SSEN Distribution has announced the appointment of five contract partners to deliver a major investment of up to £950 million in Scotland's subsea electricity network.

The framework will run for an initial five-year term, with a potential three-year extension. The programme is expected to support more than 450 specialised roles annually, potentially sustaining over 3,500 fixed-term positions throughout its duration. These roles will be based at company headquarters and across various installation sites.

The investment aims to modernise the critical subsea links that connect 60 of Scotland's islands. Upgrading this infrastructure will increase network capacity, allowing island residents and businesses to adopt low-carbon technologies such as electric vehicle chargers and heat pumps. It will also facilitate the export of clean energy from local renewable generators and support the decarbonisation of key regional industries, including distilleries.

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The five appointed partners include Briggs Marine, based in Burntisland; Aberdeen-based firms DOF Subsea UK and N-Sea; and Enshore Subsea and Jan De Nul. By utilising multiple contractors, SSEN can deploy more specialised vessels simultaneously, maximising the limited summer windows for cable installation and improving emergency repair capabilities.

Gillian Martin MSP, the Scottish Government's Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Energy, said: "This welcome investment by SSEN Distribution will help upgrade the subsea network serving Scotland's islands, improving its resilience and supporting Scotland's net zero ambitions. It will also support thousands of high-quality green jobs and drive new growth across the local, regional and national economies as part of our net zero transformation."

Kevin Galbraith, SSEN Distribution's Subsea Project Director (Large Capital Delivery), added: "Subsea connections are becoming ever-more important as Scotland's island communities seek to invest in EV charging, heat pumps, and the decarbonisation of their industries. In addition to providing the networks fit for supporting this growth in the use of clean power, these framework agreements will also underpin the ambitions of islanders to generate, store, and export more renewable energy.

"The agreements themselves will ensure delivery of this investment will be rolled out in a seamless, co-ordinated way, and this will provide both customers and supply chains with the certainty they're looking for. This multi-year investment will also provide greater job security and new opportunities for employment in this growing sector."

The programme aligns with national strategic planning from the UK and Scottish Governments. Recent industry forecasts suggest that electricity network reinforcements could contribute between £4 billion and £11 billion in Gross Value Added (GVA) to the economy by 2050.