Latest news with #SPEN
The Guardian
5 days ago
- Science
- The Guardian
UK electricity firms leak oil underground in ‘huge problem for environment'
Electricity companies are leaking millions of litres of oil underground throughout the UK, the Guardian can reveal. In the past 15 years, 3m litres (660,000 gallons) of oil has been spilt under southern England from cables owned by the electricity distribution company UK Power Networks. But leaks are occurring UK-wide; the largest single leak reported in recent years was in Edinburgh, when 24,000 litres was spilt from a ScottishPower Energy Networks (SPEN) cable. The oil is inside ageing electricity cables which were mainly installed in the 1950s to 1970s. It acts as an insulating fluid and helps to keep the cables cool, but as the cables age they leak increasingly. One scientist who has researched the cables said the leaks presented a huge problem for the environment, while Greenpeace has described the findings as extremely concerning. The Energy Networks Association (ENA), which represents the electricity distribution companies, said heavy oil had not been used in new cables for 40 years and many cables had been replaced. UK Power Networks said it had made investments to reduce leakage and was committed to replacing the cables entirely in the long term. Dr Susmit Basu researched the underground cables between 2015 and 2018, when he worked at a science and technology company which conducted research and development for a UK Power Networks project focusing on reducing oil leaks from them. He said the leaks presented a 'huge problem for the environment' and were slowly contributing to major biodiversity loss over long periods of time. Basu visited one site in Norfolk where a cable was leaking oil continuously and had saturated the soil. The oil had seeped into the bodies of trees via the roots, then damaged leaves and caused them to become yellowish in colour and develop spots. The oil-soaked soil had to be removed and replaced with fresh soil. But no one knew 'how much of the fluid the rainwater took with it – that was anyone's guess', Basu said. Usually an underground oil leak caused no immediate danger, Basu said; it was rarely the case that 'this night there was a leak and tomorrow it was a disaster zone'. But with time the oil travelled through the soil into the nearest water bodies including rivers, lakes or the sea, killing useful fungi, bacteria, fish and other aquatic life. Maintenance workers often topped up cables when a drop in oil levels caused them to stop working effectively, Basu said. 'Where's those few thousands of litres going?' He said the leaked oil 'will not simply disappear' and would stay in the environment for thousands or millions of years. Basu said companies were rolling out solutions to the leaks, but doing so was costly and could be complicated. He also suggested there was little public pressure to act: 'The leaking is invisible to the public eye … nobody cares [about the leaks], nobody knows, nobody can see. Those materials should not be in the soil … we need electricity but we also need the environment and our surrounding atmosphere to be clean.' Companies and regulators do not publish information about precisely where leaks have occurred or oil-filled cables are located, though freedom of information requests from environmental regulators reveal leaks have happened underneath cities, residential areas, riverbeds and arable fields. Lily-Rose Ellis, a campaigner at Greenpeace UK, said: 'This is really concerning and is yet more evidence of the urgent need to update our crumbling energy infrastructure. 'These cables are at best outdated, but some are virtually antiques and are urgently in need of replacement. The UK electricity grid was designed and built for the energy system of the last century.' UK Power Networks is responsible for more electricity cable leaks than any other company, freedom of information requests to the energy regulator Ofgem have confirmed. Electricity North West, Northern Powergrid, Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN), SPEN and National Grid Electricity Distribution (formerly Western Power Distribution) all also own fluid-filled cables. The largest single spill recorded in recent years was underneath Edinburgh. A single SPEN cable leaked 24,000 litres of oil between late 2023 and its being sealed in early 2024. An additional ScottishPower cable leaked a further 6,000 litres in Edinburgh in 2023. The Scottish Environment Protection Agency refused freedom of information requests for details on the Edinburgh leaks on the grounds that an investigation was taking place. SPEN stated at the time: 'Neither leak has resulted in oil contamination of watercourses, and no enforcement actions or undertakings resulted from the two incidents