ScottishPower is about to start the next phase of its multi-million pound programme to improve West Lothians overhead electricity network and meet the growing power needs of its customers - including the districts expanding industrial base.

The main work will be to the high voltage network (132,000 volts) feeding around 50,000 ScottishPower customers in the Broxburn and Livingston areas, which is to be refurbished at a cost of around £2 million.

The programme is due to begin within the next two weeks and will be completed in November. It will involve replacement of conductors and other electrical equipment on the 20 km of lines, which run from Currie and incorporate part of the original National Grid constructed in the late '20s.

Complementary work representing an investment of around £5 million is already underway to upgrade parts of the high voltage network supplying West Lothian industry.

A project to lay five km of new cables and build a new substation for Motorola in Livingston is scheduled for completion in summer. It will provide the factory with a 50 per cent increase in power. Similar work has also been done on behalf of NEC.

To cater for the additional demands made by West Lothian's developing economic infrastructure two new transformers are being installed at Bathgate's 132,000 volt substation.

ScottishPower is also currently spending several hundred thousand pound on improving the local 11,000 volt network around Bathgate, Torphichen and Slamannan, among other areas.

To minimise customer inconvenience engineers are using modern new techniques, including working from insulated platforms and wearing rubber gloves to carry out maintenance while the line is "live". Usually the power has to be disconnected before this type of work can be undertaken.

Around £200,000 alone is being spent to construct a new, eight km line for Slamannan to cope with additional demand for electricity in the area, caused mainly by the installation of electric heating in local authority housing.

The new line will be built to the strongest spec available and will be fitted with the latest protection equipment to further insure against interruptions in supply.

Stan Currie, General Manager of ScottishPower's Forth Region, said the investment was part of a continuing programme to improve the electrical infrastructure throughout the company's area.

"Our aim is to meet the high standards of quality our customers demand by continuing to invest in the network and to take advantage of modern electrical technology.

West Lothian is growing and we are working with our customers, including in the electronics sector, to provide the power quality required to support its development", he added.

Further Information:
ScottishPower Press Office
Colin McSeveny or Gordon Laidlaw,                              0141 248 8200