NKT has confirmed that it will be a partner for two Scottish power cable projects with SSEN Transmission.

A press release said that last August, NKT had confirmed that it had reserved production and offshore installation capacity for a venture of Scottish transmission system operator (TSO) SSEN Transmission. The company plans to build two high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission links running from the Western Isles to the Scottish mainland, and from Spittal in Caithness to Peterhead.

NKT has now signed a framework agreement with SSEN Transmission, and the parties have agreed to proceed with initial work for the two interconnectors issued under the framework agreement. The project will support the decarbonization of the power system in Great Britain.

The limited notice to proceed with the projects reflects the exceptional collaboration with SSEN Transmission on interconnector projects like the Caithness-Moray HVDC Link and the ongoing Shetland HVDC Link, said Darren Fennell, EVP & Head of HV Solutions Karlskrona in NKT.

The Western Isles and Spittal-Peterhead offshore HVDC transmission links are part of The Pathway to 2030 Holistic Network Design (HND) which is a major upgrade of the electricity transmission network across Great Britain. SSEN Transmission plays a central role in executing on the HND, supporting the journey to meet UK and Scottish Governments 2030 renewable energy and climate change targets. The HND sets out a single, integrated grid design that supports the large-scale delivery of electricity generated from offshore wind.

The Western Isles cable route is approximately 160 km of 525 kV HVDC with a transmission link capacity of 1.8 GW. The Spittal-Peterhead cable route is approximately 220 km of 525 kV HVDC with a transmission link capacity of 2.0 GW. Both projects include on- and off-shore route length, and are scheduled for completion in the first half of 2026.