Upgraded Scottish power line a huge boon for wind energy

The Scottish government's decision to grant planning consent to the proposal to upgrade 137 miles of power transmission line from the Highlands to the Firth of Forth has been welcomed by renewable energy advocates.

The upgrade will boost grid capacity along the line and unlock Scotland's onshore and offshore renewables potential.

The existing 132KV line between Beauly, west of Inverness, and Denny, west of Edinburgh, will be replaced with a 400KV line that will be capable of distributing more renewable energy from the Highlands to the rest of the country.

Scottish Energy Minister Jim Mather said: "The Beauly - Denny upgrade is the most significant grid infrastructure project in a generation. Scotland's electricity network needs significant reinforcement to allow our vast renewables potential to be harnessed, transmitted and exported - currently we simply do not have the transmission capacity to carry the green energy which Scotland will generate over the coming years.

"Developing our onshore and offshore grid connections is crucial to connecting, transporting and exporting Scotland's renewable energy to the UK and Europe. The Beauly Denny upgrade will help meet that aim. There are over 50 potential projects totalling around 4.2GW in the north of Scotland, two thirds of peak Scottish demand. That energy will further secure our supply while allowing us to continue to export the surplus."