Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will estimate the likely (a) length of cabling, (b) transmission capacity, (c) financial cost of the proposed Sealink 1 undersea electrical cable from Sizewell to Kent, referred to as SCD1 in the latest National Grid Network Options Appraisal; and if he will make a statement.

National Grid Electricity Transmission is currently developing proposals for Sea Link, a new planned 2GW high voltage undersea electricity link between Suffolk and Kent.

(a) Length of cabling: ~150km, consisting of ~140km DC cable (of which 130km will be offshore and 10km onshore) and ~10km of onshore AC cables);

(b) Transmission capacity: 2GW High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC);

(c) Financial cost of the proposed Sea Link undersea electrical cable from Sizewell to Kent: This project is forecast to cost ~£1.2bn. This includes the cost to connect the link to the existing transmission system at either end, the converter stations and the cable required between the two. This figure is however subject to final engineering design, commodity prices, landowner agreements and mitigation.