SSE and National Grid sign one year contract at SSE’s Peterhead power station

SSE and National Grid have signed a one year contract for SSE’s Peterhead power station to provide ancillary support services to the electricity system in the north of Scotland.

The contract will allow National Grid to call up to 780MW of Peterhead’s 1180MW capacity to provide these support services – but prevents the plant from business-as-usual participation in the electricity market.  Its capacity will therefore be unavailable to the market unless called by National Grid.

The award of the contract will not impact SSE’s £15m investment to improve the station's flexibility and efficiency. This investment will continue as planned in 2014/15.  Nor will it impact on the proposed Carbon Capture and Storage project at Peterhead, which Shell UK is developing with SSE’s support. None of the jobs at the plant will be affected.