Public to be consulted on cable Installation

THE PUBLIC are to be whether Scotland’s submarine cables, connecting 59 Scottish islands to the main electricity network, should be laid on the seabed or protected during their installation.

The distribution network operator Scottish Hydro Electric Power Distribution (SHEPD) launched a six week consultation on Tuesday to understand people’s views on whether the 111 submarine electricity cables in Scottish waters should be protected within the sea bed or laid on top of it.

The consultation runs until 13 October 2015 and allows people to feedback their views on the impact any work to the submarine cables might have on the marine environment, any social and economic impact the works could have and disclose any concerns they have on how much the works could cost.

Currently 110 of the submarine cables connecting 59 Scottish islands are laid on the surface of the seabed.

Alan Broadbent, Director of Engineering at SHEPD, said: ‘It is important we secure the thoughts of all interested parties on what they would like us to do with the submarine cables, as protecting or laying can have different impacts and outcomes. Any major investment decision we make requires the agreement of Ofgem to ensure it is being made on a sound economic and efficient basis. And any decision on the installation method of the submarine cable needs to be accepted by Marine Scotland.’

Anybody interested in attending an event or completing the consultation can find details on SSEPD’s website or by emailing submarinecables@sse.com to request a copy.