Final Milestone for Shetland HVDC Link Complete
Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks Transmission has appointed the main contractors for the construction of the Shetland HVDC link.
Image for illustration purposes
Shetland, Scotland: Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks Transmission has appointed the main contractors for the construction of the Shetland HVDC link and all associated infrastructure.
The major contract awards follow the recent decision by the energy regulator, Ofgem, to grant final approval for the transmission link, with everything now in place for the start of main construction in late August. These works will be led by Siemens BAM, who have extensive experience constructing substations on behalf of SSEN Transmission across the north of Scotland.
The power will then be converted from Alternating Current to Direct Current at a HVDC Converter Station, also at Kergord, before being transported around 270km via underground and subsea cable (257km) to a HVDC Switching Station at Noss Head, Caithness, in the north of Scotland. Global marine cable solution provider, NKT, will be responsible for the manufacture and installation of the subsea cable, with BAM Nuttall delivering all civil engineering works, including the construction of all buildings, and leading HVDC technology provider, Hitachi ABB Power Grids, delivering and commissioning the HVDC system.
The power will then be transported via the Caithness Moray HVDC link before being converted back to Alternating Current for onward transmission to meet the electricity demand requirements of homes and business across the north of Scotland and beyond.
The subsea cable installation will take place in 2022 and 2023 following it’s manufacture. All construction works are scheduled to be complete in December 2023, with energisation and full commissioning due to be complete in July 2024. At its peak, in the summer of 2022, the project is expected to employ almost 250 people.
Source: STEELGURU