National Grid has energized a 132 kV Barking substation in East London, to help power homes, businesses and rail services, including those forming part of the Barking Riverside regeneration of an area formerly occupied by a coal power station.
The indoor substation will connect the local grid operator UK Power Networks (UKPN) to National Grid’s high voltage transmission network, delivering electricity for distribution to 20,000 homes in the area.
The substation will also support local low carbon transport services, with power delivered to a nearby Network Rail feeder station for electrified train routes.
National Grid worked with its principal contractor Murphy to build the substation and transfer existing circuits and connections to the new facility with no interruption to supplies.
The substation has replaced a 132 kV facility built on an adjacent site in the 1950s to deliver electricity to the London grid area from the former Barking C power station.
The new facility features 17 bays, the equipment which enables a connection to the grid, with a scope for future upgrades. It is located besides National Grid’s 275 kV/400 kV substation to boost the resilience of electricity supply in East London as energy demands rise.
