National Grid gets backing to move energy project

National Grid will proceed with moving a major energy project away from Suffolk after it got backing from a regulator.

Ofgem previously said the Nautilus project should be built in the county, due to cost constraints.

However, National Grid proposed to move the project, which would see a new subsea cable between the UK and Belgium, to its preferred location in the Isle of Grain in Kent.

Following agreement from Ofgem and the independent National Energy System Operator (NESO), National Grid said it would press ahead with the move.

Gareth Burden, construction director of National Grid Ventures, explained the Isle of Grain had "always been" its preference for Nautilus.

"Now that Ofgem has approved this location, we can release Nautilus' connection in Leiston," he said.

"We have no plans to build Nautilus in Suffolk or to use the connection agreement for an alternative project."

According to National Grid, Nautilus could connect up to 1.7 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind to each country through a subsea cable.

A final decision over whether it can be built will be made by the government and if approved, it could power 1.4 million UK homes.

The decision to move Nautilus to Kent meant a convertor station planned close to Saxmundham will no longer be built.

The development of large-scale energy infrastructure projects such as this requires developers to enter into a connection agreement with NESO.

While the agreement for Nautilus has been removed, the separate LionLink interconnector project was still on the table.

LionLink would connect the energy grid in the UK to the Netherlands via subsea cables.

The project would require a facility which local campaigners have raised concerns over.

Richard Rout, cabinet member for devolution, local government reform and nationally significant infrastructure projects at Suffolk County Council, welcomed the decision.

However he said communities were "desperately craving long-term clarity, certainty and co-ordination" over energy projects "rather than sporadic announcements such as this".

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