Energy / A ‘terrible idea’? Braewick cable survey plans draw concern
SSEN says any landfall site would connect via underground cabling to the northern substation hub, which has been suggested for the Sullom Voe area
ELECTION candidates have shown their disapproval of SSEN’s plans to assess a site in the Braewick area of Eshaness as a potential landfall site for the proposed second subsea HVDC link to the mainland.
SNP candidate Hannah Mary Goodlad said Eshaness is a “nationally and internationally important landscape” – and warned SSEN to “steer clear” of the area.
Meanwhile Lib Dem candidate Emma Macdonald – who represents the Shetland North ward in her council day job – said the idea “makes no sense”, particularly the logistics of having to connect it to a northern substation hub currently proposed for the Scatsta/Sullom Voe area.
Marine surveys are due to take place soon on the possible cabling route as SSEN takes a closer look at how the proposed second HVDC cable could run to Shetland.
No landfall site has been formally selected yet, and a number were put forward for the public’s thoughts at a consultation event last year. These sites included Wethersta and Toft.
But SSEN announced last week that it was now looking at another possible landfall location – Braewick in Eshaness, an area known for its geology and natural beauty.
A brochure from last year’s HVDC2 consultation events highlighted how the “above ground” infrastructure for a cable landfall would be a cabinet contained within a fenced area.
SSEN have also since clarified to Shetland News that any landfall site at Braewick would see the HVDC cable come ashore and then run underground to the proposed northern substation hub.
The brochure added that key considerations for deciding on landfall locations include technical feasibility of bringing the cable to shore, including proximity to existing infrastructure, environmental sensitivities and designated areas, and feedback from stakeholders and local communities.
The first HVDC cable to Shetland – which is 600MW in capacity – comes ashore in Weisdale Voe, with underground cabling then running to a converter station in Kergord.
But the distance between Braewick and the sites proposed for a proposed northern substation hub near Sullom Voe is much greater than Weisdale to Kergord.
SSEN said, however, that the location of the northern substation hub has yet to be formally determined.
The company said it will carry out a further round of public consultation on the HVDC link later this year once survey work on Braewick has concluded.
But Goodlad said Braewick would not be the “right place for this infrastructure”.
“Braewick, and the wider Eshaness area, are at the heart of our GeoPark, our heritage and our wildlife. This is a nationally and internationally important landscape, and it must be protected,” Goodlad said.
“For me, this is a clear line. If elected, I will do everything I can to stop this proposal. The Drongs, Dore Holm, Roe Sand and Braewick are not industrial sites. My message to SSEN is simple: steer clear.”
Meanwhile Macdonald said she has been contacted by people who are “really concerned about this latest proposal” and added that her view is that it seems like a “terrible idea”.
“The fact that this wasn’t part of the proposal that SSEN held public engagement sessions on last year has people left asking what was the purpose of those sessions if they were intending to explore other options,” she said.
“The first I heard about this was from the media the same as everyone else but I am struggling to see the logic behind this being a potential landfall site.
“This is an area that makes absolutely no sense, not least of all because of the importance of it from a scenic and tourist perspective but also the logistics of it having to connect with the Sullom Voe area make it seem like a terrible idea.”
A notice to mariners said that the work will include geophysical, geotechnical and benthic surveying.
A spokesperson for SSEN Transmission said: “Marine surveys are a routine part of our early development works to help inform potential subsea cable routes and landfall locations.
“As part of these early development works, we will shortly begin surveys at Braewick, which follows local stakeholder feedback with regard to exploring this location.
“Wherever the future landfall location is determined, the HVDC cable will be undergrounded to where the future Northern Substation Hub is proposed in northern mainland Shetland.
“The project remains in the early stages of development and no decisions have been made about the cable route or landfall location, and we will welcome all views and feedback at further consultation events later this year where members of the public, residents and all stakeholders will be encouraged to attend.”
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 first HVDC cable.
But with more energy developments on the horizon, a second HVDC link – with a capacity of 1.8GW – has been proposed by SSEN.
As well as helping to enable the connection of two proposed offshore wind farms east of Shetland, which have a combined generating capacity of more than 2GW, SSEN Transmission said the “Shetland 2” cable will also “support decarbonisation and energy security ambitions, alongside helping further secure Shetland’s future electricity needs”.
The energy company’s timeline shows that construction on the second HVDC link could begin post-2028, with an aim to have the cable live in 2035.
The other candidate standing in the Scottish Parliament election on 7 May are, in alphabetical order: Alex Armitage (Greens), Douglas Barnett (Conservatives), John Erskine (Labour), Brian Nugent (Alliance to Liberate Scotland) and Peter Tait (independent).
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