A NEW national grid power station could power over 1 million homes by the end of the year.

The substation is as part of a scheme to connect the the UK and France.

The site at Chilling Lane, Warsash has been part of the national network for over 40 years.

Now work is being completed so that national power cables between the UK and France can be connected.

The IFA2 will be able to import and export electrical power between the two countries.

The connection originally came into Daedalus, Lee-on-the-Solent but could not be connected to the grid there so it had to be moved.

Fareham MP Suella Braverman visited the site which is making great progress.

Suella said: "I am delighted to learn that the new substation at Chilling Lane is nearing completion. By injecting vital investment into the region, and placing Fareham at the heart of the country’s electricity network, this development represents a fantastic opportunity for our community.

"In spite of several logistical obstacles, principally caused by the coronavirus outbreak, the team at National Grid and IFA2 have managed to deliver this project on-budget and on-time. Such perseverance and efficiency will be vital as projects across the country look to level-up our infrastructure."

Warsash councillor Michael Ford said: "It has been very positive. They have been clean and tidy on site. There has been a little inconvenience but they have gone out of their way to engage with local residents.

"I have been very impressed by national grid who have kept us notified of everything that was going to happen.

"It hasn’t impacted too badly on local residents. People in Hook village had concerns but I get the impression that they have engaged. They minimised the impact as much as possible.

"They’ve engaged with the local community and have done that throughout. The bigger picture, it is allowing us to import and export electricity from France in times of need. I think it has been a real success."

National grid are currently testing connections and work is set to be completed by the end of this year.