By HVSS

In 2019 IET Enterprise Partner HVSS were approached to tender for a significant job on a sprawling 50-acre industrial and logistics warehouse park located in the heart of Derby, developed by St Modwen in partnership with Network Rail. 

The scope of the project involved providing 7.2MVA of electricity, Medium Pressure (MP) gas and water with the project feasibility being hinged on an offsite route spanning 2.8km, demanding ethical, cost-effective solutions. 

During this scheme, HVSS had full involvement with Derby City Council and National Grid to complete the initial substation connection which was situated over a laborious and demanding 3km route from the site location and within the busy city centre. A further five substation installations have taken place totalling six new substations to date, with one left to be completed in the coming months. All of these substations currently supply nine industrial units, with two remaining units as part of the next phase of the build.

Collaborating with various stakeholders including the council, Network Rail and Environment Agency, HVSS explored viable routes, overcoming obstacles such as TPOs (Tree Preservation Orders), flood defences, and river crossings. Once the evaluation was complete, an application was formally submitted to the incumbent electricity provider for the placement of the 11kV High Voltage (HV) Point of Connection (PoC) onto the operator’s network. Our Design Engineer crafted a detailed CAD drawing, based on the outline offer letter. ‘Approved for Construction’ design drawings were delivered adhering to the UK G81 Specification and within the National Grid and Independent Distribution Network Operators (IDNO) codes of conduct.

This scheme has evolved immensely, and the client’s needs have changed over the years. HVSS have managed to adapt and deliver the ever-changing scope to accommodate the needs of the client with very little disruption to the overall project. 

HVSS contacted the local government seeking structural plans for the bridge located between the two proposed cable routes. It became clear that one of the routes had a significant risk and would be impractical. The bridge's structural designs illustrated that it was not deep enough to accommodate both HV cables feeding the site and would breach the network operator’s G81 specification. After careful consideration, the most economically viable and safest option was chosen which also had the least amount of impact on the general public. 

Navigating the challenges of a 160m directional drill under the River Derwent, a hand dig solution under an existing railway bridge, and considerable coordination with local authorities showcased HVSS's commitment to project success. 

Working within Derby city centre required multiple meetings with the council and third parties to negotiate night-time works and traffic management. Gas works, also managed by HVSS, involved complex excavations and project coordination with Cadent for the main connections. Our Senior Project Manager responsible for leading the water mains and services worked in partnership with Severn Trent to successfully overcome the challenges presented by working across sectors to ensure changes to the scope of works and additional supplies to occupied premises were undertaken.

The Tendering, Design and Construction team worked intricately with the client and third parties to keep them informed throughout the process, discussing and driving agreeable solutions that considered engineering restraints and the client’s timescales for delivery. 

To read more of HVSS’ case studies, please visit hvss.uk.com/case-studies.