SSEN Transmission Finishes Work on Caithness-Moray Electricity Transmission Link

This marks the end of a huge project for SSE, as Caithness-Moray is the largest single investment ever undertaken by the SSE Group and represents the most significant investment in the north of Scotland electricity transmission system since the 1950s. 

The Caithness-Moray link provides up to 1,200MW of capacity to transmit power from the increasing sources of renewable energy from across the far north of Scotland, including wind energy. The link has already enabled turbines from Beatrice offshore wind farm (588MW on completion) and Dorenell onshore wind farm (177MW on completion) to connect to the national grid with a further 100MW of onshore generation in Caithness and Ross-shire due to connect in the coming months.

The link uses HVDC (High Voltage Direct Current) technology to transmit power through a 113km subsea cable beneath the Moray Firth seabed between new converter stations at Spittal in Caithness and Blackhillock in Moray. 

Dave Gardner, who led the project as SSEN’s Director of Transmission, said: “Caithness-Moray has been a highly complex project, requiring very high standards of project design, development, construction and commissioning.  It has been delivered by a team of committed and skilled people, working closely with contractors and other stakeholders.  It will support deployment of renewable energy in the north of Scotland for many years to come. Now an operational asset, we will closely monitor the link and associated infrastructure to ensure its continued success as an integral part of the GB transmission system."