Towards the end of 2006, National Grid announced a substation alliance comprising ABB, Atkins and Morgan Est as its preferred partners for substation development and construction projects in central England.
Towards the end of 2006, National Grid announced a substation alliance comprising ABB, Atkins and Morgan Est as its preferred partners for substation development and construction projects in central England. The companies will work within National Grid’s record-breaking £2.5 billion, five-year, alliance programme to upgrade and develop the electricity transmission system across England and Wales. The alliance has been hard at work integrating key staff from each partner company into a single team, based in offices at Hams Hall, with its own brand identity. This team has also been working closely with National Grid to finalise procurement and work programming processes, develop designs and clarify targets for 2007/8.
The hard work paid off in March, when National Grid signed its first contracts with the central alliance, worth a total of £30 million, for substation projects at Frodsham and Lister Drive.
At Frodsham, Cheshire, the alliance team has already started site work on the construction of a new 400/25kV connection point for Network Rail’s ongoing West Coast Main Line power supply reinforcement programme. The project, due for completion over the next two years, will connect via a 5km underground XLPE cable to a trackside 25- 0-25kV rail supply station that will enable Network Rail to upgrade its local power supply to the 50kV system required for high-speed rail services, such as the new 125km/h Virgin Pendolinos. The site is located in an environmentally sensitive area, so the alliance team will be called on to ensure that the project is handled with minimal environmental impact, while also engaging with the local community to allay any potential concerns.
At Lister Drive, Merseyside, the alliance is upgrading an existing 275/132kV National Grid substation by installing a fourth 240MVA SGT transformer. The substation will be connected by cable to a local 132kV substation to provide SP Manweb with additional capacity to cater for load demand growth created by the redevelopment of Liverpool.