National Grid Secures Approval for New Birkhill Wood Substation in Northeast England

National Grid has received planning consent from East Riding of Yorkshire Council for the construction of the new Birkhill Wood substation in the Humber region.

Located approximately 700 meters (0.5 mile) north of the existing Creyke Beck substation, the facility will support the connection of 4.22 GW of offshore wind generation from three planned North Sea wind farms. According to National Grid, the projects will generate enough electricity to power more than 4 million homes.

The substation forms part of broader efforts to increase transmission capacity, improve network resilience and support renewable energy development in northeast England. National Grid plans to invest £8.6 billion in its Yorkshire and North East network over the next five years as part of a wider program to maintain, upgrade and expand the U.K. electricity network.

Birkhill Wood will provide grid connections for RWE and Masdar’s Dogger Bank South East and Dogger Bank South West offshore wind projects, as well as SSE Renewables and Equinor’s proposed Dogger Bank D project, the fourth phase of the Dogger Bank offshore wind development.

National Grid said it has already completed grid connections for Dogger Bank A and Dogger Bank B at Creyke Beck, with Dogger Bank C scheduled to connect at Lackenby in summer 2026.

The Birkhill Wood project includes construction of a new 2-km access road from the A1079. Work on the access road has begun, while construction of the substation is expected to start in spring 2027.

The substation will use gas-insulated technology, allowing for a smaller footprint than a conventional open-air substation.

Project plans were developed following technical and environmental assessments and feedback gathered during a public consultation held in autumn 2024. National Grid said the final design includes additional landscaping intended to improve screening and reduce visual impacts.

A second phase of development in the area, known as Wanlass Beck, will expand the existing Creyke Beck substation to accommodate an additional 3.2 GW of energy capacity from battery energy storage systems and offshore wind generation.

National Grid said the project includes a commitment to deliver at least 10% Biodiversity Net Gain through protection of existing trees and landscaping, habitat enhancements on-site and, where necessary, investment in local biodiversity initiatives.

Birkhill Wood will also serve as the northern connection point for the North Humber to High Marnham overhead transmission line project, part of National Grid’s Great Grid Upgrade program. The transmission route is intended to increase network capacity and support the delivery of renewable energy across the region.

The company also plans to establish community funding opportunities once construction begins and said it is pursuing partnerships focused on workforce development, employment and supply chain opportunities across the North East.