SSEN Transmission has awarded Natural Power a contract for ground investigation services on the 2 GW Eastern Green Link 5 HVDC connection. The onshore works will provide geotechnical and geoenvironmental data to support the design of the transmission link between Aberdeenshire, Scotland, and Lincolnshire, England.

Awarded under SSEN Transmission's engineering framework, the contract covers ground investigations along the proposed onshore HVDC cable route, Natural Power confirmed. Physical investigation works are scheduled to start towards the end of August 2026, following planning and preparation works already under way.

Ralph Spernagel, Construction Director at Natural Power, said: "Ground investigations are a vital stage in the development of major infrastructure projects, providing the information needed to make informed engineering decisions and reduce project risk." Spernagel added: "This contract reflects the confidence our clients place in our technical capability, project management expertise and commitment to delivering high-quality site investigations safely and efficiently."

Eastern Green Link 5 is designed to carry up to 2 GW of electricity via a 525kV HVDC bi-pole link between Aberdeenshire and the Lincolnshire area, sufficient to power around two million homes when operational. SSEN Transmission plans to submit a Development Consent Order application in 2027, with construction expected to begin in 2030 and the link fully operational by 2035.

The structural driver is the UK's expanding programme of high-voltage transmission infrastructure required to connect and transfer growing volumes of offshore wind generation. Eastern Green Link 5 is intended to increase electricity transmission capacity, allowing renewable electricity to be transferred between areas of generation and demand.

Spernagel said Natural Power would draw on its experience delivering complex ground investigation programmes for energy infrastructure, applying multidisciplinary expertise to manage works safely across multiple sites. The appointment marks the first call-off under the new ground investigation framework between Natural Power and SSEN Transmission.

For the sector, the contract reinforces Natural Power's position as a delivery partner for complex UK energy infrastructure projects, supporting the engineering data needed to progress one of the country's major electricity transmission schemes.

Source: enerdata.net / naturalpower.com