Balfour Beatty has secured a contract to carry out design and enabling works for National Grid’s new 400kV Birkhill Wood substation in East Yorkshire, ahead of main construction scheduled to begin next year.
The contractor will undertake the first phase of the project through an early contractor involvement agreement, covering detailed design and site preparation to help progress the development towards full construction.
The substation will connect 4.22GW of offshore wind generation from three planned North Sea wind farms to the electricity network, providing enough capacity to power more than four million homes, according to National Grid.
The facilities it will serve include RWE and Masdar’s Dogger Bank South East and Dogger Bank South West wind farms, alongside SSE Renewables and Equinor’s proposed Dogger Bank D project. The substation will form part of the infrastructure required to bring large volumes of offshore renewable electricity ashore and integrate it into the national grid.
Balfour Beatty power transmission and distribution managing director Tony Wilson said: “Upgrading the UK’s electricity network is essential to connecting more renewable energy and meeting future demand for secure, low-carbon power.
“We are pleased to continue our partnership with National Grid, drawing on our extensive experience and expertise to deliver the Early Contractor Involvement and enabling works that will help bring this nationally significant project forward.”
Located around 700 metres north of National Grid’s existing Creyke Beck facility, the proposed substation received planning permission from East Riding of Yorkshire Council in February. The development also includes a new 2km access road from the A1079, with construction of the road already under way.
The installation will use gas-insulated substation technology, which occupies a smaller footprint than a conventional open-air substation. The design will accommodate the electrical infrastructure needed to support the connection of offshore wind power while limiting the land required for the facility.
National Grid’s published programme indicates that main substation construction is expected to start in the second quarter of 2027, with commissioning planned for 2030. The project is expected to employ around 200 people at its peak, including apprentices and graduates, creating opportunities for skills development alongside the delivery of critical energy infrastructure.
Balfour Beatty secured the contract through National Grid’s £8bn Electricity Transmission Partnership. The contractor was appointed as the partnership’s regional delivery partner for the North East in July 2025.
The wider partnership supports a programme of substation projects across England and Wales, with contractors appointed to regional work packages. The Birkhill Wood contract represents an early stage in the development of infrastructure needed to accommodate growing renewable generation and strengthen the UK’s electricity transmission network.
