UK’s National Grid proposes £58bn network upgrade plan

National Grid ESO has released a network upgrade plan, calling for £58 billion ($73.6 billion) of further, direct investment into electricity networks to facilitate the connection of clean assets and renewable energy sources.

The proposal comes courtesy National Grid’s Beyond 2030 report, the ESO’s national blueprint for a decarbonised electricity system in Great Britain.

According to the utility in the report, investment in renewable energy generation has far exceeded investment in transmission capacity over the past decade, resulting in bottlenecks on the electricity network. National Grid forecasts a 64% growth in power demand to 2035, the UK’s target for net zero.

The network upgrade plan would see new infrastructure delivered to connect both onshore and offshore wind power where needed alongside solutions that can optimise the location of strategic, flexible demand connections in the future.

Commented a National Grid spokesperson: “The huge growth in offshore wind, interconnectors, and nuclear power will all generate more electricity than the networks are currently able to transport.

“The Electricity System Operator’s Beyond 2030 report recognises the need for networks to be delivered at pace and is an important step in unlocking a more affordable and resilient decarbonised electricity system in the UK.”

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Part of the recommendations include a new high-capacity electrical spine that will run from the North East of Scotland through to the North West of England.

The proposed electrical spine is hoped to increase accessibility to low-cost, clean energy and improve the robustness of National Grid’s network, facilitating alternative pathways for electricity to flow.

Combined with National Grid’s Pathway to 2030 Holistic Network Design (HND), the proposed design will see over three times as much undersea cabling laid compared with new onshore routes, linking electricity being produced in the seas onto the mainland at appropriate points.

The plan would also facilitate the connection of an additional 21GW of offshore wind power; and together with the HND, 86GW of potential offshore could connect to the GB power system by 2035.

From the additional £58 billion of network investment, National Grid says that cumulatively this will create and sustain over 20,000 jobs annually.

Reacting to the news, chief executive of Energy UK, Emma Pinchbeck, said in a release: “The proposals set out by the ESO capture the necessary level of ambition to get the UK on track for economic growth, job creation, and a more cost-efficient energy system…

“It is critical that the plan considers local needs and that industry and Government minimise the amount and impact of energy infrastructure, but we also know that the future energy system will vastly improve the way we power our homes and businesses in this country.

“This plan is part of a wider programme of work from Government, industry, the regulator and the ESO to make sure that the needs of the country, the needs of communities, and the needs of customers are considered together, and fairly – for example, the Government will need to streamline the planning process and begin engaging with communities.”

The plan now awaits approval from Government and Britain’s energy regulator, Ofgem.

Said National Grid’s spokesperson on the next steps: “We now look forward to working with the System Operator, Government and Ofgem on the further development needed to progress these reinforcements, and to move towards creating a Strategic Spatial Energy Plan, coupled with a consentable Centralised Strategic Network Plan, which sets out what energy infrastructure needs to be built, where and when…”