notified to the regulator.' A spokesperson for ENA said the electricity distribution companies had not used heavy oil in newly-laid fluid-filled cables for about 40 years and now used biodegradable substances, solid insulation and sealed cabling. It said 500km (310 miles) of older cables had been replaced in the past 10 years, and oil-filled cables made up less than 1% of the grid around London and the south-east. UK Power Networks said it had made significant investments to reduce oil leakage since 2011, replacing 126km of oil-filled cables, and was committed to replacing them entirely. It said it worked with the Environment Agency for reporting and mitigation and adhered to relevant operating codes. It said: 'During repairs, the company recovers as much cable fluid as possible.' This included fluid pumped into containers and oil absorbed in contaminated soil, which is removed in sealed skips and disposed of by specialists. Ofgem said it had made it clear to companies that they should do everything possible to mitigate environmental impacts, including preventing leaks by ensuring their assets were well maintained and reliable. Research for this article was supported by the Dark Green programme, an initiative of the Centre for Investigative Journalism and
The Herald Scotland
27-06-2025
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
Let's stand up for our countryside and fight the march of the pylons
Scotland's most wild and beautiful spaces are being raped and we're too busy watching the latest episode of Love Island to care. A friend recently criticised my objections to these massive pylons, saying: "I can't support the outrage of usually quite well-off people upset that their view may be spoiled". Quite apart from the fact that most of the people in the Borders hamlet of Yarrow Feus that Ms Goring refers to are not particularly well-off – locals include a nurse, a plumber, a rep for a roller blind firm and a retired teacher – it's not about individuals. It's about preserving the exquisite beauty of Scotland's landscape for future generations and about making sure we all have access to it. There are countries with higher mountains and more dramatic waterfalls but few with the unique play of light and shade, the complex mix of the rugged and the peaceful that we have in Scotland. Destroying the beauty of our countryside is like tearing our own lungs out, yet our governments have allowed this to happen all over the Highlands and Islands and the west of Scotland. Keir Starmer's so-called Labour Government intends to build on Green Belt land and actually included in its manifesto the commitment to force through planning consents over local opposition. Democracy is dead in this country – SPEN has not had its plans knocked back in 15 years. Isn't it time we started protecting our country instead of sacrificing it for big business? Jean Rafferty, Amble, Morpeth. Read more letters Will Scotland change tack? Gerard Quinn's letter (June 25) is a reminder that the debate about assisted dying isn't over, despite legislation allowing it having been passed by the UK Parliament and progressing at the Scottish Parliament. The Westminster vote was close, with 314 votes for and 291 against, a majority of only 23. However, a closer look reveals that's not the full picture. The legislation approved by the House of Commons applies to England and Wales only, not to Scotland and Northern Ireland. On that basis, the SNP and some Northern Ireland MPs didn't take part in the vote; other parties did. The votes of MPs from Scotland and Northern Ireland MPs were 18 for and 38 against, with one MP (Wendy Chamberlain, North East Fife) having voted both ways. Subtracting those votes from the totals, MPs representing constituencies in England and Wales voted 296 for and 253 against, a much clearer majority of 43. The smaller majority actually recorded does raise the question of why MPs representing constituents who aren't affected by the legislation thought it appropriate to take part in the vote. What happened to "English votes for English laws"? Among MPs representing Scottish constituencies, there were 17 for and 29 against. This differs markedly from the Stage One vote last month at Holyrood, which saw 70 MSPs back the bill and 56 oppose it. I wonder if that majority will hold up all the way to Stage Three. Doug Maughan, Dunblane. Politicians, have a drink Stephen Smith (Letters, June 26) accuses the powers that be of conducting a dishonest war on alcohol. This must be the politicians or bureaucrats; certainly not the medical profession. Having entered my ninth decade on this planet, I have benefited for a number of years from an annual "MOT" from our overworked, but wonderful, NHS. At each "inspection" I am asked how much alcohol I drink. With a mock shamefaced look