North Shetland Reinforcement Project

Location: Shetland Islands 

Status: Construction planned 2024 - 2027 

Project Type: Network upgrade 

Delivery: SSEN Distribution

Project Webinar - Thursday 5 December 3:00pm

Join us for an informative panel discussion with speakers from:

- SSEN Distribution Engineering Design and Consents
- SSEN Distribution Investment Planning
- Shetland Island Council Roads Service 

This 60-minute webinar is an opportunity to share your views and hear from the experts planning and delivering this essential local distribution network upgrade in the North Mainland of Shetland.

Register and book your place here

This essential upgrade is currently at the development stage, and will increase network capacity for future development in support of the uptake of low carbon technologies, as well as helping to improve the reliability and security of the power supply for communities across the islands. 

Working in partnership with SSEN Transmission, we’re strengthening sections of the High Voltage infrastructure in the north of Shetland to increase resilience, while at the same time increasing its capacity; this work will help the islands to play a key role in Scotland’s transition to net zero as more homes and businesses increase their use of low carbon technologies such as EV chargers and heat pumps, while also providing long-term security-of-supply to the local community. 

What does the network upgrade involve? 

The upgrade centres around the installation of two new High Voltage underground distribution cables between Gremista GSP and the north of Shetland. A major part of this phase of the project will see us working with Enquest - the owners of the Sullom Voe Terminal site - as they seek to decarbonise their own operations and connect the site to our Distribution network via these new cables.
Click here to view our proposed cable route

The cable route, which is 43km long, involves working on a mixture of private land and public highways, and will take around two years to install. The advanced cabling works portion of the project, which is 12km in length, is expected to last approximately nine months and will involve teams carrying out a rolling programme of works in sections of approximately 500m at a time.  

Full details of the cable route and the work schedule will be posted once dates are finalised with landowners and Shetland Islands Council. 

In addition, our teams will also be constructing a new switching station at Quoys of Garth, carrying out upgrades to our substations at Firth and Mid Yell as well as minor reconfigurations of existing overhead lines.  

What are the key environmental considerations? 

Protecting the local environment is at the heart of everything we do, and we follow strict environmental guidelines at all times, on every project we undertake, in order to reduce the impact on the surrounding landscape and wildlife. This includes surveys both prior to construction, as well as during the construction phase.  

As part of our planning for the North Shetland Reinforcement Project, our teams have been engaging with a number of environmental stakeholders, including NatureScot and Shetland Islands Council. 

What are the economic benefits of the North Shetland Reinforcement Project? 

By ensuring our network is an enabler - and not a blocker - of new low carbon technologies, we’re supporting Shetland’s local economy and enabling job creation. In addition, during our project’s construction phase we’re committed to working with local contractors and suppliers as much as possible.   

What is the anticipated impact on the community? 

SSEN Distribution will work closely with local communities to minimise any disruption during construction and ensure the project delivers lasting benefits for local communities, the local economy and energy security. We will also engage with local residents and stakeholders to address any potential areas of concern and ensure transparency throughout the project’s development. 

Will Shetland be connected to the UK mainland? 

This project will enable our Distribution network to integrate onto the Shetland High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) connection This will be the first ever connection between Shetland and the UK Mainland electricity grid. Together, these developments will secure Shetland’s electricity future, improving the reliability while supporting national efforts to deliver a Just Transition. 

Timeline 

The North Shetland Reinforcement Project is currently in development, and at this stage we expect to be announcing more detailed proposals in Spring 2025 

We’re committed to keeping communities across Shetland up to date with our plans, and the first of our series of public drop-in sessions will be held later this month: