SSEN Transmission and Balfour Beatty have completed the final phase of a 45 km long Port Ann to Crossaig electricity transmission line.
The new line, supported on 148 new steel-lattice towers, is designed to be more resilient in extreme weather events, enhancing the security of supply for communities in the area. It deconstructed and removed 196 old steel towers, which have been sent to a recycling facility for repurposing.
Teams have safely reinstated any remaining temporary access tracks required during construction of the project and are working to restore the land as before. All temporary office buildings near Lochgilphead and any associated site infrastructure have also been removed.
The fully energized overhead line will initially operate at 132 kV and upgrade to 275 kV in the future, as part of SSEN Transmission’s Argyll 275kV strategy, which will enable the connection of up to 600 MW of new renewable generation, playing an important role in the transition to net-zero emissions.
The project is the second phase in the wider Inveraray to Crossaig powerline upgrade, with the first phase, Inveraray to Port Ann, energized in July 2021. The replacement line stretches a total of 84 km across both phases, serves as the main arterial route for electricity transmission in Argyll as well as homes and businesses throughout the Peninsula.
The project took more than 1.5 million people-hours for delivery till date and a workforce of more than 300 at the peak of construction across both phases of the project.
