Project to connect Shetland to UK’s energy system under way

A £660 million project which will connect Shetland to the main British energy system for the first time has passed a major milestone. Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) announced the first phase of cable-laying as part of the Shetland High-Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) Link is now under way off the coast of Caithness. When completed, the subsea cable will connect Shetland to the UK energy system, in a move which will provide security of supply for islanders but will also benefit renewable energy projects in and around the islands. SSEN Transmission lead project manager Chris Finnigan said: “We are delighted that specialist cable-laying vessel NKT Victoria has begun kicking off the first subsea cable installation on the Shetland HVDC link. “We look forward to the completion of this first subsea cable campaign over the coming weeks.”