The Vice-Convener of Comhairle nan Eilean Siar has welcomed Depute First Minister Nicol Stephen’s announcement of Scottish Executive support for a new sub-sea cable for Shetland and confirmed with the Minister that a report into the matter is also looking at sub-sea cabling for Orkney and the Western Isles.

In a letter to the Depute First Minister, Cllr Angus Campbell states:

“I was interested to read in the press that “a study into a powerful sub-sea cable connecting Shetland with the Scottish mainland has received strong backing from the Scottish Executive”.

I welcome your support for Island communities and your recognition of the key role Islands have to play in the development of the renewables industry. I particularly welcome the fact that HIE have now gone out to tender on a report into options for sub-sea cable connections between Orkney, Shetland, the Western Isles and the mainland.

For some time now the Western Isles, in partnership with Orkney and Shetland, have been championing the significant contribution which they could make to the UK Energy Strategy, based on our vast renewable potential. It has been estimated that the exploitable resource potential could reach 40Twh, from an installed capacity of 11GW – providing over 100% of the UK’s present energy target. Applications for on-shore wind farms in the Western Isles which would produce over a gigawatt have already been submitted to the Scottish Executive for approval. Other proposals that have passed Environmental Assessment Scoping Stage would take the proposed output level to about 1.5 gigawatts. In addition the Western Isles has world class marine renewable potential. All of these developments have the potential to utilise the Arnish Point Manufacturing facility, to the benefit of the economy of the Western Isles and for the wider benefit of Scotland. For these reasons renewables are seen in the partnership framework document “Creating Connections of the Future” as a key driver for the economy of the Western Isles.

It is for these reasons that the Western Isles and Orkney have been included as well as Shetland in the brief for the HIE report into a sub-sea cable. I trust that your enthusiasm for new infrastructure to export electricity from Shetland also extends to the other Island groups which all have a vital part to play in assisting the Scottish Executive meet renewable energy targets – providing the necessary infrastructure is in place. The Scottish Executive has previously made clear its support for the development of renewables in the Islands and the HIE report will provide an opportunity for the Executive to show its ongoing commitment.”

Notes: Highlands and Islands Enterprise is tendering for a contractor to undertake an investigation into the options for sub-sea cable connections between Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles and the mainland. The purpose of the study is to investigate the technical and economic feasibility and options for the connection of large tranches of renewable generation located on and around Shetland, Orkney and Western Isles to the mainland transmission network.
(From HIE website)

Nigel Scott
Communications Officer
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar

Tel: 01851 709389 (Work)
Tel: 07884 236103 (Mobile)
email: nscott@cne-siar.gov.uk