Greens - New Deer Underground Cable

About the Project

In order to support the continued growth in onshore and offshore renewables across the north of Scotland and the drive towards Net Zero, investment in network infrastructure is needed to connect this renewable power and transport it from source to areas of demand across the country. 

Extensive studies have confirmed the need to reinforce the onshore transmission infrastructure between Beauly and Peterhead. To enable these reinforcements, a new 400kV substation is required to be built near the existing New Deer Substation in Aberdeenshire, to enable connection of the new 400kV overhead line between Beauly, Blackhillock, New Deer and Peterhead. 

A new 400kV underground cable approximately 3 kilometres in length is proposed to connect the new Greens substation to the existing New Deer substation.  

Find out more about the Greens (New Deer 2) Substation Project 

Why is the Project Required?

The Pathway to 2030 published by National Energy System Operator (NESO), the electricity system operator for Great Britain, sets the blueprint for the electricity transmission network infrastructure required to enable the forecasted growth in renewable electricity across Great Britain. 

The projects identified within the Pathway to 2030 are critical to delivering the UK and Scottish Government’s offshore wind targets. To deliver these targets, we are investing over £10bn to upgrade the network infrastructure across the north of Scotland as the region plays a leading role in the clean energy transition.  

In March 2024, the independent NESO published its ‘Beyond 2030’ report, which confirmed the need for several new, replacement and upgraded transmission infrastructure projects in the north of Scotland. In December 2024, Ofgem approved the next phase of regulatory funding to take these projects through the development phase. 

As part of these investments, there is a requirement for a new 400kV underground cable between the existing New Deer and proposed Greens substation.

Find out more about our Pathway to 2030 and Beyond 2030 projects

Community Engagement

Throughout the life of our projects, we aim to work positively with local communities and keep people informed about what we are doing. This is particularly important when we are developing a proposal and we want to understand what local people think about our plans.

We endeavour to take the time to discuss proposals with local community councils, encourage engagement from the wider community and listen to the feedback we receive.

We will do our best to answer any questions and address issues or concerns that are raised with us.

When our project progresses into construction, we will continue working closely with the local community to ensure that our work has as little impact on the lives of those living and working in the area and as many long term positive effects as possible.

How we’re embracing artificial intelligence (AI)
We intend to use AI to assist our experienced teams in the analysis of your feedback, so we can categorise key points raised more quickly. You can learn more about how we’re utilising AI on this dedicated web page.