Latest news with #NicolaConnelly
Business News Wales
3 days ago
- Business
- Business News Wales
SP Energy Networks Contract Extensions Deliver £220M Distribution Investment
Leading distribution network operator, SP Energy Networks, is set to invest more than £220 million to help deliver the electricity grid and support the workforce of the future after it extended its overhead line contracts with key service partners. Six companies will continue to work with the business over the next four years to maintain and upgrade more than 20,000km of overhead lines across the network, helping SP Energy Networks (SPEN) deliver on the commitments in its Electricity Distribution (ED) 2 business plan, which covers the years 2023-2028, while getting ready for ED3. Securing these contracts gives a welcome boost to the overhead line supply chain and its in-demand resources. This will support more than 500 jobs – including 50-plus new linesmen jobs – across the country, with the companies based in and around SPEN's Scotland and Manweb licence areas, ensuring ready access to the technical skills and resources needed. The partner companies are: Scottish-based Aureos, Gaeltec and PLPC, which will support the six licence districts in central and southern Scotland (Ayrshire & Clyde South, Central & Fife, Dumfries & Galloway, Edinburgh & Borders, Glasgow & Clyde North, Lanarkshire). Emerald Power, IES and Network Plus – all based in the north-west of England – which will support the licence districts in Mid-Cheshire, Merseyside, Dee Valley and Mid Wales, Wirral and North Wales. Nicola Connelly, SPEN CEO, said: 'Ensuring we have the partners, resources and technical skills in place to deliver on our bold and ambitious plans for our network is vital for the modern and resilient grid needed to support the doubling of demand. 'These contracts not only support significant investment in our overhead line network, they allow us to build on the solid foundations created with our supply chain partners and give certainty and confidence to further invest in their skills and people. It's a win-win on both sides and we look forward to working together to make a long and lasting difference for all our communities – from Anstruther to Anglesey.' Iain Thomson, Head of Distribution at Aureos, said: 'This contract reflects the mutual respect and trust we have with SPEN and will help bring new resources into the industry. We have invested heavily in recruiting local trainees and will continue to upskill our existing staff while increasing trainee intakes to deliver on SPEN's investment programme – continuing to grow our business in Scotland.' Adrian Rowley, Head of Contracts for Emerald Power, said: 'This is an extremely significant milestone for Emerald Power and provides the opportunity to further invest in our business –recruiting, training and upskilling the resources needed to deliver for SPEN's customers. Sharing the modern apprenticeship course at Bangor's Coleg Menai with other service partners and SP Energy Networks is a key element of this and enables a fantastic opportunity for anyone across the communities we serve to have a very fulfilling and rewarding career working on the network.' Daniel Rodrigues, Managing Director, Gaeltec Utilities UK Ltd, said: 'We are delighted to have successfully extended our contract with SPEN for overhead line works in its Ayrshire and Lanarkshire districts. This is great news for both Gaeltec and our employees, giving certainty looking ahead and creating confidence to grow our investment in our business and our people. 'On the back of this, we are pleased to confirm our continued local recruitment of trainee linesmen, with the latest intake underway.' Conor O'Neill, Executive Director, IES Utilities Group, said: 'Following SPEN's announcement of the overhead line contract extensions, IES Utilities Group is pleased to continue playing a key role in supporting the delivery of critical network infrastructure. We welcome the opportunity to build on the strong foundations we have now in place. This extension is a testament to the collaborative efforts and shared commitment between SPEN and IES Utilities Group. We're proud to continue delivering high-quality overhead line solutions that help strengthen the resilience and reliability of the electricity network for communities across the Manweb region.' Dale Harrison Managing Director at PLPC said: 'PLPC are proud to extend our partnership with SPEN for a further four years. This contract demonstrates a significant commitment from SPEN to our industry and enables a long-term and collaborative approach to meeting the current skills gaps within the market. PLPC has worked continually for SPEN for over 50 years and we're well placed to further develop our local workforce, which will continue to deliver the critical infrastructure upgrades to the network as we progress towards net zero.' Dave Prescott, Network Plus Managing Director, said: 'This four-year contract extension is a fantastic achievement for Network Plus and a testament to the hard work of everybody who has worked on the overhead line contract with SPEN. We are a proud and long-standing overhead line partner of SPEN, with our relationship going back to 2018. We now look forward to four more years delivering excellence to SPEN customers and investing in the recruitment of locally-sourced overhead line apprentices and trainees as we continue to meet SPEN's increased network investment.'
