New £86m substation near Alyth up and running after three-year construction project completed

dailyrecord.co.uk:

The new £86 million electricity substation near Alyth is up and running after a construction project spanning almost three years.The project has been delivered by SSEN Transmission and principal contractor Siemens BAM.It forms a key part of the energy firm’s reinforcement of the east coast transmission network, which the company says will help to support the connection of new renewable generation in the north of Scotland to the national grid.Built to an operating capacity of 275 kilovolts (kV), the substation has been designed so that it can be increased to 400kV in the future with minimal operational changes.A spokesperson for SSEN Transmission explained the increase to 400kV operation would deliver the full capacity increase required to facilitate major new renewable generation connections in the future.The largest part of the new substation is a new dual-voltage, 120-tonne, SCT transformer – which required a specialist haulier with a 12-axle vehicle to safely deliver it from Dundee Quay to its final location at Alyth Substation last spring.SSEN Transmission has said plans are in place to plant almost 5400 local native species of trees such as rowan, birch, oak, pine, hazel and blackthorn around the site perimeter, as well as bat boxes, bird and red squirrel feeders and planting native grass and meadow flower seeds over the site perimeter bunds to boost landscaping and increase biodiversity.The team also created a number of habitat piles of fallen branches and wood from nearby trees, which are a great place for biodiversity.In addition, the substation site is also home to a resident pair of ospreys – named Harry and Flora by local school pupils – who return each year to nest at a purpose-built nesting platform on the