I like to keep in contact with all of the teams on a face-to-face basis, especially those in the more remote parts of the region. Earlier this month I was on Orkney for one of my regular catch-up visits, however this one was slightly different. Joining me on the two-day trip was Chris Burchell, our Managing Director, Andy Smith, our Director of Operations (North) and two of SSE Plc’s Non-Executive Directors – Helen Mahy and Tony Cocker.
It was a very busy, but also highly successful, two days, incorporating staff engagement sessions, a visit to our Stronsay substation and two very positive meetings with key Orkney stakeholders - Liam McArthur MSP and Cllr James Stockan, Leader of Orkney Islands Council and its recently appointed CEO, Oliver Reid, where we shared our plans, thoughts and ambitions for the future of our electricity network on Orkney.
Over the course of this current RIIO-ED2 price control period, we’ll be investing around £10m upgrading our network on Orkney – at the key island substations on Stronsay, Eday, Sanday and Hoy, and sections of our wider Orcadian overhead infrastructure – an investment programme which will not only increase network resilience and reduce the risk of power cuts, but also be a key enabler for our communities’ net zero ambitions.
The two-day visit was also a great way for our guests, some of whom had never seen the islands’ network before, to get a firsthand insight into the operational challenges that our teams face on a day-to-day basis - for example, having to travel by boat to get from island to island, often in decidedly inclement weather. Safety is, and always will be, our number one priority and sometimes it’s just not possible to get out to some locations by boat if the conditions are bad; while the day we went to Stronsay was relatively calm and sunny, the sea was sufficiently choppy to give everyone an idea of what it’d be like to do the same trip on a wintry January morning.
Finally, I’d like to say a big thank you to all of the team on Orkney who ensured that our two-day visit was so successful. The feedback I’ve had from our guests has been incredibly positive, and all of this wouldn’t have been possible were it not for the behind-the-scenes planning and interactions on the day.
Nik Wheeler
