Client: Thanet Energy (part of the Fresca Group) Location: Isle of Thanet, Kent Value: £870,000 Form of Contract: ICE Minor Works Year of Completion: October 2008 Engineer: Evans & Langford LLP Provian Construction has provided the vital link between one of the UK's largest environmental schemes and the residents of Thanet (Kent) by creating an electrical sub-station that distributes harnessed electricity to thousands of homes in Kent. "A key part of the Thanet Earth development has been the construction of the electrical infrastructure. Provian have performed remarkably well and shown themselves to be a flexible, capable contractor - essential with such a high profile, time critical project"
Steve McVickers, Managing Director at Thanet Earth Provian built a 132/11kV electricity sub-station at Thanet Earth to serve a series of seven glasshouses of epic proportions covering a massive 125 acres on a 220 acre site. Thanet Earth's glasshouses are now hydroponically producing 15% of the UK's total crop of salad vegetables. The greenhouses are heated using a CHP (Combined Heat and Power) system. CHP systems generate electricity and useful thermal energy in a single integrated system. The sub-station brings the electricity to the site, and any surplus energy generated by the CHP is then fed back through the sub-station and transformers, back into the national grid, whilst harnessing the waste carbon dioxide to help the plants grow. Enough energy is being generated to supply half of Thanet in Kent including the towns of Margate, Ramsgate and Broadstairs. Provian created the 11kV switch-house, 2 transformer foundations with associated blast walls plus 132kV post insulator support structures and associated foundations. Provian were also responsible for the construction of internal access roads, the duct and drainage system, palisade fencing and hard landscaping works.