Can you use underground cables?
Following extensive consultations with local communities between 2015 and 2018, and at the request of the Scottish Government, SPEN commissioned a study to identify potential underground cable routes as an alternative to overhead lines in certain sections of the KTR Project.
The study examined whether underground cables could be used along the route, focussing in on six different sections: Polquhanity to Kendoon; Kendoon to Glenlee; Queen’s Way Crossing; Bennan, Slogarie and Laurieston Forests; A75 crossing; and the Glenlee to Tongland connection in its entirety.
An assessment, undertaken by specialist company Cable Consulting International (CCI) Ltd, appraised possible alternatives and identified preferred cable options for each route section. CCI then carried out technical studies of the preferred options, and SPEN carried out cost studies. Each preferred option was then appraised against the overhead line options.
The study found that, in each section, underground cables were technically feasible and would offer some environmental benefits, but the additional costs would make each section from £8.62m to £95.96m more expensive than overhead lines.
SPEN must balance environmental impacts against technical requirements and costs, and therefore our final conclusions from this study confirm that, in line with SPEN’s statutory and licence duties, overhead line connections should be progressed for all sections of the KTR Project.
The underground cable study report can be found in the Project Documents section of this website.