THE KINTYRE TO HUNTERSTON 132 kv CONNECTION

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1 THE KINTYRE TO HUNTERSTON 132 kv CONNECTION East coast of the Kintyre peninsula viewed from Arran Background The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that Scotland takes full advantage of its renewable energy potential. This commitment is driven by three key factors: An increase in renewable electricity generation as a means of reducing carbon emissions forms an important part of Scotland s efforts to tackle climate change; Increased renewable energy can also provide greater diversity in Scotland s energy mix, which will be vital to ensure security and continuity of supply as fossil fuels continue to decrease; and A thriving renewable energy sector also has the potential to enhance Scotland s manufacturing capacity, to develop new indigenous industries, particularly in rural areas, and to provide significant export opportunities. Proposed and approved Wind farms in Scotland The Scottish Government s strategy, is to encourage the development of renewable energy both as a response to climate change commitments and as a measure to promote the Scottish economy. There has been a major increase in the number of developers requesting connections to the electricity network for new renewable energy projects. The transmission network owned and managed by Scottish Hydro Electric Transmission Limited (SHETL) was originally designed to serve rural communities with relatively low demands for electricity and to connect the hydroelectric schemes to north of Scotland load centres. The increase in requests for renewable generation connections to the electricity network on the Kintyre peninsula is placing a new and significant requirement on the transmission system which exceeds the capacity of the existing transmission system in the area. Part of the Kintyre transmission system reinforcement project is SHETL s proposal to replace the 132 kv overhead transmission line between Carradale Substation and a new 132 kv substation in the Crossaig area. The proposed Crossaig Substation would connect with a submarine cable linking East Kintyre to Hunterston in North Ayrshire.

2 THE SELECTION OF THE PROPOSED CROSSAIG SUBSTATION Underground cable Proposed Substation Proposed replacement overhead line Existing line to be decommissioned The Need for Crossaig Substation The proposed Crossaig substation is required as part of the Kintyre to Hunterston Connection project. Substations change the voltage of electricity to levels suitable either for transmission over long distances or for distribution to local communities. Substations provide the ability to switch electricity flow onto different circuits to allow maintenance and other works on the network and also to regulate the distribution of power. They are fenced compounds that typically include: transformers; switchgear; support structures and a control building and overhead line towers. When electricity is generated (11-22kV), it is converted to a higher voltage ( kV) to reduce losses in transmission over greater distances. Transformers inside substations are used for this purpose. Choosing the Crossaig Substation Site Factors that led to the site at Crossaig being favourable include: Relatively flat site topography; The site is located away from residential property between Cour Bay and Lower Crossaig; The site is located away from surface water; The site does not impact groundwater or private water supplies; The site is visually screened by topography and existing coniferous plantation forestry; Baseline ecological studies have not identified any protected species in the immediate vicinity of the site; Baseline archaeological studies have not identified any sensitive archaeological features in the immediate vicinity of the site; The site is close to the existing 132 kv overhead line therefore avoiding any increase in new overhead line infrastructure.

3 CONSULTATION AND THE PLANNING PROCESS FOR THE PROPOSED CROSSAIG SUBSTATION Crossaig Substation Consultation Proposed Crossaig Substation As part of the Pre-Application Consultation (PAC) process for the Crossaig Substation proposal SHETL submitted a Proposal of Application Notice to Argyll and Bute Council in December This notice included a commitment by SHETL to discuss the proposal with the local community. One of the purposes of PAC is to inform the local community of the proposal and provide an opportunity to provide early comment before the submission of a formal SHETL application to Argyll and Bute Council. SHETL would welcome the submission of comments in respect of the proposal to: Ms. Pauline Allison SSE - Community Liaison Manager Tel: Fax: pauline.allison@scottish-southern.co.uk It is noted that comments submitted to SHETL during PAC are not representations to the Argyll and Bute Council. In the event that SHETL subsequently submits a formal application for planning permission there would also be an opportunity to submit comments to the Argyll and Bute Council as the planning authority at that time. Previous 2007 Project Consultation A consultation document detailing routing options considered for the proposed Kintyre to Hunterston Connection was originally distributed in January Project consultees have included: Proposed sub sea cable routes Argyll and Bute Council North Ayrshire Council Community Councils The Scottish Government Scottish Natural Heritage Historic Scotland Scottish Environment Protection Agency Ministry of Defence Health and Safety Executive Architecture and Design Scotland RSPB Scottish Wildlife Trust Rural Scotland and Visit Scotland. Owners of the land who may be impacted by the project are being consulted by SHETL individually.

4 PROPOSED CROSSAIG SUBSTATION DETAILS Indicative visualisation Substation Construction Details The substation would require a level area of approximately 3 hectares; With the exception of the overhead line terminal towers the 132 kv substation plant would generally be less than 9 m high; The substation would contain a single storey building to house site services and control equipment; Substations are not generally illuminated. Floodlights would be installed but would only be used in the event of an emergency or planned works; Where possible existing forestry would be retained to screen the substation during and after construction; If the project is consented, construction for the project would commence in early It is anticipated that the substation would be constructed by the end of View towards Cour Bay

5 ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES Archaeology Archaeology mapping Archaeological studies of the proposed Crossaig Substation site were conducted by independent archaeologists CFA Archaeology; No cultural heritage issues have been identified at the proposed site; The potential for undetected archaeological remains, either upstanding or buried, to be present is considered low; A SHETL archaeological monitor would be utilised during civil work at site. Habitat mapping Sensitivity mapping Ecology Ecological studies of the proposed Crossaig Substation site were conducted by independent ecologists Quadrat Scotland and Lawrence Environmental Consultants; The proposed Crossaig Substation site is located within a semi-mature, closed canopy predominantly sitka spruce coniferous plantation; No protected species were identified at the proposed site; Environmental surveys would be conducted prior to tree harvesting or site preparation; A SHETL environmental monitor would be utilised during substation construction.

6 SUB SEA CABLE MARINE STUDIES Sub Sea Geology Sub sea geology was carried out with a geophysical survey; Coverage of the proposed sub sea cable route was based upon a 1000 m corridor along its length, allowing for alternative landfall locations at each end of the route; A total of 21 stations were further ground truthed using a combination of seabed photography and / or sampling; Over much of the route, glacial sedimentary deposits overlie bedrock, apart from the areas in the approaches to the landfalls and the sections of the route that run alongside the north of Arran; The east of Bute Sound is characterised by a main deep water channel and softer sediment deposits marked by numerous trawl scars, indicative of significant fishing activity in the area; The eastern part of the route was found to have localised areas of seabed depressions interpreted as pockmarks.

7 TRANSPORTATION STUDIES