SSE Completes Overhead Line Project

SSE has announced the completion of a ten year project to develop a section of the Beauly-Denny overhead power line.

Over 1,500 people worked on designing and building 539 steel towers in a 200km section between Beauly and the Wharry Burn near Dunblane.

The new line reinforces the transmission network in the north of Scotland.

Key features of the project include:

• Over 20,000 tonnes of steel.

• 2,600km of aluminium conductor.

• 67,000 cubic meters of concrete.

• More than 4 million nuts and bolts.

• Installation and removal of 250km of access tracks.

• The construction of the transmission tower with the highest elevation in the UK, built at 2526ft above sea level on the Corrieyairack Pass.


The replacement Beauly-Denny line, developed in conjunction with principal contractor Balfour Beatty, is an important step in securing the future of Scotland's electricity network.

As a direct result of the Beauly-Denny project, 30 individual renewable developments across the north of Scotland will have progressed to completion, totalling over 700MW of new renewable generation.

The replacement line has been developed using a new steel lattice tower design which was designed and tested by Balfour Beatty to stand up to the Scottish elements.

In addition, as part of the project, SSE have invested over £100 million at five substation locations along the route of the replacement line.

It has developed two new substations at Braco and Tummel Bridge and significantly improved existing substations at Beauly, Fasnakyle and Fort Augustus.

SSE has said it is 'well advanced' with the dismantling and reinstatement of the original 132kV line and expects this package of works to be completed during 2016.

Construction teams are also working to finalise the remaining wirescape rationalisation projects at Beauly and in the Cairngorms National Park, we expect these to be completed in early 2016.

The 220km Beauly-Denny 400kV overhead line is programmed to be fully energised between Beauly and Denny during November 2015 once Scottish Power Transmission has completed its section of the line.

(LM)