National Grid Sea Link project approval fact check

A major new undersea electricity cable linking Kent and Suffolk has been approved by the government. The Sea Link project will help carry electricity generated by offshore wind farms, interconnectors and nuclear power stations to strengthen the grid.

When asked by the BBC how much the scheme would cost, Adrian Morris, National Grid's deputy project director for Sea Link, refused to say, adding that this was being assessed by Ofgem.

The Secretary of State has today decided to grant development consent for the Sea Link project.

Yes. On October 30, 2026, the Secretary of State decided to grant development consent for Sea Link. The decision came after National Grid Electricity Transmission submitted its application on March 27, 2025.

The decision to approve the Sea Link electricity cable has been branded an "act of environmental and community vandalism." The 122km National Grid project, designed to carry power from offshore wind farms to Suffolk and Kent, has drawn strong ...

The infrastructure carrying electricity across Britain needs to be upgraded so we can connect our homes, businesses and public services to new, cleaner and more affordable sources of energy such as offshore wind. Sea Link is a 2 gigawatt (GW) high voltage direct current (HVDC) cable between ...

By continuing, you agree to receive our communications and advertising, which funds the newsroom. Your data is never sold. National Grid has secured a Development Consent Order for Sea Link, according to a press release dated 30 October 2026.

National Grid’s Sea Link project will involve a 138km high-voltage electricity connection, most of which will run beneath the sea, with converter stations built in both counties. An impression of how the National Grid converter and substation on Minster Marshes would look. Picture: National Grid · Today, the government’s Department of Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) approved the plans and granted a development consent order (DCO) following an examination process led by the Planning Inspectorate.

The Sea Link cable is expected to transport enough electricity to power 2 million homes, reducing the need to pay generators to switch off power to prevent the grid from being overloaded. The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) said on Friday that National Grid will administer an allocation of £1 million to each of the community funds in Kent and Suffolk. Nick Rosen, author of Overcharged, called the project “a test of accountability”.

Die britische Regierung hat den Sea Link von National Grid genehmigt, eine 2-GW-Unterseestromverbindung zwischen Suffolk und Kent, mit jeweils über 1 Million Pfund für Gemeinschaftsfonds in beiden Grafschaften.

Die britische Regierung hat die Baugenehmigung für die 2-GW-Sea Link-Verbindung erteilt, ein Seekabel für Hochspannungs-Gleichstrom zwischen Kent und Suffolk, wie Offshore Energy berichtet.

Die britische Regierung genehmigt National Grid den Bau der Sea-Link-Verbindung zwischen Suffolk und Kent. Das stärkt die Ausbauperspektive des Netzbetreibers.