Fort Augustus substation approved by Highland Council

SSEN Transmission has welcomed the decision by the Highland Council’s South Planning Committee to approve its Fort Augustus substation extension at Auchterawe. The substation extension, which is part of the Beauly-Denny 400kV uprating project, is a key component of plans to upgrade the electricity transmission network across the north of Scotland.

The Beauly-Denny 400kV uprating project will see the capacity of one of the two existing overhead line circuits on the Beauly-Denny line increase from 275kV to 400kV.  This requires the construction of new substations at Beauly (Fanellan), Fasnakyle (Bingally), Braco (Cambushinnie), and extension at Fort Augustus.

These investments, which form part of SSEN Transmission’s £20bn Pathway to 2030 investment programme, are being progressed through Ofgem’s Accelerated Strategic Transmission Investment (ASTI) framework.

As the first major ASTI planning application to be determined, approval of Fort Augustus substation extension is a major milestone in upgrading the north of Scotland's electricity infrastructure that is critical to delivering the country’s clean power and energy security ambitions, underpinning the region's leading role in the clean energy transition.

These investments will also be a major catalyst for economic growth across the country, supporting jobs and boosting the economy.

Rob McDonald, Managing Director of SSEN Transmission, said:

"We welcome the decision by the Highland Council's South Planning Committee to approve our Fort Augustus substation extension application at Auchterawe, which is a hugely important milestone in securing our energy future.

“Our Pathway to 2030 investment programme is crucial if we are to strengthen resilience in the electricity network and achieve the country’s energy security and clean power ambitions.  

“These investments will also be a major driver of jobs and economic growth locally and across the north of Scotland, bringing substantial legacy opportunities for communities and businesses - such as supporting new housing, delivering more than £100m of community benefit funding across the region, and achieving enhancements to biodiversity.

"We will now take time to assess the conditions applied by the Council as we prepare to move into the development phase of the project, where we are committed to work constructively with the local community and businesses to maximise the opportunities that our investment will bring."