In advance of a phased return to full construction activity which will begin next week, we have today published the attached update on our project website to help address some of the common queries that have been raised regarding the continuation of the Inveraray-Port Ann transmission project (part of the wider Inverary-Crossaig transmission line replacement project). This full update can be viewed on the Project Overview section, or is available to download from the 'Project documentation' tab.

As transmission network operator in the north of Scotland, we play a vital role in powering the country, providing a safe and reliable supply of electricity at local, regional and national level, on which the people and organisations whose work is critical to the Coronavirus response depend. Our employees are working 24/7 to keep the network running, providing an essential service transporting energy to where it is needed. Working in some of the remotest parts of the UK, our employees and supporting contractors need to be able to move around the UK to ensure this work continues. SSEN Transmission is collaborating on a daily basis with government authorities across the UK. In the absence of specific guidance and with companies understandably expected to use their judgement on what is critical, SSE is currently deeming critical activity to relate to that which is: • Essential to the safe and reliable supply of electricity in the medium term, which includes meeting our regulatory obligations until the end of the coming winter. • Protecting the public – through the provision of electricity • Directly supporting organisations critical to the Coronavirus response and SSE’s own Coronavirus response. • Providing support for vulnerable customers In conducting its critical work, there will be the need to be active on certain construction sites, such as Inveraray to Crossaig, where it fits the criteria above and SSEN Transmission will continue to engage constructively with all relevant authorities, adapting our advice in line with what is clearly an evolving situation. The set of works under way right now in Argyll and Bute are part of an urgent programme of rebuilding the line to ensure continued security of supply, whilst also making provision for generation growth. We are reviewing the situation locally to ensure our contract partners are particularly sensitive to the needs and concerns of the communities that we serve. We are ensuring we apply the necessary mitigation with our safety guidelines and that all appropriate measures are being taken. Our operatives are working in challenging circumstances in the recognition of the importance of the works and the benefits to the local community. We continue to encourage careful consideration regarding the use of community facilities by all employees involved in performing our critical works in Lochgilphead and surrounding area.

Throughout construction of the Inveraray – Crossaig project, our project team and contractors endeavour to limit our impact to the local public and wherever possible, are utilising existing forestry access routes to avoid increased construction traffic on public roads. In areas such as Achnabreac however, where there are popular recreational walking paths and mountain bike routes adjacent to forestry roads, increased consideration to public safety must be undertaken. Therefore, whilst we are delighted to announce we are able to retain full access to Forestry and Land Scotland’s (FLS) 3 public walking trails at Achnabreac, in consultation with FLS the decision has however been made to close the adjacent Firetower Trail for the first half of 2020. There will be safety signage implemented at the area and we thank recreational users in advance for adhering to this signage and apologise for any inconvenience caused. Alternative thrilling mountain bike trails to be explored whilst the Firetower Trail is closed can be found on the Forestry and Land Scotland Website.

Our construction contractors Balfour Beatty have gotten into the festive spirit early this year, assisting Inveraray Community Council with their annual festive light event. The community council were in need of a cherry picker and operator for the task, and after contacting the SSEN Transmission Inveraray - Crossaig team for help, Stan Payne from our contractor Balfour Beatty volunteered to lend a hand in ensuring the lights went up in advance of their parade this Saturday, much to the thanks of the local community.

Forestry works for the Inveraray - Crossaig project have recently commenced. The works include timber harvesting, extraction of timber lengths and stacking of timber adjacent to the forest road between Inveraray and Lochgilphead, loading of timber and transportation by timber lorry, road building and mulching operations. Scottish Woodlands Utilities have been contracted to conduct all forestry operations on our behalf. There will be advance warning signage on approach to the work sites and additional signage on approach to the timber to provide notification on approach to their work area and their timber stacks. We thank local forestry road users for their cooperation whilst we carry out these essential works.

Pre-construction works for our Inveraray – Crossaig project are due to commence this month. We’re focused on keeping disruption in the area to a minimum and will therefore be diverting a lot of our construction traffic through access tracks. We will however need to widen some bell-mouth junctions around the A83, A819 and Old Military Road for access to these tracks and will be required to install some temporary traffic lights whilst we do so. Temporary traffic lights on the entrance to Inveraray from these roads will be phased between: 30 September 2019 – Mid-November 2019. We thank you in advance for your patience whilst we carry out these essential works.

