Balfour Beatty has scooped the first phase of the £690 million Skye 132kV reinforcement project for Scottish and Southern Electricity Network (SSEN) Transmission.

On completion the project will ensure the supply of secure, clean electricity to thousands of homes and businesses across the Hebrides and West Highlands.

The design and development phase, valued at £32 million, will see Balfour Beatty provide technical solutions for a new 137km, 132kV double circuit overhead line between the existing Fort Augustus and Edinbane substations, as well as new sealing end compounds to link the overhead line to the underground electricity network, ultimately joining the Isle of Skye and Western Isles to mainland Scotland.

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Subject to planning approval, the full construction contract award is expected later in 2024.

Balfour Beatty will engage its in-house environmental and sustainability team to consider ecological and environmental requirements, from peat management to wildlife translocation, contributing to SSEN Transmission’s biodiversity net gain targets.

In addition, the company will work closely and collaboratively with local communities to minimise disruption wherever possible, including introducing a ‘Skye workers village’ to provide the construction workforce with dedicated site accommodation.

Tony Wilson, Managing Director of Balfour Beatty’s Power Transmission and Distribution business said: "We have a long and proud history of working with SSEN Transmission. This most recent award is testament to our expertise and capability in delivering overhead lines and underground cabling works in complex and challenging environments."