Electricity is now flowing to homes and businesses through the UK's first new electricity pylon design for nearly a century, according to the country's National Grid.

The new shape is smaller and consists of just 10 parts, making it simpler and faster to install.

"First new design of a pylon for National Grid within the last 100 years," said National Grid's Project Director, Steven Haskayne. "The pylon itself was selected from over 250 design ideas which were put forward in an international competition."

The new T-pylons are part of a 57-kilometer high-voltage electricity line that will potentially connect six million homes and businesses to new sources of low carbon energy, helping the UK in meeting its net zero-by-2050 target.

The new structures are 35 meters tall – around a third lower than traditional 48-meter lattice towers – and have a reduced electromagnetic radiation field.

"They do look much nicer, they're sleeker and really do signify the low carbon energy that will be transported along them," Haskayne said.

The upgraded electricity line will carry low carbon energy when the joint French-Chinese nuclear power station at Hinkley Point C eventually starts generating in 2027, ten years later than planned.

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