Public invited to view plans to upgrade the existing electricity infrastructure at Kilmorack Substation

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  • Project part of West of Beauly Asset Replacement project to replace aging electricity infrastructure in the area

  • Public event to take place on Wednesday 24 January at Kilmorack Hall, 3pm-7pm

Members of the public are invited to attend an information event in Kilmorack Hall next week to find out more about plans to replace an existing substation at Kilmorack which have enabled hydroelectricity generated in the area to successfully connect to the national grid for almost 60 years.

The project to replace the substation at Kilmorack is part of a wider asset replacement project across the West of Beauly which includes three other substations in the area; Deanie, Culligran and Aigas.  These four substations 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 event next week is the final statutory event which forms part of the formal Proposal of Application Notice for Kilmorack Substation.  The project team will be on hand to answer any questions and feedback will be open for seven days following the event.

It will take place in Kilmorack Village Hall on Wednesday 24 January, 3pm-7pm, and follows on from a previous consultation event which took place in October last year. 

SSEN Transmission is expecting to submit planning applications for all four of the substations including Kilmorack in the spring later this year. 

Lee Wilson, SSEN Transmission Senior Development Project Manager, said;  “The event next week in Kilmorack will provide an opportunity for members of the public to learn more about our plans to upgrade and replace the infrastructure at the existing site at Kilmorack.  This forms a key part of our wider West of Beauly Asset Replacement project which involves replacing four substations which transmit locally generated hydroelectricity to the national grid to ensure they continue to operate safely and reliably.

“The current asset has been helping to power the local community for almost 60 years, connecting locally generated hydroelectricity to the grid.  Replacing this substation at Kilmorack along with the other sites at Deanie, Culligran and Aigas 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 and look forward to welcoming them to our event next week to share their views and find out more about our plans.

“We’ll endeavour to keep the local community and stakeholders updated as these projects progress.”

Learn more about the project by visiting the SSEN Transmission website here: https://www.ssen-transmission.co.uk/projects/project-map/west-of-beauly---asset-replacement-pr