SSEN powers up £86 million substation

SSEN Transmission has energised an £86 million, 275kV substation as part of its reinforcement of the East Coast transmission network.

The Alyth Substation, in Perth and Kinross, has taken almost three years to build and will help support the increase of new renewable energy generation to the grid.

SSEN explained that the substation has been designed so that it can be increased to 400kV with minimal operational changes. This increase, it added, will deliver the full capacity increase required to facilitate major new renewable generation connections in the future.

Revealing more detail about its construction, SSEN explained: “Building the new Alyth Substation involved installing new 275kV double busbar gas insulated switchgear (GIS) and reactive compensation equipment.

“The project also included the installation of a new dual-voltage 120-tonne SCT transformer – the largest component in the substation build – which required a specialist haulier with a 12-axle vehicle to safely deliver it from Dundee Quay to its final location at Alyth Substation last spring.”

Following energisation, SSEN Transmission will now focus on reinstatement and completing the finishing touches for the site compound.

Commenting on the milestone, SSEN Transmission project manager Muhammad Usman Faisal said: “The energisation of the Alyth Substation marks a significant achievement in the lifespan of this project.

“It enhances the north-to-south power transfer capacity of our network, which not only helps us significantly to deliver a network for net zero emissions, but in turn improves our network’s operability, reliability, and safety.

“Our project team and contract partners have performed exceptionally well in delivering this project safely and to the highest standard, which is really testament to their dedication, expertise, and teamwork. As a team we are proud of the role we are playing in helping to deliver a network for net zero.

“I’d also like to thank the local community and stakeholders for their continued patience, understanding and support while we’ve constructed this project, without which this huge milestone would not have been possible. We will continue to keep them updated as we complete the remaining phases of work on site.”

Elsewhere, SSEN said the biodiversity of the site had improved significantly since construction began in 2021, with studies forecasting a 50% increase in biodiversity since teams first arrived in the area.

The ecological improvements include:

• Plans to plant almost 5,400 local native species of trees around the site perimeter;
• Installing two bat boxes within the site’s tree perimeter to create roosting places for the species;
• Installing nine bird and red squirrel feeders around the site perimeter fence;
• Sowing native grass and meadow flower seeds over the site perimeter bunds to offer site landscaping and increase biodiversity for insects and other wildlife in the area;
• The team also created a number of habitat piles of fallen branches and wood from nearby trees.

Furthermore, a pair of Ospreys are resident at the site and return each year to nest at a purpose-built nesting platform which was created in 2014 after the birds were spotted nesting at the top of one of SSEN’s 48-metre-high electricity towers which was scheduled for maintenance.

The company added that since the nesting platform was built, 20 chicks have successfully fledged the nest.