LISTEN: north enconomy will see share of £640m boost for Scotland
With onshore installation in Caithness of cable for Moray Firth tranmission line now complete, work to install the subsea cable is due to get under way next year
A study of the economic contribution made by the Caithness - Moray transmission project finds that it's supporting the equivalent of over 10,000 years of employment in the UK, around half of which are in Scotland.
The Caithness - Moray project is centred on a 100 mile underground and subsea cable running beneath the Moray Firth, using High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) technology. It enables around 1,200 Megawatts of additional renewable energy capacity to connect to the national grid.
Local MSP Gail Ross says the project paves the way for further development in Caithness:-
Work on the project is progressing well, with onshore installation of the HVDC cable in Caithness now largely complete. Work to install the subsea cable is due to get under way next year, with the whole project on schedule for completion by the end of 2018.
Economic modelling included within a report found that - • Of the £1.1 billion total investment, almost two thirds (£643.5m) will be spent with UK-based suppliers and contractors. • Over a quarter of a billion pounds (£265.5m) in Gross Value Added will be contributed to the Scottish economy. • The project will support the equivalent of 10,971 years of employment in the UK, of which 4,975 are in Scotland.