Keltbray Energy, OCU Services and Clancy will each carry out upgrade works in three allocated areas within SSEN’s central southern England distribution area, from Berkshire and West London to Wiltshire, Oxfordshire, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.

This is the first time that SSEN Distribution has awarded an agreement of this size and represents one quarter of its overall investment during its RIIO-ED2 business plan.

In addition to delivery, the newly appointed contractors will work closely with SSEN Distribution throughout the design and consenting phase of projects to ensure an innovative and collaborative approach is always taken, with customers and communities at its focus.

This new arrangement will allow SSEN to plan work in a more effective and efficient way, completing upgrades, connections and asset replacement at the same time, and ultimately reducing the impact on customers by working on the network as efficiently as possible.  

Andy Huthwaite, SSEN Distribution’s Director of Large Capital Delivery, said:  “The signing of these agreements after a fair and competitive tendering process has been the culmination of a huge amount of work and is a significant step in the delivery of our Capital Investment programme.

“This partnership working will enable SSEN to better manage and reduce supply chain risks and secure the specialist skills of contract partners in an ever more competitive market.

“The drive to net-zero is moving at pace and SSEN Distribution is playing a vital role in building a network that is fit for the future, creating capacity for new connections and helping our customers to meet their own net-zero goals through the low carbon technologies available to them.”