The Electricity System Operator (ESO) is seeking to invest $58bn for the electricity grid as it attempts to reform its exciting infrastructure to be net-zero ready for 2035.

In its investment plan for future energy system called Beyond 2030 ESO seeks to exploit the UK’s economic potential as a leader in offshore wind, connecting a further 21GW of offshore wind in development off the coast of Scotland to the grid through an expansion of the offshore grid and a new North to South electrical spine.

ESO is also recommending further offshore bootstraps along the East coast of Britain. By 2035, the UK will have one of the most expansive and coordinated offshore grids in the world, with three times more undersea cabling than onshore.

This would mean that there would be 86 GW of offshore wind, making the UK a global leader in offshore wind and floating offshore windfarms. For comparison, the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) states that there is currently 63GW of offshore wind installed globally. In total there will be over 30 GW of offshore wind in Scottish waters compared to 6 GW of peak electricity demand in Scotland in 2035.

Polling by Survation, commissioned by RenewableUK, published in August 2023 showed that nearly two-thirds of people (64 per cent) support the development of new electricity grid infrastructure to enable the decarbonisation of the UK economy and improve Britain’s energy security, while only 5 per cent oppose it.

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