The huge pylons being built in Somerset in a world first

The first T-shaped electricity pylons in the world are being strung with cables in Somerset to provide energy for six million homes in the UK.

In contrast to the traditional 'lattice' structures, which have been a common sight for decades, T-pylons have a single pole and T-shaped cross arms.

They feature suspension diamond insulators - like ‘earrings’ - which hold the wires, or conductors.

Between the Somerset town of Bridgwater and the village of Loxton there are now 48 of the T-pylons and engineers have been putting conductors which will carry low carbon energy onto the electricity network in place.

The pylons are set to be 'energised' in the autumn of 2022 and a large part of their role will be carrying electricity from Hinkley Point C nuclear power station when it begins generating in June 2026.

In total, 116 T-pylons will carry electricity between Bridgwater and Avonmouth Credit: National Grid

There will be a total of 116 T-pylons along the whole route, which will finish at Avonmouth in Bristol.

Construction work has already begun on on the northern section of the route between Sandford and Portbury. Those will be completed, including stringing, by 2023.

Project director for National Grid James Goode said the T-pylons are about a third shorter than the traditional lattice towers.

"We’re massively proud that this is happening in Somerset because this is a world’s first," he said.

"We’ve worked very hard with the local community on engaging them and getting them involved in the T-pylons. We’ve worked with local schools - we’ve got local schools to do time capsules and the time capsules we’ve buried in the foundations.

"We’ve worked with them to think about what electricity looks like. These assets are going to stand for the next 80 years in Somerset so it’s really important we engage with the local community."

National Grid says the T-pylons are around a third shorter than the lattice pylons that would have been needed for the route Credit: ITV News West Country

As well as talking to people who will be living alongside them, project co-ordinators have put in a lot of work put in to keep the pylon's natural neighbours safe.

Hollie Allen works for contractor Balfour Beatty and said: "This project, environmentally, is huge and in everything we do we aim to leaving a positive lasting legacy with the environment and the communities in which we work.

"We’ve done an awful lot of work with protected species. We’ve done a lot with bats and with great crested newts. With the bats we’ve built this fantastic bat barn that houses four different types of bats. It’s got special entrances for each different kind of bat."

A bat barn has been constructed to house four different species of bat found along the route Credit: ITV News West Country

The Hinkley Connection, as it is known, stretches 57km from Hinkley Point C to Seabank power station.

It is made up of sections of traditional lattice pylons at Shurton and Avonmouth and the 116 new T-pylons, with a section of underground cable between Loxton and Sandford, running under the Mendip Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.