Positive
Project advancing - milestone achieved
High Impact
Major milestone or critical setback
The Western HVDC Link joint venture (National Grid Electricity Transmission and SP Transmission Ltd) completed internal board approvals in January 2012 and entered a standstill period on 25 January 2012 as part of awarding the main HVDC contract. The JV awarded a single contract to a Siemens–Prysmian consortium for manufacture and installation of the 600 kV, ~2.25 GW HVDC cable and two converter stations, signalling the project-level contractual commitment to deliver the HVDC component (delivery targeted for late 2015). This action represented the transmission owners' definitive commercial commitment to proceed with the HVDC works under the agreed contract terms and programme.