Project news

Transmission price control review
Scottish Hydro Electric Transmission (SHETL) owns and maintains the 5,00km high voltage electricity network of underground cables and overhead lines serving northern Scotland and connecting to central and southern Scotland and the rest of Great Britain.

Electricity networks like this provide a physical link between electricity generators and electricity users. SHETL's duties and obligations include ensuring it is able to provide an economic and efficient service to generators who wish to connect to its network.

We are seeking stakeholders' views on the future of electricity in the north of Scotland. For more information and to participate, visit the SSE website.

Beauly-Denny
On 6 January 2010 Scottish Ministers granted 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. More details are on the SSE website.

Beauly-Mossford
We have published a consultation paper to reinforce the existing transmission infrastructure between Beauly and Mossford in Scotland. This reinforcement is need to accommodate output from renewable energy generation in Strathconon and Strath Bran. The consulation document is available on the SSE website.

Beauly-Blackhillock
We are undertaking a programme of refurbishment works for phase 1 of the existing Beauly to Blackhillock electricity transmission line, including the replacement of the existing conductors (wires) with modern conductors.

Work will be ongoing at various stages of the line over the coming months, but the voltage of the line will remain unchanged, no additional towers will be erected, there will be no increase in the height of existing towers and the new conductors will look the same as the existing ones from ground level. We expect to complete the work by October 2010.

Caithness Converter Station
We are planning to construct a new 600MW converter station and associated substation at a site adjacent to Achanarras, near Spittal in Caithness. We will be holding public exhibitions in September 2010 to inform the local community about our proposals. More details are on the SSE website.

Dounreay-Beauly
Over the next three years we will be upgrading the existing Dounreay to Beauly electricity transmission line to increase its capacity.

Work will be ongoing at various stages of the line over the coming months but the voltage of the line will remain unchanged, no additional towers will be erected, there will be no increase in the height of existing towers and the new conductors will look the same as the existing ones from ground level. We anticipate the works will begin with the foundations and ground investigation in mid 2010. The new conductor stringing will be carried out in 2011 and 2012.

Kintyre-Hunterston
We have published a consultation paper for a new transmission line to connect renewable energy on the Scottish Kintyre peninsula to the existing mainland transmission network at Hunterston in Ayrshire.

Knocknagael
We are building a new substation at Knocknagael in Scotland. The substation will increase renewable generation export capacity from north-west Scotland by around 125MW and project is due to complete at the end of 2011.

Shetland
We have submitted planning applications for the converter stations associated with the proposed subsea transmission link between the Shetlands Isles and mainland Scotland.

Western Isles
We have submitted a planning application for a new transmission line to connect renewable energy on Western Isles to the existing mainland transmission network at Beauly in Scotland.