UK’s new electricity grid plan favours undersea cables over pylons
Key Points
- The National Energy System Operator (NESO) is recommending three times more new undersea cabling than new onshore line in its plan for Britain's electricity grid.
- New offshore links carry power down the coasts rather than across the countryside, reducing the need for new pylons inland.
- NESO said it assessed every option against four criteria, weighted on equal footing rather than ranked by cost alone.
- The operator carried out assessments of environmental and community constraints using geospatial data, working with Statutory Nature Conservation Bodies to limit the effect of new infrastructure where possible.
The National Energy System Operator (NESO) is recommending three times more new undersea cabling than new onshore line in its plan for Britain’s electricity grid, in a move designed to reduce the impact of new infrastructure on communities and the landscape.
The approach, set out in NESO’s Beyond 2030 – Electricity Transmission Update, leans on upgrading existing routes wherever possible and reserves new-build for places where the system needs it.
New offshore links carry power down the coasts rather than across the countryside, reducing the need for new pylons inland.
Upgrade first, build second
NESO said its recommendations prioritise getting more out of infrastructure that already exists:
- Reinforcing existing routes – Upgrading current circuits to carry more power, which NESO said is often lower cost and has fewer environmental and community impacts than building new assets.
- New undersea cabling – Three times more new offshore cable is recommended than new onshore line.
- New onshore infrastructure – Recommended only where it is needed to meet system requirements.
How options are judged
NESO said it assessed every option against four criteria, weighted on equal footing rather than ranked by cost alone:
- Economic and efficient
- Deliverable and operable
- Impact on the environment
- Impact on communities
The operator carried out assessments of environmental and community constraints using geospatial data, working with Statutory Nature Conservation Bodies to limit the effect of new infrastructure where possible.
NESO acknowledged the trade-offs involved, noting that offshore links cost more than onshore options.
It said that based on the options put forward by Transmission Owners, and the overall need to move power from north to south, offshore connections remained cost-effective and offered a better balance between economic, environmental and community considerations.
