Tilbury to Gravesend Cable Tunnel receives electricity infrastructure upgrade
The UK power provider National Grid has submitted plans to construct a new 2.3 kilometer Tilbury to Gravesend Cable Tunnel beneath the River Thames in order to improve the electrical infrastructure between Grain and Tilbury. With over 50 years of service, the Thames Cable Tunnel connecting Tilbury and Gravesend is nearing the end of its lifespan.
The new Tilbury to Gravesend Cable Tunnel will replace the Thames Cable Tunnel and help reinforce its local network. The applications come after a consultation with the locals in Tilbury and Gravesend in October of 2023. The Town and Country Planning Act has now been used to submit planning applications to the councils of Thurrock and Gravesham.
At Tilbury and Gravesend, on either ends of the tunnel, two more “headhouses” will be constructed. These headhouses are structures that serve as access points for National Grid employees and link the tunnel.
The Grain to Tilbury plans are a component of The Great Grid Upgrade, the largest grid overhaul in decades. New infrastructure built in England and Wales will help the UK achieve its net zero goals, lessen its dependency on fossil fuels, and eventually cut energy costs.
“The Grain to Tilbury project is essential to upgrade the energy network in Kent and Essex to ensure that we can continue to carry more clean energy to homes and businesses, and help the country reach net zero by 2050,” stated lead project manager Lee Driscoll.
“We are pleased to have now submitted our planning applications and look forward to delivering this important upgrade following their approval.
National Grid’s construction for the Tilbury to Gravesend Cable Tunnel is expected to begin this summer, with a completion date of 2028.