Balfour Beatty awarded £85 million contract for overhead power lines in Argyll

Construction and infrastructure giant Balfour Beatty has been awarded an £85 million contract for overhead power line works in the west of Scotland.

The firm will deliver the second phase of overhead line works between Port Ann and Crossaig, on behalf of SSEN Transmission.

It will see Balfour Beatty design, construct and engineer a 45-kilometre double circuit overhead line between the existing substations at Port Ann and Crossaig. Once operational, the new power line will reinforce the network in the region and facilitate the connection of new renewable energy to the grid.

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The latest award follows the successful energisation of the first phase of the project, which saw the company install 37km of line from Inveraray to Port Ann.

Balfour Beatty has worked on a number of overhead power line projects.Balfour Beatty has worked on a number of overhead power line projects.
Balfour Beatty has worked on a number of overhead power line projects.

The team will use specialist software and drones to plan and design the line, reducing safety risks, while improving both the quality and efficiency of works, Balfour noted.

Ian Currie, managing director of the company’s power transmission and distribution business, said: “At Balfour Beatty, sustainability is at the heart of what we do - we want to build a better, greener future.

“Through our long-standing relationship with SSEN Transmission, we will continue to utilise our expert capability to help provide the necessary upgrades to the Argyll area and beyond.”

The project is expected to complete in 2023 and at peak construction will employ a workforce of about 300.

Keith Inglis, project director of SSEN Transmission, added: “The award of this next phase to Balfour Beatty builds upon the success in phase one but also numerous other projects we have collaborated on in the past ten years.”

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