East Suffolk Council is celebrating Ofgem’s decision to drop Friston as the UK landfall site for National Grid’s ambitious Nautilus interconnector project, instead favouring a location at the Isle of Grain in Kent. This 1.4-gigawatt subsea cable project aims to link the UK and Belgium power grids, channelling enough green energy to power about 1.4 million homes, boosting grid resilience, and supporting climate targets like net zero—all while aiming to lower electricity costs.

The decision comes after Ofgem’s Initial Project Assessment, which gathered extensive community and stakeholder feedback on the proposed East Suffolk connection point. Local leaders, including Cllr Tom Daly, voiced strong concerns over the impact on East Suffolk’s communities and heritage landscapes, advocating instead for the Isle of Grain’s established energy infrastructure and shorter cable route.

National Grid Ventures echoed the sentiment, emphasizing that community feedback played a key role in the decision to proceed with the Kent location. They confirmed their commitment to the Isle of Grain, recognizing its advantages as a major energy hub. Cllr Daly noted that East Suffolk’s persistent advocacy has paid off, sparing the local area from disruptive industrial development and demonstrating the power of local voices in shaping such impactful projects.