National Grid has launched the Great Grid Partnership, an initiative designed to speed up the delivery of much-needed electricity infrastructure to aid the rollout of renewables. The company has named seven partners that will support the delivery of an initial nine accelerated strategic transmission investment (ASTI) projects.
The ASTI projects form a key part of the Great Grid Upgrade, which is building the new electricity network infrastructure required to reduce the UK’s reliance on fossil fuels by connecting 50GW of offshore wind by 2030.
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The new ‘enterprise model’ is a collaborative partnership that brings together National Grid’s supply chain partners. Two design and consenting service partners (AECOM Arup and WSP), and five construction partners (Laing O’Rourke, Morgan Sindall Infrastructure, Morrison Energy Services, Murphy, Omexom/Taylor Woodrow) join National Grid in the newly formed Great Grid Partnership.
The partners will take a fresh approach to UK supply chain and skills issues, coordinating the planning and execution of projects and allowing each supplier and National Grid to pool their resources, skills, insights and experience to deliver the required infrastructure more rapidly and more economically – driving value for money and benefits for both consumers and local communities.
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By creating long-term strategic contractual relationships, the partners will work collectively as an enterprise to drive value and innovation, and secure delivery. According to National Grid, once established, the pioneering model will also deliver significant opportunities and benefits beyond the initial ASTI framework.
‘[This] announcement is another significant and exciting milestone in the delivery of the Great Grid Upgrade – the largest overhaul of the electricity grid in decades. The scale and pace of this upgrade requires us to unite as an industry and to think and act differently,’ said Carl Trowell, president, strategic Infrastructure at National Grid. ‘This Great Grid Partnership is a ground-breaking initiative… that places our supply chain partners at the heart of our infrastructure-upgrade programme. All our chosen partners have an established history of successful collaboration in delivering major projects and enabling innovation to thrive. By sharing best practice and collaborating across nine of our critical major ASTI infrastructure projects, we will set the gold-standard for future infrastructure projects in terms of driving innovation, shoring up capacity across the skills base, operating responsibly and sustainably and ultimately in getting the best value for consumers.’