© Supplied by SSEN Transmission 
National Grid’s 2GW Sea Link grid connection has had its consent application accepted by the Planning Inspectorate.
Under the proposal, Sea Link would deploy an 85 mile (138 km) electricity connection linking Pegwell Bay in Kent to the Suffolk coast between Aldeburgh and Thorpeness.
This would see 72 miles of cable laid offshore, with a further 8.6 miles of underground cables linking to new converter stations at each end of the link.
The project will also see a new converter station built within three miles of the proposed Friston substation. These will then be connected via high-voltage alternating current (HVAC) underground cables.
In addition, another new converter station will be raised within three miles of the existing Richborough Substation, with an approximate 0.6 miles of HVAC cables made directly onto the overhead line.
The Kent-Suffolk grid connection will now enter the pre-examination phase, with stakeholders, including members of the public, being invited to provide feedback as part of the process.
The examination is expected to last across this year and into 2026, with a decision to be made by late 2026.
After that, construction is scheduled to begin and last until 2030.
Sea Link project director Adrian Pierssene said: “The acceptance of our application is a significant step forward and reflects the valuable input we have received from local communities and stakeholders.
“Sea Link will play a vital role in connecting more renewable energy to the grid as demand for energy rises, strengthening energy security and helping to deliver a cleaner electricity network. ”
Sea Link forms part of National Grid’s Great Grid Upgrade, which comprises 17 major infrastructure projects, including the Eastern Green Link (EGL) 1 and 2 projects to connect Scotland and England.
The group recently awarded deals to multiple companies under the programme, with the contracts totalling around £59 billion. They will help supply several projects, including Sea Link.
In addition to helping move electricity around the UK, interconnectors like Sea Link can help boost its electricity security.
At a time of growing vulnerability to sabotage and attack, adding additional transmission capacity makes the UK’s grid more robust, adding redundancies in case one link is damaged.
