Orkney Link Project moves into next phase as underground cable installation begins

22 September 2026

Image:Workers install infrastructure within a fenced excavation on Orkney.

SSEN Transmission and specialist cable contractor Nexans have marked a significant milestone on the Orkney Link project, with work now underway to install the project's 14km underground land cable route across Orkney. 

The cable installation programme represents the next major phase of construction on the landmark project, which will connect Orkney to the mainland GB  electricity transmission network for the first time and help unlock the islands' vast renewable energy potential.

The wider project will see a new substation built at Finstown, approximately 14km of underground cable installed across Orkney to Warebeth, a 53km subsea cable laid to Caithness, where it will connect into a new substation at Dounreay.

Over the coming months, teams from SSEN Transmission and Nexans will carefully manoeuvre 27 cable drums into position along sections of the route between Finstown and Warebeth, near Stromness.   Once in position, the cable will be slowly pulled from each drum using specialist winching equipment through ducts that have already been installed along the full 14km route.

Image: A parked lorry with a large cable drum in position in pistion to enable this landmark project

The installation process will take place in phases, beginning in the east and progressing west towards Warebeth, where the cable will connect with the future subsea section of the project. Once individual cable sections have been installed, specialist jointing teams will fuse them together to create one continuous cable system stretching the length of the route.

Significant progress has also been made at Finstown Substation, with cladding works completed over the summer months and the first of the buildings now fully wind and watertight. This has enabled specialist teams from Siemens Energy to begin installing the complex electrical equipment that will sit within the substation buildings and play a vital role in transmitting electricity along the new connection. Electrical installation works will continue throughout the coming year as the project progresses towards energisation.

Conor Manning, SSEN Transmission’s Interim Project Director, said:

"This is another exciting step forward for the Orkney Link project and a major milestone in bringing this critical piece of electricity infrastructure closer to reality. Over the last two years, our teams and supply chain partners have worked hard to construct the underground cable route and install the ducting needed to accommodate the cable. Seeing the first sections of cable now being installed is a tangible sign of the progress being made. It's also fantastic to see the progress being made at Finstown Substation, where electrical installation works are now underway following the completion of the main building structures and cladding. Together, these milestones demonstrate the scale of activity taking place across the project as we move closer to connecting Orkney to the GB electricity transmission network for the first time. We're pleased to be working closely with Nexans, whose specialist expertise is helping deliver this important phase of the project. Once complete, the Orkney Link will help unlock renewable energy generation on the islands and support Scotland and the UK's transition to a cleaner, more secure energy system."

Nexans is responsible for the manufacture and installation of both the land and subsea cable systems that will form the connection between Orkney and the Scottish mainland.

While members of the public may notice increased activity along parts of the cable route over the next four months, minimal disruption to road users is anticipated during this phase of works. Installation teams will work progressively along the route, with activities moving between locations as each cable section is completed.

The Orkney Link project is a major investment in Scotland's electricity network and will play a key role in enabling the connection of renewable energy generation from the islands, supporting wider energy security and net zero ambitions.

Learn more about the Orkney Link Project here:  https://www.ssen-transmission.co.uk/projects/project-map/orkney/