The UK's first subsea cable plant has opened in the Scottish Highlands, a facility intended to tackle bottlenecks in the transmission of electricity. The factory at the Port of Nigg, near Inverness, was built by Japanese firm Sumitomo to produce cables capable of carrying electricity from wind farms.
The project is located within the Inverness and Cromarty Firth Green Freeport, which offers companies special tax relief and customs status, and received £24.5 million in funding from the Scottish Government.
Jobs and Investment
Sumitomo has stated that up to 250 direct jobs will be created by the factory's opening, with more than 400 supported through the wider supply chain. The opening ceremony on Monday was attended by Scottish First Minister John Swinney and Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander.
UK Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh said the investment will “help continue the legacy” Scotland has for “powering the country”. She added: “Making subsea cables in Scotland will help us tackle the bottlenecks that block electricity from being transported across the country. We are building out our grid and building British while we do so.”
Political and Industry Reaction
First Minister John Swinney welcomed the factory, stating: “This facility puts Scotland right at the heart of the energy transition and is a strong vote of confidence in our people, skills and engineering excellence. We invested £24.5 million in its construction to support hundreds of well-paid jobs in the Highlands and create lasting opportunities for future generations. As the first factory of its kind in the UK, it will help unlock our enormous offshore wind potential while bolstering energy security. We will continue to do all we can to create jobs, drive growth and build on Scotland’s position as the UK’s leading destination for inward investment outside London.”
Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander, also in attendance, commented: “Sumitomo Electric choosing the Highlands for the UK’s first subsea HVDC cable factory shows what Scotland has to offer: the skills, ports and expertise to lead the energy industries of the future. Scotland is helping to solve one of the biggest challenges in our transition to clean energy, connecting offshore wind to where it’s needed most. This development is a huge vote of confidence. The Port of Nigg is part of the Inverness and Cromarty Green Freeport, funded by £25 million of UK Government seed funding and designed to encourage private sector development. I very much welcome this £350 million investment by Sumitomo Electric, and the hundreds of skilled jobs it brings. It shows exactly what growth in every postcode looks like in practice.”
Rob McDonald, managing director of SSEN Transmission, described the opening as a “landmark moment” for the economy and energy transmission, while Carl Trowell, executive president of global capital at the National Grid, said it marked an “important milestone for UK homegrown energy”.
