News / Cable to open up isles renewables approved
A KEY piece of the jigsaw for transmitting wind-powered electricity from Shetland to the power hungry cities of Scotland was approved on Friday by energy regulator Ofgem.
The £1.2 billion Caithness-Moray transmission link is designed to open up the north of Scotland to renewable generation for the long term.
With twice the capacity of the 600 megawatt subsea interconnector proposed for Shetland, it will be able to handle all the power generated in the northern isles should the Viking Energy wind farm and associated developments proceed.
Scottish Hydro Electric Transmission (SHET) hope to start work this summer laying the 100 mile long underground and subsea link between Spittal in Caithness and Blackhillock in Moray.
The construction is expected to create more than 600 jobs and be completed by 2018, the earliest date suggested for the Viking Energy project to be up and running.
Viking themselves are optimistic about their plans after the Court of Session this week overturned a previous ruling that deemed the Scottish government’s consent for the wind farm to be incompetent.
However anti-Viking campaign group Sustainable Shetland have 42 days from Wednesday’s judgment to decide whether to appeal to a higher court, adding further delays to the plan.
The Caithness-Moray cable was previously known as the Caithness-Moray-Shetland link, however SHET say they may still decide an alternative route is more desirable.
A spokesman said: “Now the judicial review has been resolved SHE Transmission will discuss proposals with Viking to see what the next steps are.
“Assuming the island connections go ahead we would expect them to connect into the Caithness-Moray link, but there is a potential the Shetland link will connect elsewhere.
“Caithness-Moray has been developed in such a way that there is capacity for the islands, but the developer might decide to take a different option, and that is not something SHE Transmission can comment on.”
SHET networks managing director Mark Mathieson said they had worked with communities and other stakeholders to make sure they had the best solution for connecting renewable energy to the grid.
“Ofgem has undertaken detailed and extensive consultations on this project in order to ensure the right project is delivered at the right time to minimise electricity grid constraints without incurring unnecessary costs for electricity consumers,” he said.
“I am very pleased that it has been given the green light and we will now work with Ofgem on the remaining details and focus on ensuring that the new link is constructed in a safe and responsible way so that the benefits it will bring in unlocking renewable sources of energy for decades to come are realised.”
The development was welcomed by Scottish first minister Alex Salmond who said the Caithness-Moray cable and a decision by Ofgem to reduce transmission costs for Scottish generators would help Scotland meet its low renewable targets at a lower cost for consumers.
“Today’s announcements are welcome news for the Scottish electricity sector and consumers,” he said.
“They support the transition to a low carbon economy by encouraging renewable generation in the areas of highest resource and ensure Scotland continues to play a vital role in delivering security of electricity supply across these islands.
“The £1.2 billion investment by Scottish Hydro Electric Transmission will ensure continued progress towards our renewable energy ambitions, play a role in supporting future island generation and support hundreds of jobs during construction.
“It also underlines once again the essential role that renewable energy in Scotland has to play in meeting the UK’s long-term energy requirements.”
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