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SGN has appointed Clancy to undertake gas mains and service replacement works as part of its Iron Mains Replacement Programme.
The contract with Clancy will last 12 months and will see the design and delivery of mains across several towns in Hampshire, including Fleet, Haslemere and Andover.
The project will see Clancy replace 36km of metallic gas mains with plastic piping to improve the network’s lifespan and durability.
To minimise disruption to customers, Clancy aims to use a trenchless technique of live gas mains insertion on the majority of sites.
By using a special gland box, the old main is kept live throughout the process and the new pipe is gassed up to maintain supply for customers.
The prioritisation of no-dig techniques will have the added benefit of reducing carbon emissions and environmental impact, as well as minimising disruption for local communities.
Roger Culley, operations director at Clancy, said: “Preparing our country’s energy networks for the future is a major task which will need significant investment and large amounts of skilled labour over the coming years.”
He added: “The project will also bring to bear our drive to find new, better ways of doing things – whether it’s the tech we use, our approach to design, or the way our teams work together – to boost efficiency, as well as reduce our environmental impact.”
Clancy is also investing in the recruitment and training of civil engineers, with transferrable capabilities, to upskill with the specialist knowledge and qualifications needed to deliver excavation work on SGN’s sites.
The work is being carried out as part of the 30-year Iron Mains Risk Reduction Programme, which requires gas distribution networks to replace aging iron mains that are at risk of leaking with modern plastic pipes if they are located within 30 metres of an occupied building.
The programme of work is due to be complete in 2032. However, there have been calls for the programme to be reviewed given the uncertainty about gas networks’ role in home heating.
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