Image for illustrative purposes

A $5 million (£4 million) electricity infrastructure upgrade in St Albans is set to more than double the city’s power capacity, strengthening supply for thousands of homes and businesses and supporting future demand from low-carbon technologies.

UK Power Networks, which distributes electricity across eastern and south-eastern England and London, has commissioned two new electricity transformers at a city-centre substation on Adelaide Street. The equipment is currently being installed and forms part of the company’s ongoing programme to modernise the local electricity grid.

Transformers reduce high-voltage electricity so it can be safely delivered to homes and businesses while increasing network capacity and resilience. Once fully operational, the upgraded substation will provide improved reliability and significantly greater electricity capacity for St Albans.

According to Scott Watkins, Project Manager at UK Power Networks, the upgrade will benefit around 10,000 residents and help accommodate increased demand from electric vehicles, heat pumps, and solar panels connecting to the network.

The first transformer is expected to be energised by the end of 2025, with the second scheduled to follow in early 2026. In parallel, the wider electrical grid supplying the substation has been upgraded with new switchgear, designed to meet future energy needs.

Source: stalbanstimes.co.uk