Electricity supply upgrades costing more than £1 million have been completed – reducing the risk of power cuts in an Aberdeen community.
SSEN, which is responsible for the network across Scotland, has finished a major project in the Ruthrieston area of Aberdeen in a bid to make the supply more robust, resilient and less susceptible to power cuts.
The work cost £1.3 million and will benefit an estimated 7,500 people.
Part of a wider programme of upgrades across Aberdeen totalling £10 million, the project involved replacing both primary transformers as well as the switchgear, safety equipment, network protection kit, telecoms and all the associated civil works.
Primary transformers are used to convert the voltage of electricity received from the grid so that it is suitable for use in homes and businesses, and the combined weight of the two new ones is the equivalent of a double-decker bus.
Switchgear allows the power to be turned on and off at various points on the network in case of a fault or to allow maintenance to be carried out.
The new switchgear constantly monitors the supply and can automatically isolate the section of the network where a fault occurs, reducing the number of properties affected by power cuts.
Equipment will deliver ‘safe, reliable, resilient network’
Michael Hilferty, SSEN’s head of region, paid tribute to the local community for their patience while the work was carried out.
He said: “We want to provide our customers with a safe, reliable and resilient network, and every part of this investment has been assessed to ensure that it helps us deliver on these aims – from replacing the transformers which were approaching the end of their scheduled working lives to ensure reliability for many years to come, to upgrading the switchgear which can automatically restore supplies in the rare event of a power cut, everything we have done will ensure that the homes and businesses in Ruthrieston continue to receive the best possible level of service.
“With Ruthrieston being such a built-up area, there were occasions when we had to utilise the whole width of the local roads or make use of local car parks when we were receiving some of our larger deliveries. On behalf of everyone involved in the project, I’d like to thank the local community for their patience and understanding as we carried out this essential work.”
Aberdeen South MP Stephen Flynn welcomed news of the project’s completion.
He said: “This past year has shown us all the importance of a safe, secure and reliable power supply and so I welcome this upgrade to the Ruthrieston network by SSEN Distribution, which forms part of their wider £10 million investment across the city.
“The work that’s been completed and the new technology that has been installed will help to strengthen supplies, making a positive impact in the local communities as we emerge from lockdown and look to the future.”