en.Wedoany.com Reported - The Eastern Green Link 2 (EGL2) project, a joint venture between SSEN Transmission and National Grid Electricity Transmission, has entered its main construction phase. The project is reportedly the largest electricity transmission project ever undertaken in the UK and the country's longest high-voltage direct current (HVDC) cable, installing a 2 GW HVDC subsea cable connecting Peterhead, Scotland, and Drax, Yorkshire. Construction began in September 2024, with the line expected to be completed by 2029.
In recent months, the project has achieved several significant milestones regarding the onshore cable route. Prysmian of Italy has completed the horizontal directional drilling (HDD) construction site at the Scottish landfall. Drilling at the two HDD crossing points began in May, and the pilot holes are now complete. The project is entering the reaming phase to prepare the boreholes for cable installation.
Offshore construction operations have commenced from Peterhead Port, with work in Sandford Bay starting at the end of June. These activities will prepare the seabed to facilitate the breakout of HDD boreholes into pre-excavated trenches, thereby enabling the subsequent installation of steel casings connecting the onshore and offshore cable systems. In North Yorkshire and East Yorkshire, preparations are underway for the main infrastructure installation route. Prysmian reports that engineers have completed detailed ground surveys prior to cable installation work to ensure the long-term stability, performance, and sustainability of the cable system.
To date, Prysmian and its contractors have completed over 16 kilometers of construction roads (equipped with bell-mouth entry points), 12 kilometers of drainage systems, 1.5 kilometers of trench excavation, four horizontal directional drills, and archaeological trial trenches. Regarding offshore activities, detailed marine engineering surveys for the subsea cable laying route are ongoing, geotechnical surveys have been completed, and geophysical surveys are still in progress. Surveys for offshore crossing points are scheduled for completion by the end of July.
The next major milestone will be the preparation of the English landfall, followed by HDD operations to connect the project's onshore and offshore sections. Giuseppe Cardamone, Prysmian's EGL2 Project Director, stated that the scale and complexity of the project require close collaboration among the team, delivery partners, supply chain, and stakeholders. Each milestone achieved is the result of collective effort, underpinned by a firm commitment to safety, engineering excellence, and responsible delivery, working together to build the infrastructure supporting the UK's transition to a cleaner, more secure energy system.
