UK’s National Grid Finishes First T-pylon Project

As part of the Hinkley Connection Project, which is improving the transmission infrastructure from some of the UK’s most important power plants, National Grid has installed 116 new T-pylons.

Planned to modernize the energy grid, these are smaller, less visually intrusive, and occupy a smaller footprint than conventional pylons. The T-pylons have a single pole and T-shaped cross arms which hold the wires in a diamond ‘earring’ shape. They are around 115 feet or 35 meters high; about a third shorter than traditional 400kV lattice pylons. They will connect six million homes and businesses in the South West of England to local, low-carbon energy.

The last of the T-structures’ 232 diamond-shaped insulators – which hold the high-voltage conductors in a diamond ‘earring’ shape – was recently lifted by crane into place on a T-pylon between Yatton and Kenn in North Somerset by National Grid and principal contractor Balfour Beatty.

T-pylons are quicker to erect than traditional lattice pylons, and 47 more T-pylons were completed – including installation of the conductors – by the end of 2022.

All the T-pylons will be energised by the end of 2024. Before then, conductors will be hung from the T-pylons, and the last of 249 traditional lattice pylons and 67km (41.6 miles) of overhead wires will be removed from the landscape to make way for the new electricity connection.

Roxane Fisher-Redel, Senior Project Manager for National Grid on the Hinkley Connection Project, said: “National Grid’s T-pylons are the first new design for overhead electricity lines in over a century and will play a central role in connecting low-carbon energy to millions of people when Hinkley Point C begins generation.

“Erecting all the 116 T-pylon structures is a huge milestone and now we look ahead to 2025 and full completion of this project, which will play such a key role in transmitting cleaner, home-grown energy around the UK – enough to power six million homes and businesses.”

The T-pylons were designed to reduce the visual impact of the connection route on the landscape as a direct response to community feedback.