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The transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy calls for a worldwide large-scale expansion of the power transmission grid - the interconnecting motorways of high voltage.
In Europe alone, 28,000 km of 400 kV transmission line is needed by 2020 to fulfil the aim of providing 20% of Europe’s energy from renewable sources such as solar power, hydro power and wind power. This is equivalent to the distance from London to Perth and back.
It means that more than 100,000 new pylons will be needed. Extending the European transmission grid requires a new type of pylon.
In Nottinghamshire, United Kingdom, the National Grid has started the replacement of current lattice towers with contemporary designed T-Pylons. After winning a design competition in 2011, which attracted 250 entries from around, the world the Danish architecture and engineering firm Bystrup is going to replace thousands of lattice pylons in the years to come. So, the classic British pylon may soon face extinction.
“The new pylon have been designed to reduced visual impact on the landscape, to make easier their installation, less costly and better looking than the old ones” said its creators. The prismatic configuration of the cables allows a reduction in the pylon's height by more than 30%. Also the footprint of the power lines as well as the electro-magnetic field (EMF) radiation, according to Bystrup, is reduced.
Six of the new pylons have been erected at the National Grid’s training academy in Eakring, Nottinghamshire, each demonstrating a different function in the network.
Source: Bystrup