Visit to Sumitomo Electric’s New Alness Office and Subsea Cable Manufacturing Plant at the Port of Nigg
2026/6/3
On Wednesday, 3rd June, Consul General Katsutoshi Takeda visited the newly established office of Sumitomo Electric in Alness and inspected the company's subsea cable manufacturing plant currently under construction at the Port of Nigg.
The newly established office within the Alness Industrial Estate serves as the primary hub (handling management and back-office operations) to oversee and support the manufacturing plant at the Port of Nigg and various ongoing projects. Currently, the core team—including local engineers who have completed extensive, long-term technical training in Japan—is actively working at this office to prepare for full-scale operations.
In addition, the subsea cable manufacturing plant under construction at the Port of Nigg will be the UK's first production facility for High-Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) subsea cables, making it the most critical strategic base for the Sumitomo Electric Group in Europe. The establishment of this plant is a major landmark project with a total investment of approximately £350 million (around 70 billion yen). A state-of-the-art facility with a floor area of 58,000 square meters is being built on a vast 15-hectare site, equivalent to 22 football pitches. Notably, this represents the historic, first-ever flagship investment into the Port of Nigg since its designation as a Green Freeport.
The facility will manufacture inter-array cables (which connect individual wind turbines) to integrate offshore wind power into the UK mainland grid, alongside 525kV HVDC subsea cables, which boast the highest voltage class in the world. Over the next decade, the project is projected to create approximately 300 jobs, of which around 200 are expected to be located within the Highlands and Islands region. The majority of these regional jobs are expected to be direct employment opportunities at the facility.
On the day of the visit, Consul General Takeda first received a comprehensive progress briefing regarding the construction and business plans from Yasuyuki Shibata, Senior Executive Officer,Sumitomo Electric Chairman, Sumitomo Electric Europe, Ltd. Chairman, Sumitomo Electric U.K. Power Cables Ltd. at the Alness office. Following the briefing, the Consul General proceeded to the expansive construction site at the Port of Nigg for a hands-on inspection. This provided a first-hand experience of the overwhelming scale of the project, where the massive factory buildings are taking shape ahead of equipment installation. It also offered an invaluable opportunity to directly witness the strong enthusiasm and solidarity of the local staff at the office as they drive towards the upcoming launch.
The newly established office within the Alness Industrial Estate serves as the primary hub (handling management and back-office operations) to oversee and support the manufacturing plant at the Port of Nigg and various ongoing projects. Currently, the core team—including local engineers who have completed extensive, long-term technical training in Japan—is actively working at this office to prepare for full-scale operations.
In addition, the subsea cable manufacturing plant under construction at the Port of Nigg will be the UK's first production facility for High-Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) subsea cables, making it the most critical strategic base for the Sumitomo Electric Group in Europe. The establishment of this plant is a major landmark project with a total investment of approximately £350 million (around 70 billion yen). A state-of-the-art facility with a floor area of 58,000 square meters is being built on a vast 15-hectare site, equivalent to 22 football pitches. Notably, this represents the historic, first-ever flagship investment into the Port of Nigg since its designation as a Green Freeport.
The facility will manufacture inter-array cables (which connect individual wind turbines) to integrate offshore wind power into the UK mainland grid, alongside 525kV HVDC subsea cables, which boast the highest voltage class in the world. Over the next decade, the project is projected to create approximately 300 jobs, of which around 200 are expected to be located within the Highlands and Islands region. The majority of these regional jobs are expected to be direct employment opportunities at the facility.
On the day of the visit, Consul General Takeda first received a comprehensive progress briefing regarding the construction and business plans from Yasuyuki Shibata, Senior Executive Officer,Sumitomo Electric Chairman, Sumitomo Electric Europe, Ltd. Chairman, Sumitomo Electric U.K. Power Cables Ltd. at the Alness office. Following the briefing, the Consul General proceeded to the expansive construction site at the Port of Nigg for a hands-on inspection. This provided a first-hand experience of the overwhelming scale of the project, where the massive factory buildings are taking shape ahead of equipment installation. It also offered an invaluable opportunity to directly witness the strong enthusiasm and solidarity of the local staff at the office as they drive towards the upcoming launch.