Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) has completed a multi-million pound electricity infrastructure upgrade works, providing a resilient power supply to thousands of homes and businesses.

The £2.9 million pound programme of works began in Fareham in July 2019 and centred around the primary substation in Hoeford. In addition to the replacement and refurbishment of the substation's internal switchgear and associated transformers, SSEN's engineers reconfigured the layout of the site to provide a new access route. This new road to and from the site provides a safer access point and has visually improved the overall look of the site to bring it in to line with its surroundings.

By replacing the existing switchroom and associated network equipment, SSEN has developed a power supply fit for the future for its Fareham customers as they move to more low carbon technologies such as electric vehicles and heat pumps.

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SSEN's Project Manager, Ben Wollaston said: "My team and I are delighted to have completed this sizeable project which helps the wider area of Hampshire to meet its net zero goals through an infrastructure that brings improved strength and resilience to the local electricity network, while reducing the risk of power cuts.

"Fareham is a thriving market town and it's vital that we supply its homes and businesses with a robust power supply that's flexible enough to easily meet their needs now and in the future as more and more local customers take up the low carbon technologies that will help them reach their net zero goals.

"Safety is a priority for SSEN, so we took the decision to improve the site access as part of these works. While this extended the length of the project slightly, we knew it improved safety for Fareham's pedestrians and road users, and we'd like to thank our Fareham customers for the patience while we carried out this enhancement to the safety and appearance of the site."

With over 43,400 households in Fareham, the busy market town is forecast to have as many as 18,680 electric vehicle (EV) chargepoints by the end of 2030 and reaching 33,108 by 2050. Additionally, heat pumps installed across the Hampshire town are forecast to rise to 32,041 by 2050.