SSE’s electricity transmission business, SSEN Transmission, has invested around £8bn in upgrading the north of Scotland’s electricity network since 2020, as the company backs a global pledge to accelerate electrification by 2035.
Over the same period, renewable generation connected to the network has increased from approximately 6.3 GW to 10.8 GW, while network reliability has remained at 99.999%, SSE said.
The company is supporting COP31’s 35-by-35 Global Electrification Pledge, which aims to raise electricity’s share of final energy consumption to 35% by 2035. Achieving the target will require expanded electricity networks and greater system flexibility to accommodate increased demand from transport, buildings and industry.
SSEN Transmission’s investment programme includes major grid infrastructure projects, connections for Scotland’s remote island groups and supply chain development. At Kintore in Aberdeenshire, the company has also used a drone to install Dynamic Line Rating technology on a live transmission line, a first for the UK.
The technology uses real-time operating conditions to assess how much electricity a line can safely carry, potentially increasing the capacity of existing infrastructure and reducing network constraints.
The investment has been accompanied by workforce growth. SSEN Transmission has expanded from around 700 employees in 2020 to more than 3,000, while Sumitomo Electric opened a £350m subsea cable manufacturing facility at Nigg in the Highlands in October.
The transmission operator has also launched an eight-year supply chain framework worth up to £7.4bn, intended to provide opportunities for large contractors, small and medium-sized enterprises and local businesses.
SSE chief executive Martin Pibworth said the investment was demonstrating how electrification ambitions could translate into infrastructure and economic benefits.
“COP31 has set an important ambition on electrification. The exciting thing is that we’re already seeing what delivering it looks like,” he said.
Referring to developments in Scotland, he added: “Investment in electricity infrastructure is translating into real projects, jobs and industrial capability, driving economic growth across the UK.”
Across its £29bn Pathway to 2030 programme, SSEN Transmission estimates that investment could support up to 50,000 jobs across the UK, including 24,000 in Scotland and 10,000 in the north of Scotland.
