The value of HMJV鈥檚 contract is around 拢400m, National Grid. The overall project will cost 拢1bn and take eight years to complete.
Work is scheduled to start in March 2020 on the construction of a 32.5km tunnel across south London to house electricity transmission cables 30-metres underground. The new cables will replace three circuits that currently run under the roads between Wimbledon in the southwest to Crayford in the southeast.
The project has been developed to minimise disruption by eliminating the need to dig up existing cable infrastructure, which is now more than 50-years-old and reaching the end of its life.
The first phase of the London Power Tunnels project was completed in 2018. The capital was rewired from Hackney in the east to Willesden in the west, and from Kensal Green to Wimbledon via deep underground tunnels to meet increasing electricity demand. By building underground tunnels, there was less disruption and the additional electricity capacity put in place meant London had greater access to renewable generation from offshore windfarms connecting to the grid in the southeast.
National Grid鈥檚 UK executive director Nicola Shaw said: 鈥淭his 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.鈥�
Murphy chief executive John Murphy said: 鈥淚鈥檓 looking forward to building on our relationship with National Grid and playing our part in securing the region鈥檚 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鈥檓 pleased we will be able to do so again on this new tunnel.鈥�
Hochtief (UK) managing director Lawrence Jackson said: 鈥淲e are delighted to be delivering this important project with our partner Murphy for National Grid and for the betterment of London鈥檚 long-term energy infrastructure. We look forward to our successful collaboration on this contract and its contribution to the overall scheme.鈥�
Separately, National Grid has also appointed O鈥機onnor Group to support the decommissioning of 44km of oil-filled extra high voltage (EHV) cable circuits and associated plant within the Greater London area.
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