UK Power Network has invested £600 million to boost London’s electricity network. The company’s major works have enabled the redevelopment of the Greenwich Peninsula, Nine Elms, Kidbrooke and White City, plus flagship projects such as Crossrail, the Thames Tideway tunnel and HS2. This annual investment is part of the company’s
The £80 million National Grid contract that will help restore views of the Dorset landscape has been offered to Morgan Sindall. The 400kV electricity cable project has been awarded as part of the four year Engineer, Procure and Construct (EPC) framework. This is the first scheme delivered as part of
National Grid and its contractors Murphy Eltel Joint Venture have finished building the new 20km high voltage electricity line between Richborough and Canterbury to connect the Nemo Link®, into the UK’s electricity transmission system. The new line, consisting of 60 new pylons is the first to be built in Kent
Scott Parnell, the civil engineering firm, has managed to receive registered trademark status on its TouchSafe® GRP palisade fencing, which is the only product available that is capable of completely eliminating electricity conduction. Produced using super strength, lightweight, corrosion-resistant materials and designed following years of painstaking research, TouchSafe® is unique
Coal has seen a significant decline over the last few years. In 2016 it accounted for just 9% of electricity generation and last month Britain went a whole day without coal-fired power for the first time since use of it began. The plan is to completely phase out this polluting-fuel
Energy companies are divided over the need for a mid-period review (MPR) within the present eight-year price control for businesses operating both in electrical energy and gasoline transmission, and fuel distribution. Big six provider British Gas and consumer body Citizens Advice are heading up the decision for an MPR for
UK Power Network has invested £600 million to boost London’s electricity network. The company’s major works have enabled the redevelopment of the Greenwich Peninsula, Nine Elms, Kidbrooke and White City, plus flagship projects such as Crossrail, the Thames Tideway tunnel and HS2. This annual investment is part of the company’s commitment to invest £1.6 billion in London from 2015 to 2023. Since the beginning of its investment, UK Power Networks has developed a number of new electricity sub stations. “We work with developers, land owners and local authorities to ensure they have the power they need to progress their plans, which ultimately delivers economic growth for all,” said Director of Connections Mark Adolphus. “In the first six months of 2018 we commissioned five main substations to boost the capacity of the London network – that’s the most investment we’ve seen since the 1960s. That includes three main electricity substations within three kilometres of each other; Black Wall Way and Greenwich are catering for infrastructure developments. The third is Crossrail Limmo which is fully funded by our customer. This new infrastructure is the result of a lot of hard work from employees across our business and it represents a huge growth in our network capacity,” Mark added. The total power capacity being installed in London is around 540 MW- which is equivalent to powering 270,000 new homes. New substations providing extra power capacity and built since 2017 include Greenwich Peninsula, Camden and Whitechapel. Other projects under construction to power further development in areas of London and facilitate more infrastructure projects, include new substations at Nine Elms, White City, Willesden and Silvertown. UK Power Networks adds tens of thousands of new connections to its networks every year, runs 30,000 kilometres of high voltage cables under the streets of London, and is developing a smart grid to support changing energy needs.
The £80 million National Grid contract that will help restore views of the Dorset landscape has been offered to Morgan Sindall. The 400kV electricity cable project has been awarded as part of the four year Engineer, Procure and Construct (EPC) framework. This is the first scheme delivered as part of National Grid’s Visual Impact Provision (VIP) programme, which aims to reduce the visual impact of existing electricity transmission infrastructure in some of the most precious landscapes throughout England and Wales. “We are delighted to have been awarded the first of National Grid’s VIP projects. This award further strengthens our high voltage underground electricity cabling capability which has grown significantly over the past few years. We look forward to further enhancing our long term relationship with National Grid and delivering this complex and important scheme,” said Simon Smith, Morgan Sindall Infrastructure managing director. A new 8 kilometre 400kV double circuit underground cable system will be designed, built, tested and commissioned as part of the £80 million construction contract, which also includes other associated works in the Dorset Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). In addition, the project will involve the removal of the existing overhead line and 22 pylons that form part of the existing landscape in the AONB. Construction work is expected to begin in early 2019. “This contract marks a major step forward in a unique opportunity to restore views from the Hardy Monument across Dorset AONB,” added Michelle Clark, senior manager VIP projects, from National Grid. “The project has been driven by local and national organisations dedicated to conserving the landscape and countryside throughout England and Wales. We welcome Morgan Sindall Infrastructure on board and are looking forward to working with them as our delivery partner to turn the plans into a reality.”
