Electricity supergrid milestone: First A27 transformer departs UK factory
Mega-transformer is the first of three extra-large transformers to be transported to grid substations in East Sussex and West Sussex as part of National Grid’s £1bn supergrid project.
The transformer left the factory on Monday 12 September on a 48-wheel low loader lorry on a multi-day journey across the country to its destination at Bolney substation in West Sussex, the next phase of the project.
National Grid’s £1bn investment in its electricity supergrid will enable more renewable energy to reach homes and businesses across the UK, while also increasing resilience and capacity.
The total combined weight of the three transformers, known as “phase shifters”, is more than 1,570 tonnes.
The phase shifters, built by Siemens Energy, change the voltage of the electricity passing through them to match demand.
They will be vital in supporting the flow of electricity on the grid from offshore windfarms, such as Rampion off the Sussex coast.
Another 33 kilometres of the powerline route has been completed on the Hampshire and West Sussex border, bringing the total number of kilometres finished to 53 of the 103km route.
The project is the largest investment in National Grid’s transmission network in a generation and will provide 2,000MW of additional electricity capacity to homes and businesses across the South East.
