National Grid wants to help cut emissions with controversial projects

British company National Grid is considering whether it can accelerate two controversial transmission line projects to help the government meet its commitment to operate a “clean” electricity system by 2030. The UK’s national energy system operator welcomes the move, but environmental groups oppose it.

The recently established National Energy System Operator (NESO), formerly part of National Grid, has called for work to begin sooner on two controversial transmission line projects, as part of its advice to new ministers. The advice concerns how to achieve a “decarbonised” energy system by 2030, one of Labour’s election promises.

At the same time, energy company National Grid is reviewing plans to build a 184 km power line from Tilbury in Essex to Norwich. Construction is due to begin in 2027, with the line expected to transmit electricity from offshore wind farms by 2031.

It is also considering bringing forward plans for the Sea Link project, a 90-mile (145 km) subsea cable that would come ashore at two locations – near Sandwich in Kent and between Thorpeness and Aldeburgh in Suffolk.

Key projects

NESO said the projects were “key to delivering the development of the system, but are currently scheduled for completion after 2030”. The operator added that without them, the 2030 renewable energy share target would be missed by around 1.6%, costing consumers an additional £4.2 billion.

National Grid hopes the government will approve the projects by 2026, despite strong opposition from local campaigners, who fear that the 50-metre-high pylons on the Norwich–Tilbury route will “destroy the historic landscape” and require “the removal of a huge number of trees”. Environmental groups have also raised concerns that the Sea Link project will damage coastal ecosystems.

Acceleration

John Pettigrew, National Grid’s chief executive, said the company was considering whether it could deliver the projects around a year earlier than planned. It is considering accelerating them after a report by the system operator described both lines as “critical” to meeting the government’s clean energy targets.

“The report concluded that the projects we are working on are the right ones to develop. We are now looking at our supply chains and suppliers to see whether they can be delivered a year earlier,” he said.

National Grid, which builds and operates energy systems in the UK and the US, reported a better-than-expected 26% increase in pre-tax profit to £1.44 billion for the six months ended 30 September.