Design of the new electrical infrastructure for the former Ratcliffe-on Soar power station 273-acre site

When Uniper Energy began to close down the UK’s last coal-fired power station, they obtained a Local Development Order for development opportunities in advanced manufacturing, green and low-carbon energy generation, and energy storage.

Uniper engaged Freedom to carry out the concept design for the electrical infrastructure masterplan across all of the 273-acre site.

Initially, we assisted with Uniper’s modification application to National Grid to secure a grid connection offer. We were then asked to develop the Employer’s Requirements for a design and build tender process. During this phase, we produced a detailed concept design to supply load demand and to distribute energy generated on and off the site.

The existing NGET 400kV substation was identified as the Point of Connection (POC) for the grid supply. Our design proposed three new 460MVA super grid transformers to step voltage down to 132kV and feed into a bulk supply point substation.

A 132kV and 33kV private wire network would connect three new substations in the north, south and west of the site. End use demand and generation customers were then fed from these substations at 33kV and 11kV. The design would be built to adoptable standards. This arrangement effectively created power zones for future developments. New corridors of cable routes were mapped against existing utilities and underground cable congestion, including directional drilling under the A453.

Freedom developed a phased order of cost estimate to inform Uniper’s business planning process. An outline master programme was created, identifying long lead times for equipment manufacture and energisation dates for each phase. Using this programme, we developed a contracting strategy and structure to enable the procurement of long-lead items in sufficient time to meet the delivery of the third party funded projects.