XLCC, a high-voltage direct current cable (HVDC) manufacturing company, has been awarded a £9 million grant by
Scottish Enterprise to continue the development of its £1.4 billion Hunterston cable manufacturing facility. The grant follows planning approval of the proposed site from North Ayrshire Council in May. When fully operational, the site will employ up to 900 highly skilled permanent workers.
XLCC will create the UK’s first HVDC factory in Hunterston, which will transform the job market for the local community and bring in wider investment opportunities as the area becomes a key hub for the country’s ‘net zero’ industry. XLCC will work closely with Team Scotland partners including Scottish Enterprise, North Ayrshire Council, Skills Development Scotland and local schools/colleges to deliver the project in ways that will maximise economic benefits for the region and its people.
HVDC cables enable efficient long-distance electricity transmission, perfect for connecting power grids via undersea connectors. They have a significant role to play in global electricity supply as countries look to boost energy security by identifying more renewable sources. Recent industry projections indicate that subsea cable demand will outstrip supply by 2.5 times in 2030. Some of the existing manufacturers have supply backlogs of nine years, presenting a bottleneck for the energy transition that XLCC can help resolve.
Ian Douglas, CEO of XLCC, said: “We welcome the decision by Scottish Enterprise to award XLCC this £9 million grant. As we continue to work towards building a greener future for Scotland and the wider UK, investing in and mobilising the power of local communities is vital and this grant helps us set our Hunterston project on the best footing. Green energy is the future, and we want to empower Scotland to be part of the transition.”
Scottish Enterprise CEO Adrian Gillespie said: “XLCC’s plans for Hunterston have the potential to be transformational for the regional economy and an extremely important addition to Scotland’s offshore renewables capability. Together with our Team Scotland partners, we are working closely with the company as it seeks to address the enormous and growing demand for HVDC cables both in Scotland and internationally.”