National Grid has reached a milestone on its Grain to Tilbury project, which is part of The Great Grid Upgrade, after it completed the excavation of a 2.2km high-voltage electricity cable tunnel.
The tunnel runs between Tilbury in Essex and Gravesend in Kent, under the River Thames.
With more than 10,000 concrete segments and 1,700 rings constructed and installed, the milestone marks the completion of tunnelling 49 days ahead of schedule.
Mark Farmer, Project Director at National Grid, said: “This project will play a critical role in strengthening the electricity network and supporting Britain’s future energy needs as demand for cleaner electricity continues to grow.”
The project is designed to strengthen the electricity network and support the continued connection of secure, cleaner and home-grown sources of energy across the UK.
This construction is replacing the existing Thames Cable Tunnel, which has been in service since the late 1960s and is approaching the end of its operational life.
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