XLCC – Hunterston HVDC Cable Manufacturing Facility
Location: Hunterston, North Ayrshire, Scotland
Role: Facilities Integration Lead (XLCC Ltd)
Core Expertise Demonstrated: Master Planning · Design Assurance · OEM Integration · Digital Factory Delivery · Client-Side Project Management
Project Overview
The XLCC Hunterston project is one of the UK’s most significant industrial developments — a purpose-built, high-voltage direct-current (HVDC) subsea cable manufacturing facility designed to support the global energy transition.
Located on a 28-hectare brownfield site at the former Hunterston Terminal, the £1.4 billion investment will create the UK’s first dedicated HVDC cable production plant, capable of manufacturing up to 2,600 km of cable per year. The facility will directly serve major renewable energy projects, including the Xlinks Morocco–UK Power Project, while providing over 900 long-term skilled jobs in Scotland’s green-manufacturing sector.
Combining large-scale process engineering with marine logistics, the project integrates three cable-production halls, an on-site extrusion facility, HV testing areas, and a deep-water jetty to enable direct loading of cable onto vessels for global export
My Role
As Facilities Integration Lead, I was responsible for the master planning, process layout coordination, and design assurance of the Hunterston facility. Working directly for XLCC, I led the integration of architectural, process, and marine engineering disciplines, ensuring that the site layout, production flow, and utilities infrastructure were fully aligned with the company’s manufacturing and operational strategy.
My role bridged between the XLCC leadership, OEM process suppliers, design consultants, and delivery partners. I provided the technical governance and coordination necessary to translate the company’s vision into a buildable, data-driven digital factory design.
What I Delivered
Master Planning & Process Layout Development
I led the creation of the site masterplan, establishing the overall spatial, process, and logistics strategy for the facility. This included ownership of the master process layout, defining the end-to-end cable manufacturing sequence — from raw material intake through extrusion, spooling, high-voltage testing, and export via the jetty.
Working with architectural and civil-engineering partners, I ensured the facility footprint, building dimensions, and service routes were optimised for production efficiency and future expansion.
Design Assurance & Integration
I implemented a structured design-assurance process across all disciplines, managing technical reviews, design gateways, and model coordination sessions to maintain control over interfaces and performance standards.
Through detailed clash-detection, service validation, and spatial assurance, I helped maintain alignment between the process equipment, utilities infrastructure, and marine works — ensuring a seamless handover into the next project phase.
OEM & Stakeholder Coordination
I worked closely with global process-equipment OEMs, the port authority, and environmental partners to ensure that all equipment, infrastructure, and jetty-related interfaces were technically defined and traceable through design.
By facilitating workshops and data-exchange processes, I ensured that every stakeholder — from engineering to marine logistics — operated against a single, coordinated set of functional requirements.
Digital Factory Delivery & BIM Governance
I developed the project’s BIM and data-delivery strategy, establishing model standards, file structures, and assurance templates in line with ISO 19650.
This digital framework allowed XLCC to visualise its facility in a federated 3D environment, validate equipment layouts before construction, and prepare for future integration with the company’s asset-management systems and digital-twin ambitions.
Impact
The Hunterston project represents a pivotal moment in the UK’s move toward sustainable manufacturing and energy security. Through detailed master planning, digital assurance, and OEM integration, I helped XLCC transform a complex brownfield site into a world-class manufacturing blueprint — aligning industrial scale with environmental responsibility and technical precision.
The digital frameworks and process-integration principles developed at Hunterston continue to shape XLCC’s future manufacturing vision and position the company at the forefront of UK clean-energy infrastructure.