SSEN Transmission has made a Section 37 application to the Scottish Government’s Energy Consents Unit (ECU) for the Kintore – Tealing 400kV Overhead Line (OHL) connection.
Under Section 37 of the Electricity Act 1989, the application is seeking consent for the installation, operation and maintenance of a new 400kV OHL connection, spanning an approximate length of 106km between Kintore in Aberdeenshire and Tealing in Angus.
The connection will be delivered via an overhead line of steel lattice towers (commonly referred to as pylons) likely to average around 57m in height, with the overhead line spanning a total length of approx. 106km.
This is split into two sections:
- Approximately 35km of OHL between the 400kV substation currently under construction at Kintore and the proposed new 400kV Hurlie substation.
- Approximately 72km of OHL between Hurlie and the proposed new 400kV Emmock substation.
VIEWING THE APPLICATION:
If you wish to view the Section 37 application, you can do so on the Energy Consents Unit’s website: www.energyconsents.scot. The application reference is: ECU00005225.
All the documentation submitted as part of the application can also be viewed and downloaded via the dedicated project webpage:
Project page for Kintore-Tealing 400kv OHL
A hard copy of the application including the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Report and supporting documents will also be available to be viewed at:
Stonehaven Library, Evan Street, Stonehaven, AB39 2ET
Tuesday - 9am - 6pm
Wednesday - 9am - 5pm
Friday - 9am - 5pm
Saturday - 10am - 2pm
SUBMITTING REPRESENTATIONS:
Any representations in respect of the application can be submitted via;
- the Energy Consents Unit website at www.energyconsents.scot/Register.aspx;
- by email to the Scottish Government, Energy Consents Unit mailbox at representations@gov.scot; or
- by post to the Scottish Government, Energy Consents Unit, 4th Floor, 5 Atlantic Quay, 150 Broomielaw, Glasgow, G2 8LU, identifying the proposal and specifying the grounds for representation. Please note that there may be a delay in the Energy Consents Unit receiving representations by post.
All public representations should be submitted no later than 27 October 2025 although Ministers may still consider representation received after this date.
SDCC PRESS RELEASE - 08-01-2025
Stonehaven and District Community Council will be responding on planning proposals by SSEN and partners to develop a new electricity substation in Fetteresso forest just outside the town, as well as the construction of large new pylons carrying high voltage electricity to and from the site. The proposed substation is expected to be one of the largest in the UK. It will replace a previous proposal at Fiddes, which was cancelled due to community opposition. If approved by the council's planning committee it will be 205,500m2 (equivalent to 32 football pitches). The proposals also involve the construction of new extremely high pylons in the surrounding area, generally between 57 and 65 meters tall (between 188 and 215 feet).
The deadline for objections or support for the planning application, for members of the public, is the 18th of January with a separate deadline for the community council, which is the 31st of January 2025. To inform the community council’s response we are:
· Launching an online survey from the 8th of January to ask for the community’s views; and
· Will be holding an extra meeting of the community council, which like all our meetings are open to the public, to discuss the proposals at the Stonehaven court house on the 21st of January.
Invitations have been sent to SSEN and Save Our Mearns, to come to this meeting and present information and views on the proposals. The community council will also present the results of the survey. After this we will open up the meeting for questions.
Stonehaven and district residents can also write to the community council, by post or email (through the online form), to express their views. The details for these are shown below:
Stonehaven & District Community Council, c/o Stonehaven Town Partnership, Sheriff Court Building, Dunnottar Avenue, Stonehaven, AB39 2JD
https://www.stonehavencc.org.uk/feedback
The community council wants to emphasise that it is aiming to take a balanced view of the proposals and will weigh up the range of views provided by the community to inform this.
The energy transition involves Scotland and the rest of the UK moving to increasing levels of renewable energy, which will provide improved energy security, with renewable electricity at the heart of this.
Another community, with the support of the local authority in Shetland, 50 years ago, ensured that if it was to be impacted by the new oil and gas sector, that a new community wealth fund would have to be created, for the benefit of the community. This led to the generation of hundreds of millions of pounds for that community.
Stonehaven & District Community Council would be grateful for your views on these electricity proposals around Stonehaven. Should your local authority councillors approve the planning application? If these were to be approved, should this only happen on the basis that a community wealth fund for Stonehaven and other impacted communities is created? This could be based on a percentage of the electricity being exported through the new infrastructure.
A link to the survey is provided here.