£7.2m power project for Stowmarket completed

A £7.2million project to bring power to the people of Stowmarket has been completed.

The town’s main substation serving about 15,000 residents has been given a major upgrade by UK Power Networks.

Remote control technology has been installed which means power supplies can often be restored remotely, instead of waiting for an engineer to travel there.

The scheme has created additional capacity on the network so that it will remain reliable into the future with an anticipated increase in demand from new homes and businesses in the fast-growing Stowmarket area.

The latest work cost £1.3million and supplements the site’s earlier replacement of transformers – equipment which steps down the voltage of electricity – as well as the introduction of a new building to house major switches and fuses.

UK Power Networks project manager John McAndrew said: “Occasionally power cuts can still happen, often caused by reasons beyond our control. This scheme gives us the flexibility to restore power remotely where we can, getting the power back as quickly as safely possible.

“A number of extra homes have been built in the Stowmarket area and this is a continuing trend. This was the anticipated load growth the project was set up to capture.

“We continue to invest in new technology to ensure we can provide the best service possible to our customers.”