A new transformer weighing 190 tonnes – equivalent to 30 African elephants – has successfully been delivered to a National Grid substation near Exeter.
The recent delivery was carried out by specialist hauliers under police escort, with traffic management measures in place to minimise disruption. National Grid worked closely with Devon County Council as the local highway authority, National Highways and the police, ensuring the movement was safely completed with minimal disturbance to the local community.
Movement of the massive piece of equipment took place overnight, when it was carefully transported along the 23-mile journey from Teignmouth port to the substation site near the village of Broadclyst.
When installed, the vital new equipment will help boost the resilience and capacity of the electricity transmission network across the South West, supporting homes and businesses for years to come.
The delivery marks a major milestone in National Grid’s ongoing upgrade at its Exeter substation, helping to ensure the network remains reliable as electricity demand continues to grow.
Councillor Dan Thomas, Devon County Council Cabinet Member for Highways, said:
“This move has been a massive logistical operation on behalf of all of the partners involved. Devon County Council has been involved in helping plan the route for more than four years.
“Our teams carried out a huge amount of work, assessing the load-carrying capacity of structures on the route and ensuring adequate width for the convoy by temporarily removing bollards, streetlights, lamp columns and signs – all of which were put back in place. On-street parking restrictions were also temporarily suspended on specific sections of the route.
“Throughout all of the planning process and the transportation of the transformer itself, public safety has been paramount.”
Transformers are essential pieces of substation equipment which help to manage voltage so that electricity can be safely and efficiently transmitted and distributed around the country.
This particular unit is a static compensator transformer (SCT), which plays a key role in keeping the electricity network’s voltage steady and stable to ensure a reliable supply of power for local homes and businesses.
The previous transformers at Exeter substation were reaching the end of their operational lives, and their replacement forms part of National Grid’s long term investment to futureproof the electricity network in the South West.
Jacob Demuth from National Grid said: “Moving equipment of this size safely and efficiently is a real team effort. We’ve worked closely with Devon County Council, National Highways, police and our specialist haulage partners to carefully plan and complete the delivery with minimal disruption to road users and the local community. The new unit at Exeter substation will ensure resilience and future stability on the network across the South West, and will support growing energy demands. We’d like to thank our partners and the community for supporting us while we carried out this important work.”