UK Power Networks (UKPN) has allocated a £102 million to invest in future-proofing its electricity network this year.
The network operator has started works on over 100 projects, installing and upgrading electricity equipment such as substations, transformers and circuit breakers, to ensure reliable power supply to the electricity network. In doing so, it is working to enable the expected increase in the use of heat pumps and electric vehicles (EV) across London, the South East and the East of England.
One of these projects is the replacement of three large transformers at Leicester Square substation in London that, once completed, will provide additional capacity and resilience to the network in a constrained area.
A key priority in UKPN’s strategy has been working on the network’s flexibility and being able to adapt to the increase in demand from EVs and heat pumps in its network in the coming years.
From the more than £100 million investment for this year, £72 million will be dedicated for capital programme projects, with the remaining £30 million invested as part of its “Green Recovery scheme” that accelerates the infrastructure needed by low carbon projects at 86 sites and in line with the government’s Ten Point Plan towards net zero by 2050.
Recently UKPN launched a new programme designed to accelerate the uptake of low-carbon transport such as EVs, which it expects to increase almost tenfold in the next five years across just its network area.
John Southgate, head of alliance at UKPN, said: “This investment will provide long-term benefits for residents and businesses across our networks. A lot of our work involves the construction of new electricity supply points, to allow for an increase in capacity that helps meets new demand.”
