27 September 2023
The project saw SSEN’s specialist subsea cable team and their principal contractor, McGowan Environmental Engineering, working closely with the local community to share their plans and timescales before work started, following this up with information postcards, posters and letters to keep everyone updated with the teams’ progress.
Kevin Wilson, SSEN’s Subsea Project Manager, said:
“Before a spade went in the ground, we had many months of planning and consultations with key stakeholders, and I’d like to thank the communities on Ornsay and Skye for their patience and understanding as teams went about their work.
“Safety is our number one priority at all times, and as the cable we were replacing had been installed across the tidal mudflat connecting Ornsay to Skye, for the welfare of everyone working on site we needed to take seasonal and tidal considerations into account when working out our project timeline. In addition to safety, there was a real focus on the environment, and working with experts in the field, we were careful to plan our works around the breeding schedules of seasonal birds.”
Among those making particular efforts to keep the community and visitors updated on the works was Claire Nicolson, Business Manager for Fearann Eilean Iarmain, who added:
“From our point of view, this was a well-thought-out project with clear objectives, delivered by a strong and effective leadership team with great communications skills.”
Isle of Ornsay residents, Carlos and Ula Criado-Perez Trefault, were delighted to be restored to the network electricity supply, concluding:
“We are extremely happy with the way SSEN have dealt with the not-easy task of setting a new submarine cable to our island. We have been very well taken care during this period and every concern we had with heavy machinery working on the island has been taken care of.”