Sumitomo Electric opens UK’s first HVDC subsea cable factory

Sumitomo Electric has opened the United Kingdom’s first high-voltage direct current (HVDC) subsea cable factory at the Port of Nigg in the Scottish Highlands. The £350 million facility is designed to manufacture 525kV XLPE HVDC subsea transmission cables and subsea inter-array cables to support the expansion of offshore wind power and enhance national energy security.

Located within the Inverness and Cromarty Firth Green Freeport, the project received £24.5 million in funding from the Scottish Government. The factory is expected to create over 200 direct skilled jobs, with a projected total impact of more than 400 jobs across the broader UK supply chain. The facility aims to address transmission bottlenecks that currently hinder the movement of electricity from renewable sources to areas of high demand.

The opening ceremony was attended by Scottish First Minister John Swinney and Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander. Officials noted that the plant marks a significant milestone in the UK’s transition toward net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 and reinforces Scotland’s role in the global energy transition.