National Grid's Electricity Alliance Central (EAC), a consortium of ABB, Morgan Sindall and Atkins, has been awarded a five-year contract extension to deliver major enhancements to the UK’s electrical transmission infrastructure.

These enhancements will primarily involve the design, construction and commissioning of 400 kV and 275 kV transmission substations.

During the contract extension, which runs until 2016, individual contracts will continue to be awarded based upon project scope, geographical considerations, continual delivery and cost assessment. It is therefore not possible to place a total value on the contract extension.

The EAC was established in 2006 as one of National Grid’s preferred Alliance partners for substation development and construction projects. It operates in National Grid’s Central region, comprising the Midlands, Greater Manchester and Liverpool. This original award was part of a programme worth up to £2.8 billion to upgrade and develop the electricity transmission network across England and Wales.


Andrew Toal, Central Alliance Manager, said: "National Grid's decision to extend the Alliance contract confirms the success of our innovative approach where all four participants - ABB, Morgan Sindall, Atkins and National Grid – work together as a true partnership. This makes the best use of our individual competencies and shares risk and reward to create an effective team which safely and efficiently delivers complex substation projects, on time and on budget.

"Most recently, we have seen the EAC start work on one of the largest ever substation projects undertaken in the UK, creating a replacement 400 kV substation at Deeside. Not only will this new substation play a vital role in the reinforcement of the high voltage transmission infrastructure in northwest England, it will also pave the way for the connection of a new high-voltage direct current (HVDC) power link which is under construction."

(CD/GK)