Next phase of construction work begins at National Grid’s South Shields Substation

• New Power Flow Control equipment is being installed adjacent to the existing substation, helping to make our electricity network more efficient
• This work demonstrates National Grid’s continued investment in its network across the North East, with the South Shields substation playing a key role in supplying electricity to homes and businesses in the area.
• This work will boost the volume of clean energy that National Grid’s circuits can carry, therefore increasing the amount of renewable energy used across the country.
   

Work to install new Power Flow Control (PFC) equipment at National Grid’s South Shields substation begins this week. This technology will boost the volume of clean energy that National Grid’s circuits can carry by rerouting power from overloaded circuits to unlock unused capacity on the existing network.  

It forms part of National Grid’s continued investment in its network across the North East, with £8.6bn of investment planned between 2026 and 2031 to maintain, upgrade and develop our network. The new technology at South Shields substation will ensure it continues to play a key role in supplying electricity to homes and businesses in the area.

Site works will start on Tuesday 27 May with an estimated 20 truck movements per weekday taking place from Monday 2 June, and will occur during our normal working hours (7am– 6pm Monday to Friday). The project team will seek to minimise disruption to the local road network and noise will be kept to a minimum. Dedicated site staff will liaise with drivers to avoid congestion on Hartford Road and Fenwick Avenue. This work will prepare the ground for installation of the new technology and will involve the delivery of heavy plant and equipment.

Steven Reynolds, project manager for National Grid, said: “Our works have been many months in the planning, and we’ve worked hard to try and minimise any disruption that vehicle movements can cause. We appreciate the cooperation and understanding of the local community during this work. Installing this innovative equipment at our substation in South Shields will provide more control over how electricity moves through the network. This will allow more clean power to be carried around the country to where it is needed. “

More information about the project is available on our website. National Grid’s Community Relations team are available to answer questions on 0800 3196 183 or [email protected]. They’re available from 9am-5pm Monday to Friday with an answer service outside these times.