Ofgem has opened a consultation on National Grid Electricity Transmission’s (NGET) proposed Sea Link project, a 2 GW high-voltage direct current (HVDC) connection between Suffolk and Kent.
The regulator published its project assessment on 1 September, with responses due by 29 September. The assessment forms part of the Accelerated Strategic Transmission Investment (ASTI) framework under the RIIO-3 price control, which sets the revenues and delivery arrangements for major transmission projects.
Sea Link would connect converter stations at Saxmundham in Suffolk and Minster in Kent via a combination of offshore and onshore cables, alongside reinforcements to the surrounding transmission network.
The project is designed to increase the electricity system’s ability to transfer power between East Anglia and south-east England, where network constraints are expected to intensify as substantial volumes of offshore wind capacity connect over the coming decade.
Ofgem said additional reinforcement is needed to accommodate this growth and enable more electricity to flow from areas of generation to centres of demand. The increased transfer capacity could reduce the amount of renewable generation constrained off the system and improve access to lower-cost electricity.
The regulator also expects Sea Link to support energy security and the government’s clean power objectives by strengthening the network needed to integrate renewable generation.
The consultation is open to organisations and individuals with an interest in electricity transmission infrastructure, as well as transmission owners. Ofgem’s assessment will help determine the revenue and output arrangements for delivery of the project under the ASTI framework.
Sea Link is among the major transmission investments planned as Britain upgrades its electricity network to accommodate offshore wind and other low-carbon generation.
