SSEN Transmission has signed contracts with several contractors for the construction of the Orkney-Caithness Link 220 kV transmission project, which will see the installation of a new high voltage alternating current (HVAC) subsea cable between the island of Orkney and the Scottish mainland (United Kingdom), enabling the connection of up to 220 MW of new renewable electricity to the UK’s national grid.
Contracts have been signed with the Siemens Energy and BAM joint venture, as well as with Nexans and RJ McLeod for key elements of the construction with the work set to get started later in September 2024. The Orkney-Caithness Link project will require an estimated capital investment of over £900m (€1.07bn).
The transmission project will feature a new substation at Finstown in Orkney, along with 14 km of underground wire to where it makes landfall at Warebeth. It will then run for 53 km under the sea, after which it will connect into a new substation in Caithness, where connection will be made to the country’s national grid.