National Grid Fast-Tracks Overhead Line Upgrade Project To Help Accelerate Connection Dates Of 175 Clean Energy Projects
The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from National Grid.
These four bullet points, act as sub-headings.
- £90 million upgrade of 82km of overhead power line between Bramley in Hampshire and Melksham in Wiltshire brought forward by a year
- Replacing the conductors (wires) between transmission towers (pylons) will allow them to operate at a higher temperature and therefore carry more electricity
- Increased capacity could help to accelerate the grid connection of 175 clean energy projects in South West England and Wales
- Project forms part of a series of National Grid measures to help speed up connections to the electricity network, including working with the Electricity System Operator (ESO) and industry to reform the connections process
These are the two opening paragraphs.
National Grid has accelerated engineering works to address a bottleneck in connecting low carbon projects to the electricity network in South West England and Wales.
The 82km upgrade of one its high voltage overhead electricity lines, between Bramley in Hampshire and Melksham in Wiltshire, has been brought forward to help accelerate the connection of 175 clean energy projects to the grid.
I am rather surprised that upgrading of just 82 km. of overhead power line will enable the connection of 175 clean energy projects.
- So perhaps, National Grid are upgrading this line first, as it is the best value.
- I have followed the line of pylons on a map and it connects two large sub-stations at Bramley and Melksham.
- It will be interesting to see how the 175 projects connect to the grid.
There is also this paragraph.
This upgrade follows National Grid’s recent announcement of accelerating up to 20GW of grid connections across its transmission and distribution networks (the equivalent capacity of six Hinkley Point C nuclear power stations), including accelerating 10GW of battery storage projects by up to four years.
I wrote about this announcement in National Grid To Accelerate Up To 20GW Of Grid Connections Across Its Transmission And Distribution Networks.
Conclusion
National Grid seem to have made a start like like a hare and I suspect we’ll see the announcement of more projects in the near future.
The Anonymous Widower 
Current National Grid configuration is largely based on where loads and power stations were planned in the mid 1960’s. This circuit is a twin conductor and is being replaced with a quad conductor. CEGB had the foresight to build one type of pylon that could be upgraded this way without major works. Im guessing they’ve accelerated these works as there are shovel ready renewable projects which have jumped up the list since they instigated the changed policy of eliminating developments which have a connection agreement but aren’t going anywhere.
Comment by nickrl | December 18, 2023 |
Thanks! Sounds a strong possibility!
Comment by AnonW | December 18, 2023 |
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