"This is not a sufficiently good choice for a project which is intended to improve the security of supply into the Bergen area," says Vice President Håkon Borgen of Statnett.

Statnett has examined the subsea cable alternative as part of the consequence analysis programme for Sima-Samnanger. "In our experience, this alternative is not good enough. Reduced security of supply along with extremely high costs led to this conclusion," Borgen says.

The scope and complexity of a cable installation project would be huge, and could not be completed for years. "In our assessment, this would mean having to endure unacceptably low security of supply into this region for too long," Borgen says. "Even though the probability is low, we must nevertheless realise that faults may occur in our transmission systems. It takes time to mobilise and repair such complicated installations, and we must expect repair periods of several months. The transmission lines into the Bergen area are weak, and a fault on a subsea cable systems during winter would be serious.

Statnett is one of the world's transmission companies with the most extensive experience from sea cables with high voltage levels, and we have contributed actively to the development of these technologies. "We will continue to do so, and we will choose the best solution in each case. For the connection between Sima and Samnanger we are of the opinion that overhead lines are the best solution," Borgen says.