Hinkley Connection Project - Winter Update 2021
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National Grid launches new e-newsletter
Welcome to our new format e-newsletter, providing you with a quarterly project update. Thank you for your continued interest in our work to bring low carbon and green energy to six million homes and businesses.
Hinkley Connection Project Highlights
We start with a new year message from Project Director James Goode, on the major milestones and progress made on the project across the regions in recent months.
In Your Area … what's happening near you?
Despite the winter season we've made very good progress in many areas along the route.
On our map you can see your location as it's labelled on the 'In Your Area' section of our website where you'll find updates on current activity and a summary of the work.
Our project is due to make history in 2021, as we work towards the installation of the world's first T-pylons. We are sharing this milestone with local schools who will create their own bespoke time capsules. And if you're wondering how these new pylons are built see this step by step footage from our testing site at Eakring, Nottinghamshire
More than 100 local Archaeology enthusiasts have been treated to a preview of some of the historic finds from along the route of the new underground cables. Daniel Connor, Senior Project Archaeologist for principal contractor Balfour Beatty, provided a brief snapshot of what life might have been like in a Roman roadside settlement in North Somerset. Find out more about archaeology on the project.
Supporting the Mendip Hills AONB
We take our responsibility to the environment seriously and have been working with partners on a range of initiatives to protect and promote our local environments and wildlife. This includes funding a new visitor project by the Mendip Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Unit that will help develop a more sustainable way of promoting the area.
Schools and headteachers are under intense pressure currently and we want to do what we can to help. Grants from our education fund to school STEM equipment - which now totals £580,000 and has helped over 200,000 local pupils - has this year been awarded automatically to those schools who have applied in previous years, with no need for a fresh application. We have also helped one local school to apply its Covid-19 measures and keep staff and pupils safe.
We have been making good progress on the new Sandford substation, right at the heart of our 57km, high-voltage connection. On site, construction excellence is being matched by measures to protect and enhance the environment, as well as a range of community initiatives.
