- New £5.5m super substation to be delivered by 2023 in Halbeath, Dunfermline
- Investment will enable a number of green projects including new all-electric Dunfermline Learning Campus
- Work is part of massive change needed to ready the grid for huge increase in demand as electrification of heat and transport gathers pace
We are delighted to share the news that we are investing £5.5m in a new super substation in Dunfermline to support the growth of the town and its work towards a low carbon future.
The substation will be situatednear the Halbeath Retail Park and will power a number of major green projects across the North and East side of the town, including a new development of 2500 properties which includes homes, a primary school and retail outlets and a new commercial food outlet.
The increase in electrical capacity brought by the new substation will also support the Dunfermline Learning Campus. The new development, set to be completed by 2024, will be an all-electric campus and will include an innovative secondary school and further education college.
Cllr Helen Law, Convenor of the City of Dunfermline Area Committee, said: "It is good news for Dunfermline that SP Energy Networks has been successful in its bid to Ofgem's Green Recovery Fund for £5.5m to build a new substation near the town by 2023. The new 32MW substation enables investment in new homes, new business units and new schools in Dunfermline. Fife Council has supported housing developers in Dunfermline and SP Energy Networks to build a strong case for investment. I am pleased as this development opens up opportunities for further investment in Dunfermline.
"As a council we strive to lead and to support the transition to a greener society and a net zero economy. This will also help deliver faster decarbonisation benefits to consumers while supporting a green economic recovery."
Scotland has ambitious climate change targets and aims to achieve Net Zero carbon emissions by 2045, and we are playing a vital role in getting there. Over the next decade a significant investment is required in the network to ensure it can support the electrification of transport and the decarbonisation of head and buildings.
The £5.5m substation is just the beginning of our work to ensure Dunfermline's electricity network can support the town's residents and businesses towards a green economy.
Craig Arthur, our Distribution Director, said: "Our networks are at the heart of the transition to Net Zero and we are so pleased to be able to invest in a project which is central to supporting Dunfermline's own green ambitions.
"This substation will create the additional electrical capacity the town needs to ensure it can benefit from the early adoption of low carbon technologies.
"This investment is just the tip of the iceberg. We have ambitious plans to revolutionise the distribution network between 2023 and 2028 - an infrastructure project to rival anything this country has delivered in recent memory."
Work on the substation is expected to begin in 2021 and will be completed in 2023.
Cllr Altany Craik, Convener - Economy, Tourism, Strategic Planning & Transportation Committee, said: "Fife Council's Local Development Plan sets out the planned growth of Dunfermline. This new substation is essential and is important to Fife's economic and green recovery facilitating development growth."