OREANDA-NEWS. An influential committee of MPs has praised SSEPD engineers for their response to the severe weather in Arran and Kintyre last year, which affected the transmission and distribution networks.

In its report into the storms of March 2013, the House of Commons' Scottish Affairs Committee singled out the work carried out by SSEPD engineers, linesmen and support teams.

“We heard many glowing tributes to the efforts which the electricity companies and SSE in particular, made to restore the supply to the communities in Arran, Kintyre and Wigtonshire,” the report said.

“We are encouraged that so much was able to be done so quickly, and that SSE displayed such ingenuity in addressing the myriad challenges facing them.”

The storms and heavy snowfall wreaked widespread devastation to power lines and towers, with SSEPD teams working in extremely challenging conditions to restore customers' supplies.

SSEPD used a network of 280 mobile generators around Arran and Kintyre to provide 30MW of energy until the network was fully restored.

The operation was fraught with logistical problems caused by inaccessible roads, snow storms and ice. Helicopters and a specially chartered CalMac ferry were used to overcome these challenges. The operation cost the company ?11m.

The report also highlighted the collaboration between SSE and local councils, which allowed the business to identify vulnerable customers and sites for food vans for those without power.

Alan Reid, MP for Argyll and Bute and member of the Scottish Affairs Committee, said: “We must pay special tribute to the staff on the ground who worked so hard.”

Stuart Hogarth, Director of Distribution, said: “We are committed to keeping the lights on for our customers and the findings of this report are a testament to the hard work, effort and resilience of everyone who worked tirelessly throughout the storms.

“We all pulled together in some of the most treacherous weather conditions to hit Scotland in recent years. To have witnessed this commitment first hand at the time and now to have this recognised by an influential committee of MPs makes me really proud.”