NKT confirms on Monday afternoon that the cable manufacturer has reserved production and installation capacity for the two high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission links for Scottish SSEN Transmission, which has tapped NKT as preferred supplier.

SSEN Transmission are the grid owners in the north of Scotland and the project involves cable systems for the Western Isles and Spittal-Peterhead offshore transmission links.

”The combined value of the two projects is not yet firmly fixed, however, NKT estimate it to be over EUR 1bn upon clarification of final scope. Both projects are scheduled for completion in 2030,” NKT further states.

The cable manufacturer was selected as preferred supplier for the framework agreement on July 21.

The agreement will secure production and offshore installation capacity for 525 kV XLPE direct current (HVDC) cable systems for the two Scottish projects. The two turnkey projects include the design, manufacture and installation of both on- and offshore cable systems.

Claes Westerlind, CEO of NKT, says that the reservation of production and offshore installation capacity is ”an important milestone in the great collaboration with SSEN Transmission”.

”The projects are an excellent fit with our decision to expand our high-voltage production capacity in Karlskrona and add a new market leading cable-laying vessel to our fleet. We are excited to leverage our extensive expertise in large turnkey HVDC-projects to strengthen the interconnection of the Scottish power grid,” he says in the announcement

(Translated using DeepL with additional editing by Simon Øst Vejbæk)