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SP Energy Networks is carrying out a major project on existing electricity lines between Dalmally and Windyhill in order to further increase the potential for renewable energy development in Kintyre and to reinforce current electricity supplies along the route.
The ambitious £15m project is taking place across some of the country's most mountainous terrain, and requires our engineers to take advice from mountain rescue teams when planning their work and also requires mobile survival huts to provide shelter for workers should the weather conditions change suddenly. Over 50 of the electricity towers across the route can only be accessed by helicopter.
The full scope of the £15m project includes the construction of a new 275 kV substation, upgrade work at the existing Dalmally and Windyhill substations, and the installation of a fibre optic earthwire for circuit protection and communication across 80 km of electricity lines. The project will also see the refurbishment of insulators and fittings on 35 pylon towers.
As well as coping with the terrain and changeable weather, our engineers are also working nearby to a number of protected species, and have established relationships with Scottish Natural Heritage, The Forestry Commission , Scottish Water and major land owners to ensure the work is managed with the greatest sympathy for the environment. Along the route of the work there are nesting Golden Eagles, Red Throated Divers, Merlins, nesting Ravens and Great Crested Newts, in the surrounding hills.
Richard Wylie, project manager, said: "This is a major project, both in terms of scope and investment, which is going to boost the amount of renewable energy that can be produced and distributed from the west coast of Scotland. It is an extremely challenging job that has involved close co-ordination with a number of different groups and organisations to make sure the work we are doing is carried out safely and without damaging the surrounding landscape.
"Thankfully the survival huts that our engineers are equipped with when working at some of the more remote locations have not been used frequently, but these are the kind of precautions we need to take when carrying out a major project work on Scotland's electricity network.
"We fully support the Scottish Government's tough targets for the reduction of CO2 and Scotland has some of the best natural resources and renewable energy potential of any country in the world, it is vital that we make full use of these resources.
"The grid system needs further major investments and design upgrades to fully realise this potential, especially around our coastline, but projects like this is are setting the foundations."
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Dalmally