‘Vast majority’ of iron mains replacement on hold

The coronavirus lockdown has forced gas distribution networks to suspend the “vast majority” of the iron mains replacement programme.

Howard Forster, chief operating officer at Cadent, said pipes are only being replaced if they pose a significant risk to safety, but this work is “finite” and “diminishing”.

Speaking to Utility Week, Forster said the biggest impact of the crisis – “and this is true across gas distribution” – has been on the iron mains replacement programme: “The vast majority of it we had to cease overnight. The only work we’re doing which relates to mains replacement is for really high-risk assets that need to be replaced and for works which don’t require us to enter a customers’ property.”

“It’s a fraction of what we would do routinely,” he added. Cadent would normally replace around 40 kilometres of pipes per week but is now down to only three or four. The longer the lockdown continues, the less they will be able to do.

Forster said Cadent is looking in “great detail” at how to ramp work back up quickly once the lockdown is eased or ended, exploring a variety of exit scenarios. Good communication with supply chain will be vital to success: “We’ve been very active in that regard.”

Despite a number of staff being forced to self-isolate in the early stage of the pandemic when they or a family member displayed symptoms of the novel coronavirus, Forster said staff absences have been less of an issue for Cadent. They peaked at around 7 per cent of the workforce and never hindered its ability to continue providing essential services. Over the last fortnight, they have fallen off: “Actually, staff absence hasn’t been a major factor for us.”

Forster said he has been really impressed with the industry’s response to the crisis. Network operators worked closely with the government and Ofgem to establish and implement standard procedures for maintaining social distancing during visits and keeping their customers and employees safe: “One of the real strength of utilities companies is we manage the risk process really quite effectively. That’s almost routine for us.”

He said some customers were nevertheless reluctant to receive them for home visits: “That’s understandable given the concern.”

Commenting on Utility Week’s Keeping Us Connected campaign, Forster said frontline workers have been “absolutely magnificent” throughout, noting that Cadent has given its staff a couple of extra days of paid leave which they can use for volunteering: “It’s been terrific to see that and I firmly believe it will leave a lasting impression.”