Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) has completed the design and build phase of the first transformer in its £8m net zero network project in Southampton, the company announced on 25 September 2024. The milestone came four months into the works and will allow the first section of the upgraded North Baddesley infrastructure to be energised shortly.
SSEN said the upgrade will benefit 7,500 homes and businesses by making connections more resilient and supporting greater capacity. The work is being carried out with the Freedom Group of Companies Ltd as design and build contractor1.
"Just four months into the project, the design and build phase of the first transformer has been successfully completed. This will enable the first section of the newly-upgraded North Baddesley infrastructure to be energised imminently."
The project is being delivered in stages over fourteen months and includes the design and rebuild of a second transformer. Five kilometres of overhead lines between North Baddesley and Rownham will be put underground1.
| Element | Detail |
|---|---|
| Total investment | £8m |
| Households and businesses benefiting | 7,500 |
| Overhead lines moved underground | 5km, North Baddesley to Rownham |
| Completion due | June 2025 |
| Further regional investment | Over £60m, starting early 2025 |
Lewis Stimpson, SSEN's Senior Project Manager for the works, said the project would deliver a network more resilient to adverse weather and "fit for the adoption of low-carbon technologies such as heat pumps, solar panels and electric vehicles", adding that rerouting overhead lines underground would improve landscape and visual amenity by removing visible infrastructure1.
SSEN said the completed scheme will strengthen the network against increasingly adverse weather conditions, reduce the risk of power cuts and expand capacity to support the connection of more low-carbon technologies1.
Why it matters for households
The capacity of the local national supply network sets a practical limit on what a home can connect. SSEN states the North Baddesley works are intended to expand capacity so more low-carbon technologies, including heat pumps, solar panels and electric vehicles, can be connected to the grid1. For households in the area, that bears on whether such equipment can be installed and run without triggering reinforcement of the local network.
The stated resilience benefits are also direct: SSEN links the upgrade to a reduced risk of power cuts and a network better able to withstand adverse weather1. Moving five kilometres of overhead lines underground is presented as improving visual amenity for the local community as well as reliability1.
The announcement does not report any change to connection charges, timelines for individual applications or the number of new connections already agreed. Those details have not been reported.
What happens next
The first section of the upgraded North Baddesley infrastructure is due to be energised imminently, following completion of the first transformer's design and build phase1. The remaining stages include the design and rebuild of a second transformer and the undergrounding of five kilometres of overhead lines between North Baddesley and Rownham1. SSEN gives June 2025 as the completion date for these works, which it describes as one phase of a series of planned upgrades in the Southampton area. A further investment of over £60m in the region is due to get underway early next year1.