Joint venture partners BAM and Siemens Energy together with SSEN Transmission representatives came together to mark the official start of construction in Orkney of the £900 million Orkney-Caithness 220 kV Subsea Link project.

The work will deliver a new electricity substation, which will help connect Orkney to the GB electricity transmission network for the first time. At an estimated investment of more than £900 million, the subsea link will see the installation of a new high voltage alternating current (HVAC) cable between Orkney and the Scottish mainland, enabling the connection of up to 220 MW of new renewable electricity to the national grid.

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Breaking ground at Finstown Substation is a 'major step forward' for the project, with the facility set to serve as the main transmission electricity hub in the islands.

In addition to the Finstown Substation in Orkney, the project will also see the installation of around 14 km of underground cable to where it makes landfall at Warebeth, west of Stromness, and 53 km of subsea cable, which will connect into a new substation at Dounreay in Caithness where connection will be made to the GB electricity transmission network.

With construction now underway at Finstown, the contractors are beginning with enabling works for the site, such as setting up the temporary welfare compound for their workforce and SSEN Transmission staff before moving on to start earthworks in the area.

Work on the new Dounreay West Substation where the subsea cable will make landfall at the Scottish mainland began in the summer, and full energisation of the project is anticipated in 2028.