Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) Distribution has started work on its £5 million Witney Green Recovery project in Oxfordshire, the network operator announced on 19 August 2024. The upgrade will add 14.2MW of capacity to the local network serving nearly 30,000 homes and businesses, and is scheduled for completion in early 20261.
The works cover the replacement of two existing transformers and the switchboard within the Witney substation compound, along with refurbishment of the substation building to house the new equipment1. SSEN said the investment will provide "a more efficient, robust and flexible network for nearly 30,000 homes and businesses in the immediate area"1. The added capacity is intended to support increased uptake of low-carbon technologies including electric vehicles, heat pumps and solar panels1.
The project forms part of a wider £41m Green Recovery investment by SSEN, which the company says will deliver more than 122MW of additional network capacity across its north and south networks, accommodating increased demand for electric vehicle charging and electrification of heat1. SSEN described the Witney scheme as the result of close collaboration with the energy regulator, Ofgem, and other electricity network operators, set up to explore how early investment in the distribution network could drive green economic growth, create skilled jobs and support low-carbon projects1.
Galina Katrandzhieva, SSEN's project manager for the Witney upgrade, said:
"The entire project is taking place on an existing SSEN site, so there will be no roads closures or Planned Service Interruptions (PSI) and therefore will cause no disruption to customers living or working in the area."
SSEN said the work is confined to its existing site, so no road closures or planned service interruptions are expected1. The company has not reported any change to the project's cost or timetable beyond the early 2026 completion date1.
Why it matters for households
The capacity of the local distribution network sets a practical ceiling on how much electricity a home can draw at once. A network with spare capacity can accommodate additional load from an electric vehicle charger, a heat pump or solar generation without the constraint that would otherwise require reinforcement before a connection is agreed. SSEN's stated purpose for the Witney investment is to build in that headroom ahead of demand, rather than in response to it1.
For households in the area, the announcement indicates that the local network is being prepared for electrification of heating and transport, two of the main routes by which a home reduces its reliance on delivered gas and petrol. The project does not itself install anything in any home, and it does not change any household's tariff or connection terms. What it changes is the amount of capacity available in the area, which is one of the physical limits on what a property can add. Details of how the added capacity will be allocated across the area have not been reported1.
The works are being carried out on an existing substation site, and SSEN states there will be no planned service interruptions for customers during the programme1.
What happens next
The Witney programme of works is scheduled for completion in early 20261. SSEN has not reported interim milestones or a more precise date within that period. The wider £41m Green Recovery programme, of which Witney forms part, is intended to deliver over 122MW of additional capacity across SSEN's north and south networks1.