SSEN Transmission confirms intention to submit consent application for Kintore - Tealing 400kV overhead line project

• Project key to unlock homegrown low-carbon power, part of a wider programme of transmission upgrades across Great Britain required to support clean power and energy security targets

• Will deliver significant local and national economic benefits, including more than £22m of community benefit funding

• Notification of intention to submit consent application part of Scottish Government's new guidance for priority transmission applications and 52-week determination process

SSEN Transmission, the Perth-headquartered electricity transmission network owner for the north of Scotland, has today started the process of notifying key stakeholders of its intention to submit its Section 37 overhead line consent application by 5 September for the proposed 400kV overhead line project between Kintore in Aberdeenshire and Tealing in Angus.

The project is a key component of SSEN Transmission’s ‘Pathway to 2030’ investment programme, where it expects to invest at least £22bn in the period to March 2031. It is part of a wider renewal of the electricity transmission system across Great Britain that is required to enable the homegrown low-carbon electricity needed to deliver UK and Scottish clean power and energy security targets. The project need has been independently assessed and approved by the National Energy System Operator (NESO) and energy regulator, Ofgem.

The forthcoming submission of the Section 37 consent application to the Scottish Government’s Energy Consents Unit (ECU) will mark the culmination of a detailed development process since 2022, during which time SSEN Transmission has carried out one of the biggest public consultation exercises the north of Scotland has ever seen.

Forty consultation events and public meetings have taken place to help inform the development of the new proposed overhead line, which also includes two new substations at Fetteresso Forest (Hurlie) and Tealing (Emmock). Associated projects are the reconductoring of the existing overhead lines between Alyth in Perth & Kinross and Tealing, and between Tealing and Westfield in Fife, to upgrade them from 275kV to operate at 400kV.

Alongside the consideration of stakeholder feedback throughout the development phase, SSEN Transmission has also sought to balance key environmental, technical and economic considerations, in line with its regulatory licence and legislative obligations. This includes minimising impacts on various environmental constraints such as designations, and key cultural heritage assets along its route.

Minimising community impacts and seeking to avoid close proximity to residential properties has also been a key priority throughout the development phase.

In December 2023, following community and other stakeholder feedback, SSEN Transmission confirmed it was no longer progressing plans to develop a new substation at Fiddes in the Mearns, relocating this substation to a new site, Hurlie, in Fetteresso Forest, in close proximity to SSEN Transmission’s existing Fetteresso substation.

At the same time, the preferred route in two sections of the line, between Forfar and Brechin, and between the River Dee and Kintore, were changed in direct response to feedback received from the first consultation round.

Further rounds of consultation led to more changes being made to the overhead line alignments, including:

• New alignments developed around Drumoak and Echt, in Aberdeenshire;
• The progression of an alternative alignment around Schoolhill in Aberdeenshire;
• New alignments developed around Careston, in Angus.

All project changes have been made to reduce impacts to local communities and the environment and come as a direct result of constructive engagement with local communities, landowners and wider stakeholders.

Alison Hall, Director of Development for SSEN Transmission, said:
“The forthcoming submission of our consent application for the Kintore – Tealing 400kV overhead line project marks a key milestone in delivering UK and Scottish Government energy targets, unlocking the homegrown low-carbon electricity generation required to help deliver a cleaner, more secure and affordable electricity system for current and future generations.

“Investing to upgrade our electricity transmission network is also a major driver of jobs and economic activity locally and nationally, including our ambitious housing legacy commitments, community benefit funding proposals and workforce expansion plans, delivering a transformational and lasting legacy in the local communities we serve.

“Throughout the development of the project we have undertaken one of the most extensive public consultations the north of Scotland has even seen, and we would like to thank all stakeholders who have worked with our teams to provide constructive feedback which has been instrumental in helping shape our proposals.

“We now look forward to the Scottish Government’s timely determination of this critical national infrastructure development, in line with its new 52-week determination process for priority applications for electricity transmission infrastructure.”

Unlocking local benefits, supporting jobs and delivering economic growth

The proposed new Kintore – Tealing 400kV transmission line forms a key part of SSEN Transmission’s plans to invest at least £22bn in the period until March 2031, potentially rising to £31.7bn. It represents one of the largest ever private investment programmes in Scotland, and will act as a major driver of jobs and economic growth across the country.

Economic analysis, which has been independently peer reviewed by leading consultancy, BiGGAR Economics, forecast that, if delivered in full, the potential £31.7bn total investment could support up to 17,500 jobs in Scotland, including 8,400 in the north of Scotland.  It would also add up to £7bn in value to the Scottish economy, including £3bn in the north of Scotland.

Following the publication of the UK Government’s Community Benefit Guidance for new electricity transmission infrastructure, over £100m of community benefit funding is expected across the north of Scotland, with the approximately 106km  Kintore – Tealing overhead line project alone expected to deliver more than £21m of community benefit funding, and each substation along its route generating a further £530k, taking the total to more than £22m. In addition, the Alyth – Tealing and Tealing – Westfield reconductoring projects are together expected to generate an additional £10m of community benefit funding.

SSEN Transmission’s Pathway to 2030 programme is also expected to support the development of at least 1,000 new homes across the north of Scotland transmission area, creating a legacy in the communities that will host construction workers by delivering housing that will support local need once projects are completed.

Reflecting the significant expansion of the transmission network planned across the north of Scotland, SSEN Transmission continue to grow its workforce, which has increased from around 400 in 2019 to over 2,500 today. An operations warehouse in Dundee’s Claverhouse East Industrial Estate – a vital hub designed to bolster the resilience and efficiency of the north of Scotland's high-voltage electricity transmission network – is near completion, following the opening of a similar facility in Inverness in April.

Priority Applications for Transmission Infrastructure guidance

In line with the Scottish Government’s new guidance for priority applications for transmission infrastructure, which sets out a 52-week determination period, SSEN Transmission should notify key stakeholders ahead of the formal submission of the Section 37 consent application, which is expected to be submitted by 5 September.

Following processing by the Scottish Government, the detailed consent application and associated Environmental Impact Assessment will be published on both the Energy Consents Unit and SSEN Transmission websites, with paper copies available to review at key locations along its route.

Formal statutory notices will then be published in local and national media, setting out the locations where paper copies of the Section 37 application will be available to view, which will also be published on SSEN Transmission’s website and shared with stakeholders signed up for project updates.

The Scottish Government will then undertake a period of public consultation as part of its determination of this critical national infrastructure, with a consent decision expected within 52-weeks.