Work underway on £2.5bn power superhighway

Work has started on a £2.5bn electricity superhighway to transport renewable power between Scotland and England.

Eastern Green Link 1, a joint venture between SP Energy Networks and National Grid Electricity Transmission, will use 190km of predominantly undersea cable between Torness, in East Lothian, and Hawthorn Pit, in County Durham.

Energy Minister Michael Shanks said: "This announcement puts us one step closer in achieving our mission to make Britain a clean energy superpower and create a cheaper, more secure energy system.

"This new electric superhighway will help us on our way by transporting more renewable energy under the North Sea to power millions of homes and businesses, while supporting skilled jobs in our industrial heartlands and saving billpayers hundreds of millions of pounds.”