Laing O’Rourke joins National Grid’s HVDC Major Works & Civils Framework
21.08.25Laing O’Rourke, along with Balfour Beatty, BAM, Galliford Try, Skanska and Taylor Woodrow, has been awarded a place on National Grid’s HVDC Major Works & Civils Framework, Lot 1 – Converter Civil Works.
The framework is due to last up to eight years, will provide a standardised, consistent procurement route for the call-off of HVDC projects, and is part of National Grid’s wider work to ensure the nation’s electricity network is secure, affordable and fit for the future. The first two call-off projects are expected to be launched through the framework this year.
HVDC (high voltage direct current) converter stations are required to convert direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC) and vice versa. DC technology is used to transmit large amounts of electricity efficiently over long distances, such as from one country to another via subsea cabling. Once brought back onshore the current needs to be converted back to AC in order to be transmitted around a country’s onshore network, which is done by converter technology housed in the valve halls.
We’re excited to be part of the converter civils framework and are looking forward to building on our already strong relationship with National Grid to deliver vital infrastructure work.
We will bring proven expertise from adjacent sectors into the delivery of the HVDC valve halls, incorporating modern methods of construction and our mechanical and engineering solutions that have been tried and tested in other sectors.
This work is vital to ensure the UK’s grid can handle future demands as we switch from fossil fuels to clean energy, and we are proud to be on this journey with National Grid to help the nation to become more sustainable.
Earlier this year Laing O’Rourke was also awarded a place on National Grid’s Great Grid Partnership, the largest overhaul of the electricity grid in generations.