Balfour Beatty, the international infrastructure group, has been awarded a £22m contract with SSE to construct a replacement overhead electricity line in the North of Scotland.
The project involves the construction of a 132-kV power line connecting substations at Beauly and Mossford in the Highlands. The 26-km route will replace two existing lines, which Balfour Beatty will dismantle as part of the program of works. Enabling works, such as access roads, began in August and the project is expected to be complete in 2015.
The replacement of the existing Beauly to Mossford line is a part of ongoing investment in the electricity transmission network in the north of Scotland. The growth of renewable generation has been significant in recent years and is driving the need for transmission reinforcement.
Neil Kirkby, Managing Director, Balfour Beatty – Power Transmission & Distribution, said: “Power is an important strategic market for Balfour Beatty, both in the UK and internationally and we are delighted to be continuing our relationship with SHE Transmission through this important infrastructure project.
“Scotland offers many unique challenges to our operations, including inhospitable terrain, unpredictable weather conditions and sensitive environments. Our teams have a wealth of experience of working within these constraints while delivering other power projects in the area, and lessons learned from these operations will be key in the successful completion of the Beauly to Mossford line.”
The new contract is one of several major power infrastructure projects being carried out by Balfour Beatty’s Power Transmission & Distribution team in Scotland. Also on behalf of SSE in the Highlands, the company is constructing the Beauly to Denny overhead line project, a 227-km overhead line which is the largest of its kind in the UK, and undertaking the Beauly Blackhillock Kintore project, which involves refurbishing and reinforcing 372 electricity towers along a 157-km route. Balfour Beatty is also carrying out the refurbishment of over 100 km of power lines in Southern Scotland for Scottish Power Energy Networks.
