As well as more clean energy, Britain needs miles of extra cable to carry it. But a global shortage of components and skills means efforts to meet climate targets will go down to the wire.

British-owned cable manufacturer XLCC is planning to build the UK’s first factory making high-voltage undersea cables in Ayrshire to help meet demand.

Ian Douglas, XLCC’s chief executive, believes demand for high-voltage cables will increase sixfold over the next seven years, as global use of renewable energy expands.