The Herald Scotland
30-04-2025
- Automotive
- The Herald Scotland
Upgrades to lead the charge on cleaner and cheaper energy in Scotland
E lectricity powers nearly every aspect of modern life, with a recent National Grid poll revealing the average UK home uses no fewer than 13 electrical devices. This, with the inexorably rising uptake in electric cars and heat pumps, means national demand is expected to double by 2050. To meet growing consumer requirements and enable a clean power future, the renewable energy industry is mapping out where new generation sources are developed, alongside identifying growing demand areas, such as data centres and industrial zones. However, ultimately none of this can work without a strong transmission infrastructure. That's why the mantra 'there's no transition without transmission' is now driving the largest electricity grid investment since its original construction in the early Twentieth Century. 'If you think about the rationale behind why the electricity transmission network was built – and the demand – it's certainly a very different picture now. The generation picture is also very different. Back in the day it was dominated by coal, nuclear and gas-fired stations,' says Nicola Connelly. As CEO of SP Energy Networks Nicola Connelly leads all transmission activity for central and southern Scotland and, as the second largest distribution operator in Great Britain, is responsible for ensuring 12 million homes and businesses benefit from a safe, secure and resilient network. She notes: 'Now we have offshore and onshore windfarms and we have growth in solar production and battery storage, we have a lot more distributed generation coming from different places and really big demand centres in different pockets of the country. 'If you think about wind, in particular, a lot of the generation is in Scotland, however you have a huge amount of demand in the south of England. 'So we need to build super highways to get the electricity to where it's needed. 'That's really what is driving the huge investment in the grid. And this is all part of that energy transition and the drive towards clean power in 2030 and beyond.' Collectively, the UK's three transmission owners are already preparing for an £80 billion investment as part of the upcoming price control period starting in April 2026. Each operator has submitted initial business plans to Ofgem detailing required infrastructure upgrades. 'For us the investment is around £11bn. Right across the country we're going to be either upgrading and replacing old circuits or building brand new ones to make sure we can connect the new renewable energy and we can get access to that from a demand perspective. 'However, it goes beyond that: our investment will also drive economic growth and create jobs. We will be directly employing about 1400 additional staff and supporting another 11,000 more jobs across the UK, as we head into T3. 'The other transmission owners will be in a similar position so you have that wider impact, which will also boost the wider supply chain. "We've been speaking to a lot of our suppliers and giving them insight into what that order book looks like so they can invest in their workforce and think about what that growth actually means for them. 'So it's a massive boost from an economic perspective as well as driving that transition.' (Image: CEO of SP Energy Networks Nicola Connelly leads transmission network activity) Energy security is another major impetus for much needed change. The war in Ukraine exposed vulnerabilities in global energy supply chains, especially gas imports from Europe. By increasing domestic generation capacity, it's hoped the UK can reduce its dependency on foreign energy and shield consumers from volatile global prices. 'The more we can disconnect from that and have generation within the UK and have a bit more control of it, we will drive down prices for consumers in the short to medium term,' says Connelly. Another potential positive impact will be on constraint costs – the payments made to wind farms to curtail generation when the grid can't handle the power. 'These costs ultimately impact customers. So, if we can build out the grid and create super-highways, with vast sub-sea cables on the east and west coast of Scotland and down into England and Wales, it means you don't have that constraint and can get energy to where it's needed. 'This means the constraint cost doesn't hit customer bills and they save money.' Community involvement also plays a vital role in the enhancement of infrastructure. With transmission projects often affecting local areas most, SP Energy Networks is proactively engaging with communities to minimise disruption and deliver lasting benefits. 'We spend a lot of time talking to local communities and educating them on why we're doing it and working with them to look at alternative solutions and do as much as we can to mitigate the impact,' says Connelly. 'The UK Government and Ofgem recently announced the UK community benefit funding. We estimate that we will have in the region of over £100m to distribute to our communities. 'That's really helpful. There's a really good example of that in our big sub-sea cable project (Eastern Green Link 1), which is a joint venture with National Grid. 'We announced an £8m fund split between north and south communities and we've been working with them about how we would spend that. 'We are supporting local communities through capacity building workshops and activities to help them strategically identify what their area needs.' With many consumers still unaware of the rationale for a massive infrastructure effort and the link between new pylons and cheaper, greener power, public education remains a key gap. To address this, a transmission owners media campaign through the Energy Networks Association aims to better inform the public about why improved infrastructure is necessary and how it supports the UK's broader climate and energy goals. 'Ultimately, it's about making sure we're future-proofing the grid,' notes Connelly, 'and building it out in a way that we're thinking about what that demand is going to look like in 2050 and where generation might be. So we need to also be thinking about technology and flexibility.' This makes upskilling the workforce essential, especially to support long-term employment in emerging sectors, and so the sector is partnering with education providers and industry bodies such as EU Skills to develop training initiatives that align with evolving technology needs. This includes STEM education and technical training for next-generation grid technologies such as High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) systems. 'We've been working right across the sector and with EU skills and looking at how we can bring together the industry and our wider supply chain to develop training. 'A good example is our Dealain House training school in Cumbernauld. 