Elchies (Rothes III) Wind Farm Grid Connection

The proposed development is in the vicinity of the hill of Carn na Calliche, approximately 4 km west of Rothes village in Moray. It is located to the east of the existing Rothes I and II Wind Farms.

We are working to a connection date for the Developer of the Elchies Windfarm and to ensure this connection date is met we have a tight programme which includes holding consultations on our preferred route and subsequently our alignment.  Holding a virtual consultation has allowed stakeholders to view proposals and have their say despite the wider constraints associated with COVID-19.

Undergrounding the entire circuit has been discounted for a number of reasons. The main reason is for the maintenance of the line in the future. In the event of a fault on the line, the fault can be detected and rectified in a matter of days. However, if the fault occurs in an underground cable the time needed to locate and rectifying the fault increases and could potentially take months to fix.

Another reason cabling the entire circuit has been discounted is due to the footprint which would be required to install the cables. A trench, approximately 6m wide and 1.5m deep would need to be dug along the route. This would increase the potential to damage to local environment during construction.

It is acknowledged that further detailed environmental and engineering survey work will be required to find an acceptable alignment and design solution through this sensitive landscape and environment, which could result in a review of the preferred route option and or use of appropriate localised mitigation methods, such as underground cable.

It is estimated that at transmission voltages underground cables are significantly more expensive to construct than overhead lines. The actual cost ratio will vary depending on the length of the cable section and number of terminations. The unit cost of short lengths will tend to be more expensive due to the high cost of terminating equipment. The following example is a rough guide based on a kilometre of transmission overhead line but with metal prices varying widely the actual difference will depend on the metal prices when the orders are placed, or a 132kV circuit typical cost difference would be between 4 and 8 times more expensive for a cable.

Will residents be compensated if overhead power lines/underground cabling corss over their property?

The option chosen is a balance of all factors be that engineering, environmental and people and we will look to minimise impacts on all of these. Any trees that are removed have to be replaced (as per Scottish Forestry policy) therefore avoiding tree removal is an important consideration. Where this cannot be avoided we will look to ensure sufficient mitigation is in place. This is likely to take the form of compensatory planting within the local area, in line with national policy requirements and SSEN’s biodiversity net gain commitments.

The connected and contracted generation that connects into Blackhillock are:

At Blackhillock 400kV:

• Beatrice Offshore Wind Farm (Connected)

• Moray West Offshore Wind Farm (Connects in April 2024)

At Blackhillock 132kV:

• Dorenell Onshore Wind Farm (Connected)

• Clashindarroch Extension (Connects October 2023) connects on to one of the existing two lines into Blackhillock 132kV from Dorenell Wind Farm. So whilst it is a new connection, it will not result in new overhead lines entering Blackhillock substation, it will utilise the existing overhead lines into the substation.

• Elchies Onshore Wind Farm (Connects June 2024), requires a new 132kV single circuit overhead line(basis of consultation).

The wider system upgrades that interface with Blackhillock substation include East Coast 400kV and North East 400kV Upgrade, neither project includes new overhead lines entering Blackhillock. (Full details of these project are available at https://www.ssen-transmission.co.uk/riio-t2-

plan/engineering-justification-papers/) The future of the Blackhillock site is dependent on both local and wider system need, this is predominantly the connection of renewable generation in the north of Scotland and the requirement for increased of north to south power flow capability. SHE Transmission continue to assess these requirements annually through the ESOs Network Options Assessment and through customer connection applications.

The environmental sensitivities are noted and understood and further studies will be undertaken at the alignment stage to find an acceptable alignment that minimises potential environmental effects, including but not limited to ecology and landscape and visual amenity.

SSEN Transmission is responsible for maintaining and investing in the electricity transmission network in the north of Scotland and our network extends over a quarter of the UK’s land mass, crossing some of its most challenging terrain.
Our operating area is home to vast renewable energy resources, and this is being harnessed by wind, hydro and marine generation. Working closely with National Grid Electricity System Operator (the 'ESO'), we enable electricity generators to connect to the transmission system, allowing the electricity generated by them to be transported to areas of demand across the country.

Following a minority stake sale which completed in November 2022, SSEN Transmission is now owned 75% by SSE plc and 25% by Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan Board.

SSE plc sold its UK domestic electricity and gas retail business, along with domestic energy services to OVO Energy in January 2020 and no longer manages these customer accounts.

It’s the highest voltage electricity network in the UK – the ‘motorway network’ of the energy world. It transmits large quantities of electricity over long distances via wires carried on a system of mainly metal towers (pylons) and large substations. Transmission voltages in Scotland are 132kV, 275kV and 400kV. Larger generation schemes usually connect to the Transmission system.

The lower voltage parts of the system are called distribution networks. In Scotland, these local networks operate below 132kV whereas in England the distribution network includes 132kV. 

As a stakeholder-led business, throughout the life of our projects, we aim to work positively with local communities and keep people informed about what we are doing. This is particularly important when we are developing new projects, we want to understand what local people think about our plans.

We always endeavour to take the time to discuss our proposals with local community councils and the wider affected community and to carry out engagement throughout each of the development stages, listening to feedback before finalising project plans. The feedback we receive is vital to help us develop proposals that reflect the views of a variety of stakeholder.

To find out more about a project, visit our project web pages which can be searched by location or area. Each project has a dedicated Community Liaison Manager that you can contact. You can find their contact details in the individual project pages, where you can also sign up to project updates.

Search projects