Energy infrastructure enthusiasts (we know you’re out there), here’s some exciting news: Britain is getting a huge ‘energy superhighway’. It’ll link Aberdeenshire in Scotland and Drax which, despite sounding like a different planet, is in Yorkshire, England.
The 500km long cable will allow new green energy to more easily travel from a Scottish plant to the rest of the UK, and is scheduled to be completed in 2029.
It comes after the new Labour government promised to ease building restrictions and will be, according to the chief executive of Ofgem, ‘a further step in putting the regulatory systems and processes in place to speed up network regulation to achieve [clean energy by 2030].’
It’s being jointly overseen by Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks and National Grid, and is, according to the chief executive of Energy Networks Association, ‘the biggest upgrade to the grid in decades.’ Think HS2 if it were for electrons instead of trains.
The wire will mostly be underneath the sea, so it won’t be disruptive to any day-to-day life, but it will require some new overhead cabling in the north of England. It’s going to cost about £4.3 billion which may seem like a hefty price, but this project is expected to fuel two million homes, so it’s probably worth it in the long run.
Construction is due to begin later this year, so keep an eye out if you live in the northeast. And, next time you put a light on, thank the Ofgem gods for continuing to provide energy for us all.
Transport in the UK
It’s not just electricity – humans need to travel too. plenty to talk about in the world of UK transport, such as Flixbus launching its first ever affordable coach routes between the UK and Ireland, this tunnel that has been proposed to connect the UK and the UK, and the latest information about ongoing strikes.
Here's everything you need to know about EasyJet flight cancellations: airports affected, dates and why the airline is cancelling flights.
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