THE next phase of an £18 million project by SP Energy Networks in Oswestry has begun.

The energy firm is progressing with work across north Shropshire as part of its reinforcement project, with work to install the £132,000 volt underground cable in Henley Wood which began in May.

It is using new environmentally friendly materials and features in order to reduce the carbon footprint of both the construction process and the future operation of the electricity network.

The work also includes the upgrade to the existing substation at Wem.

Mark Sobczak, 132kV general manager for SP Energy Networks’ SP Manweb licence area, is proud of the progress made so far.

He said: “We are delighted with the progress so far on this project in north Shropshire – our largest reinforcement project in England and Wales. This £18m investment will increase network resilience and enable future growth to support the decarbonisation of transport, heat and industry in the area.

“We are proud to be using modern, sustainable materials during the construction process which will reduce our carbon footprint, underlining our commitment to playing a prominent role in the green economic recovery and lead the way on the journey to Net Zero.”

This next phase of work is scheduled to be completed in December 2021.

Since May, the focus has been the construction of the new 21km wood pole overhead line from Oswestry to Wem.

All 176 poles have now been constructed and the conductor has been installed on over 14km of the route. The remaining 7km remains on schedule to be installed by mid-October.

The upgraded substation at Wem will feature a range of initiatives aimed at further enhancing the electricity network owner’s environmental performance.

The project will trial solar power being used for the substation’s heating and lighting needs, along with rainwater harvesting for non-potable use and a surface water attenuation scheme aimed at reducing the risk of surface flooding on site.

In addition, SP Energy Networks is pioneering the use of a more environmentally friendly treatment for 132,000 volt wood poles.

Under this trial, 10 per cent of the poles are treated with copper-oil rather than traditional creosote.

For more information on SP Energy Networks, please visit www.spenergynetworks.co.uk