Have your say on proposed new National Grid subsea and underground electricity links

The consultations will run until June 23 and are part of The Great Grid Upgrade – the biggest overhaul of the UK electricity network in generations.

National Grid is inviting communities in East Lindsey, Boston and South Holland in Lincolnshire, King’s Lynn, West Norfolk, and Fenland in Cambridgeshire, to learn more and have their say on three major clean electricity infrastructure projects - Eastern Green Link 3 (EGL3), Eastern Green Link 4 (EGL4) - and a newly proposed project, Eastern Green Link 5 (EGL5).

Demand for electricity in the UK is expected to double by 2050. According to National Grid, these projects – along with an 87-mile (140km) line of electricity pylons through Lincolnshire – have been created to provide the new network capacity needed to deliver clean, home-grown energy, particularly from offshore wind, directly to where it’s needed most – the East Midlands and across England.

The new links, connecting different parts of Scotland to England, are designed to carry electricity over long distances, so underground and subsea cables are currently thought to be the most effective solution, enabling power to be transmitted efficiently between Scotland and England in areas where there is no infrastructure.

National Grid say that by strengthening connections between the two countries, the projects, which could transport enough power for up to two million homes, will significantly improve the UK’s energy security.

Sean Stokoe, Head of Offshore Consents for National Grid, said: “Eastern Green Links 3, 4 and the newly proposed EGL5 are critical to building the electricity infrastructure the UK needs for a secure, independent and more affordable energy future.

"As electricity demand is set to double, these projects will help us make the most of Britain’s offshore wind, reducing our reliance on expensive imported fossil fuels. We’re keen to hear from local communities so we can shape our plans together.”

The new leader of the Reform UK group on Lincolnshire County Council, Sean Matthews, underlined the authority’s commitment to fighting any projects that would allow the Lincolnshire countryside to be carved up with infrastructure to move power across the county.

“This is a further proposal from National Grid that would fundamentally change the character of our county,” he said. “And we know that these pylons and substations will end up being just the start of things – they will attract further plans for largescale solar parks from private companies looking to take advantage of easy connections.

“This energy is not intended for Lincolnshire, we know it is needed further south, but it is our residents who have to put up with the infrastructure to get the power there.

"There seems to be an assumption that there’s nothing in Lincolnshire, and that our countryside can just be carved up with pylons, or covered in solar parks. That couldn’t be further from the truth and we will do everything we can to protect our beautiful county.”

Cat Makinson, of Lincolnshire Against Needless Destruction (LAND), commented that what Lincolnshire really needs is “a government that is capable of listening and understanding that the disproportunate onslaught of energy infrastructure on the county will impact our local economy negatively.

"The cumulative impact threatens 94 sq miles of farmland,” she said. “Lincolnshire provides over 30% of the UKs fresh produce, it has a thriving food production industry all of which is under threat.

"Then there is tourism one of the counties biggest contributors to its economy. Years of construction and unsightly infrastructure will hit tourism hard and it would be unlikely to fully recover.

“We need a government that recognises the need for balance, not one that rushes net zero 2030 at any cost. There are better ways to get to net zero by 2050.

“An offshore integrated grid makes more sense now than ever before. With so many cables coming to ground along our coast, connections offshore would be a joined up common sense approach to electricity transmission.”

However, Coun Graham Fisher, chairman of Anderby Parish Council welcomed the new proposals. He commented: “The cables going underground are what we want but anything above ground is not acceptable.”

PROJECT FACTFILE

EGL3 and EGL4 National Grid is developing EGL3 with SSEN Transmission and EGL4 with SP Energy Networks. Both projects will facilitate the transport of power between Scotland (EGL3 at Peterhead; EGL4 at Westfield, Fife) under the North Sea and England at Anderby Creek on the Lincolnshire coast. From there, underground cables would run approximately 100km to converter stations in the Walpole area of King’s Lynn and West Norfolk, before connecting to the existing transmission network via a new substation.

Following early engagement in April 2024, which received 300 public responses, National Grid is now consulting on updated proposals which include:

• Confirming Anderby Creek as the landfall location for both projects, with Theddlethorpe removed from further consideration. (National Grid is no longer taking forward proposals for a converter station and direct current switching station in the Bilsby area of East Lindsey.)
• Removal of a previously proposed cable route north from Huttoft to Bilsby
• Routeing EGL3 cables entirely outside the Holderness Offshore Marine Conservation Zone, with a minimal crossing by EGL4 cables.
• EGL5 – new proposal being developed by National Grid and SSEN Transmission. It would run approximately 555km under the sea from Scotland also landfalling at Anderby Creek and then continue 9km underground to a new converter station in East Lindsey, Lincolnshire.

Public information events and webinars are: Webinars:

Webinar 1: EGL 3 and EGL 4’s offshore proposals and EGL 5’s offshore proposals. Friday 23 May 12-1pm

Webinar 2: EGL 3 and EGL 4 Anderby Creek landfall to Candlesby and EGL 5’s onshore proposals. Thursday 5 June 7-8pm

Webinar 3: EGL 3 and EGL 4 Candlesby to Frith Bank. Tuesday 10 June 7-8pm

Webinar 4: Frith Bank to South Holland Drain. Friday 30 May 12-1pm

Webinar 5: South Holland Drain to Walpole area. Thursday 12 June 12-1pm

Joint in-person public information events for EGL 3 and EGL 4, and EGL 5:

Huttoft, Huttoft Village Hall, Thursday 22 May 2-7pm

Alford, Alford Corn Exchange, Saturday 31 May 2-7pm

In-person public information events for only EGL 3 and EGL 4:

Burgh le Marsh, Burgh le Marsh Village Hall, Wednesday 21 May 2-7pm

Eastville, Eastville, Midville and New Leake Village Hall, Saturday 24 May 2-7pm

Walpole, Walpole Community Centre, Thursday 29 May 2-7pm

Kirton Holme, Poachers Country Hotel, Kirton Holme, Tuesday 3 June 2-7pm

Holbeach, The Holbeach Hub, Wednesday 4 June 2-7pm

Tydd St Giles, Tydd St Giles Community Centre, Thursday 5 June 2-7pm

• Cat Makinson says the ‘LAND army’ website at lincsland.co.uk/ and their Facebook page offer a breakdown for anyone overwhelmed by the number of projects under the Great Grid Upgrade and net zero umbrella. She added: “300 responses to last year’s consultation does seem low, Unfortunately, the consultation was immediately after the Grimsby to Walpole consultations. The general public were, and still are, overwhelmed by so many proposals, consultations and requests for feedback.”