National Grid has appointed a joint venture of Morgan Sindall and Vinci Energies as preferred bidder for its £500m overhead power line upgrade programme.
Under the five-year deal MSVE Transmission will spend the majority of the first 12 months on the design and development of the programme.
The first year will also include a project to replace the Quad Aluminium Conductor Steel Reinforced (ACSR) fittings on a 400kV overhead line. The partnership’s scope for the remainder of the contract will include a variety of projects to refurbish and construct 400kV overhead lines and towers across England and Wales.

Paul Smith, chief executive of Morgan Sindall Group, said: “We are seeing a number of opportunities in the energy sector and the combination of our specialist skills and experience of working with energy providers leaves us well placed to benefit from this trend.”