Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. has announced a plan to establish a power cable factory in the Scottish Highlands “in order to capture the increasing demand for high-end cables in the region.”

The new company will supply cables for offshore wind farms and grid connections.

The location and size of the Highland plant have not yet been revealed.

“I am absolutely delighted that Sumitomo Electric will be coming to Scotland,” said Neil Gray, Scottish Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Fair Work and Energy.

“This significant announcement demonstrates the strength of confidence investors have in our vision for a net zero economy.

“Sumitomo Electric has a proven track record in renewables technology that will be invaluable to supporting Scotland’s rapidly expanding offshore wind sector, with ambitions for more than 27 GW of generating capacity to be delivered through ScotWind.

“The Scottish Government, Scottish Development International, and Highlands and Islands Enterprise will continue to work closely with Sumitomo Electric to foster this important partnership and unlock the opportunities the global renewables revolution presents.”

Sumitomo Electric said 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.”

Sumitomo Electric President & COO Osamu Inoue said: “We are delighted to work with Cabinet Secretary to build a state-of-the art submarine cable factory in Scotland.

“Sumitomo Electric is a technology leader in the industry with a 100-year history of submarine cable production, a solid track record, and high quality standards.

“Sumitomo Electric has the technologies necessary for the development of a green society and will work with the Scottish and UK governments and other stakeholders on future offshore wind power and interconnector projects in the region.”