Eastern Green Link 2 (EGL2) - Peterhead/Boddam - Converter Station

 

Aerial pictures of the large ongoing construction works of the "Converter Station" on Newton Road just off the A90 between Peterhead and Boddam.

 

This will be the starting point of the planned Eastern Green Link 2 before cables take it underground to Sandford Bay after which 270 miles of subsea cables take it its landing site in England before being converted again at Drax for use on the National Grid.

 

What is a Converter Station?

A converter station houses the technology that converts electricity between alternating current (AC) and direct current (DC) and enables it to be transmitted over long distances. They are crucial switching points in the transmission system that ensure that electricity flows smoothly from where it is generated, to where it is needed.

 

For EGL2 there are two converter stations, one in Peterhead and one in Drax. The electricity generated by renewable sources, such as offshore wind farms, is sent through the AC network to the first converter station where it is converted to DC to be transmitted via EGL2 high voltage direct current (HVDC) subsea cables. At the second converter station electricity is then converted back to AC and introduced into the AC network to be carried around the country via the wider transmission network.