Islanders lose faith as SSE link further delayed

SSE has come under criticism for delaying investment in a crucial transmission link to the Western Isles of Scotland.

A council leader is calling for the undersea interconnector between Lewis and the mainland to be opened up to tender, according to a report in the Times, as trust in SSE has broken down.

The cost estimate for the project, which connects wind and marine power projects to the grid, has risen from £440 million to £700 million, while the start date has slipped by three years.

Writing to Ofgem and National Grid, Angus Campbell of Western Isles Council said: “We have reached the time where we require to have considered contingencies in place, as there are growing questions in regard to the transmission operator’s ability to deliver the infrastructure.”

However, an SSE spokesperson said it would not be possible to commission the £700 million link before 2017 due to high charges faced by renewables developers, a factor beyond its control.

“While SHETL [SSE’s transmission arm] awaits a decision from the UK and Scottish Governments on how to overcome the costs faced by renewable developers on the Western Isles, the placing of the multi-million pound cable contract by July is no longer achievable,” said the spokesperson.

The proposed interconnector will run 40 miles under the Minch from near Stornoway, Lewis to just south of Ullapool on the mainland. A wave power development off the northwest coast of Lewis dubbed “the world’s largest” and 270MW of onshore wind depend on the link.