Nexans, a worldwide expert in the cable industry, has been awarded a EUR 120M contract by Scottish Hydro Electric (SHE) Transmission to supply and install a subsea power link to upgrade the electricity transmission network between the Kintyre peninsula and mainland coast in Southwest Scotland. The upgrade, which is part of SHE Transmission’s wider plans to invest up to EUR 6B in its electricity network between 2013 and 2021, will release up to 150MW of additional grid capacity for renewable projects signalling a significant boost for the Kintyre economy.
Nexans will create a twin subsea cable link, rated at 230kV and 240MVA, from a new substation on the peninsula to the mainland coast. The project includes the supply and installation of two 41km 3-core submarine cables together with six 5km single core underground cables for the land element. A fibre optic cable for controlling the cable link will be integrated within the subsea cables and supplied separately for the land cables. Nexans will also supply a range of accessories.
Due to the route, the subsea cables will be installed at water depths of over 100m. The installation will be carried out by Nexans’ own cable ship, the C/S Nexans Skagerrak and the cable will be protected on the seabed by burial using the specialised Capjet system as well as rock dumping.