Increasing capacity and flexibility

Increasing capacity and flexibility

A series of projects between 2020-2023 will see the installation of a number of new substations and several kilometres of underground cables.

Increasing the capacity of the network in this way will help meet the extra demand we expect to see as customers adopt low carbon technologies and switch from using fossil fuels to renewable sources of electricity.

South Manchester Enterprise Zone

We have invested £7 million to upgrade the electricity network which will power the South Manchester Enterprise Zone and a new terminal at Manchester Airport.

The work includes a new low carbon primary substation and underground cables which will double the capacity of the local network.

The low carbon substation uses power from 128 solar panels installed on its roof and is the first of its kind in the North West.

The project will help prepare the area for the net zero carbon future by enabling the installation of thousands of electric vehicle charge points in the enterprise zone and the connection of sources of renewable generation such as solar panels.

To find out more read our press release.

Samlesbury Enterprise Zone

This £7.5 million project will ensure that the electricity network can meet the demand from the new Samlesbury Enterprise Zone, near Preston.

A new low carbon substation and 22km of underground cable will guarantee the enterprise zone all the power it needs to drive clean growth and help it become a national centre of excellence for advanced engineering and manufacturing.

The new substation will be one of the first low carbon primary substations on our network, powered by clean energy generated from its own on-site solar panels.

To find out more read our press release.

Eastlands

The local electricity network in east Manchester is set to benefit from a £1.5 million upgrade.

Demand for electricity in the area is expected to increase significantly driven by economic growth and the uptake of low carbon technologies.

The local substation will be upgraded to ensure a reliable supply of electricity for new and existing businesses for years to come.

Golborne

We’re investing £800,000 to upgrade a key substation in Golborne, near Wigan.

The project will ensure that dozens of new businesses in the area will continue to receive a reliable supply of electricity in the future and help prepare the area for the net zero carbon future by facilitating the uptake of low carbon technologies such as electric vehicles and solar power.

Manchester city centre interconnectors

This £3.2 million project will future-proof the electricity network in Manchester.

6km of underground cables have been installed under the busy streets of the city centre to provide vital extra capacity which will be crucial for the city’s plans to achieve net zero carbon by 2038.

A 4km cable stretching from Bloom Street to Eastlands and a 2km cable from Lower Deansgate to Bloom Street were installed mainly during the pandemic lockdown in 2020-2021 which helped avoid disruption to customers living and working in the city.

As well as creating more capacity the new cables will help make the network more resilient, as customers become increasingly dependent on a reliable supply of electricity in the net zero carbon future.