The journey to decarbonising the UK electricity grid

The UK has a significant demand for electricity and is committed to moving away from the use of fossil fuels to meet this demand, with a legally binding target to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. This means that the total greenhouse gas emissions would be equal to the emissions removed from the atmosphere, with the aim of limiting global warming and resultant climate change.

To achieve this, we need a fundamental shift to an almost entirely clean energy supply – but investing in renewable energy infrastructure will also strengthen the UK’s energy security, foster innovation, and promote economic growth, all while creating a greener, more resilient future.

Sub-sea and onshore underground cables will play a critical role to achieving this both internationally and nationally – increasing both resilience and profitability.

Cleaning up and scaling up Britain’s energy supply

Nationally, the Government has a target of 43-50GW (gigawatts) of offshore wind by 2030 – which could power almost every UK home. Sub-sea and onshore underground cables play an essential role in delivering energy from these projects, transporting clean energy from the development’s source to homes, shops, and industrial centres.

The UK plans to phase out natural gas as an electricity source to coincide with the roll out of new nuclear power capacity at Hinkley Point C and Sizewell C. In the meantime, however, the roll out of electric vehicles and other technologies, the phase out of gas boilers for domestic heating and demand from uses such as AI computing, and data centres, is expected to result in a significant increase in electricity demand.

Some of this increased demand will likely be offset by the adoption of hydrogen as a fuel source, improvements in energy efficiency, and scalable and efficient energy storage, but a wide range of secure, low carbon and reliable sources of energy will be required to support the energy demand of the UK’s economy and domestic markets.

The UK’s role on the world stage

Interconnectors, which are increasingly moving to HVDC usage, offer the opportunity to share clean energy with other countries – exporting excess energy to other markets during periods of higher power production (when higher wind speeds generate surplus energy, for example); and enabling the UK to import clean power should UK supplies become low.

Great Britain is currently directly connected to Ireland, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Norway, Denmark, and Northern Ireland and indirectly to many countries across continental Europe. Existing direct connections provide around 9.8GW, equivalent to around 13% of the UK generating capacity.

What are international interconnectors?

Interconnectors are high-voltage cables that connect the electricity grids of different countries, allowing them to share power. Most modern interconnectors use HVDC because it provides more stability and efficiency for long distances.

These cables would enable the UK to import and export electricity with neighbouring countries. These connections help balance supply and demand, improve energy security, and support the transition to renewable energy by providing access to surplus power from other regions.

Did you know?

The UK’s current direct electricity connections with other countries provide about 9.8 gigawatts of power. This accounts for roughly 13% of the total electricity generation capacity available in the UK.