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Western Isles begin first electricity link to the mainland

Western Isles begin first electricity link to the mainland

Built World

Construction starts on the Lewis Hub converter station, with 40 island firms already on the supply chain

3 days ago: SSEN reports 40-plus island firms on Lewis Hub supply chain

Overview

Updated 2 days ago

Work began on the Lewis Hub near Stornoway on 6 November, the converter station that will link the Western Isles to the mainland grid for the first time. The link can carry up to 1.8 gigawatts, far more than the islands' existing network could absorb.

Two days later, SSEN Transmission said more than 40 Western Isles businesses were already working on the project, supporting over 200 local jobs. The company is targeting £125 million of spending with island firms over the project's life, and expects the work to support more than 70 apprenticeship and trainee places.

Why it matters

The cable turns Western Isles wind into exportable power, but only if enough wind farms get built to fill it.

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Key Indicators

1.8 GW
Link capacity
Maximum renewable generation the Western Isles connection can export to the GB grid.
81 km
Subsea cable length
HVDC cable from Arnish Point, Stornoway to Dundonnell on the mainland.
80 km
Onshore cable length
Underground HVDC route from Dundonnell to a converter station near Beauly.
40+
Island firms on supply chain
Western Isles businesses working on the Lewis Hub as of 8 November 2026, from fencing to plant hire and accommodation.
£125m
Local spending target
Amount SSEN Transmission aims to spend with Western Isles businesses over the project's lifetime.
£1.06m
Community benefit fund
Lewis Hub Local Fund, paid out over five years for projects in North Lochs, Stornoway, Laxdale and Sandwick.
New housing
Homes for workers and islanders
Homes at Melbost West with Hebridean Housing Partnership and proposals for homes at Stornoway Airport; no unit count is published.

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People Involved

SM
Sandy Mactaggart
Director of offshore delivery, SSEN Transmission
Leading delivery of the Western Isles HVDC link
JM
John Norman Macleod
Councillor for An Taobh Siar Agus Nis, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar
Serving councillor

Organizations Involved

SSEN Transmission
SSEN Transmission
Electricity transmission network operator
Developer and owner of the Western Isles HVDC link

The transmission arm of Perth-based SSE plc, which owns the high-voltage network across the north of Scotland.
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar
Local authority
Planning authority for the Western Isles

The elected council for the Western Isles, which decides planning applications for the islands.
RJ McLeod
RJ McLeod
Civil engineering contractor
Delivering first phase of Lewis Hub site works

A Highlands-based contractor leading the initial groundworks at the Lewis Hub site.
Balfour Beatty plc
Balfour Beatty plc
Infrastructure contractor
Principal contractor for the Lewis Hub

The contractor appointed to build the converter station and substation buildings at the hub.
National Energy System Operator (NESO)
National Energy System Operator (NESO)
Public corporation
Assessed and approved the need for the link

The body that plans and operates Britain's electricity system, and vets major transmission needs.

Timeline

November 2025 November 2026

7 events Latest: 3 days ago
Tap a bar to jump to that date

  1. SSEN reports 40-plus island firms on Lewis Hub supply chain

    Latest Business

    SSEN Transmission says more than 40 Western Isles businesses are already working on the project, supporting over 200 local jobs, and sets a £125m local spending target.

  2. Groundbreaking ceremony at Lewis Hub

    Construction

    Work formally begins on the HVDC converter station and AC substation, with RJ McLeod leading the first package.

  3. Beauly-side access works postponed

    Construction

    SSEN Transmission postpones enabling works at Access Point 5 on the Beauly to Ruisaurie Road, which had been due to start on 26 October, with no new date set.

  4. Planning board backs first phase, with road caveat

    Planning

    Councillors approve enabling works but remove A859 access work for further investigation after concerns about peat and road stability.

  5. Highland cable route works begin

    Construction

    SSEN starts preparing the onshore route between Dundonnell and Beauly for cable installation.

  6. Early works begin at Lewis Hub

    Construction

    Preliminary on-site work starts, alongside plans for a temporary village to house construction workers.

  7. Comhairle grants planning consent for Lewis Hub

    Planning

    The Western Isles council approves the converter station and substation at Arnish Moor, after SSEN dropped its original Creed North site.

Scenarios

1

Link energizes by 2030 and exports island wind

Possible Resolves by End of 2030

Discussed by: SSEN Transmission project documents; Ofgem and NESO approvals

Construction proceeds through the 16-month site programme, the subsea cable is laid to Dundonnell, and the mainland converter near Beauly is completed. SSEN Transmission confirms the link is energized and carrying power to the GB grid.

2

Cable runs well below capacity as wind farms stall

Possible Resolves by End of 2029

Discussed by: Stornoway Gazette reporting on the generation pipeline

The 1.8 GW cable is built, but the wind farms meant to fill it do not materialize. The council has already rejected Spiorad na Mara, which would have used almost half the capacity, and community projects sit in a connection queue.

3

Construction slips past its target date

Uncertain Resolves by End of 2028

Discussed by: Local reporting on ground conditions and road access

Peat depth, rock excavation and the unresolved A859 access question slow the build. SSEN Transmission revises its timetable, pushing energization beyond the current target.

Historical Context

2 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

2017-2024

Shetland HVDC link (energized 2024)

Shetland's grid could not absorb the output of the Viking wind farm, so a 600 MW high-voltage direct current cable was built to connect the islands to the Scottish mainland. It was the first transmission link of its kind to Shetland.

Then

The cable allowed Viking's output to reach mainland demand instead of being curtailed.

Now

It became the template for connecting Scotland's island wind resources by subsea HVDC rather than local diesel generation.

Why this matters now

The Western Isles link follows the same model at three times the capacity, and faces the same question: whether enough generation gets built to use it.

2005-2015

Beauly–Denny transmission upgrade (2005-2015)

Scottish and Southern Energy proposed replacing the 132 kV line between Beauly and Denny with a 400 kV line to move more power south. The plan drew a public inquiry and years of objection over landscape impact before it was approved.

Then

Construction ran for several years and the upgraded line entered service in 2015.

Now

It became the backbone for moving northern Scottish renewable power to demand centres, and the Western Isles link now connects into the same corridor near Beauly.

Why this matters now

It shows how long major Scottish transmission reinforcements take, and why the Western Isles' two-decade wait for a connection is not unusual.

Sources

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Project Scotland We Love Stornoway BBC News SSEN Transmission SSE Stornoway Gazette STV News SSEN Transmission We Love Stornoway SSEN Transmission We Love Stornoway SSEN Transmission