The site will accommodate Teesside Node A, a major new substation that will be delivered by National Grid’s contractor, Balfour Beatty and from which National Grid will provide Steel River Power an additional 1.44GW (equivalent to the same amount of power as Greater Manchester and Glasgow combined). The land sits directly beneath both 275kV and 400kV overhead electricity transmission lines, providing a strategically positioned location for the new infrastructure.
The substation’s initial 1,440 MVA capacity is scheduled to come online by the end of 2029, providing a major boost to electricity infrastructure at Teesworks. The capacity is contracted to Steel River Power (SRP), which owns and operates the private electricity network across the estate.
SRP’s existing network has a capacity of 360 MVA, with 200 MVA currently available to support businesses and projects at Teesworks. The company has been contracted with National Grid since 2024 for an additional 1,440 MVA to meet the estate’s known future energy demand requirements as industrial development continues.
SRP is a joint venture between Steel River Energy Limited and North West Electricity Networks, part of the ScottishPower/Iberdrola group.
Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen said, “Everyone who’s tried to build a data centre or large-scale advanced manufacturing, technological or energy-intensive industrial developments in this country knows the biggest problem is getting enough power to the site quickly.
“Having a contracted 1.44GW capacity, with further expansion up to 3.2GW in the near future, means we can finally compete for those projects.
“If Britain is serious about having its own AI capability and other advanced manufacturing technologies, with sensitive data stored safely on British soil, it needs somewhere to physically put it, and I’d much rather that was Teesside than Texas or Abu Dhabi.
“Full credit to Steel River Power, Iberdrola, Teesworks and National Grid for getting it over the line, and I’ve no doubt it’ll mean thousands of good jobs for local people over the next few years.”
Got a story? Email news@theconstructionindex.co.uk
.gif)