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SSEN Transmission has unveiled plans for the replacement of the West of Beauly hydro substations.
The West of Beauly Asset Replacement Project will see four existing substations replaced at Deanie, Culligran, Aigas and Kilmorack after almost 60 years of operation
The four substations at Deanie, Culligran, Aigas and Kilmorack were previously built in the 1960s and are now reaching the end of their operating life, with the assets and components at each site now needing to be replaced.
These substations have since successfully helped to power the local community for over 60 years, and their replacement will ensure that green renewable hydroelectricity energy can continue to be produced in the local area.
The new substations are required to be located out with the existing substation compounds due to new transformers requiring more space to meet modern health and safety standards and the challenge to keep the hydro power stations connected to the network during the construction phase for the new transformers. SSEN Transmission is aiming to ensure the new substations are located within one kilometre radius of the existing site, to ensure minimal electrical losses.
The public events next week will take place in Cannich and Kilmorack as follows;
• Monday 23 October, 5pm – 8pm, Cannich Village Hall, IV4 7LJ
• Tuesday 24 October, 11am – 1pm, Cannich Village Hall, IV4 7LI
• Wednesday 25 October, 2pm – 7pm, Kilmorack Village Hall, IV4 7AQ
These events will detail final proposals for Culligran and Deanie sites as part of the statutory Pre-Application Consultation (PAC) which is required for major planning applications.
Teams will also introduce, consult and seek feedback on new selected sites for Aigas and Kilmorack substations following public feedback provided last year, which included looking at alternative locations which were put forward by the local community.
For Aigas, the project team took onboard concerns raised in relation to main construction activities taking place in close proximity to Teanassie School and residential properties. The proposed site is located further east, reducing the immediate impact. For Kilmorack, concerns were previously raised in relation to interface with Kilmorack Galley and Kilmorack Burial Ground. The new site is located immediately north, further up the hill thus reducing the immediate impact to these properties and views from the A831.
In addition, the project team will also share proposals for the Glen Strathfarrar VISTA (Visual impact of Scottish Transmission Assets) project, which would see approximately 4km of the existing 132kV overhead line in the area undergrounded from the new Deanie substation to Tower 13.
The project team will be in attendance to answer any questions and discuss the details of these proposed projects during the drop-in public events, where any feedback will be welcomed.
Lee Wilson, SSEN Transmission Senior Development Project Manager, said: "The events next week will provide an opportunity for members of the public to learn more about our West of Beauly Asset Replacement project, which will involve replacing four substations which transmit locally generated hydroelectricity to the national grid to ensure they continue to operate safely and reliably.
"The current assets have been helping to power the local community for almost 60 years, connecting locally generated hydroelectricity to the grid. Replacing these substations ensures we can continue to transmit clean renewable energy for years to come.
"We've been working with the local community to take on board their feedback for these projects, including looking at alternative locations for the substations at Aigas and Kilmorack, and look forward to welcoming them to our events to share their views and find out more about our plans next week.
"We'll endeavour to keep the local community and stakeholders updated as these projects progress, and look forward to meeting those that can make to our events next week."