'We're planning to revitalise it in order to establish a world-leading energy training and research campus, leveraging its unique co-location with the Power Networks Demonstration Centre (PNDC) and the National HVDC Centre. 'This will energise our decarbonisation economy and produce a pipeline of energy innovation and training that could be used to address global climate change challenges. 'However, it's not only about the engineering resource because a lot of the people we're looking to employ will be site managers, construction workers, project managers, lawyers, accountants – that's a whole range of skills we're actually growing within the industry and the wider supply chain to support economic growth, which is great news for the country.' Connelly believes such investment not only in infrastructure but in skills will allow the UK to become a powerhouse from an industrial perspective. 'Because you're bringing those skills in, you're bringing in long-term jobs. We're very focused on 2030 because of the Government's clean power mission but a lot of our projects go way beyond that. 'The grid we are building is for the next generation and for the generation after that!' --------------------------------------------------- Partnership to deliver electricity superhighway WORK has begun on Eastern Green Link 1 (EGL1), a major subsea electricity project designed to expand the power grid and support regional development. A joint venture between SP Energy Networks and National Grid Electricity Transmission, it will transport enough green electricity to power around two million homes through a 190km high-voltage direct current (HVDC) cable beneath the North Sea. (Image: National Grid's Carl Trowell SP Energy Networks CEO Nicola Connelly and MSP Paul McLennan) The £2.5 billion project will see the cable run between Torness in East Lothian and Hawthorn Pit in County Durham. At both landfall points, converter stations will be built to switch electricity between direct current (DC) and alternating current (AC), enabling more efficient transmission over long distances. EGL1 builds on the success of the Western Link, another HVDC subsea interconnector jointly delivered by SP Transmission and National Grid Electricity Transmission. The £1.2 billion initiative spans approximately 420km, including 385km undersea, linking Hunterston on Scotland's west coast to Flintshire Bridge on the Wales-England border. It is the world's highest-capacity single subsea electricity link and was the first bi-directional subsea interconnector, allowing electricity to flow in both directions. Planning is also underway for Eastern Green Link 4 (EGL4), a second east coast HVDC link that will provide an invaluable connection spanning 500km.
The Independent
30-01-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Power restored to all properties in Scotland after Storm Eowyn
Your support helps us to tell the story Read more Support Now From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging. At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story. The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it. Your support makes all the difference. Read more All properties in Scotland left without electricity following Storm Eowyn six days ago have now been reconnected, power companies have said. Almost 300,000 customers were left without power after the storm swept in on January 24, wreaking significant damage, with gusts of up to 100mph. More than 206,000 SP Energy Networks customers across central and southern Scotland were among those affected and around 700 engineers were deployed across the network to carry out repairs. The company said most were back on supply within the first 24 hours and the remaining properties were reconnected in the very early hours of Thursday. Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) Distribution said late on Wednesday evening that all 92,000 of its customers whose supplies were interrupted had been reconnected. The storm, which claimed one life north of the border, caused significant damage to infrastructure on the rail network, which led to many route closures. The Girvan to Stranraer route remained shut on Thursday, with Network Rail Scotland continuing work to clear it. SP Energy Networks said the storm caused the worst damage the network has ever seen and repairs had been 'complex and challenging'. Its chief executive Nicola Connelly said: 'This has been a truly colossal task, with our teams pulling out all the stops – and making use of every possible resource at our disposal as well as drafting in people and resources from across the country – with that singular aim of getting all our customers affected by the storm back on supply as quickly and safely as possible. 'It's been complex and challenging, but our teams stayed focused and persevered until we achieved just that – helped massively by the patience, resilience and understanding of our customers. 'We know it's been difficult and you were always at the heart of the tremendous team effort made right across our business, so thank-you for your support. 'For us though, the work continues, and our teams are out there – and will be for some time – completing permanent repairs across the network and fixing the last of the damage caused by Storm Eowyn.' Customers without power for more than 48 hours are entitled to automatic compensation, with increased payments for those affected the most. Andy Smith, SSEN Distribution's director of customer operations for the north of Scotland, said: 'Eowyn was an exceptional storm which required an exceptional response from us. 'More than 1,000 people have been working hard since the storm first hit to reconnect homes and support customers, while a huge volume of network reconstruction has been done in challenging conditions. 'I want to say thank-you to everyone who's played their part in this response, both from our own teams and also those of our contract partners and fellow network operators who came to support us. 'Now the restoration work's drawn to a close, I'd particularly like to thank all 92,000 customers whose supplies were interrupted for their patience and understanding while we've worked to rebuild the network as safely and as quickly as we could. 'I remind those who lost power to look at the compensation that's available and to make a claim for reimbursement if they qualify.' The weather warnings in place during Storm Eowyn included a red 'danger to life' alert between 10am and 5pm last Friday, which covered the central belt and Dumfries and Galloway and stretched north on the west coast to Jura in Argyll and Bute. Calum Carmichael, 19, from New Cumnock, East Ayrshire, died after his car was hit by a falling tree in nearby Mauchline at about 6.45am on Friday before the red weather warning came into force. He was taken to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow and died on Saturday, police said.
