Winners of £5.4bn grid construction contracts announced

SP Energy Networks, part of ScottishPower, has confirmed 19 preferred contractor partners to its initial five-year programme to rewire the electricity grid. 

The agreement includes up to £3 billion of new overhead lines and £2.4 billion of new and upgraded substations, including design, engineering, construction, and electrical works.  

“With electricity demand forecast to double, Britain’s grid needs a major upgrade to transport power around the country,” said SP Energy Networks. 

Here is a list of some of the construction and engineering contractors appointed to the scheme: 

• Balfour Beatty 

• Adman Group   

• Amco Giffen 

• Keltbray 

• Kirby Group   

• Morgan Sindall 

• George Leslie 

• Linxon 

• PLPC 

• Farrans 

• RJ McLeod 

• I&H Brown 

• wood. 

ScottishPower promised to create 1,000 new jobs and deliver tens of thousands more in the supply chain.   

In the coming weeks, SP Energy Networks will submit its business plan for the period 2026 to 2031 to the energy regulator, Ofgem.   

The strategic partnership will run for an initial five years, with the option to extend up to 10. 

“We’re delivering the biggest overhaul of the electricity grid ever seen to unlock growth and free up network capacity for new homes, businesses and clean energy projects,” said Nicola Connelly, CEO of SP Energy Networks. 

“These strategic partnerships will give suppliers the confidence to invest in themselves, growing their workforce, opening new offices across the country and creating even greater opportunities for the UK. 

“This is great news for the UK and Scottish supply chains, with every pound spent directly benefiting central southern Scotland and its infrastructure for decades to come.” 

SP Energy Networks owns and operates the transmission network for central and southern Scotland with more than 4,500 km of overhead electricity lines, 600 km of underground cables and more than 150 substations to transport high-voltage power across the region.   

It also operates undersea high-voltage cables and recently was given the go-ahead to progress with a new underwater superhighway off the east coast of Britain.  

In September, Balfour Beatty was awarded a £363 million contract by National Grid to deliver an electricity network reinforcement scheme between Suffolk and Essex. 

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