peterhead) and the Lincolnshire coast and formed part of the pre-application process ahead of a Marine Licence application to the Marine Directorate. Attendees could review the scheme, ask the project team questions and view information on the preferred Scottish land cable alignment; a public feedback period ran until 6 July 2025.

The applicant (National Grid Electricity Transmission) notified the Planning Inspectorate on 13 May 2025 under Section 46 of the Planning Act 2008 and Regulation 8 of the EIA Regulations that it intends to provide an Environmental Statement (ES) as part of a joint DCO application for Eastern Green Link 3 and 4. As part of stage 2 consultation the applicant published a Preliminary Environmental Information Report (PEIR) and Non-Technical Summary for public consultation (13 May–23 June 2025) to present initial environmental assessment findings that will inform the final ES submitted with the DCO application.

SSEN Transmission completed the geophysical survey programme across the EGL3 subsea corridor in 2024. The completed MBES, SSS, SBP and magnetometer data were used to refine the subsea cable installation corridor, maximise potential cable burial and identify seabed constraints (boulders, rock outcrops, sandwaves and potential UXO) ahead of further route engineering and consenting.

The geotechnical campaign across the EGL3 corridor was completed in 2024. Laboratory and in‑field geotechnical data from vibrocores and CPTs were used to inform cable burial feasibility, trenching strategies and to refine the installation corridor prior to pre‑lay and installation contracting.

The environmental baseline survey work for the EGL3 marine corridor concluded in 2024. Results from underwater camera surveys, grab samples and habitat mapping were incorporated into the PEIR/consultation materials to assess potential ecological impacts and to inform subsea route optimisation and proposed embedded environmental measures.

In October 2024, the Eastern Green Link 3 project developers submitted an application for Planning Permission in Principle for the Netherton Hub, including the project’s HVDC converter station, to Aberdeenshire Council as part of progressing the onshore elements of the scheme near Peterhead.

SSEN Transmission and National Grid Electricity Transmission completed ground investigation works for the Eastern Green Link 3 onshore underground land cable route between March and August 2024, confirming the suitability of ground conditions for cable installation along the proposed alignment between Netherton Hub and Sandford Bay by August 2024.

In May 2024, SSEN Transmission held a Netherton Hub consultation event at Longside Parish Church Hall, where it again presented the proposed 500 m-wide underground land cable route for the Eastern Green Link 3 project, following earlier engagement on the routing options.

A scoping report for the Eastern Green Link 3 HVDC cable marine works (Scoping Report: Marine Environmental Assessment approach and methodology) was published on 8 April 2024 to set the scope and methodology for the marine environmental assessment (MEA) that will support the marine licence application. The report described consultation responses, topic chapters to be assessed and confirmed use of the project website to inform the public.

SSEN Transmission began onshore ground investigation works for the Eastern Green Link 3 underground land cable in March 2024, carrying out geotechnical investigations between Netherton Hub and Sandford Bay to assess ground conditions and inform the suitability of the route for cable installation.

National Grid held the first stage of public consultation in spring 2024 on its early proposals for Eastern Green Link 3 (EGL 3) and Eastern Green Link 4 (EGL 4), inviting feedback from stakeholders and the public. The feedback gathered during this consultation was then used to further develop and refine the project proposals.

In February 2024, SSEN Transmission held a Netherton Hub consultation event at Longside Parish Church Hall, where it presented the proposed 500 m‑wide underground land cable route for the Eastern Green Link 3 project to local stakeholders.

SSEN Transmission commenced an offshore geophysical survey campaign for Eastern Green Link 3 in 2023. The campaign covered intertidal, nearshore and offshore areas of the proposed subsea cable corridor and used MBES (multibeam echosounder), side-scan sonar (SSS), sub‑bottom profiler (SBP), magnetometer and aerial UAV surveys to map bathymetry, seabed features, shallow geology and locate seabed objects that could constrain cable routing.

A geotechnical survey campaign for Eastern Green Link 3 began in 2023 to characterise seabed sediments and near‑surface soils along the proposed cable corridor. Survey methods included vibrocorer sampling and cone penetrometer testing (CPT) from survey vessels to determine sediment strength and stratigraphy for cable burial assessment and later route engineering.

Environmental baseline surveys for Eastern Green Link 3 began in 2023 as part of the marine survey programme. These subtidal and intertidal surveys used underwater cameras, sediment grabs and biological sampling to map seabed habitats and species distributions to support the Preliminary Environmental Information Report and inform route selection and mitigation.

In June 2023, SSEN Transmission held an early public consultation event for the Eastern Green Link 3 project at Peterhead Football Club, where it presented potential 2 km-wide underground land cable corridors, proposed landfall locations and indicative converter station sites as part of the initial consultation on the Netherton Hub and associated land cable route.

Pre‑lay surveys and cable route clearance for Eastern Green Link 3 are planned prior to cable installation and will include investigations and clearance for potential unexploded ordnance (UXO). National Grid / SSEN stated that pre‑lay surveys carried out by the installation contractor will validate known constraints (including potential UXO) and that clearance activities (e.g., pre‑lay grapnel runs, ROV investigation, magnetometer surveys and mass flow excavation or boulder clearance) would be used where required to remove hazards before cable laying.