(Image: Supplied)
Scotland has become home to the UK’s first subsea high-voltage direct current (HVDC) cable manufacturing plant following the opening of a £350 million facility in the Highlands.
Sumitomo Electric UK Power Cables’ new factory at the Port of Nigg officially opened today, October 19, marking a major investment in the country’s energy infrastructure and manufacturing capacity.
The facility at the Port of Nigg on the North East coast of Scotland. (Image: Supplied)
The facility will manufacture cables used to transport large volumes of renewable electricity over long distances, helping connect offshore wind farms to the UK’s electricity grid.
Until now, the UK has relied entirely on imported subsea HVDC cables. Domestic production is expected to strengthen energy security, support grid upgrades and help deliver net zero targets by 2050.
The Scottish Government invested £24.5 million in the construction of the plant, which is expected to create between 200 and 250 direct jobs and support more than 400 roles across the wider UK supply chain.
The facility at the Port of Nigg on the North East coast of Scotland. (Image: Supplied)
The factory is also linked to planned electricity transmission infrastructure, with SSEN Transmission’s proposed Shetland 2 subsea cable project acting as an anchor for the investment.
SSEN Transmission is planning to invest around £29 billion over the next five years to support electricity grid upgrades and renewable energy projects.
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John Swinney, First Minister of Scotland, said: "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."
Douglas Alexander, Secretary of State for Scotland, said: "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."
Osamu Inoue, President & COO & CSO, Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. Douglas Alexander, Secretary of State for Scotland, John Swinney First Minister of Scotland, Masayoshi Matsumoto, Chairman & CEO Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. (Image: Supplied)
Rob McDonald, managing director of SSEN Transmission, said: "The opening of Sumitomo Electric’s new cable manufacturing facility is a landmark moment, not only for Scotland’s energy transition but for its economy too – and we’re proud of the role our proposed Shetland 2 subsea cable project played as an anchor for this investment.
"The £350m facility, which will create at least 200 jobs and support hundreds more across the wider supply chain, demonstrates the scale of opportunity that comes from investing in the infrastructure needed to deliver clean power and energy security."
Masayoshi Matsumoto, chairman and chief executive of Sumitomo Electric Group, said: "With this new factory as our foundation, we will further deepen and strengthen our relationships with local stakeholders through hundreds of job creation, workforce development along with significant sustainability contributions."