SSEN Transmission is pleased to confirm that the Scottish Government Marine Directorate has granted the variation to the existing marine licence for the Western Isles High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) subsea cable link, allowing the needed increase in capacity, and delivering another milestone in Scotland and the UK’s journey towards a secure, clean energy future.
The Western Isles subsea cable project is a key component of SSEN Transmission’s planned £22bn+ investment programme to upgrade the north of Scotland’s electricity transmission grid – and the approval of the variation to the existing marine licence is a step forward in delivering that plan.
The original marine licence was approved in 2021, but a variation was required due to the increased capacity for the new Western Isles cable link. Once complete, the project will connect the Western Isles to the GB transmission network through an 82km subsea cable and follows a long development period.
The connection will help unlock the vast renewable energy potential of the Western Isles, and the associated benefits that will propel economic growth.
The approval of the marine licence variation follows on from the positive planning consent decision for the Lewis Hub which was granted in November.
Welcoming the news, Peter Watson, Lead Marine Consents and Environment Manager at SSEN Transmission, said, “Securing this variation to the existing marine licence marks the culmination of many years of development, and is an important milestone in our programme to strengthen Scotland’s transmission network and support the transition to cleaner, more secure energy. The unique environment we are working in and the close working relationships with our stakeholders will allow us to look at new ways of monitoring the marine environment and incorporate nature-inclusive design and marine restoration into the construction of the link.
The new year will bring a new focus to our engagement with the local maritime community as well as communities in Little Loch Broom and Arnish, and we look forward to working closely together as the project progresses.”
For more information on the project, visit: https://www.ssen-transmission.co.uk/projects/project-map/western-isles/.