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Electric Superhighway Between Scotland and Yorkshire: A New Era for the UK’s Energy
The EGL2 project represents a step forward for clean energy and the management of growing data center demand.

Highlights:

  • The EGL2 project involves the construction of a 500 km electric superhighway between Scotland and Yorkshire.
  • The cable will carry two gigawatts of high-voltage direct current, enough to power two million homes.
  • Concerns grow over the increasing energy demand of data centers, which could quintuple in ten years.
  • Projects like EGL2 are essential to support the energy growth needed for AI and future sustainability.

 

The construction of an "electric superhighway" between Scotland and Yorkshire represents a crucial step towards a cleaner and more secure energy future for the UK, as the rising energy demand from data centers poses new challenges.

 

The United Kingdom’s Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem) recently approved a £3.4 billion project to build an "electric superhighway" between Scotland and Yorkshire. The project, named Eastern Green Link 2 (EGL2), is the first of 26 planned initiatives aimed at enhancing the UK’s power grid and facilitating the transfer of clean energy from Britain’s offshore wind farms to consumers. The 500-kilometer transmission line will primarily run along the North Sea floor, with about 70 kilometers of cable buried underground.

 

The completion of the EGL2 cable, scheduled for 2029, will enable the transmission of two gigawatts of high-voltage direct current, which will be converted back to alternating current by converter stations at each end of the line. This capacity is enough to power approximately two million homes, or alternatively, to meet the growing energy demands of data centers, which is crucial for the UK’s ambition to become an AI superpower.

 

The growing energy consumption of data centers, driven in part by the widespread adoption of AI accelerators, is one of the main concerns for the UK’s energy sector. John Pettigrew, CEO of National Grid, recently predicted a 500% increase in data center energy demand over the next decade. To address this growth, Pettigrew has proposed the construction of an ultra-high voltage onshore transmission network of up to 800,000 volts, which would allow for bulk power transfers across the country and create a favorable environment for new data center deployments.

 

The importance of reliable, affordable, and clean power supply is crucial for data center operators, with some going to extraordinary lengths to secure it. For example, in Dublin, Microsoft has installed a 170-megawatt natural gas generator to ensure its data center campus remains operational during grid disruptions. In the United States, Amazon Web Services has begun colocating data centers alongside nuclear power stations to leverage their consistent energy supply.

 

According to a report from the International Energy Agency, global data center energy consumption could double by 2026, a forecast that, if realized, would further emphasize the need for investments in advanced energy infrastructure like EGL2. However, experts are not unanimous in their projections for energy consumption growth, with some suggesting less drastic scenarios.

 

In this context, the EGL2 project is not only a significant infrastructure for the UK’s energy future but also a key element in ensuring the sustainability of the growing energy demand, particularly from AI-focused data centers. Initiatives like this highlight how clean energy and AI can coexist and thrive through strategic investments and technological innovations.