Nailsea to Tickenham
National Grid is continuing to work on the northern section of the Hinkley Connection route. This route runs between Sandford and Seabank substations, passing west of Nailsea and east of Tickenham village.
This is part of the Hinkley Connection Project, a significant investment in the region’s electricity network. The project aims to connect new sources of low-carbon energy to homes and businesses, including the new Hinkley Point C power station in Somerset.
Upcoming construction works
- Testing and preparation: New T-pylons have been connected to a line of 27 lattice pylons. This line runs from the Bristol Port area, across the River Avon, and into the Seabank substation in Avonmouth. Teams are currently testing and preparing these pylons to be ready for use. The new line is expected to be operational by late 2025.
- Current activities: The main work now involves removing temporary roads, construction accesses, and work areas that were used to build the new overhead line.
As we continue construction work in this area, you might see more construction vehicles on local roads. We will keep you updated about any traffic management changes in advance.
Nailsea to Tickenham Timeline
Completed Late 2021
Undergrounding the 132,000-volt overhead line between Nailsea and Portishead substation
Work included:
- Building temporary entrances and access roads to allow construction traffic to enter site from the local highway. You can find more information on our construction information page.
- Building temporary construction compounds.
- Building an underground cable between Nailsea and Portishead substation.
- Building a pylon to connect the existing overhead line at Nailsea to the new underground cable.
The new underground cable section was built as a direct result of feedback received during our consultation. Now operational, it will enable us to completely remove the existing 132,000-volt overhead line between Nailsea and Portishead substation that currently runs adjacent to properties.
Completed Mid 2024
Construction of a new 400,000-volt overhead line
Work included:
- Building a new overhead line from Sandford substation to Seabank substation (approximately 31.2 km).
Removal of the existing 132,000-volt overhead lines
Work included:
- Removing approximately 9 km of existing overhead line between Nailsea and Portishead substation that ran very close to neighbouring properties. We removed this as a direct result of feedback received during our consultation.
- Removing existing overhead line from the A368 in Sandford to Avonmouth, which made way for, and minimised the visual impact of, the new connection.
2025 to Late 2026
Work taking place:
- Continuing to test and prepare the T-pylons that have been connected to the new line of 27 lattice pylons running from the Bristol Port area, across the River Avon and into Seabank substation in Avonmouth. This is being done ahead of commissioning and energising the new line between Sandford and Seabank, which is planned to take place in late 2025.
- Reinstatement works to restore access to public footpaths and rights of way. To facilitate the above works, roadworks and traffic management may be in place. Reinstatement is due to complete in late 2026.
Thank you
Thank you from everyone working on the project for your patience and understanding as we work to toward completion. This project will play a key role in helping the UK meet its net zero ambitions by transmitting cleaner, homegrown, energy around the UK – enough to power six million homes and businesses.
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