Both substations have recently come on-line and are expected to play an integral role in the transmission of renewable energy produced in Scotland across to the rest of the UK. Over 330 workers were involved in the two-year project, which is a core part of a wider network program to increase Scottish electricity export capacity from 2,200MW to 2,800MW by 2010.
Scotland reportedly generates more on-shore wind power than the rest of UK combined and with 67 further wind farm projects either consented or under construction in Scotland, totaling an additional output of over 2,500MW, increased access to the grid and suitable capacity to export the power generated are deemed vital.
ScottishPower noted that, increasing the capacity of the interconnector between Scotland and England will mean that there will be additional flexibility in the system transfer energy between the two, further enhancing the security of electricity supplies across the UK.
Alan Bryce, director of energy networks at ScottishPower, said: This is a significant milestone in the project to increase the capacity of the Scotland-England interconnector. The new substations will facilitate the transmission of a significant amount of renewable energy being produced in Scotland throughout the rest of the UK. The development of renewable energy projects in Scotland is increasing all the time so it is vital that there is suitable infrastructure to support this growth.
