LionLink energy project announces chosen infrastructure sites and routes in Southwold, Walberswick, Saxmundham and Friston

The chosen infrastructure sites and routes for a major energy project have been announced today by National Grid.

The proposed LionLink programme, which would join offshore wind power between the UK and the Netherlands, is expected to bring an estimated £300 million in savings for UK customers within its first decade of operation and would have the capacity to power approximately 2.5 million UK homes a year.

The joint project, between National Grid Ventures (NGV) and Dutch system operator TenneT, will have a landfall site at either Southwold or Walberswick, a converter station in Saxmundham and a proposed substation in Friston.

The decisions were made following a second public consultation held last autumn.

Gareth Burden, construction director at National Grid, said: “LionLink has an important role to play in reducing the UK’s reliance on fossil fuels and bringing more clean, green and renewable energy into the UK’s energy system.

“This will not only strengthen the country’s energy security but also lower bills for consumers.

“More than 2,000 people engaged with our consultation process and each piece of feedback has been reviewed and fed into the development of our plans for the project. We will continue to listen to the community and want to find ways to work together as we deliver this vital piece of energy infrastructure as we move towards net zero.”

The LionLink project ran an eight-week public consultation last autumn detailing five possible cable routes the project could take across the region, along with five possible converter site locations.

Following feedback received during the first public consultation in 2022, the 2023 consultation included a second Walberswick landfall site and an additional northern cable route from Southwold. These elements were introduced to avoid the Walberswick beach and car park and avoid environmentally sensitive areas around Southwold.

Landfall sites at Southwold or Walberswick were advanced as they offer a shorter and less intrusive offshore cable route, meaning fewer cable crossings and less marine disruption.

The converter station at Saxmundham was chosen for its potential to collocate with other projects in the area, including Sea Link.

The project will now move on to the next part of the planning process, including a full socio-economic impact and environmental assessments, followed by a statutory public consultation in 2025.