Key to supplying up to a quarter of Britain’s gas, the original River Humber pipeline was built 35 years ago into a trench on the riverbed. Over time the riverbed has moved, which meant the pipeline had to be replaced in order to continue to deliver a reliable supply of gas. Boring this new tunnel, which is 30m at its deepest, took place between April 2018 and Autumn 2019. On completion, the project will achieve the record for the longest hydraulically inserted pipeline in the world.
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.