Under the terms of the contact, ABB will design, engineer, supply and commission two 320 kilovolt land-based HVDC Light converter stations — one rated at 1,200 MW at Blackhillock in Moray and another rated at 800 MW, situated at Spittal in Caithness.

ABB’s scope of supply also includes submarine and underground cables covering a total transmission length of nearly 160 kilometers. The link is scheduled to become operational in 2018.

“We are pleased to support this major transmission project that will enable integration of a significant amount of renewable energy into the grid and supply clean, emission-free electricity to millions of people,” said Claudio Facchin, head of ABB’s Power Systems division.

SHE Transmission is undertaking a major strengthening of its power network serving the north of Scotland to accommodate the rapid growth in generation of electricity from renewable sources, with around 1,200 MW of wind, wave and tidal energy planned to be connected. With associated reinforcement of the existing onshore network, this project represents the largest investment in northern Scotland’s electricity network since the hydro development era of the 1950s. 

A key enabler for this is the installation of a subsea HVDC cable, capable of carrying up to 1,200 MW of electricity between Caithness and Moray. That’s equivalent to the electricity needs of about 2,000,000 Scottish residents.

Earlier this year, ABB Power Systems was awarded a $55 M contract to connect the Dungeon Offshore Wind Farm with the UK grid.