Didcot substation upgrade begins
National Grid expands site to connect data centres and battery storage in Oxfordshire.
Image for illustrative purposes
UK, England, Oxfordshire: National Grid has begun a major upgrade of the Didcot substation in Oxfordshire to support new data centres and large-scale battery energy storage systems. The work forms part of wider plans to strengthen the electricity transmission network as demand for digital infrastructure grows.
The site sits next to the former Didcot A coal power station and close to the UK’s first AI Growth Zone in Culham. Through the expansion, around 650 MW of battery storage will be able to connect to the grid, completing the shift from a site once powered by coal to one supporting low-carbon, flexible electricity.
The project involves extending the existing 400 kV outdoor air-insulated substation with three additional bays and three supergrid transformers. A new 132 kV indoor gas-insulated switchgear building will also be constructed, designed to reduce the overall footprint and environmental impact of the development.
The new facility will use Hitachi Energy’s EconiQ technology, an alternative to sulphur hexafluoride (SF6), which is traditionally used as an electrical insulator. National Grid aims to reduce SF6 emissions from its network by half by 2030.
Linxon has been appointed as the principal contractor, building on earlier collaboration with National Grid on projects including London Power Tunnels.
The upgrade at Didcot follows the start of construction at National Grid’s Uxbridge Moor substation, which will also connect multiple data centres and use SF6-free switchgear. Electricity demand in Britain is forecast to double by 2050, with data centre consumption expected to rise significantly over the next decade.
Source: National Grid
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