Birkhill Wood substation. Credit: National Grid.
Marking a significant project milestone, Balfour Beatty has been awarded a contract by National Grid to deliver the first phase of works on the new 400kV Birkhill Wood Substation in East Yorkshire.
Awarded through National Grid’s £8 billion Electricity Transmission Partnership, the contract will cover early design and enabling works ahead of main construction.
Located 700m from the existing Creyke Beck substation, Birkhill Wood will connect three planned North Sea wind farms — RWE and Masdar’s Dogger Bank South East and Dogger Bank South West and SSE Renewables and Equinor’s Dogger Bank D — helping deliver renewable power for around four million homes.
Key project details:
- Location: East Yorkshire, England
- Client: National Grid
- Contractor: Balfour Beatty
- Purpose: Strengthen the electricity network and connect offshore wind energy to the grid
- Key features: 400kV substation connecting three planned North Sea wind farms, helping deliver renewable electricity to around four million homes
- Construction: Early design and enabling works underway, with main construction expected to begin in 2027
- Expected completion: 2030
The substation is part of National Grid’s Great Grid Upgrade, a major programme to improve the UK’s electricity network and connect more home-grown renewable energy.
It will also serve as the northern connection point for the proposed North Humber to High Marnham overhead line, another project designed to strengthen the regional electricity network.
Tony Wilson, managing director of Balfour Beatty’s Power Transmission & Distribution business, said: “Upgrading the UK’s electricity network is essential to connecting more renewable energy and meeting future demand for secure, low-carbon power.”