Neutral
Informational - no clear directional impact
Low Impact
Minor progress or informational
On 2 July 2025, SSEN Transmission submitted a marine licence variation application to the Scottish Government's Marine Directorate for the Western Isles HVDC Link (Dundonnell to Arnish subsea cable). The variation sought to refine the previously consented 2021 Marine Licence to reflect project developments, including the increased 1.8 GW link capacity confirmed under the Pathway to 2030 Holistic Network Design. The application was supported by an Addendum to the Marine Environmental Appraisal (MEA), describing and assessing potential material changes to the original MEA findings arising from the proposed variation. This submission preceded the Marine Directorate's grant of the variation in early January 2026, which authorised the higher-capacity subsea cable configuration.</description>