We’re making good progress and are on site building a new substation in Shurton, underground cables in the Mendips and Avonmouth and making changes to the local electricity network.
We’re on track to connect our customer, EDF Energy, on time as we help the UK to transition to more low-carbon energy.
As part of its commitment to caring for the natural environment, National Grid employs a range of measures to reduce the impact of its works on local bat species. These include the retention or recreation of bat flyways; linear features of the landscape, like hedgerows, which bats use for navigation.
Following her epic breakthrough at Paull on 10 September, she has been carefully dismantled and lifted to the surface ready to be shipped back to Germany to be fully refurbished ready for her next tunnelling challenge.*
For the last 18 months, she has been steadily making her way from Goxhill on the south side of the river to Paull on the north bank, constructing a tunnel nearly 5km** long and a 3.65m diameter, ready to carry a vital pipeline that can provide up to a quarter of Britain’s gas supplies.
The work is part of the environmental and ecological mitigation work National Grid is carrying out in the reserve, prior to installation of underground cables between the west end of Nailsea and Portishead substation in January 2020.
We are taking care to safeguard nesting sites for species of protected birds, by creating specialised buffer zones and relocating designated barn owl boxes and replacing them at a ratio of 2:1; resulting in four new barn owl boxes being installed at the reserve.
The breakthrough, into the specially constructed shaft at Paull on the north bank of the river, marks the end of her 18-month journey from Goxhill on the south side and the start of the next phase of this world record breaking feat of engineering.
The tunnel distance of nearly 5km* and a 3.65 metre diameter tunnel will carry a vital pipeline which can provide up to a quarter of Britain’s gas supplies.
So far, over £1300 has been raised for the charity, which was chosen by the Balfour Beatty team. Balfour Beatty is the main contractor on the project to construct the 67km connection from Bridgwater to Seabank near Avonmouth.
Fundraising activities have included raffles, sponsored yoga sessions, a competitive It’s a Knockout and ‘friendly’ football matches, where National Grid staff are pitted against colleagues from Balfour Beatty.
The project team is hoping to raise at least £5,000 – the amount needed to cover the cost of running the hospice for a full day.
National Grid has also entered into a joint venture agreement with Washington State Investment Board (‘WSIB’). National Grid contributed approximately $125 million for a 51% controlling share in the joint venture which acquired 379 megawatts of solar and wind generation projects from Geronimo Renewable Infrastructure Partners.
Funded primarily via the Government’s Football Foundation, the new changing pavilion is set to enhance the playing experience of a thriving sporting community. It comprises of four team changing rooms, two officials’ changing rooms, large clubroom, kitchen, bar, spectator toilets and storage space.
National Grid was pleased to provide a Community Grant towards some of the build costs.
Since that partial power cut, thousands of colleagues across the industry have been working hard to ensure the system is robust and to understand exactly what happened, and what we should do differently in the future.
