Balfour Beatty has been awarded a contract by Prysmian to install nearly 70 kilometres of high voltage cable intended to unlock renewable energy capacity between Scotland and England.
Under the agreement, Balfour Beatty will install 68 kilometres of high voltage direct current (HVDC) land cables from Fraisthorpe Sands to Drax in North Yorkshire, England, as well as an additional one kilometre of HVDC land cable at Peterhead, in Scotland.
The contract forms part of the 2GW HVDC electrical ‘superhighway’ cable link, 525kV, to be built between Peterhead in Aberdeenshire, Scotland and Drax.
The Eastern Green Link 2 (EGL2) project is being jointly developed by SSEN Transmission and National Grid Electricity Transmission. Prysmian was awarded a contract worth in the region of €1.9bn (£1.6bn) by EGL2 Limited earlier this year, to design, manufacture, install, test and commission the required HVDC cable system, which includes 436 kilometres of HVDC submarine cables.
Tony Wilson, managing director of Balfour Beatty’s power transmission and distribution business, said: “With a proven track record of working on complex cabling projects, this contract further demonstrates our leading role in delivering the vital infrastructure needed to reinforce the energy sector.
“Our experience and deep domain knowledge positions us perfectly to complete these latest works for the project which will power around two million homes and businesses, supporting the UK’s transition to clean energy.”
Balfour Beatty is delivering approximately 15% of the route on behalf of Prysmian, building on the company’s appointment by National Grid in June 2024, to replace and upgrade approximately 25 kilometres of new overhead lines in North Yorkshire, which will increase the capacity to connect the EGL2 project.
The cables will be installed underground, to reduce the visual impact of the scheme and ensure that the landscape across East Riding of Yorkshire, North Yorkshire and at Peterhead remains unhindered for the local community and visitors alike.
The cables will connect to new converter stations located at either end of the cable, which will convert the clean, renewable wind energy that has been generated offshore, and take it to homes and businesses in centres of demand across Great Britain.
Balfour Beatty’s selection further bolsters its portfolio of nationally critical power transmission and distribution projects, including the company’s recent appointment to deliver the £363m Bramford to Twinstead Reinforcement scheme.
Main works are expected to commence in early 2025, with completion scheduled for 2029. At construction peak, the project is expected to employ 140 people including graduate and apprenticeship positions.
Image: Al Orfali/Shutterstock
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