Murphy will be constructing 10.7 km of underground 132kV cables from Nailsea to Portishead.
It is one of three contracts awarded by National Grid simultaneously, together worth £300m, as part of the Hinkley Point C connection scheme. Balfour Beatty was awarded a £214m contract for overhead cables and Siemens will be building a new substation at Sandford.
Sue Adam, National Grid’s Hinkley connection project director, said: “The awarding of these contracts marks a major step forward on this vital connection project. It means that we will now be able to gear up to start construction work in earnest. We look forward to working with our new partners to deliver the many different elements of the work involved.
“This will see lots of construction work going on at different times and in different places over the next eight years. We and our newly appointed contractors will do everything we can to minimise impacts wherever possible.”
The new 400,000 volt connection between the power station in Bridgwater and Seabank near Avonmouth will be 57 km long – consisting of 48.5 km of overhead line and 10.7 km of underground cable, 8.5km of which passes through the Mendip Hills area of outstanding natural beauty (AONB).
Putting the connection underground through the Mendip hills will reduce the overall effect on communities and the landscape. In addition, National Grid will be removing 67 km of overhead line owned by Western Power Distribution (WPD), including all pylons which currently cross the AONB and the company will also be using a new pylon design, known as the T pylon for much of the route. [See separate report here.]
Murphy took over Carillion’s UK framework projects with National Grid in February 2017.
Chief executive John Murphy said: “We’re pleased to have been awarded this contract by National Grid, and look forward to bringing our engineering expertise and skilled workforce to deliver such an important infrastructure project.”
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