Latest news with #substations
Telegraph
03-07-2025
- General
- Telegraph
National Grid skips crucial upgrades as mystery blazes sweep network
National Grid has skipped crucial maintenance on dozens of electrical substations across the UK, posing the risk of more disasters like the catastrophic fire that shut down Heathrow. More than 100 high-voltage substations, which help move electricity around the country, are behind schedule for work, an official report has found. 108 of the Grid's 805 substations are 'outside' of their maintenance schedule, the National Energy System Operator (Neso) found. The revelation comes from an official investigation into the fire in March at North Hyde substation, west London, which brought Heathrow to a stand-still and caused disruption for thousands of people. Neso's report said National Grid ignored dangerous faults at North Hyde, repeatedly deferred crucial maintenance and even left a broken fire suppression system in place for years. The issue that cause the fire was first identified in 2018. News of maintenance delays elsewhere will raise concerns that similar disasters could occur in future. Recent months have seen an epidemic of puzzling fires and failures across Britain's electricity network, as unexplained outbreaks have erupted from Exeter to Glasgow. There have been five more blazes since the Heathrow fire, making a total of eight in about 10 weeks between the beginning of March and mid-May. National Grid runs the high-voltage transmission system for England and Wales, with 5,500 miles of cables and 22,000 pylons giving it a monopoly that generated £5.4bn in operating profit last year. John Pettigrew, its chief executive, was paid more than £6m. Substations are an essential part of the electricity system, containing transformers that step up voltages for efficient long-distance transmission and then step them down again for delivery to consumers and businesses. Many of the UK's substations are decades old, dating back to the 1960s or even the 1950s, meaning they need regular checks and maintenance. Regulator steps in Ofgem, which has opened an enforcement investigation, said: 'We expect energy companies to properly maintain their equipment and networks to prevent events like this happening. 'Where there is evidence that they have not, we will take action and hold companies fully to account.' A spokesman for National Grid said that following the Heathrow substation fire it had launched a programme to check maintenance records in case other substations were at risk of similar errors, carried out risk assessments for all operational sites and tested the resilience of substations serving critical infrastructure. The spokesman said: 'National Grid has a comprehensive asset inspection and maintenance programme in place. As described in the Neso report, our maintenance policy identifies intervals for asset maintenance and inspection. 'Our policy recognises that for a number of reasons, including the need to secure planned system outages with Neso to safely deliver work, not all of our work may be carried out to exactly those intervals. 'Where that is the case, we will carry out a deferred maintenance risk assessment that defines the criteria to meet to allow the maintenance to be deferred, and what mitigations should be in place during the deferred period.'
Yahoo
21-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Veidekke lands $130.6m contract to build three new substations in Norway
Norwegian state-owned enterprise Statnett has awarded a design and build contract to Scandinavian contractor Veidekke for the construction of three new substations in Vestland. The contract is valued at nearly Nkr1.3bn ($130.6m), excluding value-added tax (VAT). Veidekke is responsible for the foundation, construction, and concrete work for the substations in the municipalities of Øygarden, Vik, and Modalen. The scope of work encompasses access roads, rock work, and transformer shafts, as well as the construction of multiple technical buildings and facilities both below and above ground. The initiative is a response to the demand for electrification and the country's commitment to the green shift. Statnett aims to modernise the grid infrastructure by replacing older power lines and substations between Sogndal and Sauda via Kollsnes. The new substations, designed for 420kV, will enhance the capacity and flow within the grid. Statnett is managing the procurement process for itself and its customers, energy distributor BKK and Eviny Fornybar, a renewable energy and technology company. The construction is scheduled to begin in October in Øygarden, followed by Vik and Modalen. The construction phase is expected to conclude in 2028, with a subsequent period for installation and trial operations, leading to the final handover in the autumn of 2030. Veidekke Bygg EVP Hans Olav Sørlie said: 'Building critical infrastructure is something we really appreciate doing, and here, we will use the expertise of our employees in Bergen, Sogn og Fjordane, Møre og Romsdal and Veidekke Prefab. We are grateful for the confidence shown in us and are looking forward to a close and good partnership with Statnett over the next years.' Last month, Veidekke received a Nkr400m contract for the new Kongshaugen treatment plant in Norway. Additionally, Veidekke and its subsidiary Veitech recently secured a contract for construction and installation work at one of the Swedish Fortifications Agency's facilities in eastern Sweden. "Veidekke lands $130.6m contract to build three new substations in Norway" was originally created and published by World Construction Network, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
News.com.au
26-05-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
Energy bill fears mount amid transmission cost blowout
A blowout in costs to build poles and wires could trigger an increase in household power bills, according to The Australian. Australia's Energy Market Operator reports overhead transmission line costs have surged by 55 per cent and substations by 35 per cent. The rises are attributed, in part, to the decision to avoid 'particularly complex areas' as the Labor government attempts to win over rural communities in the transmission rollout. A final price hike for 2025 to 2026 will be signed off by the energy regulator today.
