Eastern Green Link 2 Sets the Standard for Recycled Copper in High-Voltage Cables

Prysmian, together with La Farga Yourcoppersolutions, is setting a new benchmark for sustainability, with the use of La Farga Genius 100% recycled copper in a high voltage subsea cable project. The Eastern Green Link 2 (EGL2) project is the UK’s biggest electricity transmission project in construction – transporting enough electricity to power two million homes between Peterhead in the northeast of Scotland and Drax in North Yorkshire, England, through a 505km, 2GW power superhighway. EGL2 is a joint venture project being delivered by National Grid Electricity Transmission and SSEN Transmission.

An industry-first use of 100% recycled copper

Prysmian, who is responsible for the manufacturing and the installation of the cables for the EGL2 project, is breaking new ground by delivering the most sustainable solution for the cable conductor, through the use of La Farga Genius 100% recycled copper. Due to the high demand for electricity infrastructure projects, as the world electrifies to deliver on climate action, copper is currently one of the most critical materials across the globe. Given the scale of its recent projects, Prysmian is now the single biggest purchaser of copper in the world.

Aligned with the EGL2 project’s sustainability goals, and in acting responsibly with the indemand material, using recycled copper is essential. As a result, the project will set the standard as the first high voltage direct current (HVDC) cable that will use 100% recycled copper supported by an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) provided by La Farga, ensuring full traceability of the recycled material in EGL2 cables. EPD guarantees that the 10,000 tons of recycled copper are entirely contained within the rod supplied to Prysmian, unlike a mass balance approach, where it cannot be certified. Purchasing the recycled copper has been enabled by the Sustainability Innovation Fund (SIF), awarded to the EGL2 project by Ofgem.

What measurable environmental benefits does recycled copper deliver?

Prysmian will use approximately 10,000 tonnes of La Farga’s GENIUS recycled copper, with the project expecting to avoid nearly 56,675 ton of CO₂eq emissions compared to the use of conventional primary copper. This is equivalent to taking roughly 39,900 average UK cars off the road for a year, or the annual emissions of 17,700 homes in the East Riding of Yorkshire. The approach is estimated to deliver a 13% reduction in the overall carbon footprint of Prysmian’s scope of activities within the project, making a tangible contribution to emissions reduction in large-scale energy infrastructure.

This is a practical example of how EGL2 and partners are reducing the environmental impact of delivering critical grid infrastructure, while maintaining the quality and reliability needed for nationally significant projects like EGL2. As Prysmian’s copper rod supplier, La Farga has been instrumental in enabling this industry-first milestone, helping Prysmian meet the highest environmental standards across the entire value chain.