The UK Government has committed to reaching net zero emissions by 2050. This means achieving a balance between the greenhouse gases put into the atmosphere and those taken out. Decarbonising the energy system is vital to achieving net zero.
At National Grid Electricity Transmission (NGET), we are investing around £1.3bn each year to adapt and develop our network – of pylons, overhead lines, cables and substations – to connect new sources of low carbon energy to homes and businesses. We're investing for the future, connecting more and more low carbon electricity to our network and playing a crucial role in turning the UK’s net zero ambitions into reality.
National Grid Electricity Transmission (NGET) is planning to enhance the electricity network with proposals for EGL 3 and EGL 4 – two new primarily offshore high voltage electricity links and associated onshore infrastructure between Scotland and England.
The links would transport enough clean energy from Scotland to power up to four million homes in the Midlands and South of England, playing an important role in building a more secure and resilient future energy system and the decarbonisation of the UK electricity system.
In England, the proposed onshore elements of EGL 3 and EGL 4 would be in the districts of East Lindsey, Boston and South Holland, in Lincolnshire; and the district of King’s Lynn and West Norfolk, in Norfolk.
These proposals form part ofThe Great Grid Upgrade, which is the largest overhaul of the grid in generations.
Read more about what we’re proposing to build and install by clicking here.
We will be seeking consent for the English onshore elements of both EGL 3 and EGL 4 via one application to the Planning Inspectorate for a Development Consent Order (DCO). Although EGL 3 and EGL 4 are independent of one another, in effect separate projects, due to their ultimate common connection point in England (the proposed new Walpole substation), we decided to develop them in parallel. In addition to enabling one DCO application, this coordinated and co-located approach to their routeing and siting provides the opportunity to potentially reduce the extent of community and environmental impact and disturbance.
Consultation is an important part of the DCO process as it enables everyone to comment on our proposals, with feedback helping to inform the development of our proposals – along with technical assessments and environmental surveys - before we submit our DCO application to the Planning Inspectorate. We have now concluded our first stage, non-statutory consultation and more information on this can be found below.
Our first stage, non-statutory, public consultation
Our first stage, non-statutory, consultation for EGL 3 and EGL 4 has now closed.
This stage of our consultation ran from 23 April 2024 to 15 July 2024 and was designed to introduce our proposals and gain early feedback. This consultation related only to the English onshore elements of EGL 3 and EGL 4.
Our main objectives were to:
- introduce National Grid Electricity Transmission (NGET) and our proposals to you
- explain why we are proposing new electricity transmission infrastructure in this area and the technology we would propose to use
- outline the work carried out to identify our emerging preferred route corridor and graduated swathe
- ensure all stakeholders have the opportunity to provide feedback on our work to date and hear your views about where our emerging preferred corridor and the exact route of our graduated swathe could be located, and how we should approach building this infrastructure
- outline next steps to the programme, and show how we will further develop our proposals.
Ahead of submitting our application to the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, we are set to engage in our second stage, statutory, consultation next year, where we will share our refined proposals that have taken into account the feedback received to date and the results of technical and environmental studies.
We anticipate submitting our application for development consent to the Planning Inspectorate in 2026. The Planning Inspectorate will review and examine our application, and encourage submission of views from statutory stakeholders (such as Local Authorities, Natural England and the Environment Agency), communities and other interested parties, before making a recommendation to the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, who will decide whether to grant consent. To find out more about the DCO process, please see the Planning Inspectorate website.
View our online consultation materials
If you would like to access any of the consultation materials prepared for these projects, please visit the Document library page.
Landowners
If you are landowner or occupier who is affected by our project, or you think you may be, please visit our landowner page.
Contact us
Please get in touch if you have any questions or comments about the EGL 3 and EGL 4 projects by emailing [emailprotected] or calling 0800 298 0405.
You can also write to us (no stamp required) to: Freepost EASTERN GREEN LINKS 3 & 4.
