The National Grid has begun work on two new 1.8GW capacity energy substations located at Uxbridge Moor in Buckinghamshire. The development comes as the National Grid plans to invest £35 billion in the electricity network by 2031.
Two substations, one of 400kV and one of 132kV will make up the facility, building on the capacity of the nearby 400kV Iver substation, which can no longer meet energy London's demands.
Once completed, this will be the largest National Grid substation by gigawatt capacity, equivalent to adding a mid-sized city to the grid. They will enable a dozen new datacentres to be connected to the electricity network.
In recent years, West London has seen an influx of datacentre developments resulting in concerns a few years ago that their energy use would disturb the electricity supply to the area and prevent new houses being connected to the grid.
The principal contractor is Murphy who will provide underground cabling and additional work to connect the substation to overhead electricity lines.
Energy Minister Michael Shanks said: "Upgrades to the electricity network like this are at the heart of building the industries of our future and support our Plan for Change to deliver economic growth and skilled jobs across the UK."
The National Grid will also be investing in data centres and gigafactories to adapt to changing digital needs as well as alternative energy generation sources like wind and solar.
These two substations have been developed with sustainability in mind and will be gas-insulated facilities (GIS). Additionally, the substations are being developed without the use of sulphur hexaflouride (SF6) a potent greenhouse gas which is commonly used as an electrical insulator. By 2030, the National Grid aims to have reduced SF6 emissions from its network by 50%.
Laura Mulcahy, project director at National Grid Electricity Transmission, noted that they are "working to keep the substations environmental impact to a minimum" She noted that "by using the latest SF6-free gas-insulated switchgear, we’re reducing the size of this crucial site by around 70%, and ensuring its technology is sustainable and resilient long into the future.”
Lucy Baldwin