on my face, I truthfully inform the doctor or nurse that I am exceeding the Government's target by 100%, averaging between 25 and 30 units per week. After all, that is only one large glass of red wine with my evening meal and one large malt whisky before bed. I have to say that no medical professional has met this confession with any suggestion that my intake is excessive. Perhaps the politicians would benefit from sharing a drink or two (and some wisdom) with a group of practising clinicians. Eric Begbie, Stirling. What makes for excessive consumption of alcohol? (Image: PA) On the wrong track? Intriguing though it was to read about "safeguarding patrollers" being deployed to improve safety on the railway network in Scotland ("Patrollers being introduced at train stations across Scotland in safety move", The Herald, June 26), would it not be worthwhile to consider solving security and safety issues more simply by staffing all the railway stations? AJ Clarence, Prestwick. A pair of pears "Go pear-shaped" is the answer to clue 12 across in this week's Radio Times crossword, the clue being "Fail to start looking fruity? ( 2, 4-6)". Some two hours after solving the puzzle, I find myself watching an early edition of Midsomer Murders, and hearing a character talking about the local mill project going pear-shaped. I wonder whether readers of a statistical bent can suggest the odds on reading or hearing little-used words and phrases repeated within such a short period of time. David Miller, Milngavie. A bee in my bonnet I'm getting a bit worried about myself in these dotage years. In the 100 years ago section of "From Our Archives" today (The Herald, June 25) I read that a swarm of bees had caused a bit of consternation in Greenock, until a beekeeper successfully 'skepped' them. Instead of just accepting this, I had to investigate 'skepped' and your readers will have the benefit of my research to now know that a 'skep' is a type of beehive. I can rest easy now. Eric Macdonald, Paisley.
The Herald Scotland
21-06-2025
- The Herald Scotland
Scottish countryside brutalised: this is too high a price to pay
It was worth it. Nowhere we visited while I was a child was as enchanting as this secluded valley, with its views over dumpy hills and billowy woods, and a river alive with fish. Even today, half a century later, the place remains otherworldly in its sense of isolation and tranquillity. The only disturbance comes from occasional RAF fighter jets screaming up the valley on practice runs, whose ear-splitting roar serves to emphasise the exceptional quiet at all other times. Soon, however, everything is to change. A place with a claim to be one of the loveliest spots in Scotland, rich in wildlife and history yet all but overlooked, will in a short time be irrevocably blighted. If Scottish Power Energy Networks (SPEN) gets its way, a line of pylons as tall as the Scott Monument will march across the fields and hills, carrying electricity cables to a substation near Carlisle. Visitors to the Yarrow valley, drawn by the sense of timeless peacefulness and its unrivalled landscape, will be confronted instead with a line of incongruous giant iron towers. Just writing those words makes me sad. When, last year, SPEN announced the next section of its Cross Border Connection, linking the borders to the national grid, it planned to run its pylons close to the villages of Roberton and Ettrickbridge: an exquisite area, as is almost all of the countryside in these parts. However, such was the public outcry that, after listening to the public's concerns and adjusting its proposals accordingly, SPEN decided instead to reroute the line across the Yarrow valley, by Yarrow Feus. Locals had only a month in which to lodge their complaints, and while there was universal outcry from people in the district, because so few folk live here the protesters have little clout. Even though the John Muir Trust has objected, as has the Ministry of Defence (because of the route of its low-flying jets), at the time of writing it seems almost inevitable that, without government intervention, a region of unparallelled natural beauty will be ruined. Read more If Trump has taught us one thing, it is that Scotland needs more mega-wealthy people 'Compelling' - Forgotten Scottish Booker Prize contender republished after 60 years The man who brought Scotland's beavers back: 10 books to read next Action Against Pylons: Scottish Borders Alliance is a group representing 10 communities, including those who have seemingly just had a narrow escape. As group member Rosi Lister acknowledges, now the risk to Ettrickbridge and Roberton has been averted, 'It's all very well revising the route, but as soon as you move it from one place you affect another community.