Projects delivering a Network for Net Zero

Projects delivering a Network for Net Zero - Pathway to 2030

We are investing over £20bn to upgrade the network infrastructure across the north of Scotland between now and 2030 as the region plays a leading role in the clean energy transition.

As a mass transporter of renewable energy, the north of Scotland electricity transmission network has a major role to play in supporting delivery of Scotland and the UK’s 2030 net zero targets, connecting new onshore and offshore renewables generation and transporting the power generated to demand centres in the rest of Scotland and beyond.

This investment is critical to powering change and meeting Scotland and the UK’s renewable energy targets, accelerating our delivery to meet the 2030 offshore wind connection dates, known as the Pathway to 2030. This investment will also play a vital role in helping ensure our future energy security by using affordable, home-grown, low carbon electricity while providing significant economic and employment opportunities supporting 20,000 jobs across the UK, 9,000 of which will be in Scotland.

The projects include new overhead lines, substations and subsea links and are part of a major upgrade of the electricity transmission network across Great Britain. Explore this page to find out more about our Pathway to 2030 projects and view our useful frequently asked questions below.

What are the Pathway to 2030 projects and why are they needed?

Videos: Our role in delivering Net Zero and our Pathway to 2030 Projects

Our role in delivering Net Zero

Click the play button to watch our video and to learn more about the work SSEN Transmission is doing to deliver Net Zero.

This video can also be viewed directly on Vimeo.

Duration: 2 minutes 29 Seconds.
Pathway to 2030 Projects

Click the play button to watch our video and to learn more about our Pathway to 2030 Projects

This video can also be viewed directly on Vimeo.

Duration: 4 minutes 43 Seconds.

What we are doing now

Consultations

We recently held public consultations across our region for several proposed onshore 400kV electricity transmission schemes. The proposed schemes include a series of new 400kV overhead lines, overhead line upgrades and new 400kV substations and HVDC converter stations. The consultations concluded on 20 June 2024 with over 1,700 attendees coming to meet our teams.

We would like to thank all local community members and interested parties who took the time to attend our recent consultation events and share feedback on our project plans, including suggestions for improvements to proposals and opinions regarding changes and refinements made since we last consulted.

This recent round of consultations concludes the events for the overhead line upgrades and new 400kV substations and HVDC converter stations with planning applications due to be submitted by the end of the year.

Further consultations will be held later this year on the new 400kV overhead lines:

Beauly – Blackhillock – New Deer – Peterhead
Kintore – Tealing
Spittal – Loch Buidhe – Beauly

Please contact your local Community Liaison Manager if you have any questions or queries.

Ground Investigation Works

Over the coming weeks and months, our project teams and contractors will undertake walkover surveys and ground investigation works, to help inform the next stage of development relating to the alignment of new 400kV overhead lines across the following projects:

Beauly – Blackhillock – New Deer – Peterhead
Kintore – Tealing
Spittal – Loch Buidhe - Beauly
Beauly – Denny

Ground investigations typically involve drilling boreholes and/or digging trial pits, allowing engineers to understand the engineering properties of the soil and rock beneath potential tower locations and their ability to support the structures. They are a necessary step in any new developments, and the results will help determine the best designs for overhead line alignments.

Local community members can expect to see more activity on the ground over the summer, and while most assessments are expected to cause very little local disruption, we would like to thank the local community for their patience while they are carried out.

Where more intrusive assessments are required, we will work to keep local disruption and environmental impacts to a minimum.

Our project teams will oversee the contractors’ works, who may employ specialist supervision from ecologists and archaeologists to ensure the works do not impact on local wildlife or archaeological assets.

We continue to assess and consider feedback received from members of the public and stakeholders as part of our ongoing consultation process. This includes active consideration of alternative alignments proposed by stakeholders which we are currently assessing against key environmental, technical and economic factors. Should we establish viable alternatives that warrant more detailed investigations, they will also be surveyed accordingly.

Learn more about our Pathway to 2030 projects

North Highlands

Spittal, Loch Buidhe, Beauly

Projects within our North Highland region involve a new 400kV Substation in the Spittal area, a subsea cable between Spittal and Peterhead, and a new 400kV overhead line between Spittal and Beauly. New 400kV substations are also required at Loch Buidhe and the Beauly area to enable these connections.

Explore North Highlands projects
Central Highlands

Beauly and onwards

Projects within our Central Highland region centre around Beauly. These include a subsea cable from the Western Isles, a 400kV overhead line from Spittal and a new 400kV overhead line to Peterhead, and a High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) Converter station. These connect to a new 400kV substation close to the existing one in Beauly.

Explore Central Highlands projects

North East

Beauly, Blackhillock, New Deer, Peterhead

Our North East region spans between Beauly and Peterhead and includes a new 400kV overhead line between these two locations alongside new 400kV substations at each end. Along the way, the line will also be connecting in to new 400kV substations needed at Blackhillock and New Deer.

Explore North East projects
East Coast

Peterhead, Kintore, Fiddes, Tealing

Our East Coast works include a subsea link from Spittal connecting to a new 400kV substation at Peterhead and a new 400kV overhead line from Beauly. An HVDC switching station is also required at Peterhead, alongside 132kV and 275kV substation works. Further south, works include a new 400kV overhead line between Kintore and Tealing, new substations and line reconductoring.

Explore East Coast projects

Thoughts from our Managing Director

"By enabling the growth in low carbon and affordable renewable electricity generation, this investment will help support the country’s future energy security, reducing our dependence and price exposure to volatile global wholesale gas markets. We now look forward to working closely with our stakeholders to progress the development of these critical national infrastructure projects and deliver the electricity transmission network required to meet our future energy ambitions."

Rob McDonald, Managing Director, SSEN Transmission

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Explore our interactive map or use our easy-to-use Project Search to locate a project that is of interest to you. Our dedicated project web pages provide useful information about each of our projects, important documentation and contact details for our Community Liaison Managers.

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Projects delivering a Network for Net Zero Pathway to 2030