The Orkney-Caithness Link project, an estimated capital investment of more than £900 million, will see the installation of a new high voltage alternating current (HVAC) subsea cable between Orkney and the Scottish mainland, enabling the connection of up to 220 MW of new renewable electricity to the national grid, providing another boost to delivering the UK’s ambitious energy security and net-zero targets.
The link will consist of a new substation at Finstown in Orkney, along with around 14 km of underground cable to where it makes landfall at Warebeth, then 53 km of subsea cable, which will connect into a new substation at Dounreay in Caithness where connection will be made to the GB electricity transmission network.
Contracts have been awarded to the key supply chain partners that will help in the delivery of this project. The substations will be constructed by the Siemens Energy and BAM Joint Venture (JV), who bring significant experience in delivering transmission substations on SSEN Transmission’s network, including in island environments. RJ McLeod will install the underground cable ducting, including horizontal direction drilling, to minimize impact at landfalls and water courses. Nexans will be manufacturing the cable in Halden, Norway, and will install the 14 km land and 53 km subsea cable system between the substations.
Deputy Project Director at SSEN Transmission, Ian Clark, said: “We’re delighted to have awarded these crucial contracts to the Siemens Energy and BAM JV, Nexans, and RJ McLeod for the delivery of the Orkney-Caithness Link project. All three have a strong track record of project delivery and we’re looking forward to continuing our relationship with them.
“Early development and initial public consultation on this project started in 2017, and reaching this point—where we’re ready for construction to begin—is a testament to the hard work of the entire team at SSEN Transmission and our supply chain partners.
“We’re now ready to get started with construction work at each end of the link in Finstown and Dounreay and will keep the communities informed as we make progress.”
With the supply chain in place, the Orkney-Caithness connection project now moves into its construction phase, with full energization anticipated in 2028.
