The firm spending £1.4 billion to turn part of the Hunterston former nuclear site into Europe’s biggest cable-making factory has appointed industry veteran Vegar Syrtveit Larsen as its new head of technology.
Start-up high voltage cable-maker XLCC has brought appointed the Norwegian national, pictured, who was most recently building advanced systems at rival cable-maker Nexans.
Aiming to manufacture a world-beating 4,000 kilometres a year of sub-sea connectivity at peak on the Ayrshire’s coast, the firm will also manage laying, protecting and repairing cables. Production is forecast to begin in 2026, and the facility is expected to support 900 local jobs when fully operational.
Larsen’s appointment follows last month’s selection of Trevor Nash and Patrick Beringer as the cable-maker’s chief commercial officer and general counsel respectively.
Among XLCC’s most important clients will be Xlinks, the Essex-based venture aiming to deliver its £16 billion project importing solar PV and wind-generated clean electricity to Devon over a 3,800 kilometres subsea link from the deserts of southern Morocco. The two companies have adjacent registered addresses in a Billericay office complex.
Xlinks counts among its investors both Octopus Energy. The supplier’s boss Greg Jackson also participates privately.
While at Nexans, Larsen led teams of up to 1,000 professionals. XLCC says he commands unparalleled expertise in HVDC technology and the nuances of scaling high-impact technical projects worldwide.
About his new role, Larsen said: “Joining XLCC represents a significant milestone in my career. I am passionate about leveraging my global manufacturing and technical insights to revolutionize the renewable energy landscape with cutting-edge HVDC cable solutions. I look forward to driving XLCC’s mission forward, alongside a talented team, to strengthen the renewable energy supply chain.”
The cable-maker’s CEO Ian Douglas said: “Vegar’s arrival at XLCC brings us not only his exceptional technical skills but also a wealth of strategic industry insights”.
