Caithness-Moray scoops “Engineering Project of the Year” at Network Magazine Awards

SSEN Transmission was among the winners at last night’s Network Magazine Awards, with its £1bn Caithness-Moray project winning the prestigious “Engineering Project of the Year” award.

The four-year project, which was energised in January 2019, is the largest single investment ever undertaken by the SSE Group and the most significant investment in the north of Scotland electricity transmission system since the 1950s.

The Caithness-Moray link uses HVDC (High Voltage Direct Current) technology to transmit power through a 113km subsea cable beneath the Moray Firth between new converter stations at Spittal in Caithness and Blackhillock in Moray, unlocking 1200MW of renewable generation potential from across the north of Scotland, supporting the transition to a low carbon economy.

Rob McDonald, SSEN Transmission’s Managing Director, said:

“We’re delighted Caithness-Moray has fought off stiff competition to be crowned Engineering Project of the Year at this year’s Network Magazine Awards ceremony.  The project is a great example of our ongoing commitment to play a leading role in the transition to a low carbon economy.

“Caithness-Moray has been a highly complex project, requiring very high standards of project design, development, construction and commissioning.  It’s fantastic that the project has been formally recognised at last night’s Network Magazine Awards and is testament to the hard work and dedication of everyone involved in its successful delivery.”

Caithness-Moray is the first time HVDC technology has been installed on the north of Scotland and is also the first multi terminal HVDC system anywhere on the GB transmission system.

By burying the cable beneath the seabed, the project greatly reduces its visual impact compared to that a conventional overhead transmission solution would present.  It also takes advantage of the greater efficiency HVDC technology provides when transporting energy over long distances, particularly subsea.

Last night’s award builds on previous successes for the Caithness-Moray project which has seen the project win both the Infrastructure and Project of the Year at the 2018 Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) Awards Scotland.  SSEN Transmission’s innovative work to protect and enhance the rare Great Yellow Bumblebee population at its Thurso substation, a key component of the Caithness-Moray project, has also been recognised with the Scottish Green Apple Award for Best Environmental Practice as well as three BIG Biodiversity Challenge Awards, including overall winner.

For further information on Caithness-Moray, please visit: https://www.ssen-transmission.co.uk/projects/caithness-moray/