Hitachi Energy has been named preferred bidder to deliver major converter stations at either end of the £3.7bn Eastern Green Link 3.

EGL3 is the UK’s largest proposed HVDC transmission project and forms part of SSEN Transmission’s £20bn investment to upgrade the electricity network in the north of Scotland to unlock the country’s renewable energy resources.

It is one of four planned High Voltage Direct Current link lines planned along the east coast of Britain.

Although EGL3 and EGL4 are independent of one another, due to their common connection point in England, at the proposed new Walpole substation, they will be developed in parallel.

The joint venture between National Grid Electricity Transmission and SSEN Transmission will see a new 680km high-voltage direct current subsea and underground cable carry up to 2GW of clean power between Longside in Aberdeenshire and Walpole in Norfolk – enough to supply two million homes.

The 525kV link will be able to transmit electricity in both directions, helping to ease network bottlenecks, cut constraint costs and strengthen UK energy security.

Hitachi Energy will design and build HVDC converter stations in Aberdeenshire and West Norfolk, converting electricity between AC and DC for long-distance transmission.

EGL3 has already completed two rounds of public consultation, with a planning application due in 2026.

If approved, construction is set to start in 2029 and complete in 2033.

Last month Siemens Energy was named preferred bidder to build two HVDC converter stations on the £2.5bn Eastern Green Link 4 project.