Alternative Jointing 2
Status:
Live
Project Reference Number:
NIA_SSEN_0075
STRATEGY THEME:
  • Net zero and the energy system transition
START DATE:
END DATE:
Project summary
Funding Licensee(s):
  • NGED - National Grid Electricity Distribution
Funding mechanism:
  • NIA_RIIO-2
Technology:
  • Commercial
  • Electric Vehicles
  • Health and Safety
  • LV & 11kV Networks
  • Resilience
Expenditure:
£2,470,000
Preceding Projects:
Third Party Collaborators:
  • Energy Innovation Centre
  • TE Connectivity
  • Prysmian Group
  • SICAME
  • Hive
Summary
Documents

Alternative Jointing 2 will take the learnings from the Alternative Jointing project and further develop the foam alternative to the current resin and sand combination we use to fill joint shells. New shells will be developed to enable this. This project will also develop a shrink wrap solution for LV straight joints, and continue to investigate any other opportunities to improve jointing techniques.
Stage 1 will develop prototype foam and shrink wrap straight joints and test these to BS EN 50393:2015 and ENA C81, and identify any other techniques for trial.
Stage 2 will deploy field trials of successful straight joint designs and develop and test prototypes using their techniques for other joint types to include: - breach, single service and multiple service.

Benefits

The energy system transition requires the large-scale deployment of LCTs within SSEN’s licence areas, resulting in increased load and a consequential increase in LV jointing activity. Improving the efficiency and reducing the waste and carbon footprint of LV jointing would therefore provide benefits to customers and enable a faster and more effective energy system transition. The proposed role out of EV vehicles/vans means it will be possible to carry the foam instead of the current resin and sand combo used at present due to weight capacity carrying of EV vehicles.

This project seeks to improve the efficiency and ergonomics of LV jointing and reduce the associated waste and carbon footprints. If successful it will deliver more efficient new connections with lower waste and carbon footprints just as the volume of new connections increases to enable the energy system transition to Net Zero. This will deliver benefits to all customers including those in vulnerable situations.

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