UK Wind Farms Need Pylons in Untouched Land to Upgrade Grid

(Bloomberg) -- The UK will need to build a backbone of pylons after 2030 running down from northeast Scotland through to northwest England to transport electricity from new offshore wind farms.

The spine would run from Merseyside to Peterhead and cost £58 billion ($73.9 billion) to build, according to a report by the Electricity System Operator, the body responsible for planning the nation’s power grid. The high-voltage transmission lines would connect up 21 gigawatts of offshore wind in development off the coast of Scotland. 

Achieving net zero isn’t going to happen just by building renewable generation where no one can see it. It will require re-wiring the entire country. Demand is set to rise 64% by 2035 as transport, heating and industry electrify, according to the ESO. Britain is planning to expand offshore wind capacity to provide this extra supply but moving power from where it is produced to demand centers will require public acceptance. 

Overhead cables are cheaper and carry more electricity than underground lines but can be a highly controversial local issue with communities worried about pylons being built near their homes. 

“We will need pylons going through virgin countryside.” said Graham Stuart, Minister of State for Energy Security and Net Zero in parliament earlier this month.

Building out the grid is expensive. The UK is already planning to spend £32 billion to connect 23 gigawatts of offshore wind by the end of the decade. This cost is recouped from consumer bills. 

The issue is contentious even within the government with Andrew Bowie, an energy minister responsible for the electricity networks reshuffled earlier this year after he campaigned against pylons in his own Scottish constituency.

High profile Conservatives like Kemi Badenoch, secretary of state for trade, former home secretary Priti Patel, and ex-deputy Prime Minister Therese Coffey are all opposing new grid infrastructure needed to connect the East Anglia wind farm, arguing offshore routes should be considered. 

Generally, overhead pylons are the preferred solution when it comes to cost and capacity as they are able to carry about three times more electricity for about a fifth of the cost, according to the ESO. The operator also says that underground cables are harder to maintain and have a greater ecological and cultural impact during construction.

The government has sharpened its focus on improving the power grid after complaints from developers and businesses that they can’t get connections fast enough. A report last year by Electricity Networks Commissioner Nick Winser gave 18 recommendations including paying households that live near to new transmission lines to help get the public on board with expanding the network.

The grid expansion plan won’t work without a community benefits package from the government, the ESO said. The exact design of the payment scheme is still being considered by ministers. 

As well as the spine, the ESO recommends an offshore extension along the East coast of Britain.

“Great Britain’s electricity system is the backbone of our economy and must be fit for our future,” said Fintan Slye, Executive Director of ESO 

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