Sumitomo Electric Industries has announced plans to establish a power cable factory in Scotland.
The Japanese company stated that the UK is expected to be one of the largest markets for power cables, due to the number of offshore wind power projects underway.
In 2019, Sumitomo delivered and installed its high-voltage direct current submarine cable system for the UK to Belgium interconnector (NEMO Link). The 400 kV cable system is the industry’s highest voltage in commercial operation, even today.
This has led the company to win multiple contracts in the global market, including a project connecting the UK and Ireland (the Greenlink Interconnector).
The new facility is set to be built in the Scottish Highlands, in order to capture the increasing demand for high-end cables in the region, supplying cables for offshore wind farms and further grid connections.
The announcement was made during Energy Secretary Neil Gray's visit to Japan, where he met representatives from Sumitomo in Osaka.
Osamu Inoue, president and chief operating officer of Sumitomo Electric, stated: "We are delighted to work with Cabinet Secretary to build a state-of-the art submarine cable factory in Scotland.
