An £85 million project to build a new electricity substation in rural Perthshire has marked a major milestone.

Teams have made a start on the main platform and overhead line tower works at the new Kinardochy reactive compensation substation.

It is situated three miles south of Tummel Bridge.

The equipment being installed will play a critical role in ensuring voltage limits on the transmission network remain stable.

It will also ensure power flows can be managed, enabling clean energy to be transported to where it is needed most.

The substation will be built and operated initially at 275 kilovolts (kV), however is designed to operate at 400kV.

That will mean only minimal changes are required for any future upgrade to the operating voltage of the Beauly to Denny overhead line.

The platform will also be sized to ensure that any additional equipment to be sited at Kinardochy can be done so with minimal future works required.

The team has been carried out tree clearance work over the past six months.

That has paved the way for Principal Contractor Siemens BAM to begin the main substation construction works and ground investigations.

Perthshire project’s ‘major milestone’

SSEN transmission project manager Gary Milne said: “Breaking ground marks the first major milestone in the development of this new substation.

“It’s really important to us that we take care of the surroundings in which we operate.

“We’re paying close attention to the visual impact our substation might have on the local area.

“We’ve taken steps to mitigate against this by designing the substation so it is built into a natural slope. We will also create screening bunds.”

Mr Milne said the import and export of materials was being kept to a minimum to cut down emissions and to reuse material from the site.

He said the firm would continue to keep the local community informed of the project’s progress.

Mr Milne added: “We’ll continue to do all we can to keep any disruption to a minimum.”

The Kinardochy substation is expected to be completed in 2024.

£50m hydro-electric renovation work

Meanwhile, SSE Renewables is investing £50 million in a renovation of Tummel Bridge hydro-electric power station.

That project has been set for completion by 2023, to coincide with the hydro power plant’s 90th anniversary.

The hope is the upgrades extend the power station’s operational life by at least 40 years.