More than 300 jobs will be created as a result of a £450-million investment programme in north Scotland’s electricity distribution network.
Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks Distribution (SSEN) said the jobs will be created as it announced the names of the contract partners with which it is working across nine sub-regions of the north Scotland network area.
It is hoped the work will boost network resilience. The area has a harsher climate compared with the rest of the country.
The work will also support low-carbon energy technology and decarbonised industries, and increase reliability for customers.
SSEN’s network of wooden poles and overhead lines will be renewed, and substations will be updated.
The energy provider says this will lead to more than 300 new jobs in Scotland by the time the new decade comes around, and will be crucial in delivering new technologies like EV chargers, solar panels and heat pumps.
Five companies – OCU Utility Services, Clancy, Freedom Group, MacAulay Askernish and Brush Group (which includes KUS Power Engineering and McGowan Group) – will between them lead the delivery of upgrades in nine allocated areas within SSEN’s north of Scotland licence area.
This region covers rural communities, villages, towns, and cities, from Dundee and Aberdeen to Argyll, the Highlands and all of Scotland’s islands.
The Scottish government’s acting cabinet secretary for net zero and energy, Gillian Martin MSP, said: “Decarbonising Scotland’s economy depends heavily on significant investment in the upkeep and futureproofing of our electricity system, so the network can meet the demand from users now and in the future.
“I welcome this substantial investment from SSEN Distribution in the north of Scotland, which will not only bring benefits for our workforce, our supply chains and our regional and national economies but also support our net zero targets.”
SSEN’s director of large capital delivery, Fraser Hood, said: “We’re proud to have signed agreements which will deliver massive improvements to local electricity networks in the north of Scotland.
“The transformative investment we’re making means we’re in the best-possible position to deliver an electricity system which will support sustainable economic growth, benefit the environment in the decades to come and create significant job opportunities during construction in communities across the north of Scotland.
“In selecting these five contract partners after a fair, open, and competitive tendering process, we’ve secured the ability to deliver our massive programme of investment efficiently and effectively.
“This transformation will ensure increased resilience, flexibility, and capacity for our 800,000 customers in the north of Scotland.”
He added: “The way these partnerships have been drawn up will mean we can reduce supply chain risks and secure the specialist skills we need to deliver effectively for our customers and communities.”