Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) has completed the installation of 13km of new underground cable between Cirencester and Fairford as part of its £4.4m project to upgrade and improve the reliability of local electricity supplies in the Swindon area. With the cable safely installed and the ground reinstated, SSEN's project teams are now working in both of the substations ahead of the new equipment going live in early 2017.
In addition to making the local electricity infrastructure more robust and minimising the risk of power cuts, the project is bringing a third benefit to the local area, as it has increased the capacity of the network. As Swindon continues to expand, with new homes and businesses currently being built and also in the planning pipeline, it is vital that the electricity network is able to accommodate the extra demand this expansion brings.
John Smart, Head of Planning and Investment for SSEN, said: "As the needs of our business and domestic customers are constantly evolving, it's vital that we have an electricity network that can continue to meet these increasing demands. In Swindon and surrounding areas, the growing numbers of customers generating their own green energy increases that complexity in managing the load on our network. Designing a network that is suitable for the years ahead is a complex job, and we invest millions each year to make sure ours is as robust and resilient as possible. This £4.4 million investment will ensure our infrastructure is robust enough to meet this challenge so we can continue to provide our customers with the reliable supply of energy that they rightly expect."
To ensure that the essential upgrade is carried out with the minimum amount of disruption, SSEN has worked closely with local landowners and archaeologists in the months before a spade was put in the ground.
Miles Crossleyfrom SSEN explains more: "For the majority of this project we have been working on private land, as not only did this minimise the need for road closures and traffic diversions, it was also the most efficient route between our substations in Cirencester and Fairford. With such historical significance in this area, it was vital that all of the land was fully scoped out and cleared by archaeological specialists before we started our work, as we wanted to ensure that we did not have any negative impact on the local environment."