Balfour Beatty Flies Into Pole Position

Balfour Beatty successfully installed 140 new composite poles to connect the Dorenell Wind Farm to Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) Blackhillock Substation with the help of a specialist helicopter from the USA.

The innovative poles, which used a durable composite plastic instead of the traditional timber, is the first of its kind to be installed on the GB transmission network, and has been specially adapted to meet the unique terrain and environment of the north east of Scotland.

The use of the specialist Erickson S-64 Air Crane helicopter, which can hold up to a 10-tonne load, allowed the construction team to overcome the rugged terrain whilst minimising disturbance to the environment and community.

Andrew Smith, Operations Director for Balfour Beatty’s Power Transmission and Distribution business in Scotland, said: “At Balfour Beatty, we are continually assessing how we can utilise technology and innovation to mitigate safety risks, increase project efficiencies and overcome challenges faced by the sector.

“Working in collaboration with SSEN, we have developed an entirely new infrastructure solution which meets industry specifications in both the UK and Europe. This includes modifying the pole structures to be less intrusive, enhancing the durability of the insulators and utilising cutting edge conductors to enable real-time monitoring of windfarm and substation performance.”

Composite poles are environmentally friendly and require no preservatives. They eliminate the need to harvest trees, which helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions, carbon consumption, and the degradation of ecosystems. In addition, composite poles demonstrate a longer lifespan and can be repurposed or recycled at the end of their useful life.

A film of the instillation can be viewed here