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Search the Public Notice PortalA major electricity project connecting Suffolk and Kent has been given the green light by the government after years of debate.
Sea Link, being developed by National Grid Electricity Transmission, will create a new high-voltage electricity connection between the two counties, with much of the route running beneath the sea.
Development consent was granted by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero on October 30 following an examination of the proposals by the Planning Inspectorate.
The application was submitted in March 2025 and accepted for examination the following month, with the examining authority eventually making its recommendation to the Secretary of State on July 30, 2026.
The scheme has proved controversial in east Suffolk and attracted representations during the planning process.
So what exactly is Sea Link, where will it go and what happens now?
What is Sea Link?
Sea Link is a major electricity transmission project proposed by National Grid Electricity Transmission.
It will create a new high-voltage connection between Suffolk and Kent.
The project will include new converter stations and underground high-voltage cables on land, connected by a long offshore cable between the Suffolk and Kent coasts.
It is now classed by the Planning Inspectorate as being at the post-decision stage after receiving development consent.
Where will Sea Link go in Suffolk?
The Suffolk section will include a new converter station within 5km of the proposed substation at Friston.
High-voltage alternating current underground cables will connect the converter station to the substation.
From there, high-voltage direct current underground cables will run from the converter station towards the Suffolk coast, where they will connect with the offshore cable.
How will Suffolk and Kent be connected?
The offshore high-voltage direct current cable will be approximately 130km long, according to the Planning Inspectorate.
It will run from the Suffolk coast to Pegwell Bay in Kent.
At the Kent end, the offshore connection will link to another proposed converter station within 5km of the existing Richborough Substation.
An approximately 1km high-voltage alternating current connection will then connect the scheme into the transmission network.
Why has Sea Link been proposed?
The project will provide a new transmission connection between Suffolk and Kent, enabling electricity to be carried between the two areas through new onshore and offshore infrastructure.
National Grid Electricity Transmission is the applicant behind the scheme.
Why has Sea Link been controversial?
Sea Link has been subject to an extensive planning process and public scrutiny.
The Planning Inspectorate said its six-month examination gave local residents, authorities and other interested parties the opportunity to participate and provide evidence about the project.
It said the examining authority considered local views and the evidence gathered during the examination before submitting its recommendation to the Secretary of State.
The Planning Inspectorate's project record shows that representations continued to be submitted during October, including responses from councillors, residents, environmental organisations and other interested parties.
Has Sea Link now definitely been approved?
Yes. On October 30, 2026, the Secretary of State decided to grant development consent for Sea Link.
The decision came after National Grid Electricity Transmission submitted its application on March 27, 2025.
It was accepted for examination on April 23, 2025, before the examining authority made its recommendation to the Secretary of State on July 30, 2026.
Does approval mean construction has started?
No. The Planning Inspectorate currently records Sea Link as being at its post-decision stage following the granting of development consent.
The official government announcement confirms that the Development Consent Order application has been granted, while the Planning Inspectorate has published the decision letter, Development Consent Order and examining authority's recommendation report.
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What happens next?
The granting of the Development Consent Order marks the end of the examination and decision stages of Sea Link's nationally significant infrastructure planning process.
The project's official Planning Inspectorate page now lists it as being at the post-decision stage.
For communities in east Suffolk, the government's decision represents a major milestone in a project which has been progressing through the planning system for several years.
Attention will now turn to how National Grid Electricity Transmission progresses the consented scheme and its associated infrastructure.
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