Balfour Beatty awarded £42m Little Horsted substation contract

Balfour Beatty has announced that it has been awarded a £42 million contract by National Grid to construct the Little Horsted substation grid supply point (GSP) in east Sussex.

The two-year contract will see Balfour Beatty design and build a new 400kV substation as well as two new terminal towers which will support electrical conductors transmitting high-voltage electricity to the Little Horsted substation GSP.

Once complete, the new substation will form a key part of National Grid’s Little Horsted Connection Project, which will allow local electricity distributer, UK Power Networks, to connect with the National Grid – improving the electricity supply in east Sussex.

Balfour Beatty will look to engage a workforce from the local, surrounding area and will also plant approximately 500 trees during the construction programme.

Ian Currie, Managing Director of Balfour Beatty’s Power Transmission and Distribution business says, “As one of the leading high voltage substation suppliers in the UK, we are perfectly positioned to deliver the Little Horsted substation GSP.

“Building on our longstanding and successful relationship with National Grid, this latest contract will see us improve the power supply in east Sussex, and help provide the UK with the grid connectivity required to meet increased future demand.”

Works are due to commence in early 2024 with completion expected in Autumn 2025. At peak, the project will employ a workforce of up to 120 people including a number of apprenticeship and graduate positions.