Front‑end engineering design supporting critical transmission capacity and long‑term network resilience.
Client
National Grid
Highlights
- Front‑end engineering design (FEED) to define a safe, deliverable and economic solution for a nationally significant 400kV uprating programme
- Integrated, multi‑disciplinary approach covering cable tunnels, overhead lines, substations and enabling works
- Programme‑led innovations and early design development to accelerate delivery and reduce risk
The TKRE project supports National Grid’s response to forecast capacity constraints on the Grain–Tilbury and Kingsnorth–Tilbury 400kV circuits. With both routes predicted to become significantly overloaded by 2028, the FEED study was commissioned to identify technically feasible and economically robust solutions that could be confidently progressed through consenting and into procurement.
BakerHicks provided front end engineering design and project development for the TP500 NDP4.3 phase, tackling complex interfaces including overhead lines, deep cable tunnel and shafts beneath the River Thames, as well as live substations. This coordinated design basis enhances transmission resilience and reduces construction, outage, and environmental risks.
Operating at FEED stage (RIBA 2/3 equivalent), BakerHicks’ services included HV cables, substations, overhead lines, protection & control (including SCADA), civil engineering, architecture, building services, tunnelling, ground engineering, temporary works designs, surveys, BIM, CDM roles, and project management. The team also supported National Grid with land, environmental, and planning advice for timely consents and ITT preparation.
Key elements included the design of a new 400kV cable tunnel under the Thames (circuits rated at 3,325 MVA), upgrading overhead lines from ACSR to AAAC (increasing capacity to 3,820 MVA), and uprating substation bays.
Extensive site surveys supported the design, including ground investigations on land and overwater, topographical, utilities, geophysical and acoustic surveys, as well as traffic planning and environmental assessments.
Innovations such as data-driven early tunnel alignment, flexible overhead line connections, and rationalised SDS requirements accelerated delivery, reduced risk, and improved cost efficiency.
The TKRE FEED study showcases BakerHicks’ expertise in managing major transmission projects from early design, providing National Grid with an evidence-based upgrade plan, to strengthen supply reliability.
Project Facts
-
400
kV uprating programme
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3,820
MVA overhead line capacity