Keltbray Energy, OCU and Clancy Group have been chosen to carry out more than £1 billion of improvements to the electricity network in the south of England.
Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) said the three companies will carry out significant upgrade works on separate parts of the network’s South Central England distribution area.
The upgrades will support greater capacity, more connections and greater resiliency across the network, as well as help SSEN achieve its net-zero goals, the operator said.
The contract, which represents about a quarter of SSEN’s overall investment over the next five years, is the first of its size awarded by the operator and is intended to enable upgrades, connections and replacement of assets are completed at the same time.
SSEN’s director of large capital delivery, Andy Huthwaite, said the deal was an important step in the delivery of the company’s capital investment program and would benefit more than three million customers.
“This partnership work will enable SSEN to better manage and reduce supply chain risks and secure the specialist skills of contract partners in an increasingly competitive market,” he said.
“The push towards net zero is moving apace and SSEN Distribution plays a vital role in building a network fit for the future, creating capacity for new connections and helping our customers achieve their own net zero goals through the carbon technologies available to them.”
Reading Council recently raised concerns that local electricity capacity constraints could block the development of new housing and green energy projects.
SSEN restricted an increasing number of new connections in the city, so larger developments may not be able to secure sufficient capacity to meet the council’s requirements.
