Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) Distribution said on 28 February 2024 that a £2.2 million upgrade of the electricity network in Dorchester Town is already under way. The company, the Distribution Network Operator for central southern England, said the nine-month project will add 7.2MW of capacity for over 21,000 homes and businesses in the immediate area1.
The work is being carried out with the Freedom Group of Companies Ltd. as design and build contractor. It will include the installation of a new 33kV cable route from SSEN's substation near Trinity Street, along West Walk, Princess Street and the Grove, where it will join the existing SSEN network near Northernhay1.
SSEN said the added capacity is intended to support increased uptake of low-carbon technologies such as electric vehicles, heat pumps and solar panels. The company said no Planned Supply Interruptions are scheduled during the project1.
"The nine-month long project will provide a more efficient, robust and flexible network"
The Dorchester scheme sits within a wider £41m Green Recovery investment by SSEN, which the company says will deliver increased network capacity of over 122MW and enable it to upgrade its north and south networks to accommodate increased demand for electric vehicle charging and electrification of heat1. SSEN said the Dorchester programme is scheduled to complete by November 20241.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Project value | £2.2m |
| Duration | Nine months |
| Added capacity | 7.2MW |
| Homes and businesses served | Over 21,000 |
| Completion | By November 2024 |
| Wider programme | £41m Green Recovery investment, over 122MW capacity |
Why it matters for households
The capacity added here is headroom on the local distribution network, the part of the system that carries electricity the last few miles to a property. More headroom means the network can absorb additional demand from a street or an area without the constraints that can otherwise delay or complicate connections. For a household considering an electric vehicle charge point, a heat pump or solar panels, the local network's capacity is one of the practical limits on what can be connected and how quickly. SSEN states the project is designed to enable that increased uptake1.
The assurance that no planned supply interruptions are scheduled matters for anyone living or working near the route, since cable installation along streets can otherwise involve temporary disconnection. SSEN said the works have been planned to minimise disruption1.
The wider context is the national supply picture: distribution upgrades of this kind feed into the same system that the Capacity Market pays for at national level, though the two operate at different scales and through different mechanisms. SSEN has not reported how the 7.2MW is expected to be taken up by households in the area, nor how many individual properties have applied for new connections.
What happens next
The Dorchester Town works are scheduled to complete by November 2024, according to SSEN1. The company said some upgrades in the wider Dorset area have already been completed, with others continuing1. No further dates for specific stages of the Dorchester route have been reported.