Thousands of homes and businesses in Shetland will benefit from a more resilient power supply, thanks to a multi-million pound programme of investment in the local electricity distribution network.
The £2.7 million boost by Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) Distribution, will deliver upgrades to electrical infrastructure serving local communities across the islands to ensure a safe, secure and reliable supply of electricity.
Projects planned over the next two years include a £700,000 project to replace the 11kilovolt (kV) switchboard at Sumburgh substation, upgrading existing infrastructure with fully automated equipment to restore power much quicker in the event of a power cut.
£1.2 million will be invested in Gremista to fully replace the existing substation with modern equipment, future-proofing the network and providing greater strength and resilience.
A new 33kV underground cable will also be installed from Dale to Scalloway, with the £465,000 investment reinforcing the existing network to Scalloway substation and providing an alternate route for the electricity powering properties in Scalloway, Gulberwick, Quarff and Cunningsburgh.
Two projects totalling £175,000 to replace overhead lines with underground cables in Yell and Voe will also be carried out in areas identified as vulnerable to strong winds and sea erosion, with a new £50,000 substation planned in Sella Ness to strengthen the resilience of the network serving the local industrial estate.
And, at Lerwick Power Station, engineers will remove three overhead power lines to ensure the safety of high load vehicles travelling in the area, replacing the lines with underground cable in the coming months.
George Priest, Shetland Operations Manager, said:
"We understand how important a safe and reliable supply of electricity is to our customers, and the past few months have demonstrated how vital electricity is to power homes and businesses across our region."
"With Shetland experiencing some of the most severe weather conditions in the winter months, it's critical we continue to regularly invest in the local electricity network, installing new cables, upgrading substations and replacing electrical equipment to provide the power our customers depend on every day."