Major SSEN electricity projects around Inverness and Highlands worth £55m to be delivered by Freedom
Electricity network projects worth £55 million in the Inverness and Highlands area will be carried out by the Freedom Group.
It is among the contract partners announced by SSEN Distribution to deliver a £450 million programme of investment in the north of Scotland’s electricity distribution network between now and the turn of the decade.
It includes renewal and reinforcement of SSEN’s network of wooden poles and overhead lines, upgrading and updating its substations and making improvements to the underground cable network.
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This major investment by SSEN – announced under the banner of its Large Capital Delivery Framework (LCDF) - will see contract partners delivering improvements across nine sub-regions of the company’s Scottish licence area, sitting alongside the work traditionally carried out by its regional depots to power local communities.
All the work being undertaken by Freedom teams and SSEN’s depots is designed to boost network resilience in the face of a more volatile climate, support the connection of low-carbon technologies and decarbonised industries, and increase reliability for every customer.
SSEN says it is critical in powering local communities while at the same time enabling people to connect both existing and new technologies like EV chargers, solar panels, and heat pumps to the network.
The framework agreed with Freedom Group will allow SSEN to plan work in a more effective and efficient way, completing upgrades, connections, and asset replacement at the same time, and ultimately reducing the impact on customers by working on the network as efficiently as possible.
Fraser Hood, SSEN’s director of Large Capital Delivery, said the investment of about £55 million in network in the Inverness area and across the Highlands would boost the reliability and resilience of its infrastructure while the partnership with Freedom would also help maintain and create skilled jobs across these communities.
“The job of helping deliver decarbonisation and its benefits for society is an enormous one, but this record investment from SSEN in the north of Scotland means we’re in the best possible position to effectively and efficiently deliver the fit-for-purpose electricity system for the future,” he said.
“In selecting our contract partners after a fair, open, and competitive tendering process, we’ve secured the ability to deliver our massive programme of investment. This will ensure increased resilience, flexibility, and capacity for our 800,000 customers in the north of Scotland.
“At SSEN Distribution, we’re committed to being at the heart of the communities we serve. This investment of around £55m in our network in the Inverness area and across the Highlands will boost the reliability and resilience of our infrastructure here, and this partnership with Freedom will also help maintain and create skilled jobs across these communities.”
Carl Clay, Freedom’s managing director, said: “By working closely with SSEN, we aim to bring our expertise, agility, and collaborative approach to ensure the successful delivery of projects that drive energy resilience and support the communities they serve.
“This framework represents a significant step in our journey to build long-term partnerships that align with our values and commitment to operational excellence.”
