Five companies; OCU Utility Services Ltd, Clancy Ltd, Freedom Group Ltd, Macaulay Askernish Ltd and Brush Group (which includes KUS Power Engineering and McGowan Group) will between them lead the delivery of upgrades in nine allocated areas within the north of Scotland network licence area.

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

The investment will see SSEN’s existing network of wooden poles and overhead lines renewed and reinforced, substations updated, and improvements made to the underground network. The distribution network takes electricity on the final part of its journey into homes and businesses, so it’s a critical link to allow people to connect both existing devices – and new technologies like EV chargers, solar panels and heat pumps – to the network.

The work of the delivery partners will support the realisation of SSEN’s RIIO-ED2 commitments, help drive the delivery of SSE Group’s Net Zero Acceleration Programme Plus (NZAP+) targets, and play a critical role in delivering the holistic benefits the move to net zero will provide communities.

These types of frameworks agreed with partners will allow us to plan work in a more effective and efficient way, completing upgrades, connections and asset replacement at the same time, and ultimately reducing the impact on customers by working on the network as efficiently as possible.  

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

SSEN’s director of large capital delivery, Fraser Hood, added: “We’re proud to have signed agreements which will deliver massive improvements to local electricity networks in the north of Scotland. 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 opportunities during construction in communities across the north of Scotland.

“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 help deliver decarbonisation effectively for our customers and communities.”