We have announced details of how we'll renew and strengthen the existing overhead electricity network across the north of Scotland in the coming years.
Following a competitive, and transparent process, four framework partners will deliver different aspects of an extensive programme of works over the next several years. During the initial five years of these agreements, around £300m of investment in local communities’ electricity networks will be delivered.
Our network of overhead power lines, which is largely supported on wooden poles, is a critical means of carrying electricity over long distances to communities in the north of Scotland.
An overhead network fit for the future
Electricity demand is increasing as more people and businesses use clean power for heating and transportation, so a robust, resilient overland network is more important than ever.
Meanwhile, the reality of an increasingly-volatile climate, where severe storms are becoming more common, means overhead power lines need to be further reinforced to better withstand adverse weather.
ABOVE: SSEN Distribution's network of overhead lines connects communities across the north of Scotland to the wider grid.
Our new contract partners will be involved in multiple programmes of work. This will increase network capacity, enabling customers seeking new supplies - or more power - to connect. They will also strengthen the infrastructure, so it can better withstand more extreme conditions, whilst maintaining its unobtrusive presence within the landscape.
The four contract partners selected by SSEN Distribution to deliver this work on our behalf are Aureos Energy Ltd, IES Utilities Group, Ipsum Group and Network Distribution Services Ltd. (NDS).
The framework agreements are for an initial five years, with the option of a three-year extension thereafter, meaning partners will have greater certainty to invest in their own technical resources and people. This approach boosts home-grown skills and supply chains in what’s a growing industry across the UK, as clean power meets ever more of the country’s energy needs, in place of fossil fuels.
Aureos is renewing its current relationship with SSEN Distribution following successful delivery over the past five years in the Highlands, Skye, the Western Isles and Orkney. It is now adding Shetland to the area it covers.
IES Utilities - which has supported SSEN during past storms - will now help deliver further network strengthening and resilience on the network in the North East, covering Aberdeenshire and most of Moray.
IPSUM already delivers infrastructure works in SSEN Distribution’s central southern England network area. Its teams are experienced in delivering overhead line works across remote and weather-affected regions, and have also provided support during recent storms. IPSUM will deliver works for the Inner Hebrides, Argyll, Kintyre and Arran.
NDS is a family-run firm based in Perth. While it’s previously been a sub-contractor for SSEN Distribution in the north of Scotland, this is the first time it’s been awarded a contract directly. NDS will deliver works in Perthshire, Stirling, Dundee and Angus. The framework award is giving NDS the confidence to invest in longer-term growth, and to develop local talent as it expands its workforce.
James Flanagan, SSEN Distribution's Director of Procurement, says:
“After a rigorous process, we’re delighted to have secured the involvement of these four framework partners. During tendering, they demonstrated their ability to deliver to our exacting expectations operationally, for customers, and for the environment.
“These awards mean our partners, who are important employers and providers of skills in the communities where they operate, will have the confidence to grow, and develop their own people.
“Energy bills are a concern for families and businesses, so it’s incumbent on network operators like us to ensure we invest wisely so that local grids operate more reliably and efficiently than ever before. Together with our new framework partners, we’ll work very hard over the years of these agreements to meet customers’ expectations of us.
“We’ll work constructively with communities, and keep them well informed of when essential works may have a temporary impact on their day-to-day routines while these long-term beneficial upgrades are delivered.”