Finstown Substation work kicks off
SSEN Transmission has broken ground on Finstown Substation, which will help connect Orkney to the transmission network for the first time.
Image for illustration purposes.
UK, Scotland: SSEN Transmission has broken ground on Finstown Substation, which will help connect Orkney to the transmission network for the first time, playing a key role in transporting renewable energy. Representatives from the Orkney-Caithness 220 kV Subsea Link project at SSEN Transmission and their principal contractors BAM and Siemens Energy came together to turn the first ceremonial spadefuls of earth, marking the official start of construction in Orkney.
This is a major step forward for the project, set to serve as the main transmission hub in the islands. At an estimated investment of over £900 million ($1.141 billion), the Link will see the installation of a high voltage alternating current (HVAC) cable between Orkney and the Scottish mainland, enabling the connection of up to 220 MW of renewable electricity to the grid.
In addition to the substation, the project will also see the installation of 14 km of underground cable to where it makes landfall at Warebeth, west of Stromness, and 53 km of subsea cable, which will connect into a new substation at Dounreay in Caithness where connection will be made to the transmission network. Work on the Dounreay West Substation began in the summer, and full energisation is anticipated in 2028.
The whole project is part of a wider £20 billion programme of electricity transmission upgrades across the north of Scotland called SSEN Transmission’s Pathway to 2030 investment programme, which is required to meet Scotland and the UK’s energy security and clean power targets, helping secure power for generations to come. The projects will support 9000 jobs in Scotland, and 20000 throughout the UK.
Source: SSEN Transmission
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