The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Transformer delivered to substation for £1.1bn project
Tight squeeze getting 170-tonne kit through Thurso streets
One of four heavy transformers for an electricity substation in Caithness was delivered yesterday.
The substation, part of the £1.1billion Caithness to Moray Project, will transmit electricity from renewable energy schemes.
A large part of the project involves laying a subsea cable from Noss in Caithness to Portgordon in Moray.
Yesterday, the second 170-tonne transformer
“The four heavy transformers will play a key role in the network”
was moved by road from Scrabster to SSE’s Spittal substation at Achanarras.
The pieces of kit, which were shipped from Sweden, will all finally be in place by June 5.
The transformers are being loaded on to multi-axle trailers by specialist haulier Allelys, working on behalf of Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) and its lead contractor ABB.
Police are helping to guide and supervise the complex delivery operations.
SSEN project manager Brian Wilson said: “Every stage in the journey of these transformers has been carefully planned, going back to the earliest stages of developing plans for the new substation. Once they arrive and are installed on site, they are expected to play a key role in the network for decades to come.
“Our team will be working alongside our specialist haulier, the roads authorities and the police to make sure each delivery can be completed smoothly, safely and with minimum disruption to other traffic. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the local community for their patience and understanding while construction work and local road improvements have been progressing.”
Spittal represents the largest investment in the north of Scotland’s electricity network since the hydro development era of the 1950s and is the largest capital investment project undertaken by the SSE Group to date.
The remaining transformers are expected to leave the port of Scrabster at 9.30am on May 31 and June 5, with times subject to change at the last minute. The delivery route passes through Thurso before rejoining the A9.