Ofgem today approved £1.1 billion funding for a new subsea link in the north of Scotland, called the Caithness Moray project. The regulator’s decision is £105 million less than the funding request from Scottish Hydro Electricity Transmission (SHE Transmission) to ensure consumers pay no more than necessary.
The new link will connect 1.2GW of new renewable electricity generation following completion in 2018. This additional capacity will increase the resilience of Britain’s energy infrastructure. It will connect the electricity grid on either side of the Moray Firth.
A major reinforcement of the transmission network serving the north of Scotland is needed to enable proposed wind, wave and tidal generation sites to connect. SHE Transmission is proposing the installation of a subsea cable between Caithness and Moray, with a number of associated upgrades to the onshore transmission network.
Source: Ofgem/SHE Transmission