A number of projects are being carried out across the sector, with millions being spent on upgrading infrastructure across the UK.
Here is Utility Week’s projects roundup.
Energy
Electricity North West
Engineers from Electricity North West (ENW) have completed the first phase of a £1 million project in East Lancashire.
The aim is to replace nine 11kV underground electricity cables in the area to the benefit of 6,000 customers in Rawtenstall who have experienced multiple power cuts in the past two years.
ENW expects the project to be completed by October.
Meanwhile, a network upgrade covering Lancaster and Morecambe has seen 7km of underground power cables replaced as part of a £2 million project.
UK Power Networks
UK Power Networks is working on a £3.2 million upgrade in Surrey to improve the long-term reliability and capacity of local power supplies.
New electrical equipment is being installed, including a switch house at an existing substation in Addlestone and cabling to connect the assets to the grid.
A new interconnection between the two electricity substations in Addlestone and West Byfleet has already been put in place via an existing overhead power line and underground cabling.
And a new switchboard has been installed in Addlestone, with engineers now in the process of transferring supplies over from the old one.
The work is due to be completed by August.
Western Power Distribution
Engineers based at Western Power Distribution’s Castle Donington office have completed their first major project using 3D modelling technology – a new £4 million 132/33kV substation at Tamworth in Staffordshire.
The substation is being built on a steep slope and so engineers used 3D modelling and a detailed topographical site survey to calculate the exact height and position of the concrete foundations.
Northern Powergrid
Northern Powergrid has almost completed a £4 million project which will help maintain the reliability of supplies for more than 90,000 customers across Middlesbrough, Redcar, Guisborough and the surrounding areas.
The company is undertaking a three-year circuit breaker replacement programme at its Lackenby 66kV substation.
The project is scheduled for completion in October and includes the design and installation of fifteen 66kV dead tank circuit breakers and new protection and control equipment.
Water
United Utilities
United Utilities is installing around 100,000 listening devices over the next two years as part of a £30 million leakage detection project.
The “acoustic loggers” which can fit in the palm of a hand, will be installed directly onto the fittings of water pipes and will listen to the flow of water, detecting changes indicating a leak. When a leak is detected an alarm will alert the company’s control centre and an engineer will be dispatched.
In total, 44,000 devices are being fitted across the network this summer and a further 50,000 are scheduled for installation in 2020.