National Grid and its contractors Murphy Eltel Joint Venture have finished building the new 20km high voltage electricity line between Richborough and Canterbury to connect the Nemo Link®, into the UK’s electricity transmission system. The new line, consisting of 60 new pylons is the first to be built in Kent for 25 years. A total of 260km of high voltage cables have now been placed on the pylons and have been tested, paving the way for the final testing and commissioning of the Nemo Link® interconnector, which will allow electricity to flow both ways between the UK and Europe. The Richborough Connection was necessary as there is no high voltage transmission network in the Richborough area to carry electricity from the interconnector. The construction work, carried out by 250 skilled workers at the peak of operations involved more than 6,000 crane lifts to put the new pylons into place for a route that crosses eight roads, three rivers and three rail lines in its journey across the county. Graham Dolamore, Project Director for National Grid said: “The completion of the Richborough Project is a significant milestone in the programme for these two projects which will allow power to flow between Britain and Belgium early next year, providing security of supply and greater opportunities for the UK to trade with wider European energy markets. “I’m proud to have been a part of this project and of the fact that we’ve worked closely with landowners and communities to get the connection built on time and with minimal disruption. It is another demonstration of the crucial role National Grid plays in making sure people across Kent and far beyond have the energy they need, when they need it.” Shane Jestin, Murphy Eltel Construction Director said: “It has been a tough but successful job all round, thanks to the hard work of all those involved. We’ve carried out more than 6,000 lifts and managed to hit challenging project deadlines thanks to a mix of thorough planning and excellent delivery.” More than 750,000 working hours were spent building the new overhead line. In addition, works were also carried out at Canterbury North substation and the new Richborough substation with both substations extended and equipment either installed or upgraded. This work was carried out by ABB and Siemens. Some small-scale works will be carried out over the coming months in preparation for the removal of UK Power Network’s overhead lines in 2020. Work on building the new 20km overhead electricity line between Richborough and Canterbury is now complete Line ready to connect Nemo Link®, a 1000 megawatt undersea interconnector between Belgium and the UK, into the UK’s existing high voltage network when it becomes fully operational in 2019 The two projects together will play an important role in supporting the security of energy supplies across Britain and the continent
Scott Parnell, the civil engineering firm, has managed to receive registered trademark status on its TouchSafe® GRP palisade fencing, which is the only product available that is capable of completely eliminating electricity conduction. Produced using super strength, lightweight, corrosion-resistant materials and designed following years of painstaking research, TouchSafe® is unique because it doesn’t contain any metal components, ensuring total safety from possible electrocution incidents. “We wanted to make a product that would make incidents such as electric shocks and electrocution a thing of the past whilst removing the need to earth or bond the fence. This further reduces risk on site and increases commercial efficiencies,” said George Woollard, Design & Specification Manager at Scott Parnell Rail. “A lot of hard work has gone into designing our TouchSafe® palisade fencing and making it the best product it can be. We believe TouchSafe® represents the future of palisade fencing and we’re extremely proud that it has been granted trademark status,” George added. Scott Parnell’s palisade fencing is used for screening off electricity installation areas by a variety of industries, including rail networks and electricity supplier organisation. The product is also ideal for the aviation sector as the composite materials are radar-neutral; therefore not disrupting radar signals. Moreover, the fencing is well suited to marine environments as the non-corrosive materials are able to withstand saline damage. All dimension specifications comply to BS accreditation standards. Unlike many fencing products, TouchSafe® is supplied in fully-assembled panel form, making it easier and quicker to install on site. The Scott Parnell story started in 2012 when friends Dave Scott and Steve Parnell spotted a gap in the market for an independent merchant and decided to go into business together. With 70 years combined experience in the drainage and civil engineering market they wanted their company to be a smaller, independent merchant, specialising in groundworks and civils – helping it to stand out in the marketplace.
Coal has seen a significant decline over the last few years. In 2016 it accounted for just 9% of electricity generation and last month Britain went a whole day without coal-fired power for the first time since use of it began. The plan is to completely phase out this polluting-fuel by 2025, the same year that Hinkley Point C – Britain’s first nuclear power plant in more than two decades – is set to be complete. Nuclear is already the second biggest fuel when it comes to generating electricity and this is only set to increase when the new power station is complete. But, how much do you actually know about nuclear power? Do you know how it is produced or which countries have nuclear power plants? If not, this infographic created and provided by recruiters NES Global Talent, will take you behind the scenes… Provided by NES Global Talent
Energy companies are divided over the need for a mid-period review (MPR) within the present eight-year price control for businesses operating both in electrical energy and gasoline transmission, and fuel distribution. Big six provider British Gas and consumer body Citizens Advice are heading up the decision for an MPR for all three sectors to establish whether the existing price control is appropriate. That call will take into account whether providers are offering value for money to consumers as well as addressing what has been described as the systemic “outperformance” of network operators according to their required outputs. In its recent submission on the potential MPR to the regulator, Ofgem, British Gas conceded: “We recognise that much has changed since the first round of RIIO price controls were finalised which, in turn, has significantly impacted consumers’ interests”. Charity and consumer lobbyist, Citizen’s Advice reported that the average return on investment for network companies in T1 and GD1 is “well in excess of what appears appropriate for such low-risk investment” – a stonking 9.4%. The charity went on express its support for an MPR and it represents “an opportunity to identify the root causes of outperformance, for both transmission and gas distribution.” It was only last November that Ofgem recommended an MPR, asserting that, over the last 12 months, it had recognised some issues with price control management that an MPR could address. Issues identified included by the body included: network output measures, strategic wider works submissions, and incentive on both consumer and stakeholder sides. Ofgem didn’t, however, establish any points for gas distrbution that required reform. As could be predicted, network operators have welcomed Ofgem’s findings on gas distribution while disagreeing with its support for a transmission-focused MPR, insisting the issues identified could be resolved without a sector-wide review. Trade body the Energy Networks Association (ENA) chipped in, saying the changes resulting from the price control are “within the range of uncertainty anticipated in the design of RIIO-T1 and can be managed through the existing uncertainty mechanism,” adding that an MPR runs the risk of creating two four-year price controls and may “undermine longer term investor confidence.” “Our transmission operator members would urge Ofgem to consider the longer term customer interest when assessing the scope of the RIIO-T1 MPR and not just the short terms benefits within the last four years of this price control,” ENA said. Distribution and transmission operator, SP Energy Networks was the single provider to say it would support Ofgem’s decision if an MPR get the go-ahead. The company did however add that it felt the issues could be resolved more successfully with the employment of specialist firms and bodies. SP Energy networks went on to insist that, “as a matter of fairness”, all companies – not just distribution – ought to reviewed if an MPR does go ahead.
