Families and businesses could benefit from more clean, homegrown power as the government today (Friday 30 October) approves Sea Link, a major undersea power connection between Suffolk and Kent.
\n\nDeveloped by National Grid, the 2 GW link will be capable of carrying enough electricity to power the equivalent of 2 million homes, helping move more power from where it is generated to where it is needed. By easing pressure on the grid, it will help reduce the need to pay generators to switch off when the network cannot carry their electricity.
\n\nThe project will help strengthen Britain’s energy security, making the electricity network more resilient and reducing wasted energy, helping to bring down costs for consumers.
\n\nThe approval builds on the Prime Minister’s announcement of the Great British Grid, a publicly owned body within Great British Energy that will bring together public and private investment to speed up network upgrades.
\n\nThe government is also bringing forward reforms to let developers and businesses build their own grid connections where appropriate, reducing delays and costs and supporting growth.
\n\nEnergy Minister Michael Shanks said:
\n\n\n\n\nBritain’s future rests on rebuilding the national grid so renewable energy and businesses can connect, driving economic growth and reducing our exposure to volatile global fossil fuel markets which are driving up all our bills.
\n\nBy rewiring Britain we get homegrown power to where it’s needed, we make sure the grid is resilient for the future and we bring bills down for good.
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The decision comes after the approval of 2 major solar farms in Nottinghamshire and Cheshire, backing both the homegrown power Britain needs and the infrastructure to deliver it.
\n\nGreat North Road Solar and Biodiversity Park, near Newark in Nottinghamshire, will have a generating capacity of 800 MW - enough to power the equivalent of around 400,000 homes a year, according to the developer.
\n\nThe project will be the joint biggest solar farm in the country by generating capacity, alongside Springwell Solar Farm, which was approved earlier this year.
\n\nAlmost 4,000 sheep are expected to graze beneath and between the panels, potentially rising to 9,000 during lambing - keeping the grass down while allowing farming to continue alongside electricity generation.
\n\nFrodsham Solar, north of Frodsham in Cheshire, will combine solar panels with battery storage, allowing some of the electricity generated to be stored for use when it is needed.
\n\nToday’s decisions bring the number of nationally significant clean energy projects approved by the government since July 2024 to 39.
\n\n\n\nSea Link is a 2 GW electricity transmission connection between Suffolk and Kent, running primarily offshore.
\n\nGreat North Road’s developer, Element Green, estimates that the project has the potential to provide enough clean, affordable energy to meet the power needs of approximately 400,000 homes.
\n\nElements Green’s plans include planting 64,500 new trees, over 50 km of hedgerows and providing 34.8 km of new walking and riding routes.
\n\nThe developer behind Frodsham says it could generate enough electricity for 40,000 homes.
\n\nThe minister is responsible for:
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