The Scottish Government Marine Directorate has granted the variation to the existing marine license for the Western Isles high-voltage direct current (HVDC) subsea cable link, allowing the needed increase in capacity.

The project is a key component of SSEN Transmission’s planned £22 billion investment program to upgrade the north of Scotland’s electricity transmission grid. The original marine license was approved in 2021, but a variation was required due to the increased capacity for the new Western Isles cable link.