UK: Balfour Beatty awarded construction of new onshore substation for Hornsea Project One offshore wind farm

Work to construct the new onshore substation is planned to start in January 2016, with Balfour Beatty responsible for the build at North Killingholme, North Lincolnshire. The facility will enable the transfer of electricity from the Hornsea offshore wind farm to the adjacent, existing National Grid substation.

The project includes the construction of core buildings and compounds, the installation of low voltage electricity equipment, low voltage cables, and communication cables as well as roads, paths, drainage and landscaping. Balfour Beatty will be the principal contractor during the 2.5 year contract, which also includes the installation of high voltage electrical equipment by third parties.

Mark Farrah, Regional Managing Director for the North and Midlands, commented on the contract award, “Following Balfour Beatty’s successful completion of Westermost Rough and the current Burbo Bank project, the Hornsea Project One contract award is testament to the longstanding, successful relationships our project teams have established over the last 3 years. We’re proud to work with DONG Energy in the construction of the onshore substation ensuring that our drive for safety, quality and innovation is at the forefront of our work”.

Duncan Clark, Programme Director for Hornsea Project One at DONG Energy, said, “We are very pleased to award this important contract to Balfour Beatty, which plays a crucial part in the on-going development of Hornsea Project One as well as providing another example of the benefits to the UK supply chain in our investment in offshore wind. This hugely significant offshore wind farm is a continued commitment to our investment in the UK, working with companies equally committed to achieving the highest standards of safety”.

The wind farm itself, built by DONG Energy, will provide enough electricity to power well over 800,000 homes in the UK and is the third onshore substation in the UK from DONG Energy which has been awarded to Balfour Beatty.