Final Needs Case submitted for first Scotland-England subsea link

SSEN Transmission and the National Grid Electricity Transmission (NGET) have submitted a Final Needs Case (FNC) to Ofgem for the first of two subsea electricity transmission HVDC links that will connect Scotland and England.

If the Final Needs Case is approved, it will be followed by the Project Assessment, which will determine the level of investment required for the project. 

The initial 2 GW link will run from Peterhead in northeast Scotland to Yorkshire, Drax, on the east coast of England. 

With an energization date of 2029 and an estimated investment of around £2.1 billion, the project is being taken forward by a joint venture of SSEN Transmission and NGET.

The second 2 GW link, connecting Torness to Hawthorn Pit, is scheduled to be energized by 2027 and is being progressed by SP Energy Networks and NGET. 

Ofgem gave the green light for preparing the Final Needs Case stage of the regulatory approvals process for the link at the beginning of November.

According to SSEN, the two links are essential to alleviate constraints on Great Britain’s transmission system, enable growth in renewables and support the transition to net-zero emissions.