First subsea cable laying begins on Shetland link
Energy giant SSEN has highlighted the first phase of cable laying as part of the £660 million subsea link which will connect Shetland to the main GB energy supply.
Work began this week off the coast of Caithness, marking what is described as a major milestone in the project.
Work on the high-voltage direct current (HVDC) link began this week off the coast of Caithness.
The work has been hailed as an initiative that will support Shetland’s future energy supply, as well as enabling the connection of renewable energy generation.
The beginning of the cable was successfully pulled-in to where it makes landfall at Noss Head near Wick from aboard the specialist cable-laying vessel NKT Victoria.
Work on 57 kilometres of cable from Weisdale Voe is expected to begin in March next year.
SSEN Transmission’s lead project manager Chris Finnigan said: “We are delighted that specialist cable laying vessel NKT Victoria has begun this major milestone in kicking off the first subsea cable installation campaign on the Shetland HVDC link.
“The installation of the subsea cable is one of the major components of the Shetland HVDC link project, and it marks an exciting step in the project for SSEN Transmission and our contractors, and we look forward to the completion of this first subsea cable campaign over the coming weeks.”
David Jackson
I am a visitor to your lovely islands from Thailand where I am a teacher and had been locked away effectively during the Covid crisis longing for fresh air and wide- open spaces.
My message is to say thank you to everyone who made my stay absolutely fantastic and really did your entire comminity proud; from the friendly crew on the North Link Ferry, to the hotel and cafe owners, the random drivers who gave me lifts to and from Eshaness, the bus drivers and system which works superbly and finally, to the Scottish group McFleetwood who played an impressive show to a lovely audience last night here in Lerwick.
Wow… these islands are fantastic and you don’t know how lucky you are to be living here.