Balfour Beatty awarded £363m National Grid contract

The contract has been awarded through National Grid's RIIO-2 framework. Balfour said that once completed, the project will reinforce the electricity network in East Anglia and "ensure that it can continue to reliably and securely transport the cleaner, greener electricity required for the UK's transition to Net Zero".

Balfour will be responsible for the replacement of the existing high voltage electricity network between Bramford Substation in Suffolk and Twinstead Tee in Essex, with a new 400 kilovolt overhead line spanning 18 kilometres.

It will also deliver 11 kilometres of underground cable through the Dedham Vale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Stour Valley.

Chief executive Leo Quinn said: "This award demonstrates the momentum we are capturing in the energy security and transition market. As the largest power transmission provider in the UK, we have a long and proud history of working with National Grid.

"This latest award will once again enable our expert teams to deploy their proven capability to successfully deliver overhead lines and underground cabling works in complex and challenging landscapes."

Main construction is expected to start in the first half of next year, with completion due in 2028.

At peak construction, Balfour will employ more than 200 people including 10 apprenticeship and graduate positions.