Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks Distribution is planning to invest £450 million improving the north of Scotland’s local electricity network, with the aim of making the existing network more resilient and providing additional capacity to support decarbonisation efforts. SSEN has announced the names of the contract partners who’ll deliver the programme of investment before the turn of the decade.

The investment will see SSEN’s existing network of wooden poles and overhead lines renewed and reinforced, substations updated, and improvements made to the underground network.

Five companies – OCU Utility Services Ltd, Clancy Ltd, Freedom Group Ltd, Macaulay Askernish Ltd and Brush Group (which includes KUS Power Engineering and McGowan Group) will between them lead the delivery of upgrades in nine allocated areas within SSEN’s north of Scotland licence area.

The framework agreements with these partners will allow SSEN to plan the work of completing upgrades, connections, and asset replacement at the same time, and ultimately reducing the impact on customers by working on the network as efficiently as possible.  

SSEN’s director of Large Capital Delivery, Fraser Hood, commented: “The transformative investment we’re making means we’re in the best-possible position to deliver an electricity system which will support sustainable economic growth, benefit the environment in the decades to come, and create significant job opportunities during construction in communities across the north of Scotland.

“In selecting these five contract partners after a fair, open, and competitive tendering process, we’ve secured the ability to deliver our [huge] programme of investment efficiently and effectively. This transformation will ensure increased resilience, flexibility, and capacity for our 800 000 customers in the north of Scotland.

“The way these partnerships have been drawn up will mean we can reduce supply chain risks and secure the specialist skills we need to deliver effectively for our customers and communities.”

Further information from www.sse.com