Latest news with #SSENTransmission
The National
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The National
SSEN announced as major sponsor for HebCelt Festival 2025
The agreement forms part of the electricity transmission network operator's commitment to supporting local communities across the Highlands and islands as part of its £20 billion investment to upgrade the high-voltage transmission network in the north of Scotland. As part of the partnership, SSEN Transmission will have a strong presence at this year's festival, which takes place in and around Stornoway in Lewis from June 16-19. It will be headlined by Skerryvore, Tide Lines and Lulu. Other acts on the bill include Eddi Reader, Nina Nesbitt, Kassidy, Beluga Lagoon, Trail West, Laura Silverstone, Josie Duncan, The Tumbling Souls, and Donnie Dòtaman. READ MORE: My holiday in the Highlands was great, but staff shortages are evident Festival-goers will be able to visit SSEN Transmission's information and fan hub on Castle Green, where the team will be on hand to talk about major infrastructure projects, including plans for the 'Lewis Hub' a proposed new substation and converter station that is a key part of its Western Isles Connection Project. The project will see the installation of a subsea HVDC transmission cable that will connect Lewis to the GB electricity grid for the first time. HebCelt festival operations co-ordinator Carol Ferguson, said: 'SSEN Transmission's commitment to our community is incredibly welcome and aligns perfectly with HebCelt's ethos. 'Their recognition of the value of live music and the cultural heartbeat of our islands is something we deeply appreciate." Colin Bell, SSEN Transmission's lead project manager for the Lewis Hub project, said: 'We are delighted to sponsor the HebCelt Festival and lend our support to this much-loved and hugely popular highlight in the cultural calendar of the islands.' 'We're looking forward to engaging with people at this year's festival, and sharing the enjoyment of what promises to be another entertaining event drawing visitors from across the world.' Last year's HebCelt drew more than 17,800 attendees, with the average visitor staying for eight days in Lewis and Harris. According to post-event research, 67% of festival-goers cited HebCelt as the primary reason for their trip, highlighting its pivotal role in the local economy. Thanks to a three-year funding package from Creative Scotland, HebCelt is now looking ahead to its milestone 30th anniversary in 2027 and is looking for other high-calibre sponsorship partners.
The Courier
16-05-2025
- Business
- The Courier
Courier Business Awards 2025: Innovation and Technology
Entries are now open for The Courier Business Awards 2025 Innovation and Technology category. The Courier Business Awards, held in partnership with Henderson Loggie, celebrates the achievements of companies operating in Tayside, Fife and Stirling. Since the awards started more than a decade ago, we've heard about the exceptional service offered, innovative products and solutions brought to the market and remarkable growth stories. Entries are now open – we can't wait to hear more about your accomplishments over the past 12 months. Winning a hotly contested Courier Business Award is a fantastic achievement for any business. It means a winning company is a leader in its sector and can be used to promote its products and services. It is also a boost for staff to know the work they do has been recognised. Our winners will be announced at a black-tie awards ceremony held at the Apex City Quay Hotel in Dundee this October, which brings together hundreds of business leaders for a night to remember. Entering is simple and free. We'd love to hear about your business. The Innovation and Technology category is sponsored by SSEN Transmission. This award is open to companies who put innovation and/or technology at the heart of their business. This could take the form of changes to systems, adopting or developing new products or services or a creative use of technology. It is also open to businesses who build bespoke platforms/technology solutions for themselves or customers. Winner will demonstrate: Entries close at 5pm on Monday July 14. Click here to enter the Courier Business Awards 2025 Innovation and Technology category. Thank you to SSEN Transmission for sponsoring the Innovation and Technology category at the Courier Business Awards 2025. SSEN Transmission is responsible for the electricity transmission network in the north of Scotland, maintaining and investing in the high voltage electricity transmission network. Its network consists of underground and subsea cables, overhead lines on wooden poles or steel towers, and electricity substations. It extends over a quarter of the UK's land mass, crossing some of its most challenging terrain. SSEN Transmission is investing over £20 billion to upgrade the network infrastructure across its region between now and 2030 as it gets ready to play a leading role in the clean energy transition. A spokesperson for SSEN Transmission said: 'SSEN Transmission are proud to support the Courier Business Awards and sponsor the Innovation and Technology category, celebrating the trailblazers shaping the future.'
