Report sets out £58bn plan to upgrade electricity grid

The plan aims to connect a further 21GW of offshore wind in development off the coast of Scotland to the grid in an efficient, coordinated way, giving the UK 86GW of offshore wind that puts the country at the forefront of offshore and floating offshore wind. According to the International Renewable Energy Agency, 63GW of offshore wind has been installed globally.

In total, there will be over 30GW of offshore wind in Scottish waters compared to 6GW of peak electricity demand in Scotland in 2035. The plan moves that power to where it can be used, around Scotland and across Britain.

ESO said its plan enables a fully decarbonised electricity system by 2035, in line with the Sixth Carbon Budget. Research conducted by Stonehaven found the plan could create and sustain over 20,000 jobs annually, with 90 per cent of the benefits occurring outside London and the Southeast.

To work, the report stresses the need for swift and coordinated action across the energy sector, government, the regulator, and communities to deliver the network infrastructure in time to meet 2035.

According to the plan, offshore windfarms in development off the coast of Scotland will have their renewable energy transported via a new ‘electrical spine’, potentially from Peterhead to Merseyside, supplying homes and businesses across Scotland and north England with homegrown electricity. ESO said this is an early-stage option requiring further consultation. ESO also recommends further offshore bootstraps along the east coast of Britain.

Further design optimisation, innovation and community engagement will be undertaken to ensure that the needs of different communities and wider economic and system security needs are balanced.

In a statement, Fintan Slye, executive director of ESO said: “Great Britain’s electricity system is the backbone of our economy and must be fit for our future. ESO’s Beyond 2030 network design outlines recommendations on the investment needed and how and where to coordinate the build of this new critical national infrastructure.

“To deliver the clean, secure, decarbonised system set out by government and devolved governments we must take swift, coordinated and lasting action working collaboratively across all parts of the energy sector, government, the regulator and within our communities.”

The report comes as Britain’s electricity needs are set to go up by nearly 65 per cent by 2035, fuelled largely by more electrified heat and transport. Coupled with this, the UK government’s ambition to have a fully decarbonised electricity system by 2035 requires producing more electricity and transporting it in a smarter, cheaper, and greener way. According to the report, a key part of this is efficiently connecting the offshore wind being built around Great Britain in a coordinated way.

Commenting on today’s announcement, a National Grid spokesperson said: “The huge growth in offshore wind, interconnectors, and nuclear power, will all generate more electricity than the networks are currently able to transport. The Electricity System Operator’s ‘Beyond 2030’ report recognises the need for networks to be delivered at pace and is an important step in unlocking a more affordable and resilient decarbonised electricity system in the UK.”