Eltham

Overview

In Spring 2020 we embarked upon a £1 billion project to rewire South London via deep underground tunnels. In total, 32.5km of 3m diameter tunnels are being constructed deep below the road network between Wimbledon and Crayford, which will carry high voltage electricity cables.

Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) ‘Grace’ had tunnelled over 11km eastwards from National Grid’s New Cross substation in Southwark, to the site in Eltham. With this milestone achieved, tunnelling has now been completed across the whole London Power Tunnels project.

We are now installing brackets and monorails inside the tunnel from Eltham to Kidbrooke. A permanent headhouse will be built by March 2025.

The LPT project, designed to bolster London's electricity network in response to increasing demand and support a net-zero future, is set to be fully operational by 2026.

Key facts

Dimensions: The shaft is approximately 15m in diameter and reaches a depth of approximately 40m. The headhouse will have a maximum footprint of 15m by 15m and will reach a maximum height of 10m.
Access: Our construction vehicles will use Rochester Way to enter and leave the site, before joining the A2.
Traffic: There is currently no expected increase in traffic to the site.
Working hours: Our current working hours are:
- Monday – Friday: 8am to 6pm
- Saturday – Sunday: 8am to 6pm
- Our working hours on the weekend are permitted under our S61 agreement and only minor works are expected to take place on those days.

Timeline

October 2021 – May 2022 – Shaft construction works
June 2022 – TBM breakthrough from Hurst site
Mid-2023 – Cable installation in the Eltham to Hurst tunnel concluded
September 2023 – TBM breakthrough from New Cross site
Autumn 2023 – Tunnel boring completed along entire route of project
March 2025 – Headhouse expected to have been built
2026 – Project expected to be fully operational

Address

Our site at Eltham is located on Rochester Way, north of Falconwood railway station.

Community involvement

National Grid is committed to working with and supporting the local communities around its project sites. To support communities around the LPT project, National Grid and our partners are delivering:

Outreach programme: An engaging and impactful outreach programme for secondary school students in the local area, promoting engineering careers for our net zero future.
Community Grant Programme: Provision of financial support for local projects via our Community Grant Programme.
Volunteer days: Hands-on support provided by the project team via volunteer days conducted in the community.

In November 2023, we published a Social Impact Report for the LPT school outreach programme, which illustrates the social benefits the programme has delivered for young people across South London. Working alongside early-talent specialists, Connectr, we have supported over 100,000 young people during the initial three and half years of the programme – achieving our ambition of engaging over 100,000 students before 2025.