Crooks Marsh reaches new levels
On 26 October 2022, National Grid contractors, J Murphy and Sons, completed groundwork at Crooks Marsh.
The team were carrying out preparations to start making changes to the existing electricity 132kV network to make way for the new Hinkley 400kV connection. The focus now shifts to the installation of new underground cables and building three cable sealing end pylons to replace six of the existing pylons – set to be removed in 2023.
Preparation of the ground for the safe installation of the new underground cables involved the delivery of 100,000 tonnes of stone from local quarries to raise the ground levels. Deliveries to the site through Avonmouth began in June and continued until October. The team has achieved fill depths varying from 1.5 to 4 metres.
The site team has pulled out all the stops to help get the area ready for the cable undergrounding.
The main challenges have been working close to and maintaining the safe clearances needed beneath existing overhead electricity lines. J Murphy and Sons are working closely with supply chain partners and are using specially designed injector lorries to maintain the safety clearances required when operating plant and machinery near electricity lines.
With the groundwork stone deliveries now complete, our vehicle movements in the area have been reduced by fifty percent.
Yuliya Firmino, Project Manager on the Hinkley Connection Project, commented: “The site team has pulled out all the stops to help get the area ready for the cable undergrounding. It has been a tremendous feat of logistics to move this amount of stone. I’m incredibly proud of the hard work and dedication displayed by the team.
“With the stone deliveries now complete, our focus and attention is on the successful undergrounding of the electricity cables, and building of three cable sealing end pylons to maintain the existing local electricity network.
In 2023, we’ll remove six of the existing 132kV lattice pylons in and around Crooks Marsh to make way for the new Hinkley connection that’ll connect six million homes and business to homegrown low carbon energy.
