Council urges communities to respond to Sea Link consultation
Suffolk County Council is preparing its response to proposals for a significant off-shore electricity connection which could affect Saxmundham and Aldeburgh, and is encouraging local residents and businesses to do the same.
Sea Link is a proposal for a new 2 gigawatt subsea high voltage direct current electricity connection developed by National Grid Electricity Transmission. It is approximately 140km in length and predominately offshore.
A statutory consultation opened to the public on 24 October, and closes on 18 December 2023.
The council remains concerned about the lack of coordination with this, and other offshore energy projects such as Nautilus and LionLink. It also fears for the impact on local coastal communities and the environment.
Plans for Sea Link include:
- a connection from the existing transmission network via the consented, but as yet unbuilt, Friston Substation
- landfall on the Suffolk coast between Aldeburgh and Thorpeness
- a 2 GW high voltage direct current (HVDC) converter station up to 26 metres high plus external equipment (such as lightning protection & railings for walkways) near Saxmundham
- a high voltage alternating current (HVAC) underground cable of approximately 1.7 km in length between the proposed Friston Substation and the proposed converter station
- 10 km of HVDC underground cable between Saxmundham, and a transition joint bay (TJB) approximately 900 m inshore from a landfall point between Aldeburgh and Thorpeness
Councillor Richard Rout, Suffolk County Council’s deputy leader and cabinet member for finance and environment, said:
“We have been raising our concerns at the highest level, stressing that all these energy projects off Suffolk’s coast need to be aligned to reduce their impact on the county. The coordination of cabling, landing points and construction is essential – anything short of this, we find unacceptable.
“The impact of the Sea Link proposals on local communities should not be underestimated, which would see miles of underground cabling, landfall on our coastline and a large converter station built near Saxmundham, which would be taller than the iconic House in the Clouds in nearby Thorpeness.
“We support the government’s drive for energy security, but will not stand for the bare minimum mitigations that developers can apply to projects of this scale, which show little consideration for local communities.
“I would urge local residents and businesses to join us in sharing their worries and concerns about the coordination of these projects, and the potential impacts of Sea Link on the local landscape and natural environment.”
In December 2022, the council submitted a 58-page response to NGET’s non-statutory consultation, outlining its concerns to the initial Sea Link proposals. It will continue to engage with National Grid to achieve best possible outcomes for the communities and the environment.
Sea Link information on National Grid website:https://www.nationalgrid.com/electricity-transmission/network-and-infrastructure/infrastructure-projects/sealink
Suffolk County Council’s responses to Sea Link:https://www.suffolk.gov.uk/planning-waste-and-environment/major-infrastructure-projects/nationally-significant-infrastructure-projects-nsips/national-grid-electricity-generation-sea-link
