A team of 12 cyclists from the Western Link project is limbering up for the start of the project’s fundraising event, The Big Ride 2014. The cyclists will depart from Hunterston, West Kilbride on 5th September to cycle over 500 kilometres to North Wales in just four days to raise funds for Cancer Research UK and Macmillan Cancer Support.

The fundraising event was created to celebrate the pioneering £1 billion Western Link project - a joint venture between National Grid and ScottishPower to increase the flow of electricity between Scotland, England and Wales that, on completion, will play a major part in helping the UK meet its renewable energy targets.

The cycling team, which includes volunteers from both companies, along with representatives from the project’s construction consortium of Siemens and Prysmian will mirror the 420 kilometre cable route by cycling from its northernmost point, at the site of the Hunterston converter station in West Kilbride, to the Flintshire Bridge converter station in North Wales.

Steve Roslow from The Big Ride 2014 said:

“We have been heartened by the level of support we have received through donations to our charity page and from sponsorship of the event by our business partners. This project is about sustainability and connection and we felt this event was the best way to reflect that. We are now looking forward to setting off on 5th September and are keeping our fingers crossed for good weather.”

Notes to Editors:

The Western Link is a £1 billion construction project being delivered through a joint venture between National Grid and ScottishPower Transmission.  A new high voltage direct current (HVDC) cable will run more than 400km, mostly under the sea, to bring renewable energy from Scotland to homes and businesses in England and Wales. A contract for the construction of the Western Link has been let to the Siemens/Prysmian consortium. Prysmian Group is responsible for the cable installation work, including all preparations and reinstatement. Siemens is responsible for building and commissioning converter stations at each end of the cable, at Hunterston in Scotland and Deeside in Wales, where the electricity will be converted between direct current and alternating current for onward transmission.