UK Power Networks has refurbished its Finsbury Market substation near Liverpool Street in central London, investing £483,000 in work that renewed two existing transformers serving the busy surrounding area.
The electricity firm described the programme as giving existing equipment a new lease of life rather than installing replacement units. The upgrade took place alongside changes to the outside of the compound.
According to UK Power Networks, refurbishing and maintaining the two transformers will strengthen the local electricity network and improve reliability for the businesses and residents that depend on it, both now and in the future.
Chanelle Mistry, project manager at UK Power Networks, said the investment was giving vital infrastructure a new lease of life, and that maintaining the two transformers would help strengthen the local network and improve reliability for the many businesses and residents relying on it every day and into the future. She added that while the equipment was upgraded behind the scenes, the exterior of the site had been transformed by a new piece of artwork intended to brighten the local area.
Street art on the perimeter
The perimeter of the compound became a canvas for Global Street Art, described in the announcement as Europe's leading producer of hand-painted advertising and public art murals. Street artist Nelio Riga used the red-brick wall as the backdrop for the project, which was delivered together with Broadgate Quarter.
Dr Lee Bofkin, co-founder of Global Street Art, said working with UK Power Networks and Broadgate Quarter on such an important and prominent site supported the organisation's mission to "live in painted cities", and thanked those involved for their dedication to the project. He noted that he and many other people frequently walk past the walls.
The announcement did not specify a completion date for the transformer work or the expected scale of any reliability improvement.