A Scottish energy provider wants to build a subsea cable so it can transmit renewable energy from the remote far north of Scotland to the rest of the country.

Scottish Hydro Electric Transmission – part of SSE – has asked Ofgem for permission to install the cable. It will connect to onshore substations at Spittal in Caithness and Blackhillock in Moray and will be able to transmit 1,200MW of electricity.

Niall Stuart, Chief Executive of Scottish Renewables added: “This is another important step forward in the delivery of an electricity grid for the challenges of the 21st century. The new subsea link is an important piece of the plan to increase output in the North of Scotland from renewable electricity, including our world-leading wave and tidal sector.”