National Grid plans major works to accommodate London data centers

With data centers dramatically increasing pressure on the electricity network, the UK's National Grid has announced plans to improve power provision in North West London.

Five new data centers – equivalent to 1GW of demand – will be connected in Hertfordshire to the existing 400kV Elstree GIS substation, with a new 132kV Letchmore Heath GIS substation planned for next door.

Also in the pipeline are upgrades to Sundon substation in Bedfordshire, the reconductoring the 35km Sundon–Elstree overhead line route, and an extension to the existing Elstree gas insulated switchgear (GIS) substation.

Meanwhile, work on the route between Sundon and Elstree will see over 200km of overhead line upgraded, with 60km of new cable infrastructure also to be installed within the existing Elstree–St John's Wood tunnel.

Additional works include:

• The installation of a new 400kV cable circuit in the existing Elstree–St John’s Wood tunnel
• Upgrades to the Elstree–St John’s Wood tunnel and headhouses
• The reinforcement of the existing St John's Wood substation

“The North West London Upgrade is a nationally significant investment that will strengthen the electricity network, unlock new connections, support regional economic growth and help keep long term energy costs down for consumers," said Joe Senior, project director at National Grid.

“Working closely with our delivery partners and supply chain, we're bringing together substations, cables and tunnels, and overhead line reinforcement in a single program to deliver the infrastructure needed to power future homes, businesses and digital industries as electricity demand rises.”

In line with government guidance, communities near the new Letchmore Heath substation are set for £530,000 in funding for projects that improve the social, economic, and environmental wellbeing of the community.

National Grid eyes capacity gains

According to National Grid, these upgrades will increase network capacity and strengthen the resilience of electricity supplies across the region, helping to keep energy bills down.

It should also play a role in supporting economic growth across North West London as electricity demand rises – enabling new data center connections without jeopardizing power supply to homes and businesses.

As part of these efforts, National Grid is carrying out other ongoing work across the capital, including London Power Tunnels 2 (LPT2) and the North London Reinforcement (NLR) scheme.

Earlier this year, National Grid revealed that the queue for connections to the transmission network had grown by 460%, in large part because speculative applications were swamping the pipeline and delaying connections for strategically important projects.

The result, according to the National Grid, is that some waiting times have surged to up to 15 years.

Because of this, the government announced plans to prioritize AI data centers, AI Growth Zones, and industrial sites when it comes to new connections.

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