A subsea cable connecting northeast Scotland to Shetland will be produced in Scotland for the very first time. Sumitomo Electric Industries, in collaboration with Van Oord, has entered into a capacity agreement with SSEN Transmission. This is a pivotal advancement in Sumitomo’s £350 million subsea cable manufacturing plant in Nigg, which is projected to generate 150 direct employment opportunities and support a similar number in the supply chain. The facility, the first in Scotland to create this type of cable, underscores the region’s expanding contribution to renewable energy.
Sumitomo Electric Industries and its collaborator Van Oord have achieved an important milestone by signing a capacity agreement with SSEN Transmission to manufacture subsea cables that link northeast Scotland with Shetland. This agreement signifies a crucial development in Sumitomo’s £350 million cable manufacturing plant, which is currently being built in Nigg, Scotland. Once operational, the factory will be the first of its kind in the UK, establishing Scotland as a frontrunner in offshore renewable energy infrastructure.
The facility, spanning 150,000 square meters, is anticipated to create 150 direct full-time equivalent positions, with a similar number expected throughout the supply chain.
Sumitomo has proactively engaged local suppliers, with 55% of the construction expenditure retained in Scotland and 45% distributed across the UK and Ireland. Piling operations at the site are nearing completion, and the foundations for the factory are now in progress.
