Suffolk County Council press release - 12th November 2024
Suffolk County Council has today welcomed the news that a major energy infrastructure project will no longer impact the Suffolk coast, but has asked for urgent clarity on whether another project will simply take its place.
In July, a consultation was announced by the energy regulator Ofgem for the Nautilus interconnector. The overall project would involve a new subsea cable allowing electricity to flow between the UK and Belgium. The plans would see the project make landfall between Sizewell and Thorpeness, with cables running to Friston, where the interconnector would be sited, connecting to the Grid at an as-yet unbuilt substation.
It has been announced today by Ofgem that, following the consultation, the Nautilus interconnector, proposed by National Grid Ventures, will now come ashore at the Isle of Grain in Kent. This connection point had been preferred by Suffolk County Council for a long time and had the strong support of Suffolk’s coastal communities.
Councillor Richard Rout, Suffolk County Council’s Deputy Cabinet Member for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects, said:
“As a council, we have long argued that that this project should connect at the Isle of Grain. While it's good news for communities in East Suffolk that Nautilus will now connect elsewhere, like us they will want urgent clarity that another project won’t take its connection here in Suffolk.
“Suffolk was yet again bracing itself for the impact of another large energy project so there is some relief following this announcement. The council has always supported the need for the country to ensure energy security, but we’re now seeing layer upon layer of uncoordinated energy projects impacting Suffolk, irreversibly damaging communities, their heritage, and environment.
"The risk of the government’s headlong dash to decarbonise the grid by 2030 is that another project will simply take the place of Nautilus and there will be no respite for our coastal communities.”
The council will carefully consider the regulator’s Nautilus decision, particularly in light of the Sea Link project, which is currently being developed by National Grid Electricity Transmission.