£1.4bn allocated to modernise Scotland’s onshore transmission infrastructure, part of a broader £5.4bn supply chain programme over 10 years.
17 of 19 awarded suppliers are UK-based, fostering green job creation, energy security, and long-term economic growth.
Contracts signed under SP Energy Networks’ Delivery Charter, committing partners to sustainability, safety, and community benefit.
SP Energy Networks, the distribution arm of Iberdrola in the UK, has committed £1.4 billion to deliver critical onshore transmission infrastructure across central and southern Scotland—supporting the UK Government’s Clean Power 2030 mission.
This initiative marks the start of a broader £5.4 billion supplier investment programme over the next decade aimed at transforming the grid to meet rising demand and accelerate the clean energy transition.
“These strategic partnerships give suppliers the confidence to invest in themselves—growing their workforce, opening new offices across the country and creating even greater opportunities for the UK,” said Nicola Connelly, CEO of SP Energy Networks.
The awarded contracts include:
New and upgraded high-voltage substations
Overhead line construction
End-to-end design, engineering, construction, and electrical works
With 17 of the 19 contracts going to UK-based companies, the initiative ensures a strong domestic supply chain and long-term value creation. The strategic partnerships will run initially for five years, with an option to extend to 10 years—enabling suppliers to invest in workforce training, technology, and innovation.
“This is great news for the UK and Scottish supply chains, with every pound spent directly benefiting central and southern Scotland and its infrastructure for decades to come,” Connelly added. “These contracts are not just about infrastructure—they’re about enabling a cleaner, greener Britain. We’re proud to be leading the charge in helping deliver the UK Government’s Clean Power 2030 ambition.”
Energy Minister Michael Shanks MP attended the announcement event in Glasgow and praised the move as a pivotal step toward modernising the UK’s outdated energy networks.
“These SP Energy Networks partnerships take us a step closer to reaching clean power by 2030, in modernising the country’s outdated network to get more of clean power generated in Scotland to homes and businesses across the country,” said Shanks. “This is the clean power transition in action—investing in British supply chains that will bring skilled jobs and economic growth to communities in Scotland and beyond.”
One major contract went to Morgan Sindall Infrastructure, the sole contractor for both substation and overhead line work on the Denny to Wishaw Network Optimisation (DWNO) project.
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“We’re proud to support the UK energy network’s biggest upgrade in a generation,” said Peter Kirk, Managing Director for Energy at Morgan Sindall Infrastructure. “Projects like DWNO will improve resilience and energy security, boost capacity to meet future demand, and connect Scotland to greener, renewable energy. In upgrading the transmission network, we will be able to bring skills and employment to the central belt, and leave a lasting legacy in the local communities.”
A joint office with Morgan Sindall is set to open in Eurocentral this autumn.
This announcement follows ScottishPower’s pledge to double its UK investment to £24 billion by 2028, with two-thirds earmarked for electricity networks—cementing its role in delivering national decarbonisation goals.
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