We are celebrating net zero week and we met with Ross to discuss his previous role working at Lognannet Power Station and his move to a ‘greener’ role within our SP Energy Networks business.

What was your previous role at ScottishPower?

As a graduate electrical engineer I spent a number of years working at Longannet Power Station starting and laterally as the E,C&I Engineering Manager. Longannet was a coal power station commissioned in the 1970s had a vast area of technologies and was an amazing place to learn as young engineer. 

Was it easy to transition to a ‘greener’ job?

It was clear that generating 2400MW of energy through burning fossil fuels would not help the country transition to net zero.  It was a sad day with the power station closed but huge step towards a greener future. The skills I gained in generation have been completely transferrable to my current position in SP Energy Networks, where I am responsible for the Distribution Network in Central and Fife as the District General Manager. 

Can you give us an example on some of the net zero work you have been responsible for?

A great example is in Dunfermline where we have started construction of a new £5.5million substation in to support the city’s expansion, including the new, all-electric Dunfermline Learning Campus and housing developments of more than 2,500 properties. 

The new capacity provided by the substation will enable greener energy solutions to be more easily adopted, including heat pumps and electric vehicle charging, future-proofing the power grid in the area for years to come. 

The electricity network will play a pivotal role in our transition to a net zero future, and I am privileged to part of the team that will help the country transfer to a greener, cleaner future.