OREANDA-NEWS. Deputy First Minister John Swinney MSP took time out from the Scottish Cabinet in Ullapool today (Tuesday 11 August) to meet engineers preparing work to strengthen the key overhead lines that serve rural communities across Coigach in Wester Ross and Assynt in Sutherland.

Scottish Hydro Electric Power Distribution (SHEPD) is carrying out work worth around ?500,000 on the 33 kilovolt lines, which serve 1200 customers, over 3 days towards the end of August.  The work, as part of SHEPD’s ongoing network resilience programme, includes renewing wood poles where required, installing replacement metal bindings suited to the coastal environment and fitting enhanced lightning protection.  It should reduce the impact of future severe weather on the electricity supply to local homes and businesses and help engineers restore power faster if disruption does occur.

During the visit, the Deputy First Minister was shown preparations under way to fit one of 28 'spark gaps' which will help reduce the impact of lightning strikes in the vicinity of the power line. Where lightning strikes the ground close to the line, the new equipment will allow the induced current to flow safely to earth, adding to the measures already in place to protect against direct strikes during electrical storms.

Mr Swinney chairs the Scottish Government's Resilience response team which coordinates the multi-agency response to emergencies across Scotland, including during major weather events when power supplies are disrupted.

Following the visit, Mr Swinney said:

“I welcome SHEPD’s work to strengthen the electricity grid and make the network more resilient when severe weather strikes. The investment should help cut the number of customers affected by power cuts during storms and lightning strikes, and will also help engineers get the network up and running more quickly.”

John Shanks from SHEPD, who is managing the Ullapool-Lochinver investment, said:

“It was great to be able to show the Deputy First Minister the work we are carrying out to strengthen our network in advance of severe weather.

“The work which will go ahead at the end of August should make a real difference for our customers in the area for years to come. If high winds and lightning do cause disruption, the new equipment will help our local team as we battle to get the lights back on as quickly as we can.

“We have had very positive engagement with local people in recent weeks which has helped to finalise our plans.  Extensive use of mobile generation will minimise the impact on customers while work is under way.  On Tuesday 25 August, where that is not possible, welfare facilities will be available for affected customers free of charge at the Ardmair Holiday Park. We would like to thank customers for their feedback and for their patience while we complete our work in the area.”