Siemens Energy preferred bidder for Sea Link HVDC converter stations
Sea Link is a proposed new 2GW HVDC transmission system in the UK, linking Suffolk and Kent, linked by a 138km 525 kV marine cable routed through the southern North Sea and across the Thames Estuary.
National Grid has reached a significant milestone in the development of the Sea Link project by selecting Siemens Energy as preferred bidder for the project’s two HVDC converter stations. Achieving the preferred bidder milestone represents the crucial step towards securing market capacity, as well as allowing National Grid and Siemens Energy to begin the planning needed for project delivery before full contract award.
New electricity reinforcement is needed in both Kent and Suffolk to carry renewable and low-carbon power to homes, businesses and public services. The proposed 138km connection, from Pegwell Bay in Kent to a point on the Suffolk coast between Aldeburgh and Thorpeness, will run mostly under the sea.
HVDC technology provides the most efficient and reliable means of transmitting large amounts of power over long distances, in this case, via subsea cables. New terrestrial cables will then link the converter stations at either end to the existing transmission network infrastructure so that electricity can be made available to where it is needed.
Sea Link, part of National Grid’s The Great Grid Upgrade, is a key part of the significant amount of new network infrastructure required for the UK to increase electricity capacity as demand for energy is set to double. It will play a critical role in supporting the nation’s future security of supply, ensuring more renewable and low-carbon power reaches homes, business and public services.
Sea Link Project Director Adrian Pierssene said:
“This is a major milestone for Sea Link – a vital part of Great Britain’s energy network, designed to meet rising demand and strengthen energy security. Siemens Energy, a leader in advanced energy technology, brings specialist expertise that will support the delivery of the infrastructure needed for the UK’s future energy network.”
