Sumitomo and Van Oord booked for second Shetland HVDC cable link

SSEN Transmission has entered into a capacity reservation agreement (CRA) with a consortium of Sumitomo Electric Industries and Van Oord for the supply and installation of a second 525 kV HVDC cable link between Shetland and the Scottish mainland, known as the Shetland 2 HVDC Link.

The cable for the project will be delivered from Sumitomo’s manufacturing facility, currently under construction in Nigg, in the northeast of Scotland.

According to SSEN Transmission, the preferred bidder status awarded to Sumitomo and Van Oord in May 2024 was a crucial milestone underpinning the Japanese company’s investment in the £350 million cable manufacturing facility. Commissioning is expected in 2026.

The circa 150,000 m2 site construction is progressing in accordance with the anticipated program, with piling works nearing completion and factory foundations being installed. Foundation work will be followed by steelworks and factory fit-out in the next 12-15 months.

“We are delighted to reach this major milestone with Sumitomo and Van Oord for the Shetland 2 project. It’s great to see the progress being made at Sumitomo’s new cable manufacturing facility and we are extremely proud to be supporting their investment and the major boost to the Highland economy this will unlock,” said Rob McDonald, Managing Director of SSEN Transmission.

Shetland 2 will connect 330 kilometers between Shetland and the mainland to bring 2 GW of renewable electricity to Great Britain’s network, which forms part of the latest strategic transmission network plan “Beyond 2030” where a total £5 billion investment by SSEN is expected in the north of Scotland by 2035.

The facility is expected to employ 150 persons, with knock-on effects to increase the number of indirect employment opportunities by at least double the full-time employee count.

“Our mission to make Britain a clean energy superpower brings with it vast opportunities to invest in our highly-skilled British supply chains, creating thousands of jobs in Scotland and across the UK. Sumitomo’s manufacturing facility is a fantastic example of the world-leading offshore expertise here in Scotland – which will play a huge part in the expansion of the UK’s homegrown clean energy sector,” said Energy Minister Michael Shanks.