Scottish Power is on track to place over £3 billion of contracts in 2016 – a record year for the company – as investments increase in renewable energy, smart meters and reinforcing the company’s network of power lines and substations in Scotland, Merseyside and North Wales.
Chief Corporate Officer Keith Anderson told a UK supply chain meeting in Glasgow that over £2.2 billion of contracts have already been placed this year to date, with planned contracts set to take that figure over £3 billion by the end of the year.
Major projects currently being delivered include the construction of eight onshore windfarms in Scotland, as well as the 714 megawatt East Anglia-1 offshore wind farm off the coast of East Anglia – where (unlike Scotland) the East of England Energy Group (EEEGR) promotes both the Oil & Gas and renewable energy industries under the one trade association roof.
More than £540 million is being spent this year to strengthen the network of cables, power lines and substations that keep the lights on for 2.5 million homes and businesses in Scotland, Merseyside and North Wales.
Contracts placed this year range from the largest ever agreed in the world for offshore wind turbines with Siemens, which will see blades manufactured in Hull, to a cable contract for work in Glasgow with Renfrewshire-based family run business C. Spratt Multi Utility.
In total across the UK, Scottish Power contracts and investment are supporting around 78,000 jobs across the supply chain.
Anderson said: “To help us deliver some of the most important projects we have ever undertaken, this year we year we have placed more contracts than ever before, with companies ranging from global industry leaders to small local suppliers.
“The energy industry is evolving, are we delivering innovation in renewables and efficient networks, as well as helping to change the way customers engage with energy through the upgrade to smart meters.”
Chris Spratt, owner of C. Spratt Multi Utility Ltd, said: “ With a team of 42 people working on the contract, We have been working for SP Energy Networks across the west Central Belt since the end of 2015, fixing faults and delivering planned maintenance work on a network of over 7,500 km of cables.“
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