Europe | November 25, 2025

Record-breaking shaft machine deployed in Tilbury

National Grid begins construction of 15m-diameter shaft in Tilbury using Europe’s largest Vertical Shaft Sinking Machine for the Grain to Tilbury cable tunnel.

 

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Image for illustrative purposes

UK, England, Tilbury: A record-setting Vertical Shaft Sinking Machine (VSM) has begun excavation work at Tilbury in Essex as part of National Grid’s Grain to Tilbury electricity upgrade. The machine, named Verena after pioneering mechanical engineer Verena Holmes, marks a major step in replacing the ageing Thames Cable Tunnel built in the 1960s.

The tunnel works form a key element of the Great Grid Upgrade, National Grid’s programme to modernise the transmission network and support the connection of future low-carbon power sources. The new link will reinforce supply routes between Gravesend and Tilbury, helping carry more renewable electricity to UK homes and businesses.

The project is being delivered by Ferrovial BEMO JV, which will construct a 2.2 km, 400 kV cable tunnel using machinery supplied by Herrenknecht AG. The VSM will achieve a 15-m internal diameter and a depth of more than 48 m at Tilbury before a second shaft is built at the Gravesend site.

Unlike conventional shaft sinking, the VSM is remotely operated from the surface, removing the need for personnel inside the shaft during excavation. Its cutting head operates under water, avoiding the need for groundwater pumping and reducing environmental disruption while improving safety and speed of construction.

Project Director Mark Farmer said the launch represents a major milestone, noting that the project will strengthen the network beneath the Thames “for the decades ahead.” Ferrovial BEMO JV and Herrenknecht highlighted the collaboration as a significant innovation in UK infrastructure delivery.

Source: National Grid

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