Planning permission has been secured for a factory in Hunterston, Scotland which will build the world’s largest subsea cable.
The cable is part of a £17bn project to send energy from Morocco to the UK via four 3,800km high-voltage, direct current subsea cables by 2030.
Pick Everard has been acting as lead consultant on the project, appointed by high-voltage, direct current subsea cable manufacturer XLCC.
The new facility, near the former nuclear power station site Hunterston will produce four 3,800km long cables, connecting solar and wind energy all the way from the Sahara to the UK, as part of the Xlinks project.
Pick Everard director Santosh Patel said: “We’re excited and proud to be involved in creating a new high tech green industry for the UK and supporting the drive towards net zero.
“From a manufacturing perspective, it will see undersea cables created to a length not previously seen, while consumers will be able to benefit from a much lower unit cost for their energy once the project is fully implemented.
“Net zero requires huge expansion of solar and wind to be a success, and XLCC stands to help deliver in this respect.”
Construction on the new factory expected to commence in early 2023.
WSP has been brought in to support the £1bn procurement process for converter stations in the UK and Morocco, UK grid connection works, connection to the generation assets in Morocco.
Image: a 3D rendering of the new subsea cable factory at Hunterston (credit: Xlinks Project)
Read next: Eight energy megaprojects under construction in the UK
Are you a building professional? Sign up for a FREE MEMBERSHIP to upload news stories, post job vacancies, and connect with colleagues on our secure social feed.
