National Grid claims the cost of putting a proposed new electricity cable underground rather than on pylons will be over six times more expensive.
It has announced plans to create overhead cables from Grimsby to Walpole, in West Norfolk, which would go through South Holland and possibly link up with a proposed sub station for the Viking Link project at Weston Marsh.
The proposals are already proving controversial with residents expressing concerns on the visual impact of the pylons needed.
Many have questioned why the cables can’t be underground as the Outer Dowsing offshore wind farm project had pledged to do. National Grid say the cost putting up the line above ground using pylons would be £1.07m while the cost of cables underground onshore would be £6.54m and offshore, £4.39m.
The scheme itself is estimated to cost just over £2bn.
A spokesman for the company explained: “This new electricity network reinforcement project in Lincolnshire is part of The Great Grid Upgrade and is needed urgently to connect new green energy to the grid.
“This will help meet the Government’s ambition to connect up to 50GW of offshore wind by 2030, so every home and business in Lincolnshire and beyond can be powered by clean, green and more affordable electricity.
“Government and the regulator require us to develop proposals which not only comply with government planning policy and environmental legislation, but are also efficient, economical and represent value for money to consumers, as the cost of new network infrastructure goes onto the energy bills of households across the country.
“We understand that plans for new infrastructure, including pylons, can cause concern in nearby communities, and we will be giving careful consideration to environmental and community impacts, and to feedback we receive from local people and stakeholders through our first consultation process which runs until March 13 2024.”
