SSEN Transmission have hosted a 'Meet the Buyer' event for potential supply chain partners for its Eastern Green Link 2 project.

The event, at Peterhead Football Club, invited local businesses to come and learn more about the potential supply chain opportunities with the Eastern Green Link 2 project, which will involve creating a high voltage direct current (HVDC) electrical 'superhighway' subsea cable to be built between Peterhead in Aberdeenshire and Drax in North Yorkshire, England.

Over 50 representatives, from local Peterhead and Aberdeenshire businesses, were in attendance highlighting the strong interest from local suppliers to help deliver the Peterhead Converter Station package of works.

The event connected the project's preferred contractors Hitachi Energy and BAM Nuttall to potential local suppliers who could support the delivery of the converter station. Planning permission in principle has been secured for the Peterhead works, and site preparation is due to commence in December. Work on the converter station is anticipated to commence in late 2024, with a targeted energisation date of 2029.

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The project has the potential to create local business opportunities in a vast range of sectors and will support green jobs throughout the supply change and wider economy.

Speaking about the event, Gillian Doig, SSEN Transmission's Community Liaison Manager, said: "The Peterhead event was a huge success, and we were thrilled to see a fantastic turnout from local businesses. It was great to see that many businesses from the area are eager to share their talents, skills, and local insights to help us deliver the Eastern Green Link 2 project in collaboration with our preferred contractors.

"As a stakeholder-led business, we are continually seeking opportunities to engage with the communities in which we operate, and this project will contribute to the economy supporting hundreds of jobs in various sectors.

"We want to thank everyone who attended the event to learn more about the project and how they can get involved. We look forward to working with you further on this exciting venture."

Eastern Green Link 2 (EGL2), a joint venture project between SSEN Transmission and National Grid Electricity Transmission, is a high voltage direct current (HVDC) electrical 'superhighway' subsea cable that is to be built between Peterhead in Aberdeenshire, Scotland and Drax in North Yorkshire, England. The link will unlock the vast renewable energy potential of Scotland by delivering enough power to to supply around two million homes in the UK and will provide essential reinforcements to the GB energy system.

The subsea superhighway of electricity transmission will help alleviate existing and future constraints on the electricity transmission network, supporting the growth of new renewable electricity generation and delivering a pathway to net zero emissions playing a vital role in helping achieve the government's 2030 targets.