Teams from Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) are carrying out critical work on the overhead lines between Fort Augustus and Drumnadrochit, an investment project which will help to make the local electricity network more resilient and reduce the risk of power cuts this winter and for many years to come.
The £250,000 project involves the replacement of 80 wooden electricity poles and upgrades to the technology along the 32km route, with work expected to be completed by the second week of July.
Everyone on the project is taking extra safety and hygiene measures to protect themselves and the local community during the coronavirus pandemic, including the regular wiping down of PPE and tools with sanitiser and the safe disposal of single-use gloves in double bags. For all critical planned work, such as this project, SSEN has adopted a policy of 'one person, one vehicle' as an addition to the existing social distancing guidelines.
SSEN Project Manager, John Shanks, explains more about the work being undertaken and the benefits it will bring:
"This critical investment is all about making sure our network is in the best possible condition for our customers. Before a spade even goes in the ground, we look at the power cut and fault data we've collected over the past 12 years, as this helps to shape our investment plans and improve the service we're providing. A good example of this is the lightning protection we're putting on the overhead lines atInchnacardoch, as our records show that this caused problems in the past.
"We're also installing automated equipment which 'talks' to our main Control Room and lets the teams there know the exact locations of any faults which may develop; it also means they can now turn the power on and off remotely, which is a great help in getting our customers' supplies back on as safely and as quickly as possible."