A major energy project which would see the UK connected with European wind farms via a subsea cable has been moved to Kent.

Ofgem had said earlier this year the project should be built in Suffolk but has now agreed for it to move to the Isle of Grain instead.

The industry regulator has approved the initial project assessments for the National Grid’s Nautilus interconnector, which would see subsea cables connect with offshore energy reserves in Belgium.

In July, it was reported it was planned for the Nautilus project to return to its original plan of using Friston, Suffolk owing to cost restraints.

However, following opposition due to the number of energy projects already taking place there, Ofgem’s initial objection to using the Isle Of Grain has now been reversed, paving the way for the scheme to come to Kent instead.

Ben Wilson, president of National Grid Ventures, said: “Ofgem’s approval of LionLink and Nautilus’ Initial Project Assessment is welcome news.

“Community and stakeholder feedback has been essential to the evolution of Nautilus.

“We have always advocated for the Isle of Grain as the best location for Nautilus given it’s already a major hub for energy infrastructure and has the potential to offer the shortest offshore cable route to Belgium.

“This view was reinforced by community and stakeholder feedback.”

Interconnectors, subsea cables that allow power to flow between different power grids, allow power to flow from cheaper markets to more expensive ones.

According to National Grid, should it proceed, Nautilus could connect up to 1.7 gigawatts of offshore wind to each country through a subsea cable.

Alongside other projects it argues this would help deliver a combined £674million in benefits to consumers in the first ten years of its operation, and is also seen as essential to hitting net zero targets.

A final decision over whether it can be built will be made by the government.

If approved, it could power 1.4 million homes in the UK.