New National Grid Substation Fully Operational, Transmitting Clean Power To 1.5 Million Homes
he title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from National Grid.
These three bullet points act as sub-headings.
- National Grid’s new Littlebrook 400kV substation in Dartford, Kent is now fully energised.
- The facility enables the transmission of 2GW of low carbon and renewable energy from interconnectors and offshore wind farms off the coast of Kent to power around 1.5 million homes.
- New technology deployed to reduce emissions at the site.
This is the first three paragraphs, which outline the project.
National Grid has successfully commissioned a new, state-of-the-art substation, in Dartford, Kent, enabling 2 gigawatts (GW) of low carbon and renewable energy to power around 1.5 million homes.
National Grid and its contractors Balfour Beatty and GE Vernova’s Grid Solutions have been working since June 2019 to build a replacement for Littlebrook 400kV substation.
The new facility will help to reduce the use of sulphur hexafluoride (SF₆), a gas commonly used in the electrical industry to prevent short circuits and to keep the network safe and reliable.
These two paragraphs explain how the new substation fits in with National Grid’s SF₆ policy.
Engineers are using GE Vernova Grid Solutions’ innovative g3 gas-insulated busbar equipment which is SF6- free. A total of 5.6 tonnes of SF₆ gas has been saved, forming part of National Grid’s ambition to reduce its SF₆ emissions by 50% by 2030 and removing all SF₆ gas from electrical assets by 2050.
Teams have also deployed net zero construction methods throughout the project to reduce the environmental impact of the works, including steel manufactured in Britain, solar powered electrics, electric vehicle charging points, biodiversity net gain plan for the local area and an onsite biodigester to manage wastewater, all saving 5229 tonnes of CO₂ emissions during construction.
National Grid have this page on their web site, which is entitled What Is SF6? Sulphur Hexafluoride Explained, where this is the first paragraph.
Sulphur hexafluoride – also known as SF6 – is a ‘greenhouse gas’ that has long played a part in global warming, similar to that of carbon dioxide (CO2).
Hence the need for its removal.
Conclusion
Removal of sulphur hexafluoride from the world’s electricity substations and switchgear will be a very large task.
University Of Manchester And National Grid Team Up To Develop SF6-Free Retrofill Solution For Electricity Network
The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from National Grid.
This is the introductory paragraph.
National Grid and the University of Manchester are to collaborate on a four-year project to develop a full-scale demonstrator at the Deeside Centre for Innovation, designed to test at scale how the UK can retrofill sulphur hexafluoride (SF6) across its network of high-voltage equipment.
Note.
- Sulphur hexafluoride (SF6) is a gas commonly used in the power industry to provide electrical insulation and arc interruption.
- Eighty percent of sulphur hexafluoride is used in the electricity industry.
- According to Wikipedia, sulphur hexafluoride has several important applications, including a medical one in eye surgery.
- But sulphur hexafluoride is a is a potent greenhouse gas with a global warming potential that is 25,200 times greater than CO2.
It certainly looks to be a good idea to see if the sulphur hexafluoride can be eliminated from electrical equipment and other uses, that may release the gas into the atmosphere.
These paragraphs from the press release outline the project.
The £1.9m project will see experts at Manchester help determine how National Grid can develop a retrofill solution to replace SF6 with an environmentally friendlier alternative without having to replace or otherwise modify the existing equipment.
This solution – to be demonstrated at National Grid’s test facility the Deeside Centre for Innovation – will mean National Grid can avoid the environmental impact and cost of replacing equipment otherwise fit for many more years’ service.
It is not the first time National Grid and the University of Manchester have teamed up on a project exploring SF6 alternatives – a previous initiative which concluded in 2020 is now up for an IET Engineering & Technology magazine innovation award for ‘Best Innovation in Net Zero and Sustainability’.
The press release also says this about the Deeside Centre for Innovation.
National Grid’s Deeside Centre for Innovation in North Wales is the first of its kind in Europe, where electricity network assets can be tested under real life conditions, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
It certainly seems that National Grid and Manchester University are on top of the problem and have the resources to achieve success in the project.
The Russian Attack On Ukraine
You may wonder what this has got to do with improving transformers and switchgear in Manchester and Wales.
Recently, the Russians have been targeting the Ukrainian electricity network. Are Ukrainian transformers and switchgear insulated with sulphur hexafluoride and if they are how of this potent global warming gas has been released into the atmosphere?
The Anonymous Widower 