Minister Wheelhouse Marks Completion of Caithness-Moray Subsea Link

The Scottish Government’s Minister for Energy, Connectivity and the Islands, Paul Wheelhouse MSP, marked the official completion of SSEN Transmission’s flagship Caithness-Moray HVDC link with a visit to Blackhillock substation in Moray.

The £1bn transmission link, delivered on time and within regulatory allowances, has unlocked the vast renewables potential of the north of Scotland.

The link and all associated onshore transmission infrastructure has also increased the reliability of the transmission system in the north of Scotland, supporting the Electricity System Operator, National Grid, in its continuous balancing of electricity supply and demand. The link has been operational since January this year with all major works associated with the project completed in the summer.

The 113km subsea link uses HVDC technology to transfer of up to 1,200MW of renewable electricity from Spittal substation in Caithness to areas of demand in central Scotland and beyond.

With both the Scottish and UK Government legislating for net zero emissions, Caithness-Moray represents a critical investment in the fight against climate change, allowing SSEN Transmission to connect more renewables to the national grid and transporting that clean power to areas of demand.

As well as harnessing the renewable output from electricity generators in Caithness, the link also has capacity to support the proposed transmission links connecting Orkney and Shetland, home to some of the UK’s greatest renewable resources.

Scotland’s Energy Minister, Paul Wheelhouse, said:

“This new HVDC link will play a key role in achieving Scotland’s vital, but challenging greenhouse gas emissions targets and helps us to move to net zero emissions across other areas of our economy, as we respond to the global climate emergency.”

Managing director of Transmission, Rob McDonald, said:

“We would like to thank the Minister for taking the time to visit Blackhillock substation and find out more about the critical role the north of Scotland is playing in meeting our electricity needs and supporting the transition to net zero.

“Caithness-Moray is already playing a critical role in the fight against climate change and we look forward to building on this contribution in the coming years.”