National Grid reveals contractors for London rewiring project
National Grid have named its partners for the second phase of its ongoing London Power Tunnels (LPT) project, in a contract worth £400m.
The UK power provider has done a deal with a joint venture between Murphy Group and Bavarian construction firm Hochtief, with work scheduled to begin in March.
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The £8bn project will run for eight years and see the construction of a 30km tunnel, which will house electricity cables 30 metres underground.
The tunnel will replace three cable circuits beneath the roads between Wimbledon and Crayford.
Existing cabling is by now over 50 years old and needs replacing, and the tunnel means National Grid can limit the disruption that would be caused by digging up obsolete wiring.
The first phase of the project, between Hackney and Willesden, and from Kensal Green to Wimbledon, was completed in 2018.
The project was conceived in response to increased electricity demand and in order to increase London’s access to renewable power from offshore wind farms connected to the grid in the south-east.
National Grid’s UK executive director, Nicola Shaw said: “This contract award is a major milestone in the next phase of the London Power Tunnels project and will help ensure the capital has secure, reliable access to electricity to meet the energy demands of the future.”
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Chief executive of Murphy Group John Murphy said: “I’m looking forward to building on our relationship with National Grid and playing our part in securing the region’s power supply and supporting the economy for years to come.
“We have a great track record of working with Hochtief on major projects in London, and I’m pleased we will be able to do so again on this new tunnel.”