Homes and businesses in Taynuilt will benefit from a more resilient power supply, thanks to a major programme of investment in the local electricity distribution network.
Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) Distribution is investing £1.15 million to upgrade and strengthen the electricity infrastructure serving the Argyll village, ensuring local power supplies are robust and resilient ahead of the winter months.
The project, which is scheduled to start this month and last for approximately four months, includes the replacement of existing electrical equipment at Taynuilt substation. The infrastructure investments will deliver significant benefits, having been designed both to improve customers' current service as well as support their future requirements.
The existing transformer supplying power to over 500 properties in the area will be replaced, with new circuit breakers and switchboards installed to enable faster restoration of supplies on the rare occasion that faults occur. Engineers will also install an additional transformer, future-proofing the network and adding additional resilience to ensure a safe, secure and reliable supply of electricity for years to come.
Scott Mackintosh, Project Engineer at SSEN, said:
"This investment forms part of our ongoing commitment to keep power flowing across our communities, ensuring a safe and reliable supply of electricity to homes and businesses in the local area. By replacing existing infrastructure with new equipment, we're unlocking greater flexibility on our network, allowing us to re-route supplies during power cuts to restore power much quicker to our customers."
"We've planned these works to minimise disruption to the local community, including installing key equipment at the early stages to enable us to avoid multiple planned interruptions to supplies. We are committed to doing everything we can to keep customers informed of the works as the project progresses."
While disruption will be kept to a minimum while engineers work, SSEN would like to remind customers they can register for SSEN's Priority Services Register (PSR) if they require extra assistance during a power cut. People can qualify for additional support if they:
- Are shielding during the coronavirus pandemic
- Are deaf or hard of hearing
- Have a disability
- Live with children under five
- Are blind or partially sighted
- Have a chronic illness
- Use medical equipment/aids reliant on electricity
- Are over 60
To find out more about the PSR, click here or call 0800 294 3259.