… There are no winners with these pylons.' It's not just 50-60metre pylons that are the issue; there will also be battery storage sites and electricity sub-stations, all to be built on untouched countryside. To make matters worse, if that were possible, all the energy distributed will be sent to England. Defending the proposed 57-mile line, which will run from Lauder to south of Newcastleton, SPEN says that, since Scotland has benefited in the past from nuclear and hydro energy supplied from England and Wales, 'it's now our turn to send renewable energy the other way.' That's a hard claim to swallow given the scale of destruction this route will create. For a start, cables in many English beauty spots, such as the Peak and Lake Districts and scenic parts of Yorkshire, have been buried underground. Nevertheless, SPEN says that laying underground cables is six to nine times more pricey than overhead lines and putting the Cross Border Connection underground won't happen 'unless justification can be provided for localised sections.' Does environmental vandalism count as sufficient justification? And who is the arbiter of what would justify such a decision and the attendant cost? Who has the louder voices: those at Holyrood running the department for the environment, the Spanish owners and shareholders of SPEN, Ofgen, with its insistence the project be as cost-efficient as possible, or the few disenfranchised villagers who must live with the consequences of these brutalising schemes? Nobody with a brain cell can deny the need urgently to reach net zero, but destroying pristine, priceless countryside in the name of energy efficiency is the opposite of environmentally friendly. Nor is this a problem unique to the borders; parts of the Highlands are devastated at proposals for super pylon power lines, stretching from Caithness to Peterhead through Beauly. In its rush to meet its net zero targets and benefit from our abundance of renewable energy, the Scottish government is in danger of destroying what makes Scotland special: its extraordinary wealth of natural beauty and acres of green space so empty they are an essential reminder that there is more to this world than the short-sighted and destructive projects of our own species. One thing's for sure: if this vandalism goes ahead through the borders as currently planned, overnight the SNP will lose the few voters it has in the area, including die-hard nationalists. For us this is as defacing and inappropriate and insulting a scheme as Flamingo Land at Balloch. Why should our countryside and our ecosystem be ruined by a supposedly green energy scheme, which will turn an idyll into an eyesore? Why should people on this side of Hadrian's Wall be made to suffer for a network being built for the benefit of our neighbour? So here's an idea. If England wants this energy supply then Westminster should foot the bill for putting these cables underground. It's the only way to maintain peace and harmony on this side of the border. Rosemary Goring is a columnist and author. Her most recent book is Homecoming: The Scottish Years of Mary, Queen of Scots. Its sequel, Exile: The Captive Years of Mary, Queen of Scots, is published next month.
Business News Wales
31-05-2025
- Business
- Business News Wales
SP Energy Networks Contract Extensions Deliver £220M Distribution Investment
Leading distribution network operator, SP Energy Networks, is set to invest more than £220 million to help deliver the electricity grid and support the workforce of the future after it extended its overhead line contracts with key service partners. Six companies will continue to work with the business over the next four years to maintain and upgrade more than 20,000km of overhead lines across the network, helping SP Energy Networks (SPEN) deliver on the commitments in its Electricity Distribution (ED) 2 business plan, which covers the years 2023-2028, while getting ready for ED3. Securing these contracts gives a welcome boost to the overhead line supply chain and its in-demand resources. This will support more than 500 jobs – including 50-plus new linesmen jobs – across the country, with the companies based in and around SPEN's Scotland and Manweb licence areas, ensuring ready access to the technical skills and resources needed. The partner companies are: Scottish-based Aureos, Gaeltec and PLPC, which will support the six licence districts in central and southern Scotland (Ayrshire & Clyde South, Central & Fife, Dumfries & Galloway, Edinburgh & Borders, Glasgow & Clyde North, Lanarkshire). Emerald Power, IES and Network Plus – all based in the north-west of England – which will support the licence districts in Mid-Cheshire, Merseyside, Dee Valley and Mid Wales, Wirral and North Wales. Nicola Connelly, SPEN CEO, said: 'Ensuring we have the partners, resources and technical skills in place to deliver on our bold and ambitious plans for our network is vital for the modern and resilient grid needed to support the doubling of demand. 