Fugro is carrying out nearshore surveys for SSEN Transmission’s Western Isles high voltage direct current link, which will transfer 1800MW of renewable energy from Scotland’s islands to the UK mainland.
Niall MacLeod, project director for SSEN Transmission, said the surveys mark another step forward in progressing a connection that will link the Western Isles to the GB transmission network for the first time.
He added that feedback from marine consultation events has helped inform potential cable landfall sites now being advanced through this work.
The new link will include about 83km of underground cable and 81km of subsea cable between SSEN Transmission’s Lewis hub converter station and AC substation and the mainland.
Fugro is combining geophysical mapping with geotechnical boreholes using its ARAN® 250 jack-up platform to build a detailed understanding of the seabed and coastline.
Investigations cover several potential landfall locations near Arnish Point in Lewis and Dundonnell on the Scottish mainland, with soil samples undergoing analysis at Fugro’s Wallingford laboratory.
Survey work at Arnish Point is complete and operations at Dundonnell are expected to finish in February, weather permitting.
Matthew Chappell, Fugro’s regional service line director for nearshore, said: “Our integrated approach, combining specialist platforms, expert teams, and advanced laboratory analysis, will give SSEN Transmission the reliable Geo-data needed to make informed engineering decisions and help deliver clean, secure energy to communities across the UK safely and sustainably.”