04 April 2005 00:00 Honey, Central Networks shrunk the substation – and then they camouflaged it and built it on stilts

Central Networks, the electricity distribution company for central England, is continuing work on a new multi-million pound camouflaged substation on stilts in Gloucestershire to help improve service to customers.

The new indoor substation at Port Ham will be built on 748 square metres of land, just a fifth the size of the existing outdoor substation – and all of the tall concrete electrical infrastructure support structures that currently hold the outdoor equipment will be removed.

Built on the River Severn flood plain, engineers got round the problem of flooding by building the substation on 4.5 metre stilts, allowing flood water to flow freely underneath.

The building that will house the substation has been specially coloured to ensure that it merges in with the local environment to reduce visual impact. The area will also be planted with trees and bushes to help camouflage it further.

Geraint Hancock, Contract Delivery Manager – Major Projects, said: “The new substation at Port Ham has been designed and built to minimise environmental impact, while also offering local people an even better service than they get now.

“’We’ve also been working alongside the local nature conservation society to ensure as little disruption to plants and wildlife as possible.”

The new substation will ensure an already excellent service to thousands of customers in Gloucestershire, Herefordshire and parts of south and east Worcestershire will become even better.

Work began on the substation in February 2004 and is due to be completed towards the end of 2006.

Ends

Notes to editors:
•Central Networks is the new name for Midlands Electricity and East Midlands Electricity;
•The company brings power to 4.8 million customers across the East and West Midlands through 133,000km of underground and overhead cables and via almost 97,000 substations;
•Central Networks covers an area from the Peak District in the north to parts of Bristol in the south, and from the Welsh Borders to the Lincolnshire Coast.

For further information and pictures contact:
Rebecca Middleton on 024 7642 5779