UK, Yorkshire: National Grid has received planning consent for the new Birkhill Wood substation from East Riding of Yorkshire Council.
The substation will connect 4.22 GW of electricity from three offshore wind farms in the North Sea, enough to power more than 4 million homes. The project forms part of a wider investment in the grid across Yorkshire and the North East to increase network capacity, improve resilience and support renewable energy growth.
Birkhill Wood will be located around 700 m north of the existing Creyke Beck substation. It will connect RWE and Masdar’s Dogger Bank South East and Dogger Bank South West wind farms, as well as SSE Renewables and Equinor’s Dogger Bank D, the proposed fourth phase of the world’s largest wind farm.
National Grid plans to invest $11.5 B (£8.6 B) in the Yorkshire and North East network over the next five years as part of its broader UK network upgrade programme.
Construction of a new 2 km access road from the A1079 has already started, with substation construction expected to begin in spring 2027. The substation will use modern gas-insulated technology, allowing for a smaller footprint than open-air substations.
The project also includes landscaping improvements and a commitment to deliver at least 10 % Biodiversity Net Gain.
Birkhill Wood will also serve as the northern connection point for the North Humber to High Marnham overhead line project, part of The Great Grid Upgrade.
Daniel Cohen, Senior Project Manager at National Grid, said the substation is needed to connect offshore wind farms and support a resilient electricity supply as demand grows.
Source: National Grid
