Shetland linked by HVDC cable to Scotland

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

Partagez:

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.

According to the 2025 report on global energy access, despite notable progress in renewable energy, insufficient targeted financing continues to hinder electricity and clean cooking access, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa.
While advanced economies maintain global energy leadership, China and the United States have significantly progressed in the security and sustainability of their energy systems, according to the World Economic Forum's annual report.
On the sidelines of the US–Africa summit in Luanda, Algiers and Luanda consolidate their energy collaboration to better exploit their oil, gas, and mining potential, targeting a common strategy in regional and international markets.
The UK's Climate Change Committee is urging the government to quickly reduce electricity costs to facilitate the adoption of heat pumps and electric vehicles, judged too slow to achieve the set climate targets.
The European Commission will extend until the end of 2030 an expanded state-aid framework, allowing capitals to fund low-carbon technologies and nuclear power to preserve competitiveness against China and the United States.
Japan's grid operator forecasts an energy shortfall of up to 89 GW by 2050 due to rising demand from semiconductor manufacturing, electric vehicles, and artificial intelligence technologies.
Energy-intensive European industries will be eligible for temporary state aid to mitigate high electricity prices, according to a new regulatory framework proposed by the European Commission under the "Clean Industrial Deal."
Mauritius seeks international investors to swiftly build a floating power plant of around 100 MW, aiming to secure the national energy supply by January 2026 and address current production shortfalls.
Madrid announces immediate energy storage measures while Lisbon secures its electrical grid, responding to the historic outage that affected the entire Iberian Peninsula in late April.
Indonesia has unveiled its new national energy plan, projecting an increase of 69.5 GW in electricity capacity over ten years, largely funded by independent producers, to address rapidly rising domestic demand.
French Minister Agnès Pannier-Runacher condemns the parliamentary moratorium on new renewable energy installations, warning of the potential loss of 150,000 industrial jobs and increased energy dependence on foreign countries.
The European battery regulation, fully effective from August 18, significantly alters industrial requirements related to electric cars and bicycles, imposing strict rules on recycling, supply chains, and transparency for companies.
The European Parliament calls on the Commission to strengthen energy infrastructure and accelerate the implementation of the Clean Industrial Deal to enhance the continent's energy flexibility and security amid increased market volatility.
The European Commission unveils an ambitious plan to modernize electricity grids and introduces the Clean Industrial Deal, mobilizing hundreds of billions of euros to strengthen the continent's industrial and energy autonomy.
In the United States, regulated electric grid operators hold a decisive advantage in connecting new data centres to the grid, now representing 134 GW of projects, according to a Wood Mackenzie report published on June 19.
The French National Assembly approves a specific target of 200 TWh renewable electricity production by 2030 within a legislative text extensively debated about the future national energy mix.
In 2024, US CO₂ emissions remain stable at 5.1bn tonnes, as the Trump administration prepares hydrocarbon-friendly energy policies, raising questions about the future evolution of the American market.
The early publication of France's energy decree triggers strong parliamentary reactions, as the government aims to rapidly secure investments in nuclear and other energy sectors.
Seven weeks after the major Iberian power outage, Spain identifies technical network failures, while the European Investment Bank approves major funding to strengthen the interconnection with France.
The European Union has announced a detailed schedule aiming to definitively halt Russian gas imports by the end of 2027, anticipating internal legal and commercial challenges to overcome.