SSE wins legal fight to claim £130m

AN energy firm has won a legal battle to pursue a £130 million claim against a contractor after a tunnel collapse halted generation at a new hydro-electric scheme.

The renewable electricity company SSE Generation launched the compensation claim against Hochtief Solutions and Hochtief (UK) Constructions following problems at the Glendoe site near Fort Augustus in the Highlands.

SSE is seeking to recover £130m which it claims is the loss it sustained because of the collapse in 2009. It has also made an alternative claim for £102m.

Hochtief is counterclaiming for almost £10m in the action at the Court of Session in Edinburgh over the profit it would have made if it carried out the remedial works along with the cost of investigating the collapse.

Another contractor was brought in in 2010 to carry out work following the collapse, which lasted two years.

Hochtief had maintained that SSE was barred from bringing the proceedings and should have made a claim on a joint-names insurance policy. It also argued that some parts of the claim should be deleted ahead of an evidential hearing in the action.

But a judge held in a decision issued yesterday that SSE was not barred from bringing any part of the case.

Lord Woolman concluded that the provision for joint names insurance did not displace liability under an engineering and construction contract.

The judge said: “There is no irrebuttable presumption that they have no liability to one another simply because a joint-names policy is in place.” HEAVY-HORSE fan Becca Donaldson helps ensure the National Museum of Rural Life’s Clydesdale horse Mairi is looking her best ahead of a major event that is dedicated to the versatile breed.

Dozens of the giants of the equine world will be on display when the centre in East Kilbride holds it annual Heavy Horse Show.

More than 100 horses will be on show, ranging from majestic Clydesdales and hardy Highland ponies to tiny Shetlands and a number of donkeys.

The Clydesdale is a symbol of Lanarkshire and was originally bred to help with agriculture and coal haulage.

There will also be carriage riding contests and a Ridden Clydesdale class.

Visitors to the family-friendly event will have the opportunity to ride one of four beautiful Clydesdale horses from Ayrshire.