SP Energy Networks has completed a network refurbishment project in East Lothian and the Borders, in Scotland, to improve resilience of electricity supply and enable low carbon technologies uptake.
The £45m project covers a distance of over 40 miles between Cockenzie in East Lothian and the village of Eccles in the Scottish Borders and forms part of a wider £2bn investment plan to futureproof the transmission network across Central and Southern Scotland over a five year period.
The 400kV route, known as the “ZA overhead line”, was first erected in the mid-1960s and plays a substantial role in supplying renewable energy to 150,000 customers across the region.
Investment in the line now helps to further increase network resilience and ensures that it continues to play an important role in years to come to transport more renewable electricity and support the uptake of electric vehicles and heat pumps.
Pearse Murray, SP Transmission Director at SP Energy Networks, said: “This project forms part of our extensive investment programme, and highlights the unique role we play in connecting renewable generation.
“Our transmission system is a key enabler for ensuring security of supplies throughout the energy transition, so maintaining resilience of that is absolutely critical.”
The project started in November 2020 and involved the inspection and refurbishment of around 190 towers, with over 788km of conductors and insulators replaced.