Work to lay the penultimate section of subsea cable for the Shetland HVDC interconnector has begun.
The new phase will see specialist cable laying vessel, the NKT Victoria, lay 60km of High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) subsea cable system.
The NKT Victoria has lowered the end of the cable which was then successfully pulled onto shore via previously installed ducts by a winch located on the shoreline at Weisdale.
Once secured in the transition joint bay, the offshore cable will be jointed to the previously installed HVDC land cable which will then connect to SSEN Transmission’s Kergord HVDC converter station and AC substation.
The NKT Victoria will now make her way south out to sea along the designated cable route, slowly lowering the cable system onto the seabed.
Once the cable is in place, it will be trenched into position using a multi-role construction support vessel with a specialist subsea jet trencher, which will ensure the cables are buried to the correct depth.
Rock placement will also take place at some sections to ensure the cables are protected where trenching is not possible.
SSEN Transmission’s £660 million Shetland HVDC Link project involves installing a 260km subsea cable system between Noss Head in Caithness and Weisdale Voe in Shetland. The move will connect Shetland to the national electricity grid for the first time
SSEN Transmission Shetland HVDC Link Project Director John Scott said: “The arrival of NKT Victoria in Shetland signals yet another major and hugely symbolic milestone in the Shetland HVDC Link project, and it’s been great to see the cable make landfall in Shetland as the vessel begins her voyage into the North Sea and kick off the next cable campaign.
“The installation of the subsea cable system is complex and requires significant planning to reach this point, and working with subsea cable experts NKT has enabled this process to take place reliably, safely and to the highest standard.
“The second cable campaign marks an exciting step in the project for SSEN Transmission and our contractors, and we look forward to the completion of this phase of the subsea cable campaign over the coming weeks.”