Balfour Beatty has been awarded the first phase of the c. £690 million Skye 132kV reinforcement project for Scottish and Southern Electricity Network (SSEN) Transmission. The project aims to ensure the supply of secure, clean electricity to thousands of homes and businesses across the Hebrides and West Highlands. The detailed design and development phase, valued at £32 million, will involve providing technical solutions for a new 137km, 132kV double circuit overhead line between the existing Fort Augustus and Edinbane substations, as well as new sealing end compounds to link the overhead line to the underground electricity network, ultimately joining the Isle of Skye and Western Isles to mainland Scotland.
Due to the expansive and unique terrain, Balfour Beatty will engage its in-house environmental and sustainability team to consider ecological and environmental requirements, from peat management to wildlife translocation, contributing to SSEN Transmission's biodiversity net gain targets. The company will also work closely with local communities to minimize disruption wherever possible, including introducing a 'Skye workers village' to provide the construction workforce with dedicated site accommodation.
Tony Wilson, Managing Director of Balfour Beatty's Power Transmission and Distribution business, expressed the company's expertise and capability in delivering overhead lines and underground cabling works in complex and challenging environments. Paul Higginbotham, SSEN Transmission's Deputy Project Director for the Skye 132kV Reinforcement Project, emphasized the strengthening of their relationship with Balfour Beatty as a supply chain partner for the project.
The main construction work for the Isle of Skye Reinforcement Project is expected to begin in early 2025, with Balfour Beatty employing 650 people, including 32 apprenticeship and graduate positions as part of the Company's commitment to The 5% Club. This latest award follows the Company's appointment to SSEN Transmission's Accelerated Strategic Transmission Investment (ASTI) framework in August 2023.
Balfour Beatty's Power Transmission & Distribution teams work with regional, national, and international electricity network owners and operators to provide technical engineering solutions across the full spectrum of the electricity grid, including overhead lines, cabling, substations, and distribution networks. The company has unrivaled end-to-end capability in the UK energy market.