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National Grid has fired the starting gun on procurement for the first phase of its Great Grid Upgrade.
Contractors and design partners are being sought to carry out £4.5 billion worth of network infrastructure upgrades by 2030.
The project is being dubbed the “largest overhaul of the grid in generations”.
Matt Staley, director of onshore delivery at National Grid, said: “The government ambition of 50GW of offshore wind by 2030 demands unprecedented scale and complexity of action. It is essential that we unite as a sector and as an industry to rise to this challenge.
“In our Great Grid Upgrade Partnership we are looking for supply chain partners with a history of successful collaboration, innovation, sustainable practice and commitment to responsible business. By taking a partnership approach, we aim to deliver integrated planning and working between projects, enabling the supply chain to accelerate delivery and deliver cost efficiencies – in turn delivering value for money for consumers and working with local communities to leave a positive legacy.
“By working together we can connect more clean, renewable energy from where it’s generated out at sea to where it’s needed, helping contribute to lower energy bills over the long-term, providing a catalyst for a green jobs boom and making the UK’s energy more self-sufficient.”
The initial tranche of work is for onshore projects within the Accelerated Strategic Transmission Investment (ASTI) framework.
The programme will initially centre on nine onshore projects across England and Wales.
Two design and consenting service partners and four to six construction partners are sought to join National Grid as part of the Great Grid Upgrade Partnership. The Partnership will be tasked with delivering the infrastructure work required, such as construction of new overhead lines and substations.
The ASTI framework will initially run for eight years but could be extended to 12 years, with the value of the framework potentially rising to £9.2 billion to cover other projects that may arise in the future.
Tender documents released by National Grid add that “the precise details of each identified project, including specific location, route, form of electricity network infrastructure (such as OHL or underground cable), construction methodology, and any associated mitigation or enhancement schemes are indicative and remain to be confirmed.”
The documents add that winning contractors will be incentivised through a “bespoke commercial model” with bonus payments handed out for early delivery of projects.
Last month, National Grid’s president of UK strategic infrastructure told Utility Week the organisation would “not stand in the way” of competition in electricity transmission, as he unveiled a new approach to engaging consumers on the “Great Grid Upgrade”.
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