National Grid has awarded an initial £1.2bn package of overhead line upgrade works to five delivery partners as part of the next phase of its Electricity Transmission Partnership (ETP) across England and Wales.
Balfour Beatty, M Group, Morgan Sindall Infrastructure, Murphy and OTW have been selected to deliver reconductoring projects covering more than 1,000km of transmission routes. The programme forms part of a new partnership-based delivery model designed to strengthen collaboration between National Grid and its supply chain.
Reconductoring involves replacing existing conductors with higher-capacity materials, enabling transmission lines to carry greater volumes of electricity without the need to construct entirely new routes.
National Grid said the long-term approach is intended to improve delivery performance, encourage closer working relationships with contractors and create greater certainty for investment in workforce development, training and skills.
The latest ETP programme is a significant element of National Grid’s RIIO-T3 business plan, which proposes investment of £31bn in the electricity transmission network up to 2031.
As part of that programme, National Grid intends to upgrade around 3,500km of existing transmission lines over the next six years, representing approximately half of its transmission network. The upgrades are aimed at increasing network capacity and supporting the connection of growing volumes of renewable generation as the UK continues the transition to a lower-carbon energy system.
