SSEN Transmission reports that its Aberdeenshire and Caithness underground cable teams have started early works for the Spittal to Peterhead subsea cable link, with the main onshore construction works for the underground HVDC cable sections scheduled to begin in April 2026.
SSEN Transmission notes that its subsea cable team has commenced early works for the Spittal to Peterhead subsea HVDC link, with the main offshore construction campaign for the subsea cable planned to start in April 2026 following these enabling activities.
By 5 February 2026, onshore enabling works for the Spittal–Peterhead HVDC link had advanced to horizontal directional drilling at the Rattray Estate north of Peterhead to install 525 kV cable bores beneath the U37B Rattray Road, while Fugro’s WaveWalker1 jack‑up barge began nearshore geotechnical investigations to inform final design of the subsea landfalls at Rattray Head and Sinclair’s Bay.
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The Spittal–Peterhead project is a domestic HVDC subsea transmission link being developed by SSEN Transmission to transport large volumes of renewable generation from the far north of Scotland to demand centres in the east and south of Great Britain. Designed as a c.2,000 MW bipole HVDC link (525...
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Spittal to Peterhead Subsea Cable Link, Spittal-Peterhead HVDC Link, Spittal to Peterhead HVDC Link, Spittal to Peterhead HVDC Cable Scheme, Spittal-Peterhead HVDC subsea link, Spittal to Peterhead HVDC subsea link, Spittal–Peterhead 525 kV HVDC link, Banniskirk–Netherton HVDC link
Nearshore geotechnical survey works for the Spittal–Peterhead HVDC subsea cable link began in early February 2026, with marine survey contractor Fugro mobilising its jack-up barge WaveWalker1 to carry out geotechnical boreholes at Rattray Head before moving on to Sinclair’s Bay. These boreholes and associated investigations are designed to characterise seabed and nearshore geology to refine the final subsea cable route and landfall design for SSEN Transmission’s 2 GW link between Banniskirk Hub and Netherton Hub.
On 19 January 2026, SSEN Transmission and NKT signed the final contracts for the 525 kV HVDC power cable systems for the Western Isles and Spittal to Peterhead transmission links, confirming NKT as the turnkey cable supplier responsible for design, production and installation of both onshore and offshore cable systems for the approximately 210 km, 2 GW Spittal–Peterhead link.
Following the grant of planning consent for the Banniskirk Hub, SSEN Transmission indicates that construction of the hub’s new 400 kV AIS substation and HVDC converter station near Spittal, which will enable power transfer via the Spittal–Peterhead subsea cable link, is expected to begin in early 2026.
On 22 December 2025, SSEN Transmission’s Spittal to Peterhead Subsea Cable Link team commenced enabling works in Caithness for the proposed underground cable, kicking off early onshore preparation ahead of the main construction phase between Sinclair’s Bay and the Banniskirk Hub.
On 16 December 2025, SSEN Transmission awarded major contracts to Hitachi Energy to design, procure, manufacture, install and commission the HVDC converter stations at each end of the Spittal–Peterhead subsea cable link, as well as for the Western Isles link, confirming Hitachi Energy as the converter supplier for these 525 kV HVDC projects.
On or before 16 December 2025, SSEN Transmission confirmed that the Netherton Hub converter station site near Peterhead in Aberdeenshire had been consented as part of the Spittal–Peterhead HVDC subsea cable scheme. This planning consent for the Peterhead‑end converter station, together with consent at Banniskirk and the granted marine licence, completes the core consents required for the 2 GW subsea link’s converter infrastructure and clears the way for full construction of the transmission corridor to start.
By 28 November 2025, Highland Council’s North Planning Applications Committee had granted planning consent for SSEN Transmission’s Banniskirk Hub clean energy project near Spittal in Caithness, comprising a new 400 kV AIS substation and HVDC converter station. This decision, following more than two years of development and extensive community and stakeholder engagement, provides the key onshore substation and converter consent at the Spittal end of the Spittal–Peterhead subsea cable link, meaning all permissions needed for the HVDC link to begin are now in place and allowing construction to be targeted in line with the UK’s 2030 clean power ambitions.
The need for the Spittal–Peterhead subsea transmission link, as part of SSEN Transmission’s wider investment in the north of Scotland network, was independently assessed and approved by the National Energy System Operator (NESO) and energy regulator Ofgem, confirming the project’s justification in supporting UK clean power and energy security targets.
On 25 November 2025, following the grant of the marine licence for the Spittal–Peterhead subsea cable, SSEN Transmission awarded key contracts to John Gunn & Sons in Caithness and Nicol of Skene in Aberdeen to construct the onshore land cable sections at Spittal and Peterhead, embedding local civil engineering firms in the delivery of the HVDC link.
On 25 November 2025, the Scottish Government Marine Directorate granted a marine licence to SSEN Transmission for the Spittal–Peterhead HVDC subsea electricity transmission project, a 166 km, 2 GW link between Sinclair’s Bay in Caithness and Rattray Head near Peterhead. The licence, secured after years of development, offshore surveys and engagement with marine users and coastal communities, authorises installation of the subsea cable that will connect into the Netherton and Banniskirk hubs and is a key regulatory step enabling the project to move into its delivery and construction phases and unlock opportunities for local businesses.
On 15 July 2024, SSEN Transmission and NKT signed a framework agreement for NKT to deliver the power cable systems for two Scottish HVDC projects, including the 2 GW Spittal–Peterhead subsea link of about 220 km route length, with the parties agreeing to proceed with initial work ahead of final construction contracts expected in the first half of 2026.
In 2023, SSEN Transmission selected Hitachi Energy as the preferred bidder to supply the HVDC converter stations for the Spittal–Peterhead subsea cable link and the parallel Western Isles link, under a framework intended to speed up delivery of new transmission capacity in northern Scotland.
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