Hampshire village benefits from £245,000 investment to improve power supplies

A £245,000 investment by SSE’s networks business 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 710 metres of underground cable with modern and more reliable equivalents – enhancing the infrastructure’s resilience for residents and businesses.

Work to upgrade and improve the resilience of Mountfield’s power supply began in February this year, with completion scheduled for May, but the project was temporary halted due to the coronavirus pandemic.

In order to ensure maximum safety for customers in the area and colleagues working on the project, SSEN restarted the works in mid-May, while adhering to strict Government guidelines on social distancing and the use of enhanced 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 SSEN’s project manager for the Mountfield upgrade said: “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.”