Elland electrical engineering firm appointed to energise wind farms in Scotland

Smith Brothers, the Elland-based high voltage electrical engineering firm, has been appointed to help energise two wind farms in Perth and Kinross, Scotland.

Spread across two adjacent sites, eleven wind turbines will provide a combined output of 23.55MW to the SSE network once complete.

14.35MW of this will be delivered by seven turbines at Tullymurdoch. A further 9.2MW will be supplied by four at Welton of Creuchies, which is a joint venture between the landowner, local community and Green Cat Renewable Developments.

Having been appointed as the independent connections provider (ICP) for the scheme, Smith Brothers’ involvement will bring the project to a conclusion, which is expected to be in January 2018.

Central to the electrical engineering contractor’s turnkey connections package is the installation of a 14.5km, 33kV cable circuit and fibre optic link to connect the wind farms to the SSE primary substation at Coupar Angus.

As a result of environmental obstacles, including two major rivers, a National Grid gas main and nine roads, cabling works for the route will involve both horizontal directional drilling and cable pulling.

Smith Brothers’ responsibilities will also cover the installation, testing and commissioning of the contestable equipment – including the SSE switchboard, auxiliary transformer, battery chargers and associated gear.

Located within the switch and metering rooms at the Welton of Creuchies substation, this will act as the grid connection point for both the Tullymurdoch and Welton of Creuchies wind farms.

Additional private works will entail the installation of a 6.5km cable route and fibre link running between the two wind farms, along with the Tullymurdoch substation construction and installation, testing and commissioning of its switchboard, 110V battery charger and associated equipment.

Nick Gudgeon, Smith Brothers’ newly-appointed managing director, said: “Despite the complexities of the assignment and significant cabling challenges, our team’s experience and expertise in delivering end-to-end connections has meant that the energisation is still on schedule.

“Thanks to our strong track record of providing efficient connections like this one, we are really securing our reputation as a leading ICP in the UK renewables market. 2017 has been a promising year for the sector and it’s great to be involved with community schemes that demonstrate the industry’s commitment towards sustainability moving forward.”

Based in Elland, West Yorkshire, Smith Brothers specialises in delivering turnkey services to high voltage electrical engineering projects up to 132kV.

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