A £245,000 investment by Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) to improve and strengthen the resilience of the electricity network serving a Hampshire village has now been completed to budget.
SSEN engineers carried out the improvement works at Mountfield, Hythe over a three month period; renewing a 710 metre span of underground cable, with modern and more reliable equivalents, to enhance the infrastructure's resilience for local residents and businesses.
Work to upgrade and improve the resilience of Mountfield's power supply had begun in February of this year, with intended completion of the project in May, but was temporary halted due to the coronavirus pandemic, as SSEN took the decision to delay the works until such times as Government advice would allow for them to safely recommence.
In compliance with social distancing measures and in order to ensure maximum safety for customers in the area and colleagues working on the project, SSEN restarted the works on Monday 11 May, while adhering to strict Government guidelines on social distancing and the use of enhanced Personal Protection Equipment (PPE). These working guidelines included implementing a one person one van policy, carrying out thorough safety checks in advance of any work, and maintaining a two metre distance at all times.
The nature of the upgrade meant that for the duration of the project, SSEN's teams were able to carry out the works without any Planned Supply Interruptions (PSI), further minimising any potential disruption to those living and working in the village.
Paul Conway is SSEN's Project Manager for the Mountfield upgrade and explains more:
"As a responsible network operator, SSEN does all it can to keep the power flowing for its customers and this significant investment has modernised and strengthened the village's power supply for years to come."
"I would like to thank the local community for their patience as we worked to a different deadline from that originally intended, but want to assure them that we recommenced the works as soon as we could ensure their - and our team's - safety. We appreciate how important it is to minimise disruption and enable the provision of a safe and reliable supply of electricity, particularly to those who live and work in Hampshire's more rural communities."
Local resident, Mr Arnaud is one of the customers to benefit from the Mountfield upgrade and lives in the vicinity of where the bulk of the project works were carried out. He said:
"I was so impressed with SSEN's workforce. They were very helpful, polite and understanding; keeping us fully informed at all times and always working hard in these difficult conditions. An excellent service by all involved."
Network reliability is a key priority for SSEN and the customers its serves. Following a series of engagements with its customers SSEN took the decision to make the investment to further improve network resilience, and future-proof the infrastructure for its customers' changing demands. This is part of SSEN's commitment to taking a "you said, we did" approach to investing in its vital infrastructure.