SSEN Distribution announced on 31 March 2022 that its £10m project to upgrade the electricity network on Islay would start the following month, describing the work as making the island's infrastructure more resilient and less susceptible to power cuts1.
The project covers nearly 30km of new overhead line, 6km of new underground cable and new technology at the island's substations1. SSEN said the substation work at Bowmore, Port Askaig and Knocklearoch would give engineers more options to re-route supplies when restoring power after a fault or storm damage1. Its main contractor for the overhead line work, Keltbray, was setting up site at Ballygrant Quarry and taking deliveries of materials ahead of construction beginning in earnest mid-April, with substation work due to begin in May and the whole project due to last 12 months1.
Barry MacTaggart, SSEN's Project Manager, said:
"The work we're going to be carrying out over the next 12 months is all about improving the reliability of power supplies for the homes and businesses on Islay."
Donald MacKinnon, SSEN's Head of Large Capital Projects, said the £10m investment would see teams working across the island building new lines, installing new cables and upgrading equipment in substations, adding that the work would help boost reliability for current customers and ensure reliability of power supplies across the island for many years to come1.
SSEN describes itself as the electricity Distribution Network Operator responsible for delivering power to over 3.8 million homes and businesses across central southern England and the north of Scotland1. Islay falls within its north of Scotland area, and the island's supplies are delivered over the local distribution network rather than the transmission system. The announcement did not state how many homes or businesses on Islay are connected, or how the £10m is split between overhead line, cable and substation work; those figures have not been reported1.
Why it matters for households
For a household on Islay, the practical effect of the work described is on the frequency and length of interruptions to supply. SSEN's stated aim is to reduce the potential for power cuts and, where faults or storms still cause outages, to restore supplies more quickly by re-routing power through substations1. The new overhead line and underground cable are described as making outdoor equipment strong enough to withstand a typical Islay winter1.
That speaks to energy independence at the level of the local network rather than the source of generation: a more resilient distribution network means a home's electricity supply is less exposed to a single fault or to storm damage on exposed sections of line. The announcement does not cover generation, storage or heating, and no change to tariffs, connections or supply arrangements for households is described in it1.
What happens next
Keltbray was setting up site at Ballygrant Quarry ahead of construction beginning in earnest in mid-April 2022, with substation work due to begin in May 2022 and the whole project due to last 12 months from that point1. No completion date beyond that 12-month duration, and no schedule of works by location, has been reported1.