Yahoo
30-01-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Power restored to all properties in Scotland after Storm Eowyn
All properties in Scotland left without electricity following Storm Eowyn six days ago have now been reconnected, power companies have said. Almost 300,000 customers were left without power after the storm swept in on January 24, wreaking significant damage, with gusts of up to 100mph. More than 206,000 SP Energy Networks customers across central and southern Scotland were among those affected and around 700 engineers were deployed across the network to carry out repairs. The company said most were back on supply within the first 24 hours and the remaining properties were reconnected in the very early hours of Thursday. Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) Distribution said late on Wednesday evening that all 92,000 of its customers whose supplies were interrupted had been reconnected. The storm, which claimed one life north of the border, caused significant damage to infrastructure on the rail network, which led to many route closures. The Girvan to Stranraer route remained shut on Thursday, with Network Rail Scotland continuing work to clear it. SP Energy Networks said the storm caused the worst damage the network has ever seen and repairs had been 'complex and challenging'. Its chief executive Nicola Connelly said: 'This has been a truly colossal task, with our teams pulling out all the stops – and making use of every possible resource at our disposal as well as drafting in people and resources from across the country – with that singular aim of getting all our customers affected by the storm back on supply as quickly and safely as possible. While carrying out final checks on the Girvan-Stranraer route, we found a damaged Scottish Power high-voltage route, which needs fixed before the line can open. Unfortunately, it's unlikely that will be today, but we'll share more soon. @networkrail @transcotland @ScotRail — Network Rail Scotland (@NetworkRailSCOT) January 30, 2025 'It's been complex and challenging, but our teams stayed focused and persevered until we achieved just that – helped massively by the patience, resilience and understanding of our customers. 'We know it's been difficult and you were always at the heart of the tremendous team effort made right across our business, so thank-you for your support. 'For us though, the work continues, and our teams are out there – and will be for some time – completing permanent repairs across the network and fixing the last of the damage caused by Storm Eowyn.' Customers without power for more than 48 hours are entitled to automatic compensation, with increased payments for those affected the most. Andy Smith, SSEN Distribution's director of customer operations for the north of Scotland, said: 'Eowyn was an exceptional storm which required an exceptional response from us. 'More than 1,000 people have been working hard since the storm first hit to reconnect homes and support customers, while a huge volume of network reconstruction has been done in challenging conditions. 'I want to say thank-you to everyone who's played their part in this response, both from our own teams and also those of our contract partners and fellow network operators who came to support us. 'Now the restoration work's drawn to a close, I'd particularly like to thank all 92,000 customers whose supplies were interrupted for their patience and understanding while we've worked to rebuild the network as safely and as quickly as we could. 'I remind those who lost power to look at the compensation that's available and to make a claim for reimbursement if they qualify.' The weather warnings in place during Storm Eowyn included a red 'danger to life' alert between 10am and 5pm last Friday, which covered the central belt and Dumfries and Galloway and stretched north on the west coast to Jura in Argyll and Bute. Calum Carmichael, 19, from New Cumnock, East Ayrshire, died after his car was hit by a falling tree in nearby Mauchline at about 6.45am on Friday before the red weather warning came into force. He was taken to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow and died on Saturday, police said.
