SSEN announces £2.4m switchgear upgrade

Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) has announced a £2.4 million switchgear investment programme to boost network resilience.

As part of the investment, the distribution network operator (DNO) is upgrading and replacing 11kV switchgear at four of its substations in the south of England.

The substations are at Five Oaks in Horsham, Argyle Road in Bognor Regis, and Herriard and Basingstoke, both in Hampshire.

Work began in March 2019. The network upgrades are due to be completed by February 2020.

The project aims to deliver a smarter, more resilient network while reducing the potential impact of faults occurring on SSEN’s license areas.

Switchgear comprises of individual circuit breakers which allow SSEN to direct power around its network. Once installed, the new hardware will allow the company to restore power sooner after faults occur, improving network reliability.

Stuart Hogarth, distribution operations director at SSEN, said: “This investment will help us deliver a more resilient, responsive network that is future-proofed for an increase in electricity demand.

“This switchgear investment forms just one part of the £185 million we are investing in both our distribution areas up to 2022, to serve our 3.8 million customers.”

The announcement follows SSEN’s engagement with customers as part of its commitment to taking a “you said, we did” approach to investing in vital infrastructure.

A recent study found that there could be over 280,000 new homes in the DNO’s southern licence area by 2032, and this investment will have an important role in future-proofing the network to accommodate an increase in demand from the households, businesses and communities it serves.

This will be driven in part by the proliferation of low-carbon technologies such as electric vehicles, heat pumps and domestic batteries.