Power company’s £1.5m network upgrade

The electricity network in Orkney has been strengthened through a £1.5m investment in preparation for the wintry weather.

According to Scottish Hydro Electric Power Distribution (SHEPD), engineers in the county have spent several months ramping up maintenance and refurbishment on key parts of the local electricity network to ensure the power equipment is ready. This has involved overhead switchgear and transformer replacement using a specialised team that carried out this work without customer interruptions.

Line patrols have taken place throughout Orkney to give a strategic detailed view of the electricity network condition. Particular attention has been placed on the main fault areas from last year to identify parts which may have caused problems again, enabling SHEPD to take proactive steps to help prevent reoccurrences this year.

SHEPD’s Director of Distribution Stuart Hogarth said: “This new investment work in Orkney will mean our network is even more robust. If there is a power cut, supplies in these areas will be restored more quickly as a result of this investment. We have paid particular attention to areas which caused us problems last year to help prevent reoccurrences this year. Without this significant investment in the Orkney network, winter storms could cause much more damage.”