13 February 2007 00:00 Central Networks takes to the sky to check electricity substations across the East Midlands

Central Networks, which distributes electricity across Central England, is to undertake helicopter patrols next week across the East Midlands as part of its network inspection work.

The company will send up a helicopter equipped with thermal vision equipment, which will be used to spot potential hazards and identify where future work may be necessary in electricity substations across Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire and Nottinghamshire.

Alan Raymant, Director of Infrastructure Services at Central Networks, said: “We’re responsible for around 750 primary and grid substations across the Midlands, and taking a helicopter up is the best, easiest and fastest way to carry out checks on large sections of the network.

“This is vital work because it helps us spot potential problems before they develop, and that means we can plan our investment and maintenance work more effectively.

“Once we get the information back from the helicopter we can then make sure we can get out there and do the necessary work before it causes problems for our customers.”

The patrols will begin on Monday, February 19th. The exact timings and routes to be followed depend on weather conditions, but the plan is to fly over a proportion of the main substations in the region over a three week period.

Ends

Notes to editors:
• Central Networks is the new name for Midlands Electricity and East Midlands Electricity. The company brings power to 4.9 million customers across the East and West Midlands through 133,000km of underground and overhead cables – enough to go round the Earth almost four times – 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 contact:
Jamee Majid on 024 7618 3679
A selection of Central Networks pictures is available free of charge to the media by registering at www.newscast.co.uk and looking under Distribution