As a generation developer in the north of Scotland, you need to make an application for network connection, at voltages of 132kV and above, directly to National Grid Electricity System Operator (NESO).
NESO, in turn, makes an application to us asking us to specify the most economic and efficient design for your development and provide costs for the completion of necessary work.
Detailed guidelines on how we jointly process your application with NESO are documented in the System Operator Transmission Owner Code (STC) under procedure STCP18-2 Use of System Application. For further information please visit:
System Operator Transmission Owner Code (STC) | National Grid ESO
Following Ofgem’s approval of NESO’s Connections Reform proposals on 15th April, we look forward to working with NESO and our customers to deliver the new connections process, which supports the delivery of Government’s Clean Power 2030 (CP30) Plan. The reforms have been developed in response to the continued growth in connection applications, with the current connections queue standing at over 750GW, far in excess of what is required for the energy system in 2030, or even 2050. The new connections process is a move away from the old ‘first come, first served’ approach. In the new process, in order to join the queue, projects must first achieve two new criteria. The purpose of the criteria is to ensure that projects in the queue are needed (in order to achieve Government’s Clean Power 2030 Plan) and can demonstrate ‘readiness’ (to reduce the risk of stalled projects holding up other customers in the queue). Projects will also be required to apply within defined application windows, which NESO will publicise in advance. The first stage of Connections Reform will be a one-off exercise, known as Gate 2 to the Whole Queue (G2tWQ), involving reassessment of all existing contracted projects in the connections queue. Further information on what evidence customers need to provide for G2tWQ, and how they need to provide it, can be found on NESO’s website.