Mytilineos Energy and GE Vernova’s Grid Solutions business announced that they have been awarded a £1bn contract by National Grid Electricity Transmission and SP Transmission, part of SP Energy Networks (SPEN), for the United Kingdom’s first high-capacity east coast subsea link.

The consortium was selected to supply and construct two High-Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) converter stations, for Eastern Green Link 1 – a joint venture of National Grid Electricity Transmission and SP Transmission - will oversee the construction of a 525kV, 2GW bipole VoltageSourced Converter (VSC) and HVDC subsea transmission cables from Torness in East Lothian, Scotland to Hawthorn Pit in County Durham, England, enabling the transmission of renewable green energy to power more than two million homes across the UK.

GE Vernova, the consortium leader, and Mytilineos will provide the engineering works and technology for the two VSC HVDC converter stations, which form the terminals for the HVDC cable and convert the direct current to alternating current enabling the transmission of electricity onto the onshore transmission network. The HVDC cable system is expected to be approximately 190km in length. VSC is the most advanced HVDC technology. HVDC provides the most efficient and reliable means of transmitting large amounts of power long distances subsea.

The design phase will begin in January 2024. Construction will begin in 2025.

Under the contract, GE Vernova will supply its VSC HVDC technology from its facilities in Stafford, UK, including its second-generation VSC valve and its eLumina control system. eLumina is the industry’s first HVDC control system to use a digital measurement system fully based on International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) 61850.

Mytilineos will be responsible for engineering, procurement and construction of civil works, balance of plant and installation of all equipment.