Huge electricity cable project linking Scotland and North Yorkshire gets Ofgem approval

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An “electricity superhighway” cable project linking Aberdeenshire and North Yorkshire has been given a provisional funding package of £3.4bn.

At more than 500km, the Eastern Green Link 2 is a 2GW connection between Peterhead and Drax and is intended to deliver electricity generated by offshore wind to British consumers. The project is a joint venture between SSEN Transmission and National Grid Electricity Transmission, which are financing the build with costs later to be recouped through bills.

Having scrutinised the cost plans from the two developers, Ofgem identified £67m of savings to be made that it said would not impact the quality or delivery of the project which is expected to take a £4.3bn investment overall. It is the second such connection to progress under the Accelerated Strategic Transmission Investment (ASTI) framework alongside Eastern Green Link 1, which will link the Torness area in East Lothian, Scotland and Hawthorn Pit in County Durham.

Sandy Mactaggart, director of offshore delivery for SSEN Transmission, said: ” We welcome Ofgem’s provisional decision to approve all necessary expenditure for the Eastern Green Link 2 project, a critical milestone in the final stages of the regulatory approvals process. With HVDC technology set to play a leading role in the clean energy transition, the delivery of EGL2 will build on the significant expertise we have established in this cutting-edge technology following the success of our Caithness-Moray HVDC link, and the Shetland HVDC link which remains on track for energisation this summer.

“We now look forward to working constructively with Ofgem and other stakeholders to finalise the investment required, in a timely manner, to build this underwater superhighway of electricity transmission, unlocking the electricity generation capacity required to power two million homes. We also look forward to working with NGET and our supply chain partners on this and future projects as we continue to deliver the critical national infrastructure required to meet our energy ambitions.”

Zac Richardson, offshore delivery director for National Grid said: “The Eastern Green Links form part of The Great Grid Upgrade, our critical infrastructure investment plan which will upgrade and reinforce the electricity network to support the significant growth in renewable generation. We welcome Ofgem’s provisional decision as we believe the links will deliver the best value for money for consumers, while helping the UK decarbonise and achieve its net zero ambition.”

Energy Minister Graham Stuart said: “Improving our infrastructure is crucial for adding more, cheaper renewable energy to the grid and transporting electricity to where it is needed. That’s why we announced reforms to help unlock investment and halve the time it takes to build new network infrastructure.

“This project is just the start and will unleash Scotland’s renewable potential, strengthen the UK’s energy security, and support hundreds of jobs during construction.”

Original artice – https://business-live.co.uk/all-about/yorkshire-humber

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Drivers urged to be patient as millions begin Christmas getaway

Millions of drivers have been urged to be patient on the roads as the UK prepares for a “perfect storm” of the Christmas getaway and bad weather. Roads and public transport could be disrupted by strong gusts after the Met Office announced yellow warnings for parts of the country. The AA predicted 23.7 million drivers would hit the road on Friday, making it the busiest day on the roads since the group’s records began in 2010. It projected that Saturday would see 22.7 million drivers and Sunday 21.3 million. A spokesperson for the group said: “With more than 20 million car journeys expected on both Saturday and Sunday if the congestion wasn’t enough of a headache, the inclement weather could create the perfect storm. “We advise those heading out to allow extra time to travel and increase the distance between themselves and other road users.” The RAC has estimated seven million leisure trips will be made on major roads during the weekend, which excludes everyday traffic. It predicted that congestion hotspots will be on both directions of the M1 to Gatwick via the M25 and the M23; Liverpool to Chester on the M53; Oxford to the south coast via the A34 and the M3; the M25 to the south coast along the M3; and at the Taunton to Almondsbury Interchange in Bristol heading down the M5. Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on Saturday morning, RAC senior policy officer Rod Dennis urged drivers to be patient: “What we’re saying to people is just be patient. These are journeys that matter to us this time of year. Just don’t expect to get there the minute your sat-nav says it will. Allow yourself a bit of time to make it easy and get there safely.” Disruption has also extended to air travel, with Heathrow Airport confirming a “small number of flights” had been cancelled on Saturday due to “strong winds and airspace restrictions”. A spokesperson said: “This will ensure the vast majority of passengers can still safely travel as planned. “We know how important travel at this time of year is and have extra colleagues on hand in our terminals to support people on their journeys. We encourage passengers to check in with their airlines for the latest information about their flights.” P&O Ferries also confirmed journeys between Larne and Cairnryan have been cancelled for at least 24 hours. A spokesperson said: “Due to adverse weather conditions, all P&O Ferries sailings between Larne and Cairnryan have been cancelled from 2000 tonight (21st December) until at least 2000 tomorrow night (22nd December). We ask our customers please not to travel to either of the ports if their sailing has been cancelled, to avoid causing traffic congestion.” Sunday’s warning also includes London, the South East, the South West, the East Midlands, the West Midlands, Yorkshire and all of Wales and Northern Ireland. Westerly winds are forecast to pick up over Saturday with 50-60mph gusts expected, with a small chance of some reaching 80mph. The Met Office said: “The strongest winds are expected across the far north of Scotland on Saturday afternoon and evening, with the potential for gusts in excess of 80mph in coastal districts including Orkney. “Dangerous coastal conditions can be expected too, with large waves an additional hazard, especially with respect to causeways. This period of strong winds may lead to some transport disruption, including ferry delays or cancellations. “Frequent blustery showers will also be a feature on Saturday and may merge into a longer spell of rain for a time in the far north and north west.” Showers could turn to several centimetres of snow on the hills in the north west of Scotland from Saturday evening into Sunday. Some sleet, snow and hail may fall at lower levels and produce icy conditions by Sunday morning. The strong winds will be more widespread on Sunday, meteorologists said. Ferries have been cancelled and train services impacted as high winds hit Scotland’s Christmas getaway. By noon on Saturday, CalMac, which operates ferry services on Scotland’s west coast, reported that sailings on 21 of its routes were cancelled for the day, with other services facing disruption. Meanwhile, Northlink Ferries, which runs services between Aberdeen and the Orkney and Shetland isles, also reported disruption. It said “adverse weather conditions” meant a sailing between Kirkwall on Orkney and Lerwick in the Shetland Isles was cancelled, along with sailings between Aberdeen and Lerwick, which were scheduled for Saturday evening. Rail operator ScotRail announced that speed restrictions would be in place for part of the route between Glasgow and Oban/Mallaig, and the Inverness service to Kyle/Wick. Published: 21/12/2024 by Radio NewsHub

