The 400 kV Thames Crossing is an
overhead power line
An overhead power line is a structure used in electric power transmission and distribution to transmit electrical energy across large distances. It consists of one or more uninsulated electrical cables (commonly multiples of three for three-p ...
crossing of the
River Thames
The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after the R ...
, between Botany Marshes in
Swanscombe,
Kent
Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...
, and
West Thurrock,
Essex
Essex () is a county in the East of England. One of the home counties, it borders Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, the North Sea to the east, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent across the estuary of the River Thames to the south, and Grea ...
, England. Its towers are the tallest
electricity pylons in the UK.
The present crossing was built in 1965, and comprises two 190-metre (623 feet) tall
lattice tower
A lattice tower or truss tower is a freestanding vertical framework tower. This construction is widely used in transmission towers carrying high voltage electric power lines, in radio masts and towers (a self-radiating tower or as a support for ...
s each side of the Thames. Some suggest that the choice of this height was deliberate, being just taller than the
BT Tower
The BT Communication Tower is a grade II listed communications tower located in Fitzrovia, London, owned by BT Group. Originally named the Museum Radio Tower (after the adjacent Museum telephone exchange), it became better known by its unoff ...
in
London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
. The span is , the minimum height of the conductors over the river is 76 metres (249 feet). Each tower has three crossarms and carries two circuits of 400
kV three-phase AC.
400 kV power lines also cross the Thames at the
Thames Cable Tunnel
The Thames Cable Tunnel, also known as the Tilbury – Gravesend Cable Tunnel, is a tunnel carrying high-voltage electrical transmission lines beneath the lower River Thames between Tilbury and Gravesend. It remains the furthest tunnel downst ...
, the
Dartford Cable Tunnel, and the
London Power Tunnels.
132 kV Thames Crossing
There was at one time an earlier 132 kV crossing nearby, with towers 148.4 metres tall. Linking
Dagenham and
Crossness
Crossness is a location in the London Borough of Bexley, close to the southern bank of the River Thames, to the east of Thamesmead, west of Belvedere and north-west of Erith. The place takes its name from Cross Ness, a specific promontory on the ...
, it was built between 1927 and 1932 and was part of the Belvedere-Crowlands 132/33/25 kV double circuit.
With the cessation of generation at
Belvedere Power Station
Belvedere Power Station was an oil-fired 480 MW power station on the river Thames at Belvedere, south-east London. It was commissioned in 1960 and operated for 26 years. It was decommissioned in 1986 and was subsequently demolished in 1993–94. ...
, this line was dismantled in 1987.
2006 death
In March 2006, Paul Smith-Crallan attempted to
BASE jump from a platform on the Swanscombe Tower. The parachute he was using is believed to have failed to open, causing him to plunge to his death. This tower is a popular base jumping location because of two platforms that provide good launch points.
Gallery
File:High Voltage? - geograph.org.uk - 39699.jpg, Detail of the Essex Tower
File:High Power? - geograph.org.uk - 48940.jpg, Detail of the Kent Tower
File:The 400 kV Thames Crossing Kent tower.jpg, Aerial view of the 190 metre 23 feetKent tower and Queen Elizabeth suspension bridge.
File:400kV Thames Crossing Kent Tower, Botany Marshes, Swanscombe, Kent. 01.jpg, View of the internal structure of the Kent tower.
File:400kV Thames Crossing Kent Tower, Botany Marshes, Swanscombe, Kent. 02.jpg, View of one of the Kent tower legs.
See also
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Aust Severn Powerline Crossing
Aust Severn Powerline Crossing is the longest overhead power line span in the United Kingdom with a length of .
History
The crossing spans the River Severn between Aust and Beachley and is part of the National Grid.
It was commissioned in 19 ...
*
275 kV Forth Crossing
The 275 kV Forth Crossing has the tallest electricity towers (pylons )in Scotland. They stand next to the Clackmannanshire Bridge and the Kincardine Bridge, and cross the River Forth.
The tower at the southern end is 153.9 metres (505 ft), t ...
*
List of spans
The following is a list of spans, either used for overhead line crossings of rivers, sea straits or valleys, as antenna or for aerial tramway
An aerial tramway, sky tram, cable car, ropeway, aerial tram, telepherique, or seilbahn is a typ ...
*
Powerline river crossings in the United Kingdom
Powerline river crossings comprise both overhead lines and cable tunnels beneath rivers and estuaries. Overhead power lines are supported on towers (called pylons in the UK) which are usually significantly taller than overland pylons and are more w ...
*
Crossings of the River Thames
The River Thames is the second-longest river in the United Kingdom, passes through the capital city, and has many crossings.
Counting every channel – such as by its islands linked to only one bank – it is crossed by over 300 brid ...
References
External links
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{{ThamesCrossings, west=
DLR tunnel to
Woolwich Arsenal, east=
Dartford Cable Tunnel
Towers in Kent
Powerline river crossings
Electric power infrastructure in England
Electric power transmission in the United Kingdom
1965 establishments in England
Energy infrastructure completed in 1965