GE Vernova Completes First Eastern Green Link 1 Transformer

GE Vernova has completed the first of 14 converter transformers for Eastern Green Link 1 (EGL1), a 2 GW high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission project connecting Scotland and England.

Manufactured in Stafford, the transformer has been loaded for transport to Ellesmere Port before shipment to the project's converter stations. Installation is scheduled to begin in July 2027.

The 196 km, predominantly subsea link will connect Torness, East Lothian, with Hawthorn Pit, County Durham. Its converter stations will convert electricity between alternating and direct current.

“This is a significant moment for Eastern Green Link 1,” said Mark Lissimore, Offshore Delivery Director at National Grid.

Developed by National Grid Electricity Transmission and SP Energy Networks, EGL1 is scheduled to enter operation in 2029. Designed to ease transmission constraints and accommodate renewable electricity transfers, it will provide capacity equivalent to the electricity needs of approximately two million homes.

Sources: National Grid | Eastern Green Link 1