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GE Vernova completes first transformer for Eastern Green Link 1 subsea power link

GE Vernova completes first transformer for Eastern Green Link 1 subsea power link

Built World

First of 14 UK-built transformers leaves Staffordshire factory ahead of July 2027 installation on the 2-gigawatt Scotland-England HVDC cable

Today: First EGL1 transformer completes production in Staffordshire

Overview

Updated 1 hour ago

The first of 14 transformers that will anchor Britain's largest new electricity corridor has left GE Vernova's factory in Staffordshire. The 196-kilometre subsea cable will carry 2 gigawatts of Scottish wind power to northern England when the link comes online.

Eastern Green Link 1 runs from Torness in East Lothian to Hawthorn Pit in County Durham, powering about two million homes. It's one of five National Grid projects meant to relieve a congested Scotland-England border, where renewable power is wasted because the current grid can't move it south.

Why it matters

EGL1 will move 2GW of Scottish wind power to English cities, cutting the renewable energy the grid wastes when it can't carry the load south.

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Key Indicators

14
Transformers planned for EGL1 build
GE Vernova is manufacturing 14 converter transformers in Staffordshire; this is the first completed.
2 GW
Link capacity
Enough to power about two million homes.
196 km
Cable length, mostly offshore
Runs from Torness in East Lothian to Hawthorn Pit in County Durham.
£2.5bn
Approved project cost
Ofgem approved funding in November 2024.

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Timeline

December 2023 July 2027

4 events Latest: Today
Tap a bar to jump to that date
  1. Transformer installation scheduled to begin

    Upcoming Projection

    Installation of transformers is due to start at Torness and Hawthorn Pit converter stations.

  2. First EGL1 transformer completes production in Staffordshire

    Today Milestone

    GE Vernova finishes the first of 14 UK-built transformers and loads it for transport ahead of July 2027 installation.

  3. Ofgem approves £2.5bn funding for EGL1

    Regulatory

    UK energy regulator green-lights the 196km subsea link between Scotland and County Durham.

  4. GE Vernova-Metlen consortium wins £1bn converter station contract

    Contract

    Consortium selected to build two HVDC converter stations for EGL1, one at each end of the cable.

Scenarios

1

EGL1 energizes on schedule at full 2GW capacity

Likely Resolves by End of 2028

Discussed by: National Grid project plans

The remaining 13 transformers roll off the Staffordshire line, reach both converter stations via Ellesmere Port, and installation proceeds through 2027. Commissioning completes and the link enters commercial operation at its 2GW nameplate capacity, carrying Scottish wind power to English demand centers.

2

Storage failures or haulage delays push installation past July 2027

Possible Resolves by Q3 2027

Discussed by: trafoser.com logistics analysis

The gap between factory completion and site installation means transformers sit in storage at Ellesmere Port under dry-gas preservation. If moisture monitoring or heavy-haul coordination fails, National Grid may revise the installation schedule, shifting the project's energization target.

3

Cable or converter station issues trim early capacity

Uncertain Resolves by Q2 2028

Discussed by: Prysmian cable program, converter station civil works

Even if transformers arrive on time, problems with the Prysmian 525kV cable or converter station civil construction could limit initial operation. The link could energize below its 2GW nameplate while remaining issues are resolved, with full capacity reached later.

Historical Context

2 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

2017

Western HVDC Link (commissioned 2017)

The UK's first major domestic HVDC link, rated around 2.2GW, connects Ayrshire in Scotland to North Wales via subsea cable in the Irish Sea. It proved the model EGL1 now repeats: generating wind power in Scotland and wheeling it to English demand centers.

Then

Relieved congestion on the Scotland-England interconnector and cut renewable curtailment at peak wind times.

Now

Set the technical and commercial template for Scotland-England HVDC, now extended by the five Eastern Green Link projects.

Why this matters now

EGL1 is the same corridor at comparable scale, but uses second-generation voltage-source converter technology and 525kV cable, the highest voltage used in the UK.

October 2021

North Sea Link (opened October 2021)

A 1.4GW, 720km HVDC interconnector between Blyth in northeast England and Kvilldal in Norway, delivered by National Grid and Norway's Statnett. It is the longest subsea interconnector in the world.

Then

Opened a major electricity trade route between the UK and Norway, letting both countries share renewable generation.

Now

Proved UK crews can complete large subsea HVDC projects through their full supply chain, including converter station installation.

Why this matters now

EGL1 uses the same converter station technology and supply chain as North Sea Link, scaled up to 2GW and turned into a domestic link.

Sources

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