Latest update

Tunnel

1,100 metres and counting!

We've reached another important milestone at Grain to Tilbury, with the tunnel drive now passing 1,100 metres beneath the River Thames - that’s roughly the length of 11 football pitches lined up end to end.

This means we’re halfway there in constructing the new cable tunnel under one of the UK’s busiest waterways. As part of The Great Grid Upgrade, this will help strengthen the electricity network and connect homes and businesses to secure, cleaner and home-grown British energy from more affordable sources.

Fun facts: 

- it took us seven weeks to get to 110 metres

- in six weeks, we’ve gone ten times that distance! 

- we’ve installed 846 concrete tunnel rings – all made locally near Gravesend 

- we’ve removed over 40,000 tonnes of chalk so far which we’ll be reusing nearby (more on that later!)

Thanks to everyone helping us deliver this vital infrastructure project, and to local communities for your support. 

Want to know more? Explore our information board.

Overhead Lines

We're on a roll: 150 km of conductor installed

Alongside the construction of a new cable tunnel under the Thames, we’re also upgrading the existing overhead power lines between Tilbury, Kingsnorth and the Isle of Grain.

Since work began near the Kingsnorth Power Station in mid-April, our teams have been steadily working their way along the route, renewing the electricity wires and insulators on existing pylons and strengthening the electricity network.

And we've just reached a major milestone – more than 150 kilometres of wires have now been installed! 

That's about the same distance as:

- 15,000 London buses parked bumper to bumper

- 1,500 football pitches laid end to end

- crossing the Dartford Crossing over 100 times.

If you're interested in reading more about Caroline, the engineering involved, or the works in general, visit our dedicated Our works page.