National Grid plc has confirmed the award of £12 billion ($16.2 billion) in High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) civil works contracts as part of the final phase of its £59 billion ($79.8 billion) supply chain framework, supporting the UK's Great Grid Upgrade and energy transition goals.

Six companies have secured spots on Lot 1 for HVDC converter civil works, valued at approximately £9.07 billion: Balfour Beatty, BAM Nuttall, Galliford Try, Laing O'Rourke, Skanska, and Taylor Woodrow. In Lot 2, Balfour Beatty, Murphy, and VolkerFitzpatrick were selected for onshore cable civil works, estimated at £3.7 billion.

The five-year contracts, with an optional three-year extension, will support projects including Eastern Green Link 4, developed with SP Energy Networks, and LionLink, a joint venture with TenneT.

"This marks a major step forward in delivering the UK's future energy network," said Zac Richardson, Chief Engineer and Offshore Delivery Director at National Grid. "This investment... will also support tens of thousands of UK jobs."

Gareth Burden, Construction Director for the LionLink project, added: "Awarding these HVDC agreements is essential to strengthen our supply chain... whilst lowering household energy bills."

Suppliers also expressed enthusiasm for their roles in the delivery of energy infrastructure aligned with the UK's net zero targets. For example, Stephen Tarr of Balfour Beatty said the company is "ideally positioned to secure the power supply to millions of homes."

The first tender under the framework will soon launch for shared southern works on Eastern Green Link 3 and 4.