- South Lanarkshire Council in the UK clears ScottishPower’s plan for a 400-kV substation near the former Red Moss Hotel.
- The project forms part of Iberdrola’s €58-billion 2024–28 investment drive, two-thirds targeting network expansion.
ScottishPower Ltd, a unit of Spain’s Iberdrola SA, has secured consent from the South Lanarkshire Council to build a 400-kilovolt substation near the former Red Moss Hotel, enabling more renewable power to flow into Scotland’s electricity grid.
ScottishPower said in a statement that, through SP Energy Networks, the utility will work with the council’s roads department to finalise site access and prepare a construction management plan. Pending site surveys and planning conditions, it expects to start building later this year and complete the project by 2031.
“Much of Scotland’s electricity transmission network dates back to the 1920s,” the company said. “With around 2 GW of new renewable capacity expected to connect soon, the new high-voltage substation at Redshaw is vital to expand capacity and strengthen local grid resilience.”
In addition, the facility will feature two gas-insulated switchgear (GIS) buildings, a smaller distribution substation for auxiliary power, and four 360-MVA transformers.
“This substation is part of a wider national investment programme critical to improving energy security and supporting the UK’s net-zero targets,” said Andrew Hutchison, environmental planning manager at SP Energy Networks.
Furthermore, the Redshaw project aligns with Iberdrola’s €58-billion investment plan for 2024–28, which prioritises network growth in the UK and the United States, representing 95% of its €12-billion transmission allocation.
Executive Chair Ignacio Galán said the strategy aims to make Iberdrola a “more regulated company, with networks as a vector for growth.” Overall, 65% of total spending will go to regulated networks, while generation and customer operations will receive €21 billion, of which 38% supports offshore wind, 24% onshore wind, and 10% each for solar and storage.
The UK will receive the largest share of investment, €20 billion, followed by the United States with €16 billion, Iberia with €9 billion, and Brazil with €7 billion. Iberdrola said 85% of total investments will be channelled into A-rated markets with stable regulatory frameworks.