We welcome the decision by Scottish Ministers to grant consent for the replacement of the Inveraray-Crossaig overhead electricity transmission power line. As part of its consent decision, the Scottish Government has attached a number of conditions, including the requirement for SSEN Transmission to submit details of proposed landscape mitigation, which will include tree planting, to help mitigate local landscape impacts of the project at both the Crinan Canal and where the line passes Tarbert. We now look forward to working closely with the local communities and other interested parties throughout the construction phase and as a responsible developer, we will do everything we can to keep disruption to an absolute minimum. The construction phase of the project will be split into two phases, the first runs from Inveraray to Port Ann, with work on the section scheduled to begin in the coming months. This first phase is expected to be complete towards the end of 2021. The second phase, from Port Ann to Crossaig, is expected to begin construction in 2021 and is due to be completed in summer 2024.

To give a better understanding of SSEN’s proposed upgrade to the line between Inveraray and Crossaig, it has developed a web-based interactive summary of the project’s Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Report. This interactive summary, interactive maps, visualisations and other information and is designed to be viewed on a wide range of devices and formats, for example Android and Mac, tablets, laptops and phones. To view, please copy and paste the following link: https://rambollglobal.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapSeries/index.html?appid=5d7cd7763351406db34a81321aaa9672

Scottish Hydro Electric Transmission plc (SHE Transmission) has today submitted a consent application to the Scottish Government for the Inveraray – Crossaig project to install a 275 kV overhead line (to be initially operated at 132 kV) between Inveraray substation and Crossaig substation. A copy of the application, with a plan showing the land to which it relates, together with a copy of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report discussing the Company’s proposals in more detail are available for inspection, free of charge. This can be accessed during normal opening hours at Cambpbeltown Customer Service Point, Tarbert Library and Lochgilphead Customer Service Point. The EIA Report can also be viewed at The Scottish Government Library, at Victoria Quay, Edinburgh, EH6 6QQ; or through the Scottish Government portal http://www.energyconsents.scot/. For further information, or to request either a USB flash drive copy of the report (at a charge of £10) or a free short non-technical summary, please contact the project Community Liaison Manager, Kelly Scott. Any representations to the application may be submitted via the Energy Consents Unit website at www.energyconsents.scot/Register.aspx; by email to The Scottish Government, Energy Consents Unit mailbox at representations@gov.scot or by post, to The Scottish Government, Energy Consents Unit, 4th Floor, 5 Atlantic Quay, 150 Broomielaw, Glasgow, G2 8LU, identifying the proposal and specifying the grounds for representation.

The project team would like to extend thanks to all members of the public who took the time to attend our public pre-application consultation events or contributed feedback towards the proposals at any stage of the process. The third set of events held in Inveraray, Ardrishaig, Tarbert, Skipness and Carradale between the end of September and start of October this year, enabled our project team to showcase the further developments made on the proposals and receive comment on the preferred route alignment. The closing date for feedback was 3 November 2016 and all responses received are currently being reviewed ahead of final project refinement prior to submission of a planning application.

You can find the Inveraray to Crossaig Consultation Document in the "Project Documentation" section, titled ‘Inveraray to Crossaig 275 kV OHL Alignment Selection Consultation Document’. The associated Figures are also available for download. The Consultation Document and Figures provide a summary of the alignment choices considered during the design process which has been carried out since the last public exhibition in March 2016. The alignment choices we have considered are included, along with the reasons for our choice of Preferred Alignment. This document was provided to the Scottish Government’s Energy Consent Unit and Statutory Consultees in June 2017.

We have sought a scoping opinion from the Scottish Government for the proposed Inveraray-Crossaig overhead line. Copies of the scoping request and supporting information can be accessed within the project documentation tab. The purpose of the scoping request is to establish the scope of the Environmental Impact Assessment Report.

As the project team continue to establish a route alignment for the replacement overhead line, further consultation on the Inveraray-Crossaig project is now scheduled for Autumn 2017. However, as we aim to ensure that the local community are well informed of the work that has been carried out since the last public consultation; an in-depth project newsletter shall be published in the summer time. The newsletter shall involve details of the survey work undertaken, changes to the initial proposals and further details of the environmental constraints currently being considered. There will also be an opportunity to provide feedback on the newsletter which will be digitally uploaded to the project webpage. If you would like to receive a hard copy of the newsletter once published, please email the project Community Liaison Manager to register your interest and provide an address.

During the most recent public consultation events held for the Inveraray-Crossaig Overhead Line Reinforcement Project in March 2016, the indicative project timeline displayed further consultation events scheduled for August 2016. In late summer the project underwent a period of review resulting in a postponement of consultation. We are continuing to progress with the project and are currently in the process of identifying a route alignment. Public consultation events displaying the route alignment are intended to be held in the first quarter of 2017. Once dates are selected in the New Year the events will be publicly advertised and local communities informed. If you have any questions regarding the project or further consultation dates, please do not hesitate to contact our Community Liaison Manager, Kelly Scott.