Pentland Firth East cable replacement

24th July 2020

Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) are to commence our core work programme to replace one of the two submarine electricity distribution cables connecting Orkney to mainland Scotland, ensuring strengthened resilience of electricity supply to the islands ahead of the coming winter.

The £30 million cable replacement project, which received marine licence approval from Marine Scotland earlier this week, sees the installation of a new 33 kilovolt (kV) cable which follows the existing route from Murkle Bay, near Thurso, to Rackwick Bay on the island of Hoy.

The subsea cable replacement work will be undertaken by principal contractor, Global Offshore. Contract partners will support associated programme works, including near shore works, archaeological and ecological checks and works on the existing overhead network on Hoy and Murkle Bay.

The installation of the new cable will allow for the removal of some sections of existing overhead line on Hoy, to be replaced with underground cable. We expect to complete all works by November, following an extension of the programme to avoid construction during bird breeding season on the island.

We have been working closely with key stakeholders throughout the development of the programme, in recognition of the critical nature of the project, the impact of the coronavirus pandemic and associated travel restrictions.

All contractors working on the project will closely follow current Government guidance with measures taken to protect both the public and the construction teams. These include additional management of work and travel schedules, adherence to social distancing and the use of enhanced personal protective equipment.

We are undertaking a significant programme of investment to replace around 90km of submarine cables connecting Scotland's island communities by 2023 - a fifth of the total number currently in operation.

The Pentland Firth East cable was identified for replacement after routine inspections found it was coming to the end of its operational life. In July 2019, we successfully completed repairs to the cable in Rackwick Bay following a cable fault. While customer power supplies were not impacted by this fault, a long-term solution was required to maintain a safe, secure and reliable power supply to homes and businesses in Orkney.

Leaflets on the topic can be found at https://www.ssen.co.uk/SubmarineCables/Pentland/