A new electricity tunnel beneath the Thames breaks through early
Getting more clean electricity to homes means improving the network that carries it. Beneath the Thames, one part of that work has reached a milestone 49 days ahead of schedule.
A boring machine called Caroline completed a 2.2km tunnel between Tilbury in Essex and Gravesend in Kent on 27 September. It will carry high-voltage cables, replacing a crossing dating from the 1960s.
New Civil Engineer reports that the machine installed more than 10,000 concrete segments. National Grid credits careful planning, favourable ground conditions and steady deliveries of materials. Live machine data and remote inspections also helped teams make decisions safely.
This is the completion of the tunnel drive, rather than the whole electricity upgrade. Government planning documents show the wider project also involves changing overhead connections, with a net reduction of two pylons on the Thurrock side.
The practical lesson is that machinery, logistics and skilled people need to work together. Here, they have brought a replacement electricity route beneath a busy river a substantial step closer.
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