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Substation nears completion at
Graveney Marshes

EXCLUSIVE

by Adam Williams

awilliams@thekmgroup.co.uk

Among the Graveney Marshes, Cleve Hill Substation is nearing
completion as it prepares to connect the National Grid to the new
London Array windfarm.

Last week, the Faversham News was given an
exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of the site on the banks of the
Swale Estuary, where construction began in 2009.

Once fully hooked up and connected, the substation's output will
be comparable to that of a large conventional power plant.

Its striking architectural design features a 9m tall north wall
with panels made from exposed aggregate concrete panels and
concrete fins.

The concept aims to reflect movement while also serving to
shield the view of the substation's transformers from the Saxon
Shore Way.

Joanne Haddon from London Array explained the onshore side of
the project is almost over.

facts and figures

- the first phase of the windfarm is expected to be completed and fully commissioned by spring 2013.

- the turbines will be located around 50km north east of the north kent coast.

- export cables carrying power from the offshore substations to the cleve hill substation will be buried in the seabed. each 1m stretch of cable weighs more than 88kg.

- when the cables reach the shore they connect to the substation through ducts installed under the sea wall.

- the electricity produced by the turbines is then boosted and fed straight into the national grid's high voltage network.

- the first phase of the windfarm involves installing 175 turbines, each turbine has an individual capacity of 3.6mw.

- each turbine is 87m high with three blades and grey in colour.

She said: "We're just
starting work to connect the first export cable from the substation
out to the windfarm in the Thames Estuary.

"There'll be four export cables in total, two will be installed
this year and the other two next year, but the main on-site
construction at Cleve Hill is coming to an end.

"When we started it was just a greenfield plot, but now there's
the north wall and all the other buildings associated with the
substation.

"There aren't many contractors left on site, but at its peak
there would've been around 100.

"The project as a whole has seen more than 90 Kent-based
companies work on construction and that amounts to contract values
of around £10 million."

Offshore construction of the windfarm began in March this year.
Two offshore substations have also been built and the first
turbines are expected to be installed by the end of the year, when
power will start being generated.

Once fully complete, 630MW will serve 480,000 homes, equivalent
to two-thirds of the county.