LOCATION:
The Norwich Main project is a major infrastructure initiative supporting the integration of renewable energy from the Hornsea 3 offshore wind farm into the UK’s Transmission & Distribution network. The works include significant extensions to the existing substation, development of a grid park with solar and battery energy storage and installation of advanced electrical equipment. The project is delivered in partnership with National Grid and Balfour Beatty.
What we’re doing
- Western extension: Adding five hectares to the site, nearly doubling its size.
- Eastern extension: Developing one hectare on existing National Grid land.
- Grid park development: Installing solar and battery energy storage systems and a new indoor substation.
- Technical highlights: Installation of a 400/33kV 150MVA Super Grid Transformer, new 400kV circuit breaker and bus-coupler, 422 AIS foundations, 1.1km of PCC troughs, 9.5km of earthing tape and moving 76,000 m³ of subsoil.
Challenges
The project presents several key challenges:
- Fast-paced environment with eight working zones and multiple stakeholders.
- Constant flow of verbal instructions, design updates and unforeseen issues.
- Risk of missed changes, undocumented scope creep and delays.
- High-pressure health and safety requirements, especially within live substations.
- Managing Hand–Arm Vibration across a large number of tools and personnel.
- Maintaining team wellbeing, with most of the workforce working away from home.
Solutions
We implemented a range of solutions to address these challenges:
- Change identification (CI) meetings: Regular forums bringing together commercial and operations teams to review, capture and administer change. These meetings formalised verbal instructions, tracked technical queries (over 135 TQs submitted) and coordinated daily deconfliction meetings to align subcontractors and prevent disruption.
- Safety innovations: Introduction of a colour-coded ganger hat system for clear role recognition, deployment of the BROKK attachment for safe work in confined substation areas and Reactec watches to monitor HAVS exposure. Safety standdowns and proactive application of National Grid safety rules outside live substations helped embed safe behaviours.
- Wellbeing initiatives: Weekly dinners, quiz nights and team activities fostered connection among staff working away from home. Four trained mental health first aiders supported a culture of openness. Contributions to the Goal 13 environmental group and Great Place to Work Forum extended positive practices beyond the project.
- Continuous improvement: Lessons learned and successful practices, such as the CI process, safety systems and wellbeing support, are being rolled out across other projects.
Outcome
The Norwich Main project delivers:
- Enhanced capacity for renewable energy integration and grid resilience.
- Improved change management and risk mitigation, keeping the project on track despite rapid change.
- A strengthened safety culture, resulting in internal rating of “Excellence”.
- Legacy of successful initiatives being embedded across future projects.
