LionLink: National Grid confirms plans to route underground cables through Walberswick
They'll be for a new subsea interconnector between the UK and the Netherlands
Last updated 19th Feb 2025
National Grid's today announced its intention to route underground cables for a new subsea interconnector (LionLink) between the UK and the Netherlands through the Suffolk village of Walberswick.
The company says it considered multiple locations, including Southwold and Saxmundham, but settled on Walberswick following 'extensive environmental and technical analysis and two community consultations'.
It says the key reasons for picking the village include:
- A Lower environmental impact: The overall environmental impact of the project will be less at Walberswick, with fewer heritage trees, hedgerows and waterways affected by the route.
- Reduced disruption for residents: The shorter route will reduce traffic disruption. By using existing farm tracks for access, local roads can be avoided to minimise the impact on Walberswick.
- Sustainability: Walberswick is less susceptible to coastal erosion and flooding, making it a more sustainable option for the long-term operation of LionLink.
- Shorter onshore cable route: The Walberswick site requires a shorter onshore cable route (19.9 km) compared to the Southwold route (32.8 km). This will reduce the environmental impact and disruption to residents.
"Minimise disruption and environmental impact"
Ben Wilson, President of National Grid Ventures, said: “After two rounds of community consultation and detailed technical and environmental assessments, we have selected Walberswick as our preferred landfall site for LionLink.
"Community feedback has been essential to the evolution of LionLink. We have carefully chosen Walberswick for its shorter cable route, which will minimise disruption and environmental impact. Our commitment is to respect and protect the local environment and community, while we deliver a nationally important energy project that will strengthen the UK’s energy security.
"We understand that people may have questions about the impact of this decision on their community. We are dedicated to engaging with residents, addressing their concerns, and providing clear information about how we will minimise disruption to their daily lives and the natural environment when we build this project.
"We look forward to hearing their views at the next public consultation at the end of the year.”
"Landfall for LionLink at Walberswick is simply a bad decision"
The announcement's angered Suffolk County Council, which says the decision 'will have serious implications for Suffolk’s coastal and inland communities, and environment'.
It argues that LionLink plans should be coordinated with, and share as much infrastructure as possible with, another National Grid energy project, Sea Link, which is already planned to make landfall just a few miles down the coast at Aldeburgh.
However, in March 2024, National Grid published details to say that it has no intention to coordinate the two projects.
Councillor Richard Rout, Suffolk County Council’s Cabinet Member for Devolution, Local Government Reform and NSIPs, said: “The lack of coordination between National Grid’s own projects - LionLink and Sea Link - is startling. Landfall for LionLink at Walberswick is simply a bad decision.
“If two different council departments had the opportunity to work together to be more efficient and reduce their impact, but didn’t, we would rightly be hauled over the coals by taxpayers.
“Given the close proximity of both the LionLink and Sea Link projects, coordination between them should be paramount. But National Grid’s failure to do so means that we are now going to see irreversible damage to important landscapes in the county, and further suffering for more local people.”
“More haste and less speed"
The county council says it's raised such concerns on a number of occasions throughout LionLink’s consultation process in recent years, making it clear that any proposals where greater coordination between LionLink and Sea Link is not achievable, would require very robust justification.
Cllr Rout continued: “Suffolk is at serious risk of suffocating under the sheer weight of proposed energy projects – whether it be the infrastructure from offshore projects, cabling routes, vast solar farms, or pylons.
“I believe much of this stems from the current government’s unrealistic target of decarbonising the grid by 2030. As such, decisions are being rushed through - like the Sunnica solar farm - without consideration for local communities, and ironically, the environment.
“More haste and less speed from the government would allow alternative solutions to be properly explored, and energy companies wouldn’t feel under pressure to push ahead with the easiest and cheapest options.
“Most disturbingly, government has still not published any guidance on how it plans to support the communities impacted by these energy projects. Our residents feel left in the dark with these schemes being forced upon them.”
More about LionLink
National Grid describes LionLink is a 'vital' first step towards an integrated North Sea Grid.
It will be the first time that an interconnector links to an offshore windfarm at scale as well as enabling the transfer of energy between the UK and Dutch electricity grids.
This means fewer connections from the sea to the land and less impact on coastal communities.
It's hoped LionLink will bring renewable offshore wind energy to the UK and connect the Dutch and UK energy grids, enhancing the UK’s energy security and lowering household bills.