The appointments form the next phase of its Electricity Transmission Partnership (ETP) to carry out major overhead line upgrades across England and Wales to strengthen the network and support new connections.
The ‘reconductoring’ work—which involves upgrading existing lines with newer spec materials so they can carry more electricity—will build on the first, £8bn, phase of ETP, where National Grid appointed partners to upgrade substation infrastructures. Both phases are part of a larger £35bn programme of transmission upgrades, due to run until 2031.
The ETP complements other initiatives in National Grid’s evolving supply chain ecosystem, including the Great Grid Partnership (GGP) and its high voltage direct current (HVDC) supply chain framework. By 2031 National Grid expects to recruit around 6,000 full-time employees in the UK – among them 2,000 graduates and apprentices – with its investment also supporting jobs and growth across the wider economy, including through its supply chain.
To prepare for the growing scale of work across the sector, partners are already investing in training and capacity: Omexom opened a multidisciplinary training centre in Yorkshire in 2023; Morgan Sindall Infrastructure opened its first overhead line training centre in Staffordshire in 2024; while Murphy is planning to open a new high voltage overhead line, cable installation and substation training facility in Nottinghamshire next year.
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