National Grid to unlock £54bn investment in GB network infrastructure

National Grid ESO has published Pathway to 2030 and the Holistic Network Design (HND), aiming to deliver up to £54bn ($64.8bn) investment in GB network infrastructure and create up to 168,000 jobs by 2030.

Touted by the electricity system operator (ESO) as one of the largest investment plans in critical electricity transmission networks since the 1950s and 60s, the plan is designed to coordinate transmission infrastructure to transport 23GW of offshore energy.

The ESO’s HND is described as a single, integrated approach to support large scale delivery of electricity from offshore wind for the nation.

The publication aims to help ensure the nation’s electricity network meets growing consumer demand, while responding to Government ambitions for 50GW of offshore wind by 2030 and enabling the transition to net zero.

The HND is a coordinated design for offshore and onshore transmission infrastructure to transport 23GW of offshore wind, including locations in North and South Wales, the Scottish Islands and West Coast, and the East Coast of Scotland and Aberdeenshire, Lancashire, North-East England, and Yorkshire and Humber.

Have you read:
National Grid and Eversource advance New England’s network resilience
National Grid to test assessment data automation with drones and AI
Ofgem supports National Grid with £1.5m for energy network innovation

Compared to a design that connected wind farms individually, the approach set out is expected to:

• Save consumers £5.5 billion ($6.6 billion) in costs by 2030 by increasing network capacity compared to connecting wind farms individually
• Reduce the impact on the seabed with up to a 30% smaller footprint from cables coming to shore
• Reduce CO2 emissions between 2030 and 2032 by two mega tonnes – equivalent to grounding all UK domestic flights for a year – by facilitating the flow of cleaner, greener energy and reducing reliance on fossil fuels

More detailed network design will be developed to include specific designs for projects by the organisations appointed through the regulatory process.

These specific options will be designed and consulted on in future by the organisations appointed to fulfil the needs identified.

Fintan Slye, executive director, ESO stated: “The ESO is at the heart of strategic planning of the future energy system and is actively contributing to Britain’s energy security and a net zero future. The publication of the Holistic Network Design is a key step in providing certainty to offshore wind developers and mitigating potential impacts on the environment and local communities from energy infrastructure.”

Background and next steps

The HND was developed as part of National Grid ESO’s role in the Offshore Transmission Network Review (OTNR), launched by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) in July 2020 to ensure that the transmission connections for offshore wind generation are delivered in the most appropriate way, considering the increased ambition for offshore wind to achieve net zero.

The HND will be followed by a Detailed Network Design (DND) and consenting process to determine technology choices, transmission routes and the location of substations and converter stations. These will be carried out by the organisation delivering the network infrastructure.

Developed with the Transmission Owners and working closely and in consultation with Ofgem, the UK, Scottish, and Welsh Governments, offshore wind developers and environmental stakeholders, the HND primarily includes offshore wind projects that secured seabed leases through The Crown Estate’s Offshore Wind Leasing Round 4 and Crown Estate Scotland’s ScotWind Leasing Round.

Next steps for the HND involve a follow on HND to include further offshore wind developments including all ScotWind projects by Q1 2023.

By considering future offshore generation through to 2030, infrastructure can be planned to bring power to the grid cohesively, ensuring maximum benefit for consumers, while minimising impact for local communities and the environment.