Shetland linked by HVDC cable to Scotland

The link between Shetland and the UK via HVDC cable is being announced by SSE Renewables.

Share:

The link between Shetland and the UK via HVDC cable is being announced by SSE Renewables. This successful high voltage direct current submarine link is worth £660 million.

A historical project

This HVDC cable linking Shetland to the United Kingdom is 260 kilometers long and is currently at 100 kilometers of installation. This project is part of SSEN Transmission’s historic Shetland High Voltage Direct Current Link goal. This first section requires careful coordination between the cable ship and the onshore installation.

By July, the submarine HVDC cable was successfully stretched to its landing point near Wick. The cable, installed on the seabed, runs as the ship NKT Victoria sailed away to the east of the Orkney Islands. Chris Finnigan, SSEN Transmission Project Manager, states:

“We are delighted that the first cable installation campaign has been completed, which means that the first 100 kilometers of the Shetland HVDC link subsea cable has been safely installed on the seabed, heading north from the shore of Noss Head. This was a complex operation involving multiple parties, and we are really pleased that this first campaign has been completed safely and successfully.”

An expected connection

In addition, the terrestrial HVDC cable is also operational. The offshore team is now focusing on preparing for next year’s submarine cable installation campaigns. Thus, a second campaign is scheduled to begin in the spring of 2023.

It will involve 57 kilometers of HVDC cable running from Weisdale Voe in Shetland south to the North Sea. The third campaign will take place in 2023 and will complete the link between the first and second North Sea campaigns. As a result, the Shetland HVDC submarine link project is scheduled for completion by 2024.

The Spanish Parliament has rejected a package of reforms aimed at preventing another major power outage, plunging the national energy sector into uncertainty and revealing the fragility of the government's majority.
The United States Environmental Protection Agency extends compliance deadlines for coal-fired power plant operators regarding groundwater monitoring and the closure of waste ponds.
Eskom aims to accelerate its energy transition through a new dedicated unit, despite a USD22.03bn debt and tariff uncertainties slowing investment.
Several major U.S. corporations announce investments totaling nearly USD 90 billion to strengthen energy infrastructure in Pennsylvania, aimed at powering data centers vital to the rapid growth of the artificial intelligence sector.
Nearly USD92bn will be invested by major American and international groups in new data centres and energy infrastructure, responding to the surge in electricity demand linked to the rise of artificial intelligence.
Nouakchott has endured lengthy power interruptions for several weeks, highlighting the financial and technical limits of the Mauritanian Electricity Company as Mauritania aims to widen access and green its mix by 2030.
Between 2015 and 2024, four multilateral climate funds committed nearly eight bn USD to clean energy, attracting private capital through concessional terms while Africa and Asia absorbed more than half of the volume.
The Global Energy Policies Hub shows that strategic reserves, gas obligations, cybersecurity and critical-mineral policies are expanding rapidly, lifting oil coverage to 98 % of world imports.
According to a report by Ember, the Chinese government’s appliance trade-in campaign could double residential air-conditioner efficiency gains in 2025 and trim up to USD943mn from household electricity spending this year.
Washington is examining sectoral taxes on polysilicon and drones, two supply chains dominated by China, after triggering Section 232 to measure industrial dependency risks.
The 2025-2034 development plan presented by Terna includes strengthening Sicily’s grid, new interconnections, and major projects to support the region’s growing renewable energy capacity.
Terna and NPC Ukrenergo have concluded a three-year partnership in Rome aimed at strengthening the integration of the Ukrainian grid into the pan-European system, with an in-depth exchange of technological and regulatory expertise.
GE Vernova has secured a major contract to modernise the Kühmoos substation in Germany, enhancing grid reliability and integration capacity for power flows between Germany, France and Switzerland.
The National Energy System Operator forecasts electricity demand to rise to 785 TWh by 2050, underlining the need to modernise grids and integrate more clean energy to support the UK’s energy transition.
Terna has signed a guarantee agreement with SACE and the European Investment Bank to finance the Adriatic Link project, totalling approximately €1bn ($1.08bn) and validated as a major transaction under Italian regulations.
India unveils a series of reforms on oil and gas contracts, introducing a fiscal stability clause to enhance the sector’s attractiveness for foreign companies and boost its growth ambitions in upstream energy.
The European Commission is launching a special fund of EUR2.3bn ($2.5bn) to boost Ukraine’s reconstruction and attract private capital to the energy and infrastructure sectors.
Asia dominated global new renewable energy capacity in 2024 with 71% of installations, while Africa recorded limited growth of only 7.2%, according to the latest annual report from IRENA.
US President Donald Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act dramatically changes energy investment rules, imposing restrictions on renewables while favouring hydrocarbons, according to a recent report by consultancy firm Wood Mackenzie.
On July 8, 2025, the Senate validated the Gremillet bill, aimed at structuring France's energy transition with clear objectives for nuclear power, renewable energies, and energy renovation.