By Lauren Harte

Copyright belfastlive

Northern Ireland Electricity Networks (NIE) has announced a “once in a generation” rebuild of our electricity networks. The £250m upgrade will take place over the next six years, replacing poles, cables and overhead lines. It’s designed to ensure a “more reliable and resilient network” with “quicker access and more capacity for current and future customers”. But there are already warnings that h omes and businesses will face planned power outages as part of this massive upgrade to our electricity network, m uch of which was originally built around 70 years ago. We’ve compiled more details of this ambitious plan and what it could mean for you. Much of Northern Ireland’s electricity network was originally built in the 1950s and 1960s. Over the next six years, the ‘Rebuild Programme’ will include a £250m refurb to replace poles, cables and overhead lines. NIE has said it is a “once in a generation” rebuild of the electricity network, the length of which could stretch from Belfast to Chile or Western Australia, in terms of kilometres. It’s designed to ensure there is a robust and resilient network which can also provide quicker access and more capacity looking towards a decarbonised future. The project involves rebuilding approximately 1500km per year of 11kV overhead lines, constructing new overhead lines and increasing the capacity and resilience of the low voltage and 33kV networks. In total, it will involve rebuilding and refurbing approximately 14,000km of the electricity distribution network over the six-year period. It includes replacing poles, conductors, transformers and restringing overhead lines to ensure a more reliable and resilient network with quicker access and more capacity for current and future customers. The work will be undertaken by NIE Networks teams and their contracting partners and has already begun in some areas. It will continue for the entirety of NIE Networks price control period, RP7. Last October the Utility Regulator’s final determination on NIE Network’s price control, approved an investment package (referred to as RP7) for NIE of £2.23 billion over a six year period, starting in April 2025. There are already warnings that homes and businesses in Northern Ireland will face planned power outages as part of this massive upgrade to the electricity network. Derek Hynes, Managing Director at NIE Networks has said power could be switched off for five or six hours at a time but added that customers would only experience disruption as a result of the works “once every couple of years”. NIE has said customers will be given “a couple of weeks notice”. Con Feeney, National Programmes Director for NIE Networks, says the Rebuild programme will “future-proof the electricity network throughout Northern Ireland delivering a more robust and resilient network with quicker access and more capacity for current and future customers, as we look towards a decarbonised future“. He added: “The electricity network is a key economic driver so it’s important that the infrastructure supports Northern Ireland’s long-term growth and can facilitate both domestic and business future needs. This is an extensive programme and it will involve some disruption for customers however we are committed to working collaboratively with customers and stakeholders to ensure the impact is mitigated as much as possible. “This includes supplying customers from other circuits, carrying out some work using Live Line technology, and exploring new alternatives to turning customers’ electricity off such as high voltage and low voltage generation and high voltage Live Line pole changing.” DUP MP Carla Lockhart has described the disruption as “short term pain for long term gain”. She said that with investment and “needing to put wires underground and overhead”, customers “have to accept” the disruption. An advertising campaign, the Big Network Rebuild Campaign, is launching this week to advise of the major investment works taking place. It was unveiled last week to key stakeholders, local political representatives and community leaders at Craigavon Civic Centre. The Big Network Rebuild Campaign will appear on multiple platforms including billboards, TV and radio to ensure customers and businesses are aware of the upcoming work and understand why it is important that it takes place. To report faults or emergencies you should contact: Northern Ireland Housing Executive: 03448 920 901 Openreach Damages to Network: 08000 23 20 23 (Individual faults must be logged with Communications Providers) Gas networks: 0800 002001 NI Water: 03457 44 00 88 or visit niwater.com, external Flooding Incident Line: 0300 2000 100 NIE Networks: 03457 643 643 or visit nienetworks.co.uk . For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.