Press Release

Balfour Beatty awarded Beauly to Keith overhead line and cabling works worth c. £43.5 million

30 May 2018

UK

Balfour Beatty, the international infrastructure group, has been awarded two contracts worth c. £43.5 million for the Beauly to Keith 132kV modernisation programme.

Both contracts have been awarded by Scottish Hydro Electric Transmission plc, part of Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN), through the existing F2 Overhead Line General Works Framework and the 132kV Underground Cable Works Framework.

The first contract is worth c. £36 million and will involve the design, supply, installation construction and commissioning of the overhead line works across a 103km route running between Beauly, Nairn, Elgin and Keith. The second contract worth c. £7.5 million will include the design, engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning of underground cabling sections of the route.

Balfour Beatty has been collaborating with SSEN through the feasibility and development stages of the project since early 2017; and, will be supporting SSEN to achieve its 50 by 20 safety target of reducing the number of injuries by 50% by 2020.

Andy Smith, Operations Director for Balfour Beatty’s Power Transmission and Distribution business in Scotland said, “These two contracts are testament to Balfour Beatty’s ability to support our clients through the development stages of projects, identifying design solutions and value engineering opportunities. This project shows our ability to bring together both overhead line and cabling capability under a single programme of works, reducing the risk to our client of managing design and operational interfaces as the project progresses.”

SSEN Lead Project Manager, Ian Clark, added: “The Beauly to Keith re-conductoring project will increase the 132kV electricity network capacity whilst replacing assets which are nearing the end of their working life, further securing the supply of electricity in the north of Scotland.

“Balfour Beatty have been integral to the development of the project and their significant experience in delivering similar projects will be invaluable over the next three years.”

The contract is due to start this Spring with completion for the whole works due early 2021. At its peak, the project will employ a workforce of around 110 people including a number of graduates, trainees and local contractors.

ENDS

Media enquiries to:
Will Swan
Balfour Beatty
+44 (0)207 963 2150

will.swan@balfourbeatty.com
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All non-media related enquiries should be directed to +44 (0)20 7216 6800 or info@balfourbeatty.com

Notes to editors:

  • Balfour Beatty (www.balfourbeatty.com) is a leading international infrastructure group. With 28,000 employees, we provide innovative and efficient infrastructure that underpins our daily lives, supports communities and enables economic growth. We finance, develop, build and maintain complex infrastructure such as transportation, power and utility systems, social and commercial buildings.
  • Our main geographies are the UK & Ireland, US and Far East. Over the last 100 years we have created iconic buildings and infrastructure all over the world including the London Olympics’ Aquatic Centre, Hong Kong’s first Zero Carbon building, the world’s biggest shopping mall in Dubai, the National Museum of the Marine Corps in the US and the Channel Tunnel Rail Link.
  • Balfour Beatty’s Power Transmission & Distribution teams work with regional, national and international electricity network owners and operators to provide technical engineering solutions.
  • With experience and expertise across the full spectrum of the electricity grid, including overhead lines, cabling, substations and distribution networks, we deliver a range of proactive and reactive services which support a reliable and safe supply of power flowing to millions of homes and businesses around the world.
  • From scoping and feasibility, to design, construction and on-going maintenance, our in-house experts, flexible resources and industry-leading innovations support clients in the development of some of the UK’s most ambitious power transmission and distribution projects.
  • Current projects within our portfolio include the £121m NEMO Link (www.nemo-link.com) - the fifth major interconnector into the UK which supports Europe’s ‘super grid’ and the £55m London Power Tunnels project (www.londonpowertunnels.co.uk) - a new 32km electricity superhighway deep below the capital, which will help keep Londoners connected to safe and reliable electricity supplies. We are also working on a €219million project for ElecLink to install an HVDC 1000MV electricity interconnector between France and the UK via the Channel Tunnel. Its most recent award was for two contracts worth c. £47m for the Fort Augustus to Fort William 132kV Transmission Reinforcement project from Scottish Hydro Electric Transmission plc, part of Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN), through the existing F2 Overhead Line General Works Framework and the 132kV Underground Cable Works Framework. 

About SSEN

  • We are part of Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks, operating as Scottish Hydro Electric Transmission plc under licence and are responsible for maintaining and investing in the electricity transmission network in the north of Scotland. 
  • We own and maintain the 132kV, 275kV and 400kV electricity transmission network in our licence area. Our network comprises of underground cables, overhead wooden poles, steel towers and electricity substations, and it extends over a quarter of the UK land mass across some of its most challenging terrain.
  • Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks is the trading name of Scottish and Southern Energy Power Distribution Limited, Scottish Hydro Electric Transmission plc, Scottish Hydro Electric Power Distribution plc and Southern Electric Power Distribution plc.