Energy / No longer feasible to install cabling solely in roads, SSEN says
SSEN says it is no longer technically feasible to install cabling solely in public roads for part of its Shetland North reinforcement project.
Instead some “small sections” of the route between Sullom Voe and Lerwick will have to have power cables installed off-road.
A key change was that cabling would be solely installed along public roads, instead of a mix of both in the road and off-road.
SSEN said this would have removed the requirement for the creation of off-road access tracks.
A spokesperson for SSEN Distribution told Shetland News that at the time of its press release last November, and subsequent public engagement sessions in February, “it was our intention for the new underground cable to be installed solely in the public highways”.
“Since then, we’ve encountered isolated pockets along the route where it’d not be feasible for the cable to go in the road,” they said.
“In these small sections of the overall route, we’ve reverted to the original off-road siting or other suitable alternatives.
“Our work in the public highways remains on track for completion by the end of this year.”
SSEN said the project, which got under way last year, will “increase network capacity, thus supporting the installation of low carbon technologies such as heat pumps and EV chargers in customers’ homes”.
The North Mainland Reinforcement project will also enable Sullom Voe Terminal, which has its own gas-fired power station, to take electricity from the grid.
A major part of the project is the installation of two new 43km underground cables between Sullom Voe and Gremista in Lerwick.
This has caused significant disruption on roads to the North Mainland for a number of months, including the closure of the Dales Lees road and a series of traffic light set-ups in the Kames as workers install cabling in the carriageway.
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