Thousands sign up to support healthcare research across Humber region

Hospital staff across the Humber region have been leading the way in clinical research throughout the year. As we approach the end of 2024, research and development teams from NHS Humber Health Partnership, which operates hospitals in Hull, Cottingham, Grimsby, Goole and Scunthorpe, as well as some community services, have conducted over 650 individual health research studies this year. More than 4,700 patients and users of the group’s health services across East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire agreed to participate in research across 27 specialties this year, including cardiovascular disease, obesity, respiratory diseases, cancer, kidney disease, digestive diseases, diabetes, infectious diseases, and vascular disease. While many may envision clinical research as merely drug trials, these only form a small part of the research teams’ work, according to Professor Thozhukat Sathyapalan, Group Director for Research, Development and Innovation. He explained: “With the support of local academic partners and Hull York Medical School, hospitals across Hull and the Humber region are continuing to place themselves at the forefront of clinical research. “While some studies do look at the efficacy of drug treatments, many others investigate the effectiveness of therapeutic work with patients, or use questionnaires and patient data to look for trends or to influence treatment options going forward. “Being able to offer local people opportunities to get involved in research is really important, not only in terms of improving the health of the local population, but also in discovering and developing cures, providing access to new and emerging treatments, understanding how certain conditions can affect people, and even being able to attract the best healthcare staff and academics to our region. “We value every single person who helps us on our research journey, looking into many different conditions such as IBD, vascular disease and cancer, and would like to thank everyone who’s taken part or signed up to be involved this year for their willingness to help us and others like them. The FRONTIER team, (L-R) Kayleigh Brindle, respiratory nurse specialist; Professor Mike Crooks, respiratory consultant; and Karen Watkins, respiratory nurse specialist. (Image: HULL UNIVERSITY TEACHING HOSPITALS NHS TRUST) “Signing up to a trial doesn’t have to be difficult or time-consuming, but could make all the difference to thousands of other patients in the future, not just in our region but across the world.” One of the most popular studies over the past 12 months has been the Born and Bred in (BaBi) study, which uses existing data about local people to shape family health services and highlight societal changes that could improve long-term health outcomes for children and families. Having started in Hull in February, more than 1,200 people signed up in the first eight months, which is over three times the original target for the year, and in the last month, the same study has launched in Northern Lincolnshire too. Clinical teams from the region have also made their mark on the global stage, with members of Hull’s respiratory clinical trials team being among those invited to present their projects and potentially ground-breaking findings to international research colleagues. The projects presented include the FRONTIER Programme, a two-year initiative in partnership with Chiesi that focuses on undiagnosed COPD. This project was recently recognised as best practice in Westminster. During the first phase of the project, 201 patients who had previously attended an NHS Lung Health Check and reported symptoms of lung disease and/or had emphysema detected on their CT scan were invited back for further COPD testing. Over two thirds of these individuals, 136 people, received a COPD diagnosis. This suggests that the NHS Lung Health Check could also be a significant opportunity to identify and provide timely treatment for other respiratory illnesses, the NHS says. Keep up to date with all the latest breaking news and top stories from Grimsby with our free newsletter A collective celebration of healthcare research event, involving doctors, nurses and therapists working across the region’s hospitals, is scheduled for the New Year. If you’re interested in getting involved with healthcare research or want to learn more about what’s involved, speak to your healthcare professional or visit www.hull.nhs.uk/research/. Original artice: https://www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/all-about/scunthorpe

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Huge electricity cable project linking Scotland and North Yorkshire gets Ofgem approval

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