Following the opening of the new Silvertown Tunnel on April 7, UK Power Networks has revealed how it had to divert high-voltage underground cables on both banks of the River Thames to facilitate construction.
The tunnel, which connects Silvertown with the Greenwich Peninsula, is designed to relieve congestion from the Blackwall Tunnel, improve air quality, and offer better cross-river public transport options. In order to be constructed, however, two separate cable diversions were needed.
On the north side of the river, engineers laid 700 metres of 66,000-volt cables made from environmentally friendly cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE), decommissioning four existing circuits in the process. On the south side, two 132,000-volt circuits and nine 11,000-volt circuits were temporarily moved, with the old cables replaced by XLPE in their original positions after construction was finished.
Claire Sheridan, UK Power Networks’ Portfolio Manager for London, commented, “Working together on the Silvertown Tunnel project has been a testament to our commitment to improving the City of London.
“The efforts of our engineers and partners have helped us overcome numerous challenges, ensuring the successful completion of cable diversion projects on both sides of the River Thames. This project not only enhances the city’s infrastructure but also contributes to a better environment and public transport system.
“Collaborative working has been essential in moving high-voltage underground cables to make way for the Silvertown Tunnel. This project is a significant step towards improving transport in London by easing congestion, improving air quality, and enhancing cross-river public transport. Despite the challenges, our team has successfully laid environmentally friendly cables and decommissioned existing circuits to support the construction of the tunnel.”
Borja Trashorras, Project Director, Riverlinx CJV, the joint venture that delivered the new Silvertown Tunnel, added, “The Riverlinx CJV joint venture has delivered the Silvertown Tunnel project on time, to budget and at the highest standard of delivery and engineering. Our collaborative approach with TfL and Riverlinx SPV has enabled us to leverage international expertise from our three partners: Ferrovial through its construction division, BAM and SK ecoplant.
“The construction here has included advanced engineering techniques with world firsts for a Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) of this size, exemplifying our commitment to excellence and innovation. To have delivered this project in five years despite all of the recent world challenges is truly exceptional. I congratulate our team, everything we have achieved, and the positive legacy we leave not only for London but also for our industry.”
