Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks

🚁 As part of our £3m project to upgrade the network on the Isle of Mull, we’ve been using a helicopter to deliver the first phase of wooden poles which will support the 17km of new overhead lines.    🖼️ Taking the poles to their individual locations by helicopter avoids the need for delivery vehicles to drive over the picturesque – and logistically challenging – Isle of Mull landscape. And as well as being more environmentally friendly, it’s also a lot quicker– this particular batch of 111 poles was delivered safely over just two days, whereas if we’d been using lorries and tracked machines it could’ve taken up to 8 weeks depending on access.   ⚡ This phase of our work to upgrade the network on Mull is scheduled to run through to autumn this year; over the next four years we’re also planning to install a second line and build a new substation, all of which will make our network on Mull more robust and resilient for homes and businesses on the island. And, on the rare occasions the power does go off, the addition of this new infrastructure will mean that we can restore supplies more quickly.   To learn more about the benefits this project will bring to the local community, as well as seeing the copter in action, watch our short video below:

Power up your career with an SSE apprenticeship! 🚀 Gain real-world skills, earn while you learn, and unlock endless opportunities. Your future starts now, let's get started! 🔗 Find out more and apply now via the link in the comments below ⬇️

⚡ Are you looking for a hands-on way to kickstart your engineering career? 👷 Meet Timothy Idowu—one of our first-year Trainee Engineers at SSEN Distribution. Over three years, this programme mixes on-site learning with college studies, helping you earn a formal qualification in Electrical Power Engineering while you gain real, practical experience. 🔧 If you have qualifications in Maths, Science and English (or relevant technical experience), you can begin on a starting salary of around £24,000, rising to roughly £34,000 upon completion. By your third year, you’ll be managing projects, leading on technical tasks, and supervising teams. 🎥 Watch Timothy’s story to see how he’s making the most of his Trainee Engineer role. Ready to kick-start your career? Visit https://lnkd.in/eu6knzXm

🔎 Great to see community energy groups—and local authorities—using LENZA, our geospatial planning tool that digitises key energy data and supports collaborative planning for decarbonisation. 🔗 If you’d like to learn more or explore how LENZA can help your organisation, visit ssen.co.uk/lenza

⚡ We welcome the conclusions of the National Infrastructure Commission’s study into the future of electricity distribution networks, and support its call for greater proactive investment to support decarbonisation. 🏡 The NIC has set out a bold vision for the future of distribution networks, including the shift from reactive ‘steady state’ investment to a proactive approach that will help customers and communities decarbonise. 🌍 SSEN's long called for this change. Now the NIC has made its recommendations, we’ll continue to work with the UK Government and Ofgem to accelerate green growth up and down the country. 🔎 Read more below from SSEN Distribution's Managing Director, Chris Burchell; you'll find the link to our News and Views article is in the comments.

✍️ Over one million of our #customers have now signed up to our Priority Services Register and are receiving additional #assistance during power outages. 🤝 But we’re not stopping at this milestone, because we know there are more of you who could benefit from this free service and the peace of mind it brings. ⬇️ In the article below, you can find out how you, a family member, loved one or neighbour could sign up for help during planned and unplanned #power interruptions.

⚡ Here at SSEN Distribution, we're making key decisions to meet the needs of our customers, as electricity use grows as communities and businesses look to decarbonise. 🔍 It's vital we make these decisions transparently. 📃 Our Distribution Network Options Assessment (DNOA) provides this visibility; it "shows our workings", providing a more detailed assessment of future network demand as highlighted in our Strategic Development Plans. 📣 We refresh the methodology annually and publish quarterly outcome reports. This year’s refresh has made both the methodology and outcomes reports clearer and more accessible following your feedback. The document below provides details of our latest DNOA methodology refresh which is based on your insights - and we’d love to get your feedback on our proposed approach. 🤝 Have a look at the consultation questions on page 17 of the document, and fill in the survey at the link in the comments by Monday March 17th. 💻 We’re also holding a webinar on Wednesday 26th February where we’ll be explaining more about the DNOA process, the changes we’re proposing to make, and we’ll answer your questions too. The details are also in the comments below.

⚡ The right infrastructure in the right place at the right time - anticipating future demands on our network is an integral part of our planning process to ensure we keep on powering our communities. And that’s where our annual DFES Reports come in.   🚗 DFES is short for Distribution Future Energy Scenarios and stem from our ongoing partnership with Regen The reports provide a detailed forecast on the uptake in EVs, heat pumps and other low carbon technologies across our network up to 2050, and how this uptake will impact our current network capacity. There’s two editions - one for our SHEPD region across northern Scotland and one for SEPD in central southern England - and we believe they will help keep us ahead of the curve when it comes to network planning.    📖 Maybe you’re already working in the electricity industry and want to check on our latest projections or perhaps you simply live in one of our regions and are curious to see our forecasts - click on the link in the comments below – there’s something for everyone!

❤️ We always do all we can to be at the heart of the local communities where we live and work. 🤝 The cross-community support we received throughout our project to replace the subsea cable between Mainland Orkney and Shapinsay was fantastic. By way of thanks, we’ve recently been back to meet with local community groups and hand over some mementos from the installation of this vital piece of electricity infrastructure.

⚡ This is what most of our overhead distribution network looks like; familiar short wooden poles and cables. For the past 100 years, these lines have been part of our landscape, since electricity was first brought to rural communities. These lines tend to run overland in rural areas because it costs less for customers, it’s less environmentally disruptive than installing cables underground, and if a fault occurs, it’s easier to locate. 🌳 But we’re always sensitive to the environment of the communities we’re proud to serve. For National Landscapes, National Parks, and National Scenic areas—across both the north of Scotland and central southern England—we run a scheme where people can apply to have sections of our network placed underground, fully restoring the natural view. We have a £15m fund for these works, and applications are welcome. 🌄 If you know an area that could be improved by removing our overhead lines and poles, we want to hear from you. The scheme is open to everyone—all we ask is that you fill out our form and include a photograph showing the existing overhead lines and poles. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/dm7iitWj