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No start date for stalled sub-sea energy cable           20/1/13

► Affordability question over Lewis sub-sea cable

Despite speculation there is no start date penciled in for the delayed sub-sea cable required to export renewable electricity to the mainland says grid operator, SSE.

Soaring costs have almost doubled and stalled the development of the link which would run under the Minch to link giant windfarms on Lewis into the national grid.

According to SSE securing the financial backing from windfarm developers to underwrite the interconnector is uncertain at the present time with the industry undergoing a period of changes.

SSE’s Director of Transmission, David Gardner, has emphasised the “importance of timely action to meet the challenging programme for commencing work on the Western Isles link.”

Mr Gardner said if the affordability issues could be resolved in time SSE to place the contract this summer 2013, then the link can be delivered by 2016.

Last month Hebrides News reported that  SSE was in discussions with the UK and Scottish governments over the “cost and affordability”of the underwater cable.

Charges to export electricity down the link will now be more expensive which raises the major question affordability of the cable for windfarm developers. They will be asked to give a financial commitment to the link in the coming weeks.

SSE said the 50-mile long inter-connector would now cost £700 million to link Western Isles wind farms into the new Beauly to Denny overhead transmission network. The separate onshore converter station and transmission cabling has risen to £75 million.

Electricity regulator Ofgem still has to approve the cable. SSE said it made the first stage of a funding request to the Ofgem in April but is now reassessing its business case.

This is the second time the subsea cable has been delayed. In 2010 Scottish and Southern Energy suspended the plans for the giant energy interconnector because, according to SSE, the developers at the time did not financially back the link so it could not conclude a contract for the supply of the necessary electricity cable.