Pioneering pylon hits Nottinghamshire skyline

The first new-look electricity pylon in nearly 90 years has gone up in Nottinghamshire.
The new-look pylons at EakringThe new-look pylons at Eakring
The new-look pylons at Eakring

The new T-pylon has been erected by The National Grid at Eakring, near Bilsthorpe, with a design that will allow for “sweeping curves” of electricity lines rather than the sharp turns that characterise current pylon designs.

The T-pylon has been designed by Danish architect Bystrup and won a 2011 pylon design competition organised by National Grid, the Department for Energy and Climate Change and the Royal Institute of British Architects.

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The T-pylon is the first update to pylon design since the traditional lattice steel pylon was introduced in 1928.

There are currently around 88,000 lattice pylons across the UK and the new T-pylon stands at 35m-high, which National Grid says is up to one-third lower than traditional pylons.

National Grid says the new pylons take up less space and are much easier and quicker to build - taking a day, rather than a week.

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David Wright, director of electricity transmission asset management at National Grid, says: “The T-pylon offers a modern, sleek and slender alternative to traditional designs.

The new-look pylons at EakringThe new-look pylons at Eakring
The new-look pylons at Eakring

“It is designed so that we can route overhead cables by following the contours of the land. Instead of sudden changes in direction that have characterised some routes with lattice pylons, the T-pylon helps us move towards more sweeping curves that follow the landscape.”

He added: “We developed the new style of pylon so that we could have a 21st century design to offer as we plan new transmission routes.

“The T-pylon is not a replacement for the steel lattice pylon but it’s a new option and in some landscapes its shorter height and sleeker appearance can offer real advantages”.