National energy security supported by new subsea cable factory
New subsea cable factory in Nigg will create hundreds of jobs in manufacturing for vital UK network
Scotland received a boost as the UK’s first subsea High-Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) cable manufacturing plant opened in Nigg.
Secretary of State for Scotland Douglas Alexander took part in the official opening of Sumitomo Electric UK’s facility [19 October], a £350m investment which will support the country’s energy network.
It means that Scotland plays an important role in manufacturing subsea cables, which are vital to the UK’s national energy security infrastructure, with 200 jobs being created, as well as protecting hundreds more.
HVDC (High Voltage Direct Current) subsea cables act as “electricity superhighways” beneath the sea, transporting massive amounts of Scottish wind power directly to high-demand areas in the rest of the UK over long distances without power loss. They clear the grid bottleneck that forces wind farms to turn off on windy days, saving money, ending clean energy waste, and driving the UK toward net-zero.
Secretary of State for Scotland Douglas Alexander 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.
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.
The state-of-the-art manufacturing facility at the Port of Nigg on the North East coast of Scotland is a milestone step towards the UK’s commitment to reaching net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. It also means the UK is now among G7 countries able to manufacture its own HVDC cables.
Chairman and CEO, Masayoshi Matusmoto, Sumitomo Electric Group said:
I am delighted to host the opening ceremony for our subsea power cable factory in the UK. Sumitomo Electric is committed to support energy transition here in the UK and Europe with our state-of-the-art cable system technology and highest level of quality standard in the industry.
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.