Powerline river crossings in the United Kingdom

Powerline river crossings comprise both overhead lines and cable tunnels beneath rivers and estuaries. Overhead power lines are supported on towers (called pylons in the UK) which are usually significantly taller than overland pylons and are more widely spaced to cross the river in a single span. Tall pylons ensure that the electricity cables which they support provide an adequate safety clearance for river traffic.

Overhead crossings

The tallest and longest overhead power line river crossings in the United Kingdom are:

The tallest electricity pylons in the UK are those of the 400 kV Thames Crossing, at West Thurrock, which are 190 m (630 ft) high. These were constructed by BICC in 1965. The cables stretch 1300 m (4,500 ft) across the River Thames and have a minimum clearance of 76 m (250 ft). There are two 400 kV circuits that connect Littlebrook substation on the south bank to West Thurrock substation on the north side.[1]

The longest powerline river crossing in the UK is the Aust Severn Powerline Crossing over the River Severn at Aust, stretching 1700 m (5,310 ft) between towers 148 m (488 ft) high. The line was commissioned in 1959 and comprises two 275 kV electricity circuits forming part of the line between Iron Acton and Whitson substations.[2] This pylon crossing is paralleled by the Severn-Wye Cable Tunnel beneath it, at almost the same location.

List of overhead powerlines

This is an incomplete list of overhead powerline river crossings in the UK.

Overhead powerline river crossings in the UK
River Location Span (m) Height of towers (m) Clearance (m) Notes References
Blyth Blyth, Northumberland 389 (275 kV), 352 (66 kV) 1 × double 275 kV, 1 × single 275 kV, 1 × double 66 kV, 1 × single 66 kV, 1 × single ? kV [3]
Cleddau Ddu Burton, Pembrokeshire 583 1 × single 132 kV [4]
Forth Alloa, Clackmannanshire 425, 462 2 × single 275 kV [5]
Forth Kincardine Bridge, Clackmannanshire 1130 137 & 154 1 × single 275 kV, see 275 kV Forth Crossing [5]
Loughor Bryn, Carmathenshire and Swansea 406 (upper crossing), 377 (lower) 1 × single 132 kV, 1 × single 132 kV [6]
Mersey Fiddlers Ferry, Warrington 250 1 × single 275 kV [7]
Ness Inverness, Highland 1 × double 275 kV, 1 × double 132 kV,

1 × double 132 kV, 1 × double 33 kV

 [8]
Orwell Cliff Quay, Suffolk 417 (upper), 444 (lower) 45 2 × triple 132 kV (unusual triple circuit on each crossing) [9][10][11]
Ouse Blacktoft, East Riding of Yorkshire 528 2 × double 400 kV [12]
Ribble Preston, Lancashire 222 1 × double 400 kV, 1 × single 400 kV, 2 × double 132 kV, 1 × double 33 kV [13][14]
Severn Arlingham, Gloucestershire 639 + 639 2 × single 132 kV (crosses river twice) [15]
Severn Aust, Gloucestershire 1700 148 1 × double 275 kV, commissioned in 1959, see Aust Severn Powerline Crossing
Soar City of Leicester 265 3 × double 132 kV [16]
Tamar & Tavy Weir Quay & Carr Green, Devon and Cornwall 553 (400 kV), 635 (132 kV) 1 × single 400 kV, 1 × double 132 kV [17]
Tay & Earn Easter Rhynd, Perth and Kinross 425, 380 1 × single 275 kV, 1 × single 132 kV [18]
Tees Teesport, Stockton on Tees 542 1 × single 400 kV [19]
Thames Thurrock, Essex and Littlebrook, Kent 1300 190 76 2 × double 400 kV. Constructed by BICC in 1965. See 400 kV Thames Crossing [1]
Thames Crossness, Bexley & Dagenham, Barking and Dagenham 933 148.4 Former 132 kV. Installed 1927-32, dismantled 1987. [20]
Trent Walcot, North Lincolnshire 944 (upstream) 1022 (downstream) 2 × double 400 kV [12]
Tyne Jarrow, Tyne and Wear 800 128 1 × single 275 kV [21][22][23]
Tyne Stella, Tyne and Wear 524 (longest crossing) 1 × double 400 kV, 2 × double 275 kV, 2 × double 132 kV [24]
Tywi Penken, Carmathenshire 359 (400 kV), 206 (132 kV) 2 × double 400 kV, 1 × single 132 kV [25]
Yare Trowse, Norwich, Norfolk 72.5 132 kV. Dismantled 2017 [26][27]

Cable tunnel river crossings

In addition to overhead powerline river crossings, there are also underground powerline river crossings.

River Thames

Tunnels under the River Thames, from east to west are:

  • Thames Cable Tunnel, between Tilbury and Gravesend, commissioned in 1970, comprising two 400 kV circuits between Tilbury and Kingsnorth substations[28]
  • Dartford Cable Tunnel, between Littlebrook substation and West Thurrock substation, constructed 2003–04, comprising two 400 kV circuits[29]
  • Barking Cable Tunnel, between Barking and Thamesmead, comprising four 33 kV circuits[30]
  • Millennium Dome electricity cable tunnel, between West Ham substation and the Millennium Dome, comprising 11 kV circuits[31]
  • Deptford River Tunnel, between Deptford and Millwall Isle of Dogs, comprising 30 11 kV circuit[31]
  • New Cross to Finsbury Market Cable Tunnel, between Bermondsey and Wapping, built between 2009 and 2017, comprises three 132 kV circuits[32]
  • Bankside river Tunnel, between Bankside and Blackfriars, connects Bankside substation and City Road substation, comprises 132 kV and 33 kV circuits[32]
  • Bankside – Charing Cross, crosses beneath Hungerford Bridge, comprises two 20 kV circuits
  • Wimbledon – Pimlico Cable Tunnel, crosses the Thames between Nine Elms and Pimlico, comprises a 132 kV circuit[33]
  • Battersea Power Station Tunnels
  • London Power Tunnels Kensal Green to Wimbledon, crosses the Thames between Wandsworth and Hurlingham, constructed between 2011 and 2016, comprises a single 400 kV circuit.[34]

Cable tunnels under other rivers

Other underground tunnel cable crossings are:

  • River Medway Cable Tunnels under the lower River Medway between Grain and Chetney Marshes, Kent, built between 1973–76, comprises two 400 kV circuits[35]
  • Fawley Tunnel under Southampton Water between Fawley and Chilling, built between 1962 and 1965, comprises two 400 kV circuits[36]
  • Severn-Wye Cable Tunnel under the River Severn and Wye between Aust and Newhouse, two 400 kV circuits.[37] This runs parallel to the Severn overhead pylon crossing (see above), and was commissioned in 1972.
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