A new facility in Glasgow, designed to accommodate around 80 green energy workers, was officially opened today by Glasgow North MP, Martin Rhodes. The Eastern Green Link (EGL) Collaboration Centre will serve as a hub for employees from SSEN Transmission, National Grid Electricity Transmission, and their supply chain partners, as they work together to deliver a series of subsea electricity transmission links between Scotland and England.

The centre is designed to foster collaboration and innovation, featuring a state-of-the-art Performance Centre, a dedicated space for supply chain partners, and a shared workspace for the two Transmission Operators.

Once complete, EGL2 and EGL3, the largest electricity transmission projects ever undertaken in the UK, will play a pivotal role in achieving the UK's energy security and clean power goals.

In September, construction commenced on EGL2, a £4.3bn 525kV, 2GW high voltage direct current (HVDC) subsea transmission cable connecting Peterhead in Scotland to Drax in Yorkshire. This project will create jobs and benefit local communities in the north-east of Scotland.

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The new Glasgow office establishes a significant presence for National Grid in Scotland, offering green employment opportunities in the central belt.

Speaking as the office was officially opened, Rob McDonald, SSEN Transmission's Managing Director, said: "The opening of the Eastern Green Link Collaboration Centre in Glasgow is yet another demonstration of the country's transition to a clean, green energy future, and the quality jobs that are being created, both as part of this joint venture and in our supply chain.

"EGL2 and EGL3 are two crucial projects that we're working to deliver at SSEN Transmission as part of our £20bn ‘Pathway to 2030' investment programme to help achieve the energy security and net zero goals of Scotland and the UK.

"Having a dedicated office space in the centre of Glasgow for the EGL pipeline of subsea projects will see the central belt, as well as the north and north east of Scotland, benefitting economically from the delivery of this crucial new infrastructure."

Carl Trowell, National Grid Electricity Transmission's President for UK Strategic Infrastructure, said: "This collaboration centre is National Grid's first bricks and mortar presence in Glasgow, and we are pleased to also be increasing our presence across our other joint ventures in Scotland due to the size and scale of our projects.

"National Grid is investing £30bn in the UK over the next five years; a transformational step up in clean energy infrastructure investment, unprecedented in its scale and ambition.

"This investment is a stimulus for economic growth and will support 55,000 more UK jobs by the end of the decade, while also accelerating the decarbonisation of the energy system for the digital, electrified economies of the future."

Martin Rhodes, MP for Glasgow North, said upon officially opening the office: "This new facility is a great addition to Glasgow, bringing skilled jobs that are crucial for our clean energy future. Projects like the Eastern Green Links 2 and 3 highlight the vital role the UK is playing in building a stronger, sustainable energy network. It's good to see Glasgow at the heart of these ambitious developments, creating opportunities and supporting our transition to net-zero."