SSEN Transmission and Nexans have started installing the onshore cable between Finstown and Warebeth, a key step towards linking Orkney to the GB electricity transmission network for the first time.

The underground cable installation marks the next major stage of the Orkney Link project, which will enable the islands' significant renewable energy potential to connect to the mainland GB transmission system.

The programme includes a new substation at Finstown, around 14km of underground cable routed to Warebeth near Stromness, and a 53km subsea cable to Caithness, where the connection will tie into a new substation at Dounreay.

Over the coming months, teams from SSEN Transmission and Nexans will manoeuvre 27 cable drums into place along sections of the route between Finstown and Warebeth. Once sited, the cable will be slowly winched from each drum through pre-installed ducts that run the full 14km corridor.

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Installation will proceed in phases, beginning in the east and moving west towards Warebeth, where the onshore cable will link to the future subsea section. After each length is laid, specialist jointing crews will fuse the sections to create one continuous system along the route.

Significant progress has also been achieved at Finstown Substation. Cladding works were completed over the summer and the first buildings are now wind and watertight, allowing Siemens Energy specialists to begin fitting complex electrical equipment. Electrical installation will continue through the year as the project advances towards energisation.

Conor Manning, SSEN Transmission's Interim Project Director, said: "This is another exciting step forward for the Orkney Link project and a major milestone in bringing this critical piece of electricity infrastructure closer to reality. Over the last two years, our teams and supply chain partners have worked hard to construct the underground cable route and install the ducting needed to accommodate the cable. Seeing the first sections of cable now being installed is a tangible sign of the progress being made. It's also fantastic to see the progress being made at Finstown Substation, where electrical installation works are now underway following the completion of the main building structures and cladding. Together, these milestones demonstrate the scale of activity taking place across the project as we move closer to connecting Orkney to the GB electricity transmission network for the first time. We're pleased to be working closely with Nexans, whose specialist expertise is helping deliver this important phase of the project. Once complete, the Orkney Link will help unlock renewable energy generation on the islands and support Scotland and the UK's transition to a cleaner, more secure energy system."