Scottish Hydro awards power line contracts worth £450m
Scottish Hydro's transmission arm has awarded contracts worth a total of about £450m to deliver new and upgraded power lines in the north of Scotland.
Scottish Hydro Electric (SHE) Transmission said the deals would help support more than 600 jobs.
The awards were made to Balfour Beatty Utility Solutions, Amec Group, MSVE Transmission and Babcock Networks.
SHE Transmission said it would help boost the connection of more renewable generation in the north of Scotland.
SHE Transmission director David Gardner said: "The award of these contracts, with some of the industry's global experts, will help deliver the infrastructure that is needed to support the connection of renewables, as well as providing a boost to the local communities where we are operating.
"We believe the communities in which we work and operate are very important and that we play a valuable role in contributing to the local economy. We've therefore made sure that communities, local employment and local supply chain are at the heart of the contracts.
"This will build on the work we are already doing to develop a trained, skilled workforce."
The news follows an announcement in March by SHE Transmission that it had placed contracts worth £600m for new electricity substations in the north of Scotland.
SHE Transmission, which is part of Perth-based SSE, is investing at least £1.5bn in upgrading and reinforcing the transmission network, but has said that figure could increase by a further £4bn if required.
To date, more than 2,600MW of renewable energy have been connected in the SHE Transmission licensed area.