National Grid seeking supply chain partners for Great Grid Upgrade Partnership

31st May 2023 -Press release

National Grid is seeking key supply chain partners to deliver a major electricity transmission infrastructure programme in the UK.

Initial launch is for onshore projects within the Accelerated Strategic Transmission Investment (ASTI) framework, representing £4.5 billion worth of network infrastructure construction by 2030.

The partnership will help deliver The Great Grid Upgrade, the largest overhaul of the grid in generations, with new infrastructure across England and Wales helping the UK meet its net zero ambitions, reduce its reliance on fossil fuels and contribute to lower energy bills over the long-term.

Partnership underlines National Grid's commitment to investing in the jobs, skills and people required to help deliver the energy transition, with the UK government suggesting that investment in onshore network infrastructure could support up to 130,000 jobs and contribute an estimated £4-11 billion of gross value added (GVA) to Great Britain's economy in 2050.

National Grid is launching the Great Grid Upgrade Partnership, the opportunity for supply chain partners to help deliver The Great Grid Upgrade, the largest overhaul of the grid in generations.

Its Strategic Infrastructure business unit is seeking partners to deliver a major electricity transmission infrastructure programme, representing £4.5 billion worth of network construction by 2030.

The programme will initially centre on nine onshore projects across England and Wales, part of the significant new electricity network infrastructure needed to move more clean energy from where it's generated to where it's needed, helping the UK meet its net zero ambitions and reduce its reliance on fossil fuels.

Two design and consenting service partners and four to six construction partners are sought to join National Grid in the partnership and deliver the infrastructure required, such as new overhead lines and substations.

The £4.5 billion partnership opportunity underlines National Grid's commitment to investing in the jobs, skills and people required to help deliver the energy transition, with the UK government suggesting that investment in onshore network infrastructure could support up to 130,000 jobs and contribute an estimated £4-11 billion of GVA to Great Britain's economy in 2050.

The ‘enterprise’ partnership approach aims to deliver integrated planning and working between projects, enabling the supply chain to combine capacity, capability, knowledge and experience 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.

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's 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."

Find out more about The Great Grid Upgrade and the ASTI framework.

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