Please click to view our 2022 Argyll and Bute regional webinar where some of the SSEN team have given an overview of ongoing and upcoming projects across the area.

Progress update April 2022 First two of the 149 towers installed in second phase of work to reinforce the powerline from Inveraray to Crossaig Great progress has been made with the installation of 48km of access track and 21 of the tower foundations as part of the ongoing project.

SSEN Transmission and leading community and conservation organisation, Argyll and the Isles Coast and Countryside Trust (ACT), and Argyll and Bute Council have joined forces to help deliver SSEN Transmission’s compensatory tree planting commitments and in doing so, help support and enhance Scotland’s rainforest in Argyll.

A major construction milestone was reached in the ongoing development of SSEN Transmission’s multi-million-pound powerline construction between Port Ann to Crossaig with the first towers installed in the new development.

SSEN Transmission would like to make you aware of some upcoming planned road closures in the area. As part of the ongoing work at Carradale substation, we will be transporting grid transformers along the B842 between the substation and the start of the Cross Kintyre haul road. To allow these abnormal loads to be transported safely, this section of road will be closed for 20 minutes on the following days: Monday 21st February 2022 Wednesday 16th March 2022 Tuesday 24th May 2022 Monday 15th August 2022 At the present time we do not have specific details regarding the times of these road closures. If you would like any further information please do not hesitate to get in touch with the Community Liaison Manager, Caitlin Quinn (Caitlin.Quinn@sse.com, 07901135758).

We are currently in Phase 2 of the works in our Inveraray to Crossaig Project. On site we are focusing on both forestry and civil works at present. Forestry is required to provide access routes and form an operational corridor. Civil works include accessing, creating, and upgrading existing access tracks in preparation for the foundations of the towers prior to their assembly and erection which will commence in early 2022. We have also identified a previously unknown archaeological artefact, a ‘Ha Ha wall’, our contractor Balfour Beatty are taking proactive approach to this so that this is completely protected throughout the ongoing works. Christmas shut down 2021 At our Inveraray to Crossaig Project, we are currently in the process of the Christmas shut down Our Principal Contractor Balfour Beatty will demobilise from site for the festive period with works fully coming to a close on the week commencing 20th December. Full site activities will commence by 10th January 2022

The Port Ann Car Park will again be fully closed and inaccessible to allow the completion of essential installation works from Sunday 3rd October for 2 weeks. The nearest alternative access is at Ardcastle, ten minutes drive north or Achnabreac, west past Lochgilphead.

Notification of Essential Maintenance Works From the week commencing 12th July, our Contractor Balfour Beatty will be in the area undertaking essential maintenance work on all existing overhead line towers between Lochgilphead and Crossaig. What can you expect to see? Balfour Beatty Welfare Vans will be visible within the area for the next few weeks. There are no access tracks into these towers so the operatives will need to park their vehicles at safe, strategic locations near the access points and walk to the towers with the required materials. Emergency contact details In the unlikely event that you need to contact one of these teams please phone: Christopher Payne – 07971614351 We appreciate the understanding of community whilst we carry out these essential works.

The Port Ann Car Park will be fully closed and inaccessible from Monday 12 April until 10 May to allow the completion of essential installation works. The nearest alternative access is at Ardcastle ten minutes drive north or Achnabreac west past Lochgilphead.

Please click on the adjacent image to view a short video on construction progression.

On Wednesday 17th March, SSEN Transmission hosted an Argyll and Bute Information Sharing Webinar, to provide local stakeholders with an interest in future electricity network plans for Argyll and Bute the chance to join us to hear about our stakeholder-led plans for the future and receive an update on the current construction and operation activities in the region. During the session, SSEN Transmission staff shared with stakeholders an overview of: A business update on our five year plan and future energy scenarios Our transmission projects currently in construction in the region and their progress Potential future transmission projects in the region and why they are required; and Further opportunities to engage with SSEN Transmission and help shape our plans An opportunity to put questions to our team was also provided during a 30 minute facilitated Q&A session. For those who were unable to attend, we have uploaded a recording of the session which you can view by clicking on the adjacent video. Should you wish to view a copy of the slide deck presented during the webinar, you can access the slides via the ‘project documentation’ tab.

In order to assist Inveraray Primary School in their preparations for welcoming the children back to school this Summer, both SSEN Transmission and Balfour Beatty project team members volunteered to help ready the school grounds by painting all of the sheds, the outdoor classroom, picnic benches, bike sheds and the parents shelter. We also carried out some pressure washing around the school entrance and supplied and installed new bark and stone for areas where they were required. Thankfully, despite all of the recent rain, the team managed to get in to the grounds during a warm dry spell to carry out the works successfully, with the majority of works completed by the time the children returned.

As work continues on Phase 1 of the Inveraray to Crossaig overhead line (OHL) project, we are pleased to announce that the first towers have now been topped out. The team are making great progress with 23 towers fully erected so far, and are on track to construct a further 106 towers by the end of the first phase, which would see completion of the new build overhead line between Inveraray and Port Ann, alongside associated substation modifications by mid-2021. To find out more about how works are progressing on the Inveraray - Crossaig project, please view our adjacent project update video.

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.