Eastern Green Link 4 announces £2bn cable contract with Prysmian

Cable manufacturer Prysmian has been awarded a £2bn contract to supply the cable for National Grid Electricity Transmission and SP Energy Networks subsea Eastern Green Link 4 project.

The contract will see Prysmian manufacture and deliver over 640km of cable for the 2GW subsea electricity link, which will use high voltage direct current (HVDC) to connect Fife in Scotland and Norfolk in England.

Once completed in 2033, it will be capable of transporting enough green electricity to power more than 1.5 million homes. 

The project is a joint venture between National Grid Electricity Transmission and SP Energy Networks. It will increase Britain’s capacity to move power around the country, reducing constraints, increasing energy security and enabling more clean power to connect to the grid. 

The contract includes 530km of subsea HVDC cable as well as over 116km of underground cable. Using HVDC technology is the most efficient way to transport large volumes of power over long distances, helping the UK move closer to its clean power targets.

Project Director for National Grid, James Goode said: Eastern Green Link 4 is a critical part of the significant reinforcement needed along the east coast to support Britain’s future energy system. By investing in high-capacity HVDC infrastructure, we can move large volumes of clean electricity efficiently and at scale.

Appointing Prysmian as cable supplier builds on their established experience with National Grid working on major transmission projects. It supports our focus on delivering this important connection to support home-grown, cleaner, secure energy from more affordable sources to consumers for decades to come.

Iain Adams, Eastern Green Link 4 Project Director, said: “Britain is undergoing a transformation of its transmission system, both onshore and offshore, and the Eastern Green Link 4 project plays a vital part in this.The project will help unlock capacity across the UK’s electricity grid, opening up space for more renewable energy to connect in and helping to reduce constraint costs for consumers. Bringing Prysmian onboard means we have secured true experts in delivering large-scale HVDC cables that will support Britain for decades to come.”

Prysmian is the world’s leading cable manufacturer and can deliver the quality and scale of the cable needed for Britian’s underwater electricity highways.

Raul Gil, EVP Transmission at Prysmian, said: “The UK has set the standard for futureproofing its electricity connections. Utilising the power of undersea HVDC cables to transport power between Scotland and England is a forward-thinking step – and one that many countries are now replicating. Prysmian has been entrusted to support several major HVDC links in the UK, playing a vital part in bringing clean energy to homes and businesses right across the country in a fast and cost-efficient way.”

The SP Energy Networks and National Grid Transmission joint venture partnership is building two links that will straddle the east coast of the country. Prysmian is also supplying the cable for Eastern Green Link 1, the 2GW project, which started construction last year and will connect Torness in Scotland and Hawthorn Pit in England. 

Planning applications for Eastern Green Link 4 are expected in Scotland and in England during 2026. Subject to approval by the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero construction is currently expected to start in 2029, with the link operational in 2033.