Caithness-Moray HVDC Link
Spittal, Caithness to Blackhillock, Moray, Scotland · 2014–2019 (Officially completed January 2019) [1] [2] · £970 million (under budget from £1.062 billion allowance) [1] [2]
The judgement call
Account-gated at launchCompleted under budget. Designed with future expansion in mind, allowing for additional HVDC connections like the Shetland Link. This project significantly enhanced the transmission capacity for renewable energy from northern Scotland. [1] [2]
Key engineering challenges
Laying a 160km subsea HVDC cable beneath the Moray Firth in challenging conditions. - Designing and integrating two 320 kV HVDC Light converter stations to handle 1,200 MW capacity. - Operating as the first HVDC scheme in the north of Scotland, requiring robust system integration. - Designing for future scalability as a five-terminal HVDC system to accommodate additional connections.
Project facts
- Client / owner
- SSEN Transmission
- Lead contractor
- Hitachi Energy (converter stations), ABB (initially for converter stations) [4] [5]
- Lead designers
- Hitachi Energy, ABB
- Project type
- new build
- Scale
- 1,200 MW capacity; 160 km (100-mile) HVDC submarine power cable (113km subsea cable) [2] [3]
- Disciplines
- electrical; civil; marine; power systems; project management
- Standards & frameworks
- UK grid codes, relevant international standards for HVDC transmission.
Sources: SSEN Transmission: Completion of Caithness-Moray transmission link (https://www.ssen-transmission.co.uk/news/news--views/2019/1/completion-of-caithness-moray-transmission-link/) [1] - Wikipedia: Caithness–Moray Link (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caithness_-_Moray_Link) [2] - SSEN Transmission: Caithness - Moray HVDC Link (https://www.ssen-transmission.co.uk/projects/project-map/caithness---moray/) [3] - Hitachi Energy: Caithness Moray HVDC Link (https://www.hitachienergy.com/us/en/news-and-events/customer-stories/caithness-moray-hvdc-link) [4] - ABB: ABB wins $800 million order for Scotland's Caithness-Moray subsea power link (https://new.abb.com/news/detail/13831/abb-wins-800-million-order-for-scotlands-caithness-moray-subsea-power-link) [5]