Birmingham, UK: One of Birmingham’s oldest substations, the Bournville substation built in 1920, is getting a long-awaited update.

The  $7,58 M (£6 M) upgrade is being carried out by its owners Western Power Distribution.

The three-year project is expected to run until 2022 and involves replacing four grid transformers, 132 kV circuit breakers and other 132 kV equipment, along with all the 11 kV switchgear.

As part of the upgrade, Western Power Distribution is keeping the historic features of the building and will be dismantling and rebuilding sections of the 5 m high wall to access each of the existing transformers. Each transformer and associated switchgear will then be taken out and replaced before the brickwork is rebuilt. Together with their contractors they will then move to the next bay and repeat the process all the way along the 50 m boundary wall.

Source: Birmingham Updates / Western Power Distribution