ScottishPower’s transmission arm SSEN has just signed the final contracts with Danish cable giant NKT for two of the UK’s largest ever subsea power links, a move that will finally bring gigawatts of Western Isles wind power to homes and businesses across Britain.
The £2 billion agreement, confirmed today, locks in the cables for the 1.8 GW Western Isles link and the mammoth 2 GW Spittal-to-Peterhead reinforcement, projects that have been in planning for over a decade.
Why These Two Projects Are Absolute Game-Changers
The Western Isles have been described by energy experts as “the Saudi Arabia of wind”. Yet for years, the islands’ huge renewable potential stayed trapped offshore because of missing grid connections.
That changes in 2030.
The new HVDC link will run 160 km from Lewis to the Scottish mainland at Beauly, capable of carrying enough clean power to supply over two million homes. For the first time, large-scale wind farms on Lewis and Harris can be built without curtailment fears.
Meanwhile, the Spittal-to-Peterhead cable will create a completely new high-capacity transmission highway along Scotland’s east coast, bypassing existing bottlenecks and preparing the grid for the wave of offshore wind farms coming in the North Sea through ScotWind and INTOG projects.
Record-Breaking Contract Shows Confidence in Scotland’s Net Zero Push
NKT beat out global competitors to secure both projects under a framework agreement first signed in 2022.
The final order, worth approximately €2 billion (£1.7 billion), is one of the largest single cable contracts ever awarded anywhere in the world.
NKT’s CEO Claes Westerlind called it “a milestone not just for our company, but for the entire European energy transition”.
Work has already started. Manufacturing of the high-voltage cables will take place at NKT’s expanded Karlskrona factory in Sweden, with installation carried out by NKT’s new state-of-the-art cable-laying vessel NKT Eleonora.
Local Communities Set to Benefit Big Time
Unlike many energy projects that spark local opposition, both schemes have strong community backing.
On the Western Isles, locals have waited years for this connection. The link is expected to create hundreds of permanent jobs in construction and ongoing wind farm operations.
In Peterhead and along the Moray coast, residents are celebrating the economic boost. SSEN has committed £25 million in community benefit funds across the projects, with local councils already planning how to spend it on schools, harbors, and sports facilities.
One Lewis crofter told BBC Alba: “We’ve watched our wind blow out to sea for generations. Finally, it’s going to power homes in Glasgow and London while bringing real jobs here.”
How the Projects Fit into Britain’s Bigger Energy Security Picture
Ofgem approved both links as “critical national priority infrastructure” in 2024.
Together, they will add 3.8 GW of new transmission capacity, equivalent to building four new nuclear power stations, but delivered faster and at lower cost.
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband welcomed the contract signing, saying: “This is exactly the kind of bold infrastructure investment Britain needs to cut bills, create jobs, and lead the world in clean energy.”
The projects also reduce reliance on volatile gas prices. National Grid ESO estimates they will save consumers £1.3 billion in constraint payments by 2040, money currently paid to wind farms to switch off when the grid can’t take their power.
Timeline: From Factory Floor to First Power
- 2026: Cable manufacturing begins in Karlskrona
- 2027-2028: Onshore cable installation across Scottish highlands
- 2028-2029: Subsea cable laying operations
- Late 2029: Testing and energisation
- 2030: Full commercial operation for both links
The sheer scale is staggering. Over 1,000 km of high-voltage cable will be produced, enough to stretch from London to Rome.
Scotland is proving that the net zero transition isn’t just about closing coal plants. It’s about building the massive infrastructure needed to harness our natural resources and deliver affordable, secure, clean power to millions.
These two cables, buried beneath the Minch and laid across the rugged north-east coastline, represent one of the biggest votes of confidence in Britain’s renewable future.
The wind is already blowing strong across the Western Isles and the North Sea. Thanks to today’s deal, Britain will finally be ready to catch it.
What do you think: is Scotland leading the way for the rest of the UK on clean energy? Drop your thoughts below and share this story using #ScotlandPowersAhead if you’re as excited as we are.
