Energy / Braewick being explored as landfall site for second HVDC cable
MARINE surveys are set to take place near Braewick as SSEN Transmission identifies possible locations for a second high voltage direct current (HVDC) cable to come ashore.
The energy giant is set to begin near shore marine survey work off the north-west coast of Shetland in the coming weeks.
The surveys will gather detailed information on seabed and coastal conditions near Braewick, in Northmavine, which has been identified as one of the potential landfall locations for the subsea cable.
Braewick was not included by SSEN as a potential landfall location in a series of public engagement events held last year.
The company said the site was only identified recently, and that further public events would be carried out once survey works had concluded.
One HVDC cable already runs from Caithness into Weisdale Voe and has a capacity of 600MW.
This subsea cable allows power from the Viking wind farm to be exported to the national grid, and it will also enable power to come up to Shetland from the mainland.
Once Lerwick Power Station goes into standby mode – expected later this year – Shetland as a whole will be connected to the national grid via the cable.
But with more energy developments on the horizon, a second HVDC link – with a capacity of 1.8GW – has been proposed by SSEN.
The Shetland 2 HVDC cable would link to a proposed northern substation hub, located in the North Mainland.
SSEN Transmission said it had engaged with marine users and stakeholders ahead of the survey work, and a notice to mariners will be issued to provide details of vessel activity and timings in relation to the work at Braewick.
The company said the investment in a second HVDC cable would “deliver a significant boost to the Shetland economy, supporting local jobs and supply chains, alongside wider socio-economic benefits, while strengthening long term energy security for the islands.”
Development portfolio manager David Inge said the marine surveys were “an important early step in assessing potential landfall locations for the subsea cable”.
“The upcoming work off the coast at Braewick will help us better understand the area’s suitability.
“We would like to again thank everyone who attended and provided feedback at the consultation events held in 2025, and we look forward to continued engagement with local communities and stakeholders as we progress and shape our proposals.”
SSEN said previously that Wethersta and Toft Ness were among the landfall sites under consideration for the second cable.
The energy company’s timeline shows that construction could begin post-2028, with an aim to have the cable live in 2035.
At both ends of the link there would be a need for new HVDC converter stations, while a new AC substation would required in Shetland too.
There are also proposals to run large ‘pylons’ from Kergord to near Sullom Voe Terminal, to connect to the new northern substation hub.
These overhead lines have proved particularly controversial and were the subject of a recent petition by residents of Voe.
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