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Balfour Beatty to Build Britain's Biggest Substation on Teesside
Balfour Beatty is reported to be in line to build Britain's biggest substation on Teesside for National Grid.
Key points
- National Grid agreed to buy 29.5 hectares (73 acres) of land at Dorman Point on a site owned by Teesworks.
- Planning applications have been submitted for a datacentre project spanning nearly 500,000 sq metres.
- Balfour Beatty and Steel River Power were approached for comment.
Why it matters. The substation could supply power to a major datacentre as the UK expands its AI infrastructure, though the source notes strong local opposition to datacentre developments elsewhere.
National Grid agreed last week to buy 29.5 hectares (73 acres) of land at Dorman Point from Teesworks, a local private-public partnership. The substation could supply power to a neighbouring datacentre, a project planned to span nearly 500,000 sq metres. Tees Valley mayor Ben Houchen said up to 3.2GW of capacity would let the area compete for datacentre projects. Balfour Beatty was reported to be in line to deliver the Teesworks substation.
Latest updates
Balfour Beatty to Build Britain's Biggest Substation on Teesside
National Grid has taken a step towards building Britain's biggest electricity substation on Teesside. Last week the company agreed to buy 29.5 hectares (73 acres) of land at Dorman Point, on a site owned by Teesworks, a local public-private partnership. The substation could supply power to a vast neighbouring datacentre as the UK works to expand its AI infrastructure. The Guardian reported that the deal followed reports last year that the government had selected the Teesworks site for the project. The deal was first reported by Sky News.
National Grid agrees deal for Britain's biggest substation on Teesside
National Grid has struck a deal that paves the way for Britain's biggest electricity substation to be built on Teesside, in northeast England. The project is linked to rising demand for power from AI infrastructure, including data centres. The government is concerned that the UK could miss out on global investment in this sector if it cannot provide sufficient grid capacity. Sky News reported the same agreement. The initial reports did not give the substation's capacity, cost or construction timetable, and further details are expected as the project progresses.