Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) has energised a section of Bournemouth's electricity infrastructure between the East Howe and Victoria Park substations, the distribution network operator said on 13 January 2023. The work formed part of a £2.7 million upgrade that began in March of last year and ran for nine months1.
The project replaced the oil filled underground cable running between the two substations with 2.2 kilometres of what SSEN describes as more modern, sustainable and efficient equipment. Connections at substations along the route were also upgraded, which the operator says builds greater resilience and flexibility into the network serving the Victoria Park area1.
SSEN's project manager, Aaron Reed, said the work brings a robust and flexible power supply to the area's 11,500 homes and businesses1.
"This nine-month long project provides thousands of customers in Victoria Park with a strong network that's fit for the future"
SSEN is the electricity Distribution Network Operator responsible for delivering power to over 3.8 million homes and businesses across central southern England and the north of Scotland1. Households can check which network area they fall under using the site's guide to finding your gas and electricity network by postcode, and the SSEN distribution page covers the operator's role, including storms and priority services.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Cost | £2.7 million |
| Start | March of last year |
| Duration | Nine months |
| Cable replaced | Oil filled underground cable |
| New cable length | 2.2 kilometres |
| Substations connected | East Howe and Victoria Park |
| Customers served in the area | 11,500 homes and businesses |
Why it matters for households
The cable sits on the local distribution network, the lower voltage layer that carries electricity from substations to individual properties, rather than the high voltage transmission network of pylons and large substations. Replacement of an ageing oil filled cable with modern equipment is intended to reduce the risk of faults affecting supply in the Victoria Park area and to give the network capacity to handle changing household demand1.
SSEN states that the upgrade helps customers meet decarbonisation ambitions, so that as more of them adopt low carbon technologies such as electric vehicles, they have the reassurance of a strong and flexible power supply1. That links the condition of local cables to whether a home can add high-demand equipment such as a heat pump or an electric vehicle charger without the connection becoming a constraint. Households needing a new or larger connection deal with the same operator; the site's guide explains how to apply for an electricity supply upgrade. More background on how supply reaches homes is in the national supply hub.
What happens next
SSEN said all construction works for the project are complete, but that it will carry out reinstatement works in Caroline Road through February to return previous paving and surfaces to their original state1. No further dates for the Bournemouth scheme have been reported.