Global Offshore Supports Pentland Firth Cable Installation

Global Offshore plans to work with Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) on its Pentland Firth East power cable installation project.

The Pentland Firth is a strait separating the Orkney Islands from Caithness in the north of Scotland.

The new 35km, 33kV power cable will connect mainland Scotland to Hoy, the second largest of the Orkney Isles, replacing one of two existing cables serving the islands, which has been in operation for more than 30 years.

Initial works will be completed before the end of the year and include route survey, data collection and studies which will form part of the marine licence application for the cable installation.

Following on from the preparatory works, Global Offshore anticipate cable installation utilizing the Global Symphony will be undertaken in early spring next year.

Mike Daniel, managing director of Global Offshore said, “We’re pleased to be extending our working relationship with SSEN for this prestigious installation project, which is a critical piece of the overall power infrastructure network in Scotland. From our base in Aberdeen, our experienced project engineers and vessel crews will be working closely with the team at SSEN to seamlessly execute yet another vital project.”

John Buchan, head of Subsea Cable Projects at Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks added, “SSEN operates and maintains the electricity network that serves over 3.8 million homes and businesses across northern Scotland, the Highlands & Islands, and central southern England. Having successfully worked together with Global Offshore on a range of power cable replacement projects over the last 18 months as part of a wider framework agreement, we’re confident that together we can deliver this project to enhance the service that we provide to our customers across these remote regions.”