Our specialist in-house supply chain workshops based at Huthwaite in Nottinghamshire extend the life of our network assets, (such as substations) through the refurbishment, repair and recycling of equipment and parts in line with our sustainability principles.

A specialist team of around 14 skilled crafts people and technicians, including electrical fitters, refurbishment specialists and apprentices, have been able to extend the life of our assets, which also keeps costs down.

Every network asset has an expected lifespan. Some of this equipment has a planned life of around 40 years. Once an asset reaches the end of its life it will need to be replaced and serviced if it is to continue to perform safely and effectively. There are two options for replacing network assets: we can either buy a completely new asset, or refurbish the existing asset to extend its life.

Asset refurbishing produces environmental as well as financial benefits through increasing the lifespan. This has the added benefit of saving time by reducing the normally planned time-lags associated with ordering new assets (which can be many months for certain specialist equipment) as well as reducing waste and the carbon impact associated with delivery of a new product.

On average, we save 66% of costs through choosing to refurbish assets rather than buy new ones, wherever possible. In the case of substations, refurbishing costs a mere 15% of the purchase price of a new substation. Life expired assets and those which are not viable for refurbishment are resold for scrap or recycling, which again diverts waste materials from landfill.

Overall, we’ve estimated a total cost saving of £1.7m by refurbishing ageing network assets rather than buying new, which will also help to reduce our environmental impact through reuse and recycling as much material as possible, reducing network down-time which ultimately benefits our customers in terms of cost and quality of service.

The 300-acre Grain site in Kent has recently been hosting extensive Alstom and National Grid construction activities related to our plans to build a combined cycle gas turbine CCGT power station. This has created much disturbance, both in terms of noise and construction traffic and also in temporary loss of onsite wildlife habitats due to soil stockpiling, earth-moving and equipment set down. All these movements have made “planning for diversity” very challenging.

For example, installation of the cooling water pipework has led to a loss of several acres of land to the east of the site, formerly containing extensive growths of bird's-foot-trefoil, ladies tresses, pyramidal and bee orchids. This loss may only be temporary as there is suitable habitat on site. Completion of the work and subsequent remediation will not take place for another 18 months.

Despite this, preventative efforts have been made to minimise the impact of the construction activities. Areas of scrub to the west and south of the site are being actively managed by our Environmental Initiatives Officer, ensuring that habitats for the extensive number of bird species recorded on site are being maintained. An onsite British Trust for Ornithology programme of bird-netting and ringing is ongoing, with nearly 40 species and 783 birds being recorded and ringed in 2008. Of particular note were a turtle dove nesting (a UKBAP priority species) and observations of black redstarts. The latter have returned despite the ground disturbance caused by the construction activity and are also believed to have nested on site.

Bee orchids and ladies tresses orchids thrive in the south area of the site which also serves as a valuable roosting site for large numbers of migratory birds attracted to the site by the night floodlighting, and which in the past (prior to the deliberate planting of the shrubs in the area) have roosted in the power station building.

To the west of the site, close co-operation with South East Electricity Substation Alliance (SEESA) and National Grid during the installation of a 132kV cable through the tank farm area has preserved an extensive badger set and a pond known to be frequented by great crested newts and great silver beetles. Directional drilling, rather than open trench cutting, was employed as a direct result of biodiversity concerns. The tank farm area is closely managed with respect to wildlife, and provides a relatively undisturbed habitat for a wide variety of species. Vegetation growth is managed to provide a balance of shrubs and bushes, with the cherry plums recently being cut back to allow hawthorns to become more established.

The tank farm has been home for a number of years to a barn, specifically constructed to encourage barn owls. In 2007, a pair of barn owls successfully raised three chicks.

Work on the main stack has disturbed the nesting of the site’s resident pair of peregrine falcons, but the birds have nevertheless been frequently seen on site and it is hoped that they may return.

This monitoring is continuing throughout 2009, with a site map being developed to enable us to work with landscape gardening contractors to protect and maintain existing areas of wildlife shelter and habitat.