RP7 Stakeholder Consultation WEB - Flipbook - Page 33
5. Maintaining a safe, reliable
and resilient network
Investment driver
Our electricity network consists of
c2,200km of Transmission network and
c46,000km of Distribution network,
serving around 900,000 customers. The
electricity network consists of a range
of specialised equipment including
overhead line conductor, wooden poles,
steel towers sometimes referred to as
pylons, underground cables, circuit
breakers and power transformers. A
significant proportion of the network
was built between the 1950s and
1970s and is now between 50 and
70 years old. Whilst asset age is not a
reason in itself to qualify an asset for
replacement, assets tend to deteriorate
in condition significantly when
approaching or exceeding the limit of
their intended lifespan. The age profile
of the network therefore represents a
major challenge in the management
of long-term network reliability10 and
resilience11. The changes in remote
working patterns resulting from the
pandemic and the move towards
decarbonisation of society means that
as a society we are more reliant on
electricity than ever before which in
turn places greater importance on the
reliability and resilience of our network.
As a result of the increased societal
reliance on electricity, there will
be a step change in the number of
interactions with our network from our
customers, third party LCT installers
and our own staff and contractors. It
is imperative that we aim to provide a
‘Zero Harm’ environment for all those
interacting with our network throughout
the RP7 period and beyond.
of England and the wildfires caused by
the record-breaking heatwave in July
2022. It is important that we are taking
steps in RP7 to adapt our network
to mitigate the impact of a changing
climate.
Finally, we are acutely aware of the
cost of living crisis currently facing our
customers. Throughout RP7 we will
aim to deliver the network reliability and
resilience expected by our stakeholders
at minimum cost by exploring all viable
alternatives to conventional asset
replacement.
Electricity networks are not immune
to the increasing impact of climate
change, illustrated in recent times by
the impact of Storms Arwen and Barra
on customers in Scotland and the north
10
A reliable asset is one which is unlikely to fail.
11
Resilience is the ability to quickly restore supplies to customers following the failure of an asset.
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