Designing resilient grid infrastructure under real-world constraints
DACI Utilities Engineering Consultancy delivered the civil and structural design for the 132 kV substation serving a combined solar and battery storage development at Long Pasture, near Darlington, County Durham.
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DACI Utilities Engineering Consultancy delivered the civil and structural design for the 132 kV substation serving a combined solar and battery storage development at Long Pasture, near Darlington, County Durham.
The wider development comprises ground-mounted solar panels together with the substation, battery storage, cabins, and access tracks.
Fourteen design packages were delivered across two submission packs, covering site formation, drainage, and access, through to structure and foundation design for the full air-insulated switchgear suite.
The substation was developed from a greenfield baseline within an actively farmed landscape. Fourteen design packages were delivered across two submission packs, with every package subject to a two-stage approval chain.
DACI absorbed the change from post insulator to cable sealing end within the existing programme, updating the AIS drawings and associated structure and foundation designs rather than restarting the package.
The work was organised into two submission packs, allowing site formation, drainage, roads, and fencing to be approved and released while the switchgear structural design continued to progress.
Both submission packs were delivered within one month, demonstrating DACI’s ability to manage complex substation design requirements under tight programme constraints.
The integrated delivery approach enabled early approval of earthworks and civil works while the structural design progressed in parallel. All fourteen design packages were completed to National Grid specifications, supported by comprehensive load assessments.
The design change from post insulator to cable sealing end was absorbed seamlessly within the existing programme, without requiring the package to be restarted.
Project Status: Live
Long Pasture connects solar generation and battery storage through a single 132 kV substation, delivering both renewable energy output and the flexibility needed to support its integration into the network.
Combined schemes of this type make more efficient use of scarce grid capacity than generation-only projects and are becoming increasingly important to how new renewable capacity connects to the network.
Long Pasture demonstrates DACI’s ability to deliver a complete substation civil and structural design package for a combined solar and battery storage development, while successfully absorbing a mid-programme design change without impacting the submission schedule.
The structural design approach integrates site-specific geotechnical conditions, National Grid technical specifications, and modern design standards, including Eurocodes with the UK National Annex, to deliver a comprehensive and buildable solution for an increasingly common project type.
The use of monolithic concrete construction, thermal cracking mitigation strategies, and rigorous load-combination analysis supports structural performance and long-term durability within the site’s aggressive soil environment.
DACI Utilities Engineering Consultancy delivered the civil and structural design for the substation serving a solar farm at West House Farm, near Trimdon, County Durham.
DACI Utilities Engineering Consultancy was appointed to undertake the civil design associated with a 50MW Battery Energy Storage System at Sundon, off Water End Lane, Luton.
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