Scottish Hydro Electric [SHE] Transmission has had the approval of East Kintyre Community Council for its project to reinforce the transmission network on Kintyre.
East Kintyre Community Council [EKCC] has written to SHE Transmission on behalf of both the council and people of Carradale and East Kintyre, thanking the power transmission company for its work in the area as part of the Kintyre to Hunterston project.
The Kintyre to Hunterston Connection will reinforce the 132kV transmission network on Kintyre by providing a new 132kV connection between Carradale Substation and the new Crossaig substation. It has provided employment and opportunities for the local community.
Eleanor Sloan, Secretary of EKCC, says: ‘We welcome all the new projects to our area and it is exciting to see the changes that are happening, and although there are times when these changes can be stressful for us and our daily routines, on the whole we are a community behind this project.
‘It has been an added bonus for us to see works being carried out by SHE Transmission to help to improve our village. This has been much appreciated by the whole community and we hope they are all enjoying themselves in Kintyre as much as we do.’
Andrew Malkin, SHE Transmission’s Project Director, says: ‘The assets we are developing will be around for decades and we recognise that we must build strong, long-term relationships with our local communities.
‘It is for this reason that we have employed local businesses wherever possible and have been engaging proactively with the local community from the earliest stages of development via one-on-one visits with residents, school visits to the substation and a strong relationship with the local authorities, services and community councils.’
Construction works at Crossaig substation began in August 2013 and the first 6 of 50 towers have been erected in Carradale over the last couple of weeks.The photographs accompanying this article show the first tower going in.
David Allcock, Project Manager of Amec Group Ltd, which is constructing the 13km of overhead lines involved, says: ‘It’s great to see the first towers being erected and it is testament to the hard work and commitment shown by everyone involved in the project.
‘We are busy progressing with the construction and erection of the rest of the towers and are on schedule for them all to be erected by the end of this calendar year.’
When this project is completed it will give the area protection against the devastatingly prolonged power outages suffered by Kintyre and Arran in the snow and ice storms of March 2013, when many of the then and elderly towers collapsed under the weight of the snow and ice-loaded power cables.
Making the repairs, restoring the power and feeding the residents with no power and no warm food for the duration involved SSE/Scottish Hydro in an exercise of military proportions, which saw them use six helicopters to airlift tower parts and equipment; and charter CalMac ferries to get vehicles, trailers and food vans into Campbeltown.
