Caithness subsea cable project workers to be housed at new SSEN office opened by Raymond Bremner
Workers developing projects that will see miles of subsea cables connecting into Caithness will be based at a new Highland hub in Inverness.
The so-called offshore hub was opened by Highland Council leader Raymond Bremner – a Wick and East Caithness councillor – on Thursday.
Built exclusively for SSEN Transmission teams tasked with delivering the firm’s Pathway to 2030 programme of offshore grid reinforcements, the new office space will have capacity for up to 100 people.
The programme is a £20 billion package of electricity grid upgrades across the north of Scotland consisting of new overhead lines, substations, converter stations and subsea cables.
The plans have caused huge controversy across the Highlands, and a motion to give communities a stronger voice in the planning process and to create a map showing the cumulative impact of various renewable applications was voted through at a full council meeting last month.
SSEN Transmission’s new offshore hub will house teams working predominantly on the offshore high voltage direct current (HVDC) links – including major subsea electricity projects such as the Spittal to Peterhead and Western Isles HVDC links, which are currently under development, as well as the Orkney link project which involves installing a new high voltage alternating current (HVAC) subsea cable between Orkney and Caithness.
Councillor Bremner officially opened the hub alongside SSEN Transmission director for offshore development and delivery Sandy MacTaggart, who gave a tour of the new space. Cllr Bremner revealed a new plaque which will sit in the main entrance of the new office space.
He said: “Today marks a significant milestone for the Highlands as we embark on a transformative journey towards a low-carbon future. SSEN Transmission’s investment in the ASTI Offshore Pathway to 2030 will not only drive energy security but also bring lasting economic benefits to our communities.
“Through strong public-private partnerships, we’re creating opportunities for local jobs, innovation, and a thriving green economy that will empower our region for generations to come.”
The office space will be available to be used by all organisations involved with working on the projects and is designed to encourage staff to get together in person to collaborate, innovate and communicate as they work on the development of major electricity transmission infrastructure across the country.
Representatives of the 11 businesses and supply chain partners who will be key in supporting SSEN Transmission’s delivery of the Pathway to 2030 programme were also at the opening, including Balfour Beatty, BAM, Hitachi Energy, J Murphy, Linxon, Morgan Sindall, Mott MacDonald, NKT, RJ McLeod, Robertson and Sumitomo Electric Van Oord Consortium.
Mr MacTaggart said: “We have a major task ahead of us to deliver these projects by 2030, and we can only do this through effective collaboration with all parties involved, so we’re thrilled to make Inverness our offshore hub and officially open our new Pathway to 2030 space today.
“The new office will help to bring our supply chain partners, many of whom are global players in the energy industry, to the capital of the Highlands, building a bridge to effective delivery of these key subsea projects which will play a major part in the race to net zero.”
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