National Grid has started upgrading its Didcot substation in Oxfordshire to connect new data centres and battery energy storage projects to the transmission network.

The site, located beside the former Didcot A coal station and close to the UK’s first AI Growth Zone at Culham, will play a central role in supporting regional digital expansion and boosting grid capacity.

Around 650MW of battery schemes will link into the extended facility, marking a further shift from coal to clean energy at the location.

The works include extending the existing 400kV air-insulated substation with three bays and three supergrid transformers. A new 132kV indoor gas-insulated switchgear building will also be constructed to minimise land use.

Hitachi Energy’s EconiQ equipment will replace traditional sulphur hexafluoride systems, supporting National Grid’s aim to cut SF6 emissions by 50% by 2030.

Peter Hancock, project director at National Grid Electricity Transmission, said the upgrade “marks another step forward in powering the UK’s digital future” by enabling new data hubs and storage systems to connect to the grid.

Electricity demand in Britain is forecast to double by 2050, with data centre demand set to rise from 3% of national use in 2025 to 9% by 2035.