Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) Distribution is pleased to confirm it has now received all consents required to proceed with the installation of a temporary overhead line in Rackwick Bay to re-connect the decommissioned Pentland Firth East subsea cable.
Following a recent fault to one of the two 33 kilovolt electricity distribution submarine cables connecting Orkney to the Scottish mainland, SSEN progressed a project to temporarily reconnect the decommissioned cable until full restoration of the new cable is complete.
With all preparatory works completed in advance of securing necessary permissions from statutory authorities, SSEN has now commenced work to construct 1.5km of overhead line between the old and new subsea landing points in Hoy. Construction is expected to take 2-3 weeks, subject to suitable weather and environmental conditions.
There will be some further restrictions to electricity generation export until the decommissioned cable is re-energised. SSEN remains committed to engaging with all generators connected to Orkney's Active Network Management system to manage any generation constraint that may be required and will look to minimise disruption wherever possible.
SSEN continues to carry out investigations on the new Pentland Firth East cable to assess the fault, the repair methodology and potential repair timescales.
There is no impact to customer power supplies in Orkney as a result of the fault, with well-established contingency measures in place, including the limited operation of the backup power station at Kirkwall where required. SSEN has also implemented further contingency measures, including the connection of additional mobile generation sets, to ensure a safe and secure supply of electricity to homes and businesses on the islands.