British Steel has supplied over 2,000 tonnes of structural sections to help build a £350-million cable factory in Scotland.
Construction has already begun on Sumitomo Electric’s high voltage cable factory at the Port of Nigg (SUMITOMO ELECTRIC U.K. POWER CABLES LTD.), where the state-of-the-art subsea power cable manufacturing facility is located.
Earlier in the year, our customer BHC began installing the steel frame for the first of four buildings at the site.
We supplied the steel to BHC, which then fabricated and erected the steel at Port of Nigg. BHC is also responsible for metal decking, concrete topping and cladding of the buildings, as well as applying intumescent coatings (fire protection) to the steel before sending it to the site.
The project will create around 330 jobs through the entire supply chain and once completed, it will signifcantly boost the local economy.
Phil Knowles, Commercial Director for Construction, said: “We’re excited to have supplied our sections into this major project through BHC.
“We are always incredibly proud to support UK manufacturing and industry and to work with our partners to demonstrate the importance of British steel in developments like this.”
Sumitomo Electric is a technology leader in the industry with a 100-year history of subsea cable production, a solid track record, and high-quality standards.
The UK is expected to be one of the largest markets for power cables, as the country is planning a number of offshore wind power projects to achieve the Scottish government’s Net-zero 2045 and UK’s Net-zero 2050. As a result, Sumitomo has decided to establish a factory in the Scottish Highlands in order to capture the increasing demand for high-end cables in the region.
The facility will supply cables for offshore wind farms and further grid connections, which are indispensable for the introduction of renewable energies to the country’s electricity transmission systems.
The factory is due to open in 2026.