Scheme to bring giant power cable ashore in Gwynedd

‘WESTERN LINK’ PROPOSAL FOR 2 GIGAWATT GRID CONNECTION AS PART OF UK-WIDE UPGRADE

- By OWEN HUGHES

A GIANT electricity cable linking Scotland and Wales would come ashore at a coastal location in Gwynedd under proposals announced this week.

The power cable would connect major Scottish offshore wind farms to the wider UK transmission grid.

The link would be capable of carrying up to 2GW of electricity in either direction, enough to power around two million homes.

National Grid has launched the first stage of public consultation in North Wales on proposals for Western Link 2.

In North Wales the proposals consist of four key elements:

■ Approximately 260 km offshore HVDC cable route to a landfall location on the Gwynedd coastline at Caernarfon Bay.

■ Approximately 25 km underground HVDC cable from landfall location to a new converter station.