Planning application submitted for ‘key element’ of Scottish Pathway to 2030 investment program

SSEN Transmission has submitted a planning application to Aberdeenshire Council for a hub that will comprise the converter stations of the Spittal to Peterhead and the Eastern Green Link 3 links, among others, seen as a crucial component of the £20 billion Pathway to 2030 investment program in the north of Scotland.

SSEN Transmission describes the Netherton Hub, near Longside, to the west of Peterhead, as the key element of the Pathway to 2030 investment program, one of the biggest investments undertaken in the region for decades, if not of all time, set to support 20,000 jobs across the UK supply chain.

The submission of the planning application follows two years of development and engagement on the design with local community members and other stakeholders.

Thirteen potential sites were considered for the hub, while the chosen one was marked as the best option in terms of ability to host the proposed infrastructure, while exhibiting fewer environmental constraints and offering greater potential for biodiversity net gain, in addition to proximity to existing and proposed infrastructure, as well as transport routes.

Once complete, the Netherton Hub – named to reflect the area’s farming history – will comprise a 400 kV substation to support offshore and onshore electricity generation; a 132 kV substation to support further future generation and storage connections from third-party developers; the Spittal to Peterhead HVDC converter station to support renewable energy transmission from new generators in the north of Scotland to demand centers throughout the UK; and the Eastern Green Link 3 (EGL3) HVDC converter station to support the renewable energy transmission from generators in the north of Scotland to Norfolk and beyond.

The hub will also accommodate a further transmission hall, with the capacity for more infrastructure to future-proof the growing network, and a spares warehouse and operations base.

“After a lot of hard work from the project team, in consultation with communities and other key stakeholders, we are delighted to have reached the point of submitting our planning application to Aberdeenshire Council, seeking approval for the Netherton Hub,” said David Inge, SSEN Transmission’s Offshore Development Portfolio Manager and Netherton Hub Lead.

“We now look forward to working with Aberdeenshire Council to progress a world leading energy hub that will be critical to delivering a cleaner, more secure and affordable energy system for future generations and will provide a significant boost to local and national economies.”

Four EGL links form part of planned electricity grid reinforcements to boost the capability of the existing UK transmission network and facilitate increased flows of planned renewable generation in the North to demand centers to the South, supporting the ambition of enabling 50 GW of offshore wind generation by 2030 and achieving a net-zero economy by 2050.

EGL1 and EGL2 have already been consented and are moving towards construction, and EGL3 and EGL4 are in the development and assessment stage.