TPA and Bafour Beatty team up to help generate more power in East Sussex.
A combination of aluminium and plastic temporary roadway panels are helping Balfour Beatty provide greater energy security and increased electricity capacity for users in Lewes and surrounding areas in East Sussex.
The panels are being used for two months on the multi-million-pound Little Horsted Substation Grid Supply Point contract. This will see the principal contractor design and build a new 400kV substation as well as two new terminal towers for double circuit turn-ins on the Ninfield and Bolney (4VM) route.
The majority of TPA’s panels (3m x 2m heavy-duty aluminium) are being used linearly as temporary mats for overhead line operatives, scaffolding and plant including vans, three-tonne tractors, trailers and winches to access the existing towers for enabling works to be carried out.
An equal potential zone (EPZ) around the two main towers of works was created using aluminium panels incorporating a busbar, connected together to minimise step and touch potential where people may be working around equipment.
To ensure safe separation, 3m x 2.5m TuffTrack plastic panels are being used as breaker panels. These form a line of plastic trackway that isolates the EPZ from the main aluminium access run, providing a controlled and safer working environment.
The TPA panels were laid over seven arable, livestock or empty grass fields, with a further one to be laid. This covers the works needed on eight towers along the circuit line. Roughly 1,500 will be used after the completion of the final track, with the whole area totalling 10,800m2.
Balfour Beatty Senior Project Manager (Power T&D), Seán Cotter, said it was the team’s first experience of TPA.
“The panels have performed as expected, and the TPA team have co-operated very well with meeting our requirements. We have worked safely with friendly operatives,” he said.
Jonathan Clowes, TPA’s Business Development Manager for Transmission and Power Generation, added: “The work has involved the replacement and refurbishment of key overhead line components to improve network reliability and performance. This has included conductor and insulator renewals, structural steelwork upgrades, and compliance inspections.
“Our involvement demonstrates not only our ability to deliver large-scale infrastructure support but also our commitment to enabling complex projects through reliable, innovative access solutions.”
Once complete in October, the new substation will form a key part of National Grid’s Little Horsted Connection Project which will allow local electricity distributor UK Power Networks to connect with the National Grid.