SSEN Distribution has announced a £4.1m project to replace over 3.7km of underground cables between its Persley and Bridge of Don substations in Aberdeen.

This work will improve the supplies to over 7,000 homes and businesses, making the network more robust and resilient. In addition, the increased network capacity will support the higher demand, including EV chargers and heat pumps, in this busy part of the Granite City.

The project starts on 6 May and is due to be completed by the end of September this year. With the route going past local schools and university buildings, the works in these locations have been scheduled specifically to avoid academic term times in order to minimise the impact on commuters.

Jack Graham is SSEN Distribution's Project Manager, and speaking ahead of work starting, he said: "The work we'll be carrying out over the summer in Bridge of Don represents a significant -and essential- investment in the underground network that supplies power to over 7,000 properties in the area.

-- Advertisement --

"We'll be replacing cables that are approaching the end of their scheduled working life, and in doing so we'll be improving network reliability and reducing the potential for power cuts; also, as the new cable has an increased load capacity, this means that it's capable of handling more power, which is vital as we see more and more people making the switch over to EVs and low carbon technologies such as heat pumps."

While the vast majority of the route will see teams working on the public highways, part of the project also involves carrying out the installation of over 400m of cable under the River Don, with SSEN using a specialist Horizontal Directional Drill (HDD) on this segment of the works.

SSEN has explained that for the safety of commuters and its staff, it will be necessary to either close or partially close the sections of road where, and when, their teams will be working.

Shona Horn, SSEN Distribution's Customer Relationship Manager, said: "Any part of the project which requires a road closure will be signposted well in advance, as we want to ensure that everyone has the chance to plan ahead as much as possible.

"We realise that any time we're carrying out essential work on the public highway and footpaths it can also bring the potential to disrupt our customers' day-to-day routines, and so we'd like to apologise in advance if we cause any inconvenience, and also thank customers for their patience."