Hundreds of jobs to be created through £450m investment in Scotland's electricity network

Hundreds of jobs are set to be created through a £450 million programme of investment in the north of Scotland’s electricity network.

Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) has announced that it will improve nine sub-regions to increase the network’s resilience and reliability and create more than 300 jobs.

The investment will renew and reinforce SSEN’s existing network of wooden poles and overhead lines, update substations, and improve the underground network.

The impacted region covers rural communities, villages, towns, and cities, from Dundee and Aberdeen to Argyll, the Highlands, and all of Scotland’s islands.

SSEN said the investment will benefit the environment for decades to come and create job opportunities during construction.

“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 opportunitiess during construction in communities across the north of Scotland”, SSEN’s director of large capital delivery, Fraser Hood said.

“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.

“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.”

The Scottish Government’s acting cabinet secretary for net zero and energy, Gillian Martin MSP, added: “Decarbonising Scotland’s economy depends heavily on significant investment in the upkeep and futureproofing of our electricity system so that 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.” 