Offshore Surveys to Begin at UK’s Fifth Subsea Electricity Superhighway

Offshore marine survey operations are scheduled to begin soon at what would be the UK’s fifth subsea electricity superhighway, connecting Scotland and England. Ireland-based XOCEAN is in charge of carrying out the marine survey works for the Eastern Green Link 5 (EGL5) project using seven remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) and two support vessels.

The marine geophysical survey activities are expected to take place from April 23 until the end of June, subject to weather conditions. The survey will include non-intrusive geophysical work to collect bathymetric data, seabed imagery, and sub-bottom imaging. The survey vessels shall be unmanned vessels/uncrewed surface vessels, ensuring efficient data collection.

Supporting Renewable Energy Goals

The EGL links form part of planned electricity grid reinforcements to boost the capability of the existing UK transmission network and facilitate increased flows of planned renewable generation in the North to demand centers in the South. This initiative supports the ambition of enabling 50 GW of offshore wind generation by 2030 and achieving a net-zero economy by 2050.

EGL5 comprises a 2 GW, 525 kV high voltage direct current (HVDC) connection between offshore Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) Transmission’s licensed area to the National Grid Electricity Transmission (NGET) Lincolnshire Connection Node. The project includes an HVDC offshore cable approximately 585 kilometers long, around 10 kilometers of HVDC onshore cable, and an HVDC converter station.

Project Progress

Construction on EGL1 started in February, while construction of EGL2 began in September 2024. However, supply chain constraints have recently caused a delay of 16 months in the EGL1 project. Despite these setbacks, the continued progress on multiple EGL projects signifies the commitment to enhancing the UK’s energy infrastructure for a sustainable future.