New capacity on electricity network to kickstart Runcorn redevelopment
SP Energy Networks is to construct two new substations which will kickstart the Runcorn Station Quarter (RSQ) regeneration project.
Community leaders have signalled their ambition to install electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure in the area and this investment in the local network will make that a reality.
Making the station area compatible with the increased use of both private and public service EVs, such as taxis, will transform it into a modern gateway that welcomes visitors, improves transport connections and encourages development opportunities for new business, leisure and housing.
The funding has been unlocked through the Green Recovery Investment programme, with UK electricity network operators working with Ofgem and the Energy Networks Association (ENA) to identify projects suitable for £300m worth of investment.
Following the opening of the Mersey Gateway Bridge, RSQ is one of the area’s key regeneration projects to develop unlocked land.
Investment in the local electricity network will create additional capacity, supporting further regeneration of the wider area through the development of vacant land to attract new environmentally friendly businesses and housing developments.
The RSQ is part of the overall vision for the area and forms part of the £1bn Mersey Gateway Regeneration Plus Plan, which is one of North West England’s most exciting and varied regeneration opportunities.
SP Energy Networks to power new hydro generator for North Wales community
SP Energy Networks is working with a community in North West Wales to unlock capacity on the existing network to faciliate the installation of a hydro generator in the village of Mynydd Llandygai, near Bethesda.
This project will provide domestic customers in the area with the opportunity to use locally produced renewable energy.
This investment will create capacity in the existing network through the installation of new assets which will release capacity that is currently constrained. By doing so, the community will be able to realise its ambition to install a hydro generator.
The project has already secured the necessary planning permission from Gwynedd County Council and gained the appropriate licences from Natural Resources Wales to extract water from the Afon Galedffrwd river.
Funding for the project has been unlocked through the Green Recovery Investment programme, with UK electricity network operators working with the Energy Networks Association (ENA) and Ofgem to identify projects suitable for £300m worth of investment.
The project is being driven by the community itself and supports a Welsh Government target that at least 1 GW of renewable energy capacity should be locally owned by 2030.
There is already an expectation that all new energy projects in Wales should have at least an element of community ownership.