Grid upgrade project ahead of schedule

A milestone on a major grid upgrade project has been reached ahead of schedule

National Grid said .it had excavated a new 2.2km high-voltage electricity cable tunnel between Tilbury in Essex and Gravesend in Kent.

The project is part of The Great Grid Upgrade programme to strengthen the electricity network and supporting Britain's future energy needs as demand for cleaner electricity continues to grow.

More than 10,000 concrete tunnel segments were installed to create the tunnel lining and the breakthrough by a boring machine marks the completion of the project's tunnelling phase.

The milestone was achieved 49 days ahead of the original programme.