First Subsea Cables Laid In £660m SSEN Project To Connect Shetland To UK Energy Grid
By Katrine Bussey, PA Scotland Alistair Houghton
A project to connect Shetland to the main British energy system for the first time has laid its first subsea cable in a major milestone for the £660m(US$793.8 million) scheme.
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. That will provide security of supply for islanders but will also benefit renewable energy projects in and around the islands.
The specialist vessel NKT Victoria has begun laying the first 100km of cable on the seabed – work which is expected to be completed by the middle of July.
This is taking place after boulders were moved from the cable route to create a clear pathway for its installation.
Once the cable is in place on the seabed, a construction support ship equipped with a specialist subsea jet trencher will ensure it is buried at the correct depth – with rocks used to protect the cabling in areas where this trenching process is not possible.
The first phase of the project will see cable laid from Noss Head in Caithness to a point to the east of the Orkney Islands.
The second phase of cabling, which is expected to start in March, will see 57km of cable laid heading south from Weisdale Voe on Shetland.
