£1.2bn transmission partners appointed in major growth initiative
National Grid has appointed Balfour Beatty, M Group, Morgan Sindall Infrastructure, Murphy and OTW as delivery partners for 1,000km of overhead line upgrades worth £1.2bn.
The firms involved will focus their efforts on projects in designated regions with Balfour Beatty dealing with the North East, M Group in the South West (region two), Morgan Sindall Infrastructure (North West), Murphy (London & South East and South West – region one) and OTW (Central West)
In addition, Linxon and Burns & McDonnell will support nationally, helping to deliver projects that fall outside the regional portfolios.
The appointments form the next phase of its Electricity Transmission Partnership (ETP) to carry out major overhead line upgrades across England and Wales to strengthen the network and support new connections.
The ETP is a cornerstone of National Grid’s wider RIIO-T3 investment plan, which proposes up to £35 billion of investment in the transmission network between 2026 and 2031.
The 'reconductoring' work—which involves upgrading existing lines with newer spec materials so they can carry more electricity—will build on the first, £8bn, phase of ETP, where National Grid appointed partners to upgrade substation infrastructures. Both phases are part of a larger £35bn programme of transmission upgrades, due to run until 2031.
Alice Delahunty
Says Alice Delahunty Divisional CEO at National Grid:
“This is about far more than upgrading infrastructure. Continuing our long term, collaborative approach with the supply chain, we’re creating the certainty needed for partners to invest in their workforce training and regional capability – all underpinned by a relentless focus on safety which remains our highest priority in everything we do.
By awarding regional exclusivity based on performance and commitment to growth, we’re encouraging investment in local skills and that rewards excellence and fosters collaboration.
As demand for electricity continues to grow, the scale of what we need to deliver is unprecedented. And with that comes a significant opportunity: by 2031 we expect to recruit around 6,000 full-time employees in the UK – including 2,000 graduates and apprentices – while supporting jobs and growth across the wider economy, including through our supply chain.
This is already translating into new training centres, new career pathways and stronger local supply chains in communities right across the country”.
The ETP complements other initiatives in National Grid’s evolving supply chain ecosystem, including the Great Grid Partnership (GGP) and its high voltage direct current (HVDC) supply chain framework. By 2031 National Grid expects to recruit around 6,000 full-time employees in the UK – among them 2,000 graduates and apprentices – with its investment also supporting jobs and growth across the wider economy, including through its supply chain.
To prepare for the growing scale of work across the sector, partners are already investing in training and capacity: Omexom opened a multidisciplinary training centre in Yorkshire in 2023; Morgan Sindall Infrastructure opened its first overhead line training centre in Staffordshire in 2024; while Murphy is planning to open a new high voltage overhead line, cable installation and substation training facility in Nottinghamshire next year.