National Grid has awarded eight suppliers High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) civil works agreements worth £12 billion as part of its ongoing commitment to modernising the UK’s energy infrastructure.
This marks the third and final stage of the National Grid’s £59 billion supply chain framework, which underpins the Great Grid Upgrade and the UK’s transition to low-carbon energy.
The agreements include £9.07 billion for HVDC converter civil works, covering design, enabling works and structural engineering, with suppliers Balfour Beatty, BAM Nuttall, Galliford Try, Laing O’Rourke, Skanska, and Taylor Woodrow securing contracts.
An additional £3.7 billion for HVDC onshore cable civil works, including cable haulage and foundations, was awarded to Balfour Beatty, Murphy, and VolkerFitzpatrick.
The contracts, which span five years with a potential three-year extension, cover both current and future projects, such as Eastern Green Link 4 and the LionLink partnership with TenneT.
National Grid’s investment aims to strengthen the UK’s supply chain and stimulate new manufacturing opportunities, such as Sumitomo’s new HVDC cable facility at Port of Nigg on the Cromarty Firth in Scotland.
The project is set to create tens of thousands of jobs, boost regional economies, and support the country’s energy security.
Andrew English, executive vice president at Skanska UK, emphasised that energy security is a “top priority” and highlighted the importance of HVDC infrastructure for the UK’s future needs.
While, Bill Hocking, chief executive at Galliford Try, said the company aims to expand its infrastructure business to support the energy system modernisation and decarbonisation.
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