The 220kV high voltage alternating current cable will be the largest capacity cable connecting the Orkney Islands to mainland Scotland. It will span 53 km offshore and 16 km onshore route in Finstown, Orkney and Dounreay in Caithness, the UK.

Sep 24, 2024

Nexans has signed a contract for the Orkney Link by SSEN Transmission following the capacity reservation agreement signed in November 2023. The contract includes both the production and the installation of the cable.

The 220kV high voltage alternating current (HVAC) cable will be the largest capacity cable connecting the Orkney Islands to mainland Scotland, spanning a 53-km offshore and 16-km onshore route in total in Finstown, Orkney and Dounreay in Caithness, the UK.

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The Orkney Link will exchange up to 220 MW of renewable energy between the islands and the

Mainland. It will be a critical step in strengthening the UK power network, supplying demand centres in the North of Scotland and beyond with clean energy from one of the world’s greatest resources of renewable electricity.

Subsea interconnectors, which connect two areas of land together with an underwater electrical cable, are critical for reliably delivering electricity across the oceans from the places with the greatest supply to those with the greatest demand, increasing network resilience and allowing access to reliable energy for consumers.

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Nexans will install the cable using its state-of-the-art cable laying vessels. The project will be delivered in 2027 at multiple locations, including in the UK. It will add to Nexans’ expanding portfolio of interconnectors including the Celtic Interconnector and the Crete-Attica Interconnector.