United Kingdom – October 13, 2026 -- National Grid is running a transmission build-out that includes a seven-year, £1 billion project to rewire South London through deep underground tunnels, alongside new high-voltage links to carry offshore wind and solar power south from Scotland and the North.
Two 2GW HVDC links target Scottish and North Sea generation
EGL1 is a two-gigawatt (GW) high voltage direct current (HVDC) link between the Torness area in East Lothian, Scotland, and Hawthorn Pit in County Durham. EGL2, also rated at 2GW, will run between Peterhead in Aberdeenshire and Drax in North Yorkshire. Eastern Green Link 3 (EGL3) and Eastern Green Link 4 (EGL4) are intended to increase network capability to connect new offshore wind farms.
Sea Link, a planned high voltage undersea connection between Suffolk and Kent, is in development at National Grid Electricity Transmission. A separate project is designed to connect new energy sources in the Scottish Borders to the wider Scotland-England network.
Chesterfield to Willington upgrade raises 275kV lines to 400kV capacity
The company proposes uprating existing 275kV overhead lines to carry a 400kV transmission load and building three new substations. The Chesterfield to Willington project is meant to add capacity between the North and the Midlands. In East Anglia, National Grid says it must strengthen the network to carry the clean energy proposed for the region.
Further proposals include a new overhead line in Lincolnshire between Grimsby and Walpole, with new pylons and substations, and a new transmission line from a substation at Creyke Beck, north of Hull. Carlisle to Newcastle, an upgrade between the North West and North East of England, is at an early stage. Near Navenby in Lincolnshire, the company is investigating sites for a substation to connect proposed solar projects.
Refurbishment programme covers lines dating to 1971 and the 1960s
The Drax to Thornton line in Yorkshire has operated since 1971 and is being refurbished. Work on a 50-year-old line concludes activity begun in 2017. From October 2022, National Grid and contractor Balfour Beatty are refurbishing a 40km (25-mile) stretch of overhead line running from Nursling.
The Kearsley to Whitegate line is 15km long with 45 pylons. Other refurbishment covers Penwortham to Daines, Fleet to Lovedean, Walham to Cilfynydd, and the Bramford to Braintree to Rayleigh route, where the remaining overhead line, conductors and fittings will be replaced.
Thames tunnel replacement and Littlebrook substation target ageing assets
The Grain to Tilbury project proposes replacing the existing 1960s Thames Cable Tunnel beneath the river. National Grid says the Littlebrook substation in Dartford is no longer fit for purpose and needs a new facility. In North London, the Pelham and Rye House to Hackney overhead line is slated for work.
Rail electrification and landscape funding add to the programme
To support Network Rail's decarbonisation, National Grid is installing a 400/25kV Supergrid transformer at Bramley substation and connecting it to a new trackside substation. Its Landscape Enhancement Initiative, part of the VIP project, aims to use up to £11m of an Ofgem provision. National Grid is also working with the North East Combined Authority and the Port of Tyne to remove the restriction posed by overhead lines crossing the River Tyne at Wallsend and Jarrow.