'These contracts not only support significant investment in our overhead line network, they allow us to build on the solid foundations created with our supply chain partners and give certainty and confidence to further invest in their skills and people. It's a win-win on both sides and we look forward to working together to make a long and lasting difference for all our communities – from Anstruther to Anglesey.' Iain Thomson, Head of Distribution at Aureos, said: 'This contract reflects the mutual respect and trust we have with SPEN and will help bring new resources into the industry. We have invested heavily in recruiting local trainees and will continue to upskill our existing staff while increasing trainee intakes to deliver on SPEN's investment programme – continuing to grow our business in Scotland.' Adrian Rowley, Head of Contracts for Emerald Power, said: 'This is an extremely significant milestone for Emerald Power and provides the opportunity to further invest in our business –recruiting, training and upskilling the resources needed to deliver for SPEN's customers. Sharing the modern apprenticeship course at Bangor's Coleg Menai with other service partners and SP Energy Networks is a key element of this and enables a fantastic opportunity for anyone across the communities we serve to have a very fulfilling and rewarding career working on the network.' Daniel Rodrigues, Managing Director, Gaeltec Utilities UK Ltd, said: 'We are delighted to have successfully extended our contract with SPEN for overhead line works in its Ayrshire and Lanarkshire districts. This is great news for both Gaeltec and our employees, giving certainty looking ahead and creating confidence to grow our investment in our business and our people. 'On the back of this, we are pleased to confirm our continued local recruitment of trainee linesmen, with the latest intake underway.' Conor O'Neill, Executive Director, IES Utilities Group, said: 'Following SPEN's announcement of the overhead line contract extensions, IES Utilities Group is pleased to continue playing a key role in supporting the delivery of critical network infrastructure. We welcome the opportunity to build on the strong foundations we have now in place. This extension is a testament to the collaborative efforts and shared commitment between SPEN and IES Utilities Group. We're proud to continue delivering high-quality overhead line solutions that help strengthen the resilience and reliability of the electricity network for communities across the Manweb region.' Dale Harrison Managing Director at PLPC said: 'PLPC are proud to extend our partnership with SPEN for a further four years. This contract demonstrates a significant commitment from SPEN to our industry and enables a long-term and collaborative approach to meeting the current skills gaps within the market. PLPC has worked continually for SPEN for over 50 years and we're well placed to further develop our local workforce, which will continue to deliver the critical infrastructure upgrades to the network as we progress towards net zero.' Dave Prescott, Network Plus Managing Director, said: 'This four-year contract extension is a fantastic achievement for Network Plus and a testament to the hard work of everybody who has worked on the overhead line contract with SPEN. We are a proud and long-standing overhead line partner of SPEN, with our relationship going back to 2018. We now look forward to four more years delivering excellence to SPEN customers and investing in the recruitment of locally-sourced overhead line apprentices and trainees as we continue to meet SPEN's increased network investment.'
Time of India
13-05-2025
- Health
- Time of India
In poor health, CBSE 12 student scores 88.6%
Navi Mumbai: Nerul's 18-year-old Vrriddhi Kabra from Delhi Public School has secured 88.6% in CBSE Class 12 (science) exams, despite facing health underwent a surgery for gallbladder stones removal in 2024. She has also been suffering recurring palpitations, breathing issues, and complications from a subtotal gastrectomy following a SPEN tumour operation in 2020. Her medical condition limited her school attendance, yet her teachers provided vital support in completing the curriculum. Vrriddhi scored 97 in both English and Biology, her favourite subjects. She aspires to pursue a medical career, with pharmacy as an alternative option if not MBBS. She said her performance could have matched her Class 10 score of 96% had her health been better. Beyond academics, Vrriddhi is a Bharatanatyam dancer with 7 years of training. "I am also good at drawing. Due to health reasons, I am not practising dance regularly," she said. — B B Nayak
