£1bn subsea cable will carry wind power from Scotland to England
World's longest 2,200MW high-voltage DC cable should boost development of renewable energy
- Published in News.
The 261-mile line will run from Hunterston to Connah's Quay
A £1 billion contract has been awarded for the construction of the first subsea electricity link between Scotland and England, energy firms have announced.
The 261-mile line will run from Hunterston in Ayrshire to a landing point on the Wirral peninsula and will have 2,200MW capacity.
National Grid and Scottish Power have given the contract to Siemens and cable maker Prysmian.
They said the link will enable large volumes of energy from windfarms and other sources to be transferred from Scotland to areas of higher demand in England.
The firms said it will be the longest 2,200MW-capacity high-voltage direct-current cable in the world.
National Grid executive director Nick Winser said: “This link will have a vital role to play in meeting energy needs and helping to address the problem of climate change.
“We are investing in an innovative solution using the most advanced technology. As a result, the benefits for consumers and electricity generators in being able to transport power in the most efficient way will be felt for years to come.”
The firms said that it will be the first subsea link ever using a DC voltage level of 600kV, which is an increase of 20% over the highest voltage rating cables currently used.
The transmission capacity of the cable will be boosted by one-fifth. This means that more power can be carried with the same diameter of copper in the cable, keeping material costs down. Transmission losses are also reduced by one third, at less than 3% across the whole cable planned.
The link should be fully operational by 2016.
Ignacio Galan, chairman of Scottish Power, said: “The link is a major project in the context of a vital upgrading of the UK electricity grid over the coming years, with the grid between Scotland and England already running close to maximum capacity.
“The additional capacity from this link will provide a significant boost to renewable energy projects that we are developing in Scotland to bring clean energy to consumers throughout the country and at the same time help meet carbon reduction targets.
“We are fully committed to playing our part in the government's planned infrastructure development programme and expect to invest a total of £2.6 billion between 2013 and 2021 on upgrading our transmission network in the UK.
“Overall, we are projecting investments totalling £12 billion in the UK over the course of this decade, including major offshore wind projects around the country.”