National Grid makes control centre selection
McLaughlin & Harvey has been chosen as main contractor for a Birmingham facility that will reinforce network resilience, uphold reliability standards and power the ongoing transition to clean energy.
The secure, sustainable facility, called the Electricity Transmission Control Centre, is being built on the site of National Grid’s decommissioned, former 275 kilovolt substation at Hams Hall.
Construction of the new control centre, which will incorporate multiple control functions into a single, collaborative space, is a key part of National Grid’s investment to increase the network’s capacity and make it easier to connect the energy needed to power the clean energy transition.
Once built and fully operational, the ETCC will work in parallel with National Grid’s existing Transmission Network Control Centre, and will operate 24/7 365 days a year to control the operations of the high-voltage electricity transmission system.
A brownfield site, Hams Hall has powered the Midlands for a century, having at one time housed three coal-fired power stations.
National Grid said that the ETCC will support it in attracting and retaining the staff needed to operate the increasingly complex network with hundreds of skilled jobs created both during construction and in engineering roles based at the facility.
Work began this week on the erection of steelwork at the site, with Paul Griffen, managing director at McLaughlin & Harvey, joining National Grid’s director of network operations and intelligence Jon Davies in signing a ceremonial steel beam.
Griffen said: “We are committed to building this essential facility in collaboration with National Grid to enable the future energy needs of the UK to be met.
“Complex construction projects like this one highlight the capabilities of our talented employees to deliver outstanding results, not just in energy, but across various sectors.”
Davies added: “The development of a brand-new Electricity Transmission Control Centre marks an exciting new age for managing the complex and rapidly growing transmission network.
“Driven by a need to modernise and adapt to the country’s changing energy needs, the facility will futureproof our grid’s resilience and house the talented people responsible for operating our world-class transmission network for decades to come.
Earlier works were started in April by McLaughlin & Harvey, with initial preparatory groundworks, followed by piling in July. The first set of steel structures are now being installed in September 2025, with the new network control room expected to go live in 2028.
