A £250k project to upgrade Inverurie town centre's electricity network will improve the reliability of supplies for around 1,800 properties and support the local community's role in the wider drive to net zero.
Work is set to begin on 14 September and will see Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) Distribution replacing 1.5km of its underground cable over a seven-week period.
The new cable will have a larger 'load capacity', which means that it will be able to accommodate more customers looking to connect to the local network, as well as delivering the power for the forecasted increase in low carbon technologies such as EV chargers and heat pumps.
SSEN's teams will replace the cables in two phases, moving along Station Road to Beverley Road, and then working in Westfield Gardens to Davah Court.
Given the town centre location of the works, SSEN has worked closely with the council to ensure that this essential project is carried out with the minimum amount of disruption to the local community.
Jack Graham, SSEN's Project Manager, explains:
"This work is essential to ensure that we're able to keep on delivering a safe, reliable and responsive network for our customers, but we're also sensitive to the fact that the project needs to be completed with the minimum amount of inconvenience.
"After discussions with the local council, we have agreed to carry out the work in September to avoid any impact during the busy summer season, and we are also installing the cable in 100m sections, which will minimise the length of road we need to close at any one time for the work to be done safely."
Michael Hilferty, Head of SSEN'sNorthCaledonia region, stresses the important part this project will play in the road to net zero:
"The coming years will see a transformation in the way we use electricity, with more EV chargers and heat pumps becoming a feature in people's homes, and more customers looking to connect their properties to our network. With projects such as this one here in Inverurie, we're making sure that our infrastructure is an enabler for our customers' ambitions and powering the drive to net zero."