Scotsman
13-05-2025
- Business
- Scotsman
£20bn investment in delivery of clean, homegrown energy from offshore wind farms across Scotland
© Stuart Nicol Photography 2024 Scotland is the UK's powerhouse for green energy, and this is why investments today will be the driving force for a stronger tomorrow. Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... For decades, the Highlands and Islands has played a key role in supporting Scotland's emergence as a leader in clean energy, with hydro power kicking off decades of growth that brought reliable power to many remote communities for the first time, as well as economic benefits in the form of jobs and investment. Now, once more, the region takes centre stage as the location for several major projects that come as part of SSEN (Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks) Transmission's £20bn investment to upgrade the high-voltage transmission network in the north of Scotland, delivering clean, homegrown energy from offshore wind farms to homes, businesses and critical industries across the UK. This mix of substations, onshore overhead lines and subsea cables will be crucial in achieving national clean energy and energy security ambitions, but it also offers a huge economic opportunity to the Highlands and Islands that is every bit as significant as the advent of hydro power all those decades ago. Fort Augustus | Supplied Net zero helping level up the economy While the UK economy as a whole is relatively sluggish, the net zero economy grew by over 10% in 2024 according to the CBI, which reports* that in Scotland alone, the net zero economy contributes £9.1 billion (about 4.9% of the country's total GVA) and supports over 100,000 full-time jobs – with nearly 1 in 25 Scottish workers employed in a net zero-related role. This distribution of green jobs and investment across the UK, typically in nations and regions beyond London means it has a major role to play levelling up the economy, and the positive impact of SSEN Transmission's investment is already in evidence through projects such as Sumitomo's new cable manufacturing facility in Nigg, which will supply cable for the proposed Shetland 2 subsea HVDC Link. Construction on the £350m facility is now well under way and Sumitomo has sought to involve the local supply chain in as many aspects of the project works as possible, with over half the construction spend in Scotland. The facility will provide employment for 150 workers, with knock-on effects expected to increase the number of indirect employment opportunities by at least double the full-time employee count. Creating job opportunities Meanwhile, SSEN Transmission's plans for new onshore substation and overhead line projects will also see the delivery of new local depots across the region that will play a key role in maintaining network resilience while offering skilled job opportunities. Last month saw the official opening of a cutting-edge £17 million operations warehouse in Inverness, a vital new hub designed to bolster the resilience and efficiency of the north of Scotland's high-voltage electricity transmission network. Built by Beauly-based Global Infrastructure (Scotland) Ltd, the project has engaged over 20 subcontractors – in total, around 350 individuals played their part in construction with a peak workforce of around 90 people per shift on site. In total, SSEN's current 'Pathway to 2030' programme of investment is expected to deliver £6.2bn GVA to the UK economy, £2.5bn of which will be in Scotland, supporting 20,000 jobs across the supply chain, including 9,000 in Scotland - but it's not only in terms of jobs that the economic benefits will be felt. Supplied Investing in communities Community benefit funding is also set to play a key role, and the launch of SSEN Transmission's first ever Regional Community Benefit Fund has already delivered nearly £1m of funding to projects in Highlands, including £352,000 to UHI Inverness to create a Sustainable Construction Centre delivering high-quality training to address skills shortages across the region. With community benefit funding connected to new transmission projects expected to deliver more than £100m in the north of Scotland, this represents a substantial boost for local communities who also stand to benefit from additional funding from projects connecting to new transmission infrastructure. Another key part of SSEN Transmission's approach is its pledge to support the delivery of 1,000 new homes across the north of Scotland, including 400 in the Highlands, that will initially host its workforce but support local need when the projects are completed. Much like the homes for those who manned Scotland's original hydro schemes, these properties will deliver a positive legacy to local communities in the Highlands and Islands, directly addressing the shortage of affordable housing in the region. Secure power for generations is within reach
BBC News
25-02-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Strathpeffer protest against route of upgraded powerline
A protest has been held against the planned route of an upgraded electricity power line in the 30 people held a demonstration during a consultation event in Strathpeffer by energy firm SSEN Transmission on Transmission said the upgrade was needed for connecting power generated by renewable schemes in the north of Scotland with consumers across the campaign group Strathpeffer and Contin Better Cable Route claimed the firm had not listened to its concerns. SSEN Transmission plans to upgrade an overhead line near Spittal in Caithness to near Beauly, about 12 miles (19km) west of total length of the line is about 106 miles (170km) and it would be carried by steel towers of an average height of about 57m (187ft). The campaign's Dan Bailey said the proposed route would take the line through woodland at Contin and near the historic village of said: "We have been trying to engage constructively with this company as a community for the last two years to come up with a solution to routing in an area that would be acceptable to more people."It seems that has fallen on deaf ears."They could hardly have chosen a worse route." An SSEN Transmission spokesperson said the upgrade would help to deliver clean power and improve energy security.A spokesperson said: "These projects will also alleviate grid constraints and be the catalyst for economic growth across the north of Scotland, adding billions of value to the economy and supporting tens of thousands of jobs."The need for these projects has been independently assessed and recommended by the National Energy System Operator, have been approved by the independent energy regulator, Ofgem, and fully endorsed by the UK government as part of its Clean Power Action Plan."
