The Scottish and Southern Power Network Transmission Company has designated a joint venture between Siemens BAM and three other contractors to be responsible for the construction of the 600MW Shetland HVDC transmission line from the Shetland Islands to the UK.

Siemens BAM will lead the work of high voltage direct current (HVDC) links. Other contractors selected by Southern Power Network Transmission include ship cable manufacturer NKT, BAM Nuttall, which provides civil engineering services, and Hitachi ABB Grid, which provides high-voltage DC conversion systems.

Before signing the contract, Southern Power Network Transmission Company obtained the final approval of the British energy regulator Ofgem for the 600MW Shetland HVDC line.

The HVDC transmission line includes the construction of an AC substation in Kergord, Shetland Islands, which will obtain electricity from renewable energy projects in the Shetland Islands. Electricity will be converted from AC to DC at a HVDC converter station (also located in Kergod), and then transmitted via underground and submarine cables (257 km) to the HVDC opening station at Noss Head in Caithness, northern Scotland .

The received power will be transmitted through the Caithness Moray HVDC line, and then converted back to AC power for further transmission to meet the electricity needs of homes and businesses in northern Scotland and beyond.

Sandy Mactaggart, Director of Offshore Delivery, Southern Power Network Transmission Company, said: "We are very pleased to finalize the contract with the supply chain partner of the Shetland HVDC line. This is based on our experience and good experience after the construction and operation of the Caithness Moray line. Record. All four contractors are leading experts in their fields, and they have established the high-quality and reliable infrastructure needed to meet the future energy needs of the Shetland Islands, and have contributed to the net zero emission targets in the United Kingdom and Scotland ."

The Shetland Islands HVDC transmission line will bring huge socio-economic and environmental benefits to the economy of the Shetland Islands, Scotland and the United Kingdom, supporting hundreds of skilled workers in the process, which is green from the coronavirus pandemic Part of the recovery.

While the Kergord and Noss Head projects will be realized at the end of this month, it is expected that the full-scale construction of AC substations and HVDC converters and switching stations will begin in early 2021, and the submarine cable installation work may be carried out in 2022 and 2023. It will be powered up and commissioned in 2024. During the peak construction period, nearly 250 jobs will be created.Editor/Huang Lijun