£56M infrastructure programme launched across Cumbria’s electricity network

Engineers from SP Electricity North West have begun a major engineering project which will see the replacement of a 47km stretch of overhead power lines along the West Coast of Cumbria.

Phase one of the project will see 152 pylons and other electrical assets replaced. The project will support the region’s economic growth and demand for power to homes, businesses and transport as the reliance on electricity increases, said the energy supplier.

All of the work from Roosecote to Sellafield is being carried out on SP Electricity North West’s 132kV transmission network, which feeds into the wider Cumbria power network known as the Cumbria Ring.

Vincent Cranny, SP Electricity North West’s head of capital delivery, said the project “has taken years of planning”.

“In what is a significant engineering project involving hundreds of people, our investment will strengthen the backbone of the county’s power network as the demand for electricity increases,” he said.

The supplier said it is in regular contact with the relevant authorities while local ecology experts have also been consulted with some areas protected. Much of the work will take place in remote areas “meaning impact and disruption will be kept to a minimum”.

Cranny added: “Once the whole of the Cumbria Ring is upgraded, capacity in the local network will almost double, enabling a clean, affordable energy future.

“Homes and businesses will be able to adopt low carbon technologies such as electric vehicles and heat pumps at scale while allowing for future economic development for the region too.”

Teams are expected to complete the first section of upgrades in 2027.

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Further investment in the rest of the Cumbria Ring is “planned for future years”, said SP Electricity North West.

Source Link: https://www.newcivilengineer.com/latest/56m-infrastructure-programme-launched-across-cumbrias-electricity-network-08-04-2026/