Consent to Replace Electricit

RNS Number : 1443F

Scottish & Southern Energy PLC

06 January 2010

 



ANNOUNCEMENT OF CONSENT TO REPLACE ELECTRICITY TRANSMISSION LINE

Scottish Ministers have announced that they have granted Scottish Hydro Electric Transmission Ltd ("SHETL"), a subsidiary of SSE (Scottish and Southern Energy plc), consent, with associated conditions, to install a 400,000 volt overhead electricity transmission line to replace an existing 132,000 volt overhead transmission line between Beauly, near Inverness, and Wharry Burn, near Stirling. The existing line will be dismantled.  

Scottish Ministers have also announced that they have granted Scottish Power Transmission consent, with associated conditions, to install a 400,000 volt overhead line between Wharry Burn and Denny.

Ministers' announcement follows eight years of work including: 18 months of pre- application public consultations; 10 months of evidence during the largest public inquiry in Scotland since devolution; another 13 months during which the evidence was considered by the inquiry reporter; and, finally, a further 11 months during which Scottish Ministers came to their conclusion.  

The route for the line was carefully developed over a period of three years. The number of properties within the SHETL area which are within 100 metres of the line will fall from 74 at present to one when the new line is built. The new line will not pass through any designated National Scenic Areas. Within the SHETL area, the height of most of the towers supporting the line will be similar to those supporting other overhead transmission lines such as that between Dunbar and Kaimes in East Lothian.  

As the licensed electricity transmission company for the north of Scotland, SHETL is required to ensure there is sufficient electricity network capacity for those seeking to generate electricity in that area. The completion of the upgrade should provide less constrained electricity transmission capacity in SHETL's area for around 1,500MW (megawatts) of renewable energy capacity and should release capacity for a further 1,200MW.  

A timetable for construction work and the final cost of replacing the existing transmission line will be established after all of the conditions associated with the consents announced by Scottish Ministers have been considered in detail.  Licensed transmission companies can only incur costs that are necessary, efficient and economical so that the resulting charges levied on users of the network, and ultimately electricity customers, are acceptable. The contracts required to deliver the work should result in the employment of up to 500 skilled people during the project.  

Construction of the line can only begin once it is clear that the conditions associated with the consent announced by Scottish Ministers can be satisfied.  Once started, construction is likely to take around four years and will include the preparation of access tracks; installation of tower foundations; erection of towers; stringing of conductors; and reinstatement of the land.  This will be carried out in conjunction with the development and upgrading of the required five substations along the route. A further year will be required to dismantle the existing line, which was built more than 50 years ago,  including the removal of existing tower foundations and the reinstatement of ground cover.  

Colin Hood, Chief Operating Officer of SSE, said:

"This project has rightly been subject to a huge degree of scrutiny, but the need to provide more electricity network capacity for indigenous, renewable sources of energy is overwhelming. Upgrading the line will allow us to do that and help Scotland tackle the issues highlighted by the Scottish Climate Change Act, which was passed unanimously by members of the Scottish Parliament in 2009.  

"Our priorities now are to confirm the conditions associated with Ministers' consent can be satisfied and to make sure that building the new line and dismantling the old one are done with the minimum possible impact.  

"We hope to be in a position to get construction under way this summer and we will implement a programme of meetings and events along the route in order to inform landowners, local communities and statutory bodies about our construction timetable, when it is agreed.  

"The requirement for a mix of lower carbon indigenous sources to meet people's energy needs means this country has to draw on the vast potential of the natural resources in the north of Scotland. An upgraded line will help unlock that potential, generate new jobs and help Scotland, the UK and Europe meet legally binding renewable energy and climate change targets".

 

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