National Grid has opened a public consultation on electricity network upgrades In East Anglia as part of the Great Grid Upgrade project.
The network upgrades will be able to carry 6GW of power, and are needed to connect new offshore wind generation projects of the East coast of England.
The proposals involve the construction of 180 km of new electricity network between existing substations in Norwich, Bramford and Tilbury, and a new substation in Tendring.
The eight-week public consultation from 27 June until 21 August, invites residents to comment on updated proposals for a new high voltage power line and other infrastructure between Norwich and Tilbury.
A first round of consultation was held in 2022, and National Grid is launching a new consultation with more detail about potential positions for overhead lines and associated pylons, underground cables, and a connection substation along the proposed route. However, not all local residents seemed to be on board with the proposals.
Worth a look at all the comments below this tweet to see that East Anglican’s are not very impressed to see that National Grid can lay a sun sea cable to Norway but not to Tilbury from wind farms. Strategic offshore grid needed, not 180km of pylons https://t.co/EmqJVLcRfh pic.twitter.com/TrS5xHu5Ua
— Rosie P 🍃💚🍃🌳🚲💧 (@RosieP4) June 23, 2022
Liam Walker, Project Director for Norwich to Tilbury, said: “The government’s net zero target means an increase in new renewable electricity generation such as offshore wind power.
“We’re proposing new infrastructure that will connect this green energy to the grid and allow clean electricity to power homes and businesses across East Anglia and the UK, boosting our home-grown energy security and progress towards net zero.”
Earlier this month, National Grid ESO published a consultation focusing on its long-term reforms to the grid connections process. This followed the ESO’s publishing of a 5-point plan to speed up grid connections.
Also this month, National Grid also announced a consultation on a new power line between the East Riding of Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire.
The UK government is planning to create a Future System Operator which will be independent from National Grid and take over many of the functions of the National Grid ESO. The FSO is due to start work in 2024, and the government hopes it will speed up investment in the electricity network.