Four contractors have been appointed to deliver an electrical superhighway to Shetland as the construction of the high-voltage direct current (HVDC) electric power transmission system gets under way.
The system, which will link Shetland to the GB transmission system for the first time, will consist of power being converted from alternating current (AC) to direct current (DC) before being transported via underground and subsea cables to a switching station in Caithness, 160 miles away.
Siemens BAM, who have previously created substations across the north of Scotland on behalf of Scottish and Southern Electricity Network (SSEN), has been tasked with creating a substation at Kergord which is required for the connection of renewable electricity generators on Shetland.
Global marine cable solution provider NKT will be responsible for the manufacture and installation of the subsea cable, while BAM Nuttall will deliver all civil engineering works, including the construction of all buildings.
Leading HVDC technology provider, Hitachi ABB Power Grids, will deliver and commission the HVDC system.
Once electricity arrives at on the mainland, it will then be transported on via the Caithness Moray HVDC link before being transported back into AC for onward transmission to meet the electricity demands of homes and businesses.
All construction works are scheduled to be complete in December 2023, with energisation and full commissioning due to be complete in July 2024.
The project will create around 250 jobs.
Sandy Mactaggart of SSEN said he was delighted to reach the milestone.