Case Study
How GIS Data in Caydence Delivers Value Across the Business
The Client
UK Power Networks is the Distribution Network Operator (DNO) responsible for maintaining and operating the electricity network across London, the South East and the East of England – serving more than 8 million customers, managing around 130,000 substations and over 46,000 km of overhead lines, and distributing approximately 27% of the UK’s electricity. Owned by ENGIE, the network spans dense urban areas alongside rural corridors and varied terrain, making network planning and asset management a significant, ongoing operational priority.
Summary
Under a multi-year framework agreement, NM Group carried out aerial LiDAR surveys of the client’s overhead line network, initially to support a vegetation management service. That original capture has proved to be worth far more than its starting point.
The same captures also hold something more durable: the ground profile, adjacent buildings and structural features surrounding the network. Unlike vegetation, these change little over time, and it is increasingly this longer-lived layer that is paying dividends today.
Held and accessed through Caydence, this now gives planning, asset management and connections teams an accurate, ready-made 3D view of the network – particularly valuable on new-build and connections projects, where having that view available from the desk can save real time and cost, and gives teams confidence in decisions made before anyone visits site. It’s one of many planning applications this longer-term layer now supports across the business.
Testimonial
"We were called out to a site adjacent to a river, where our existing poles sat at the top of a ridge, to identify the safest location for a new PMT or potential ground-mounted solution. Having the 3D visualisation of the land allowed me to rule out flood zones associated with the river almost instantly, using the LiDAR model. It confirmed that the safest location was between the existing poles and the driveway, avoiding both the flood zone and the sloping ground. This was truly helpful in establishing safe parameters and ruling out unsafe options at the desk-survey stage, before ever heading to site to meet the landowner."
The Challenge
Across a network of this scale – more than 46,000 km of overhead lines and around 130,000 substations – planning and connections teams regularly need accurate, up-to-date information about ground conditions, structures and terrain for new substations, new connections and other build projects, as well as for ongoing asset and safety work. Traditionally, getting that picture has meant commissioning a fresh survey or sending someone to site for each project, which is slow, costly, and hard to justify at that frequency.
The wider challenge is one of access rather than the underlying GIS data itself. Even where accurate GIS data already exists, without a shared platform to hold and distribute it, it can be difficult for other teams across the organisation to find and reuse it – leaving planning, asset management and connections teams to commission separate surveys or site visits for work the existing GIS dataset could already support.
The Solution
NM Group’s aerial LiDAR surveys, delivered through Caydence, NM Group’s 3D asset management platform, created a complete, network-wide 3D GIS dataset for the client. That dataset has continued to serve as a standing reference for teams across the business long after, giving them fast, accurate, remote access to site conditions for a much wider range of purposes. Today, this includes:
- Reviewing ground profile, structures and terrain remotely, without needing to schedule a site visit
- Assessing new-build, cabling and connections projects – including substation siting – from the desk, before committing time and cost to a physical survey
- Ruling out unsafe or unsuitable locations early and with confidence, using an accurate 3D model of the site
- Supporting safety assessments on the existing network and helping teams plan interventions in the most efficient, resource-effective way
The Results
Time and cost savings on new projects
Accurate, ready-made 3D site data lets planning and connections teams assess new-build and siting options from the desk, cutting down on early-stage site visits and speeding up decision-making.
Confidence in planning decisions
Flood risk, terrain and siting constraints can be ruled in or out before committing to site, giving teams confidence in the safety and feasibility of a location ahead of physical works.
Long-term, reusable network intelligence
Historic LiDAR data, captured across several surveys, continues to underpin planning decisions years later, across a wide range of use cases.
Value across different teams, different purposes
The same long-term GIS dataset now supports planning, asset management and connections teams alike – different departments drawing different value, from substation siting to cabling projects.