Industry News: SSEN Transmission publishes Aberdeenshire commitments: jobs, homes and £32m community benefit

January 29, 2026
Industry News: SSEN Transmission publishes Aberdeenshire commitments: jobs, homes and £32m community benefit

Jobs, investment and a lasting legacy

SSEN Transmission has published commitments which detail the economic and other legacy benefits for communities in the region from its investment to upgrade the electricity grid.

SSEN Transmission has pledged to deliver a series of specific outcomes for Aberdeenshire through its £22bn+ planned programme of investment to upgrade the electricity grid in the north of Scotland, subject to securing the necessary planning consents.

These gains for the Aberdeenshire area include:

  • Boosting the economy by up to £820m - with an estimated local spend of up to £1bn in transmission projects across the Aberdeenshire region
  • Supporting an estimated 1,140 jobs in Aberdeenshire
  • Over 300 new legacy homes over five different development sites in Aberdeenshire, supporting the delivery of affordable and social housing
  • Unlocking £32m of community benefit investment through projects in Aberdeenshire.

This initiative follows SSEN Transmission becoming the first business to sign the Highland Social Value Charter last November.

In December, SSEN Transmission announced the first of its housing projects in Aberdeenshire, in Turriff.

Commenting on this investment in Aberdeenshire economy, Paul Cooley, Director of Onshore Capital Delivery at SSEN Transmission, said:

“We are very pleased to publish a detailed set of gains for the people and economy of Aberdeenshire that are unlocked by upgrading the electricity transmission grid. Investment in a modern grid to achieve energy security and clean power for the country goes hand in hand with building stronger communities in Aberdeenshire.“Jobs, new housing, work for local businesses, and investment in infrastructure is exactly what Aberdeenshire needs, and we are determined to play our part in delivering them. By building a lasting legacy of benefits with our partners and stakeholders, we create more opportunities for people to live, work and raise families in local communities.”

Russell Borthwick, Chief Executive of Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce, said:

“We welcome SSEN Transmission’s commitment to the North-east economy through delivery of high-quality jobs and investment in local supply chains. Upgrades to our electricity grid infrastructure are crucial to our ability to take advantage of the emerging opportunities in clean energy, but we need to act now without further delay. These essential upgrades will ultimately benefit businesses and households across the country, securing our region’s position as an energy powerhouse and ensuring our future prosperity.”

  • An investment programme of up to £7.2bn, with an estimated local spend of up to £1bn in transmission projects across the Aberdeenshire region
  • Boosting the Aberdeenshire economy by up to £820m (total GVA)
  • A boost to the construction sector by up to 20% annually
  • Supporting an estimated 1,140 jobs across the Aberdeenshire region
  • £500m to be spent on enabling works, including investment in roads infrastructure
  • Over 300 new legacy homes over five different development sites in Aberdeenshire, supporting delivery of affordable and social housing
  • Recruited 183 staff locally in the last year, including 38 ‘earn as you learn’ roles, and expecting another 150 new staff in the area over the next five years
  • An average salary of £56,000 for Aberdeenshire employees 
  • Unlocking £32m of community benefit investment through Aberdeenshire projects
  • £16m of funding will be available through local funds to support Aberdeenshire communities close to new infrastructure
  • The additional £16m will form part of the regional fund to provide impactful investment across the broader region
  • 10% Biodiversity Net Gain and no net loss of woodland on all new projects

Get in touch

AREG is the original energy transition organisation, working on behalf of members to empower the energy supply chain and champion its expertise. Please get in touch if you have any questions or would like to find out more about membership.

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AREG has played an important role in the growth of Scotland’s renewable energy sector, engaging the supply chain and developing the European Offshore Wind Deployment Centre. However, we are only at the very beginning of the transition that AREG was established to both lead and support so there are still opportunities for companies to get into the constantly evolving renewables supply chain. We look forward to continuing our work together as renewables builds on its place as Scotland’s main source of power, and as we seek to deliver real change in the crucial areas of heat and transport.

Scottish Renewables
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Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce has worked closely with AREG since its formation. The recent progress in the developments of offshore wind projects by Equinor and Vattenfall are as a result of the work of the group over many years. The north-east is known as the oil and gas capital of Europe. At the Chamber, we believe the region must evolve its position to being recognised as the energy capital. Whilst hydrocarbons will continue to be essential in driving our economy for years to come, the generation of renewable resources will play an increasingly important role in providing cost-effective power, innovative development and economic growth.

Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce
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The enthusiasm and dedication of the early group that would become AREG was fundamental in us choosing to launch All-Energy in Aberdeen. The first tiny show was held in 2001, and AREG’s Chairman at the time, Jeremy Cresswell, played such an active role that I often describe him in terms such as All-Energy’s ‘midwife’. All-Energy is now the UK’s largest renewable and low carbon energy exhibition and conference in terms of number of attendees, space booked, and number of exhibiting companies. As AREG became firmly established, their presence and support for the event grew spectacularly over the years. We thank them most sincerely for their invaluable input.

All-Energy
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Vattenfall has forged a strong working relationship with AREG through the development of the European Offshore Wind Deployment Centre. AREG has worked tirelessly on behalf of the North East and it can take enormous credit for the growth of sustainable energy in the region and the path it has cleared for the region to capture further investment.

Vattenfall
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Aberdeen City and Shire is emerging as a key location for renewables by successfully transferring its world-class oil and gas expertise into the sector and AREG has done much to advance this through a broad range of initiatives. It has acted as a catalyst in driving further investment in the local economy by engaging with companies, Government, public bodies and existing projects and we have been pleased to support their efforts. Scottish Enterprise will continue to engage with AREG as we increase Scotland’s use of renewable energy.

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