The National Grid and Scottish Power have just released an update on progress with the Western High Voltage DC Link project and an outline of work planned during 2012 and 2013.
We have summarised the update briefly below, and you can download the full update here.
- Consents – the project has received consent from the Scottish, Northern Irish, Manx and Welsh Governments. Consent from the Marine Management Organisation is due to be issued in June 2012.
- Survey work – during the summer of 2012 some more survey work will be carried out along the cable route. This will involve the use of sonar equipment and ROVs in the North Channel and to the south of the Isle of Man. At 3km intervals along the route some small samples of seabed material will be taken, and some diving work will also be carried out in Ardneil Bay in the Clyde.
- Sea trials – during 2013 some sea trials are planned to check that the best methods are used to bury the cable along the route with minimal disruption to the seabed.
You can find out more about the WHVDC project on our website here, and a detailed description of the project on the WHVDC link website here.
Notices to Mariners will be issued in advance of all operations. As well as being circulated via the Kingfisher Information Service for Cable Awareness (KISCA) and Hydrographic Office, notices will also be posted on the AWJ website and circulated to all interested parties. You can sign up for automatic updates on the AWJ website here.
Please contact Jim Andrews, Fishery Liaison Officer (+44(0)7908-225865) if you have any queries or concerns about this project.