Sea Link is a proposed, primarily offshore, 138km cable connection creating a 2GW electricity link between Kent and Suffolk, including onshore infrastructure cables, converter stations and substations.
It is one of 17 National Grid projects to connect 50GW of offshore wind energy to the grid by 2030, also known as The Great Grid Upgrade.
Like any construction project, a strong procurement team is essential to Sea Link, as it encompasses everything from high-voltage direct current (HDVC) cables and converters to the PPE that construction workers wear on site.
“The scale of The Great Grid Upgrade requires collaborative relationships with suppliers in order to ensure timely delivery and provide value for money for customers,” said David Andrews, procurement manager for Sea Link.
David joined National Grid a year ago and is focused on working with the supply chain and stakeholders for when Sea Link moves into its construction phase.
Prior to procurement, David studied civil and structural engineering and initially joined the oil and gas industry, becoming a chartered engineer before moving into project management, working on the design and build of offshore oil and gas installations for the North Sea.
This introduced him to the commercial world and eventually led to his move to procurement, which he describes as “the area in which engineering, project management, finance, delivery, supply chain and people all come together”.
It’s also a role in which a real difference can be made, David said.
For example, he was heavily involved in the development of National Grid’s multi-billion-pound HVDC framework, which is supporting Sea Link.
“It’s a tight market – with other European countries investing similar amounts into upgrading their electricity networks,” said David.
“The HVDC framework, along with the recently announced Great Grid Partnership to support the design and construction of nine major electricity projects to connect the grid to offshore wind farms, show National Grid is innovating its procurement methods to compete with the European market.”
“National Grid’s investment in decarbonising the networks is massively important to Britain,” he said. “The organisation is doing the right thing by ensuring it is clear on how to achieve the goals and aims through its different procurement packages and by fostering a good relationship with Ofgem, the energy regulator.”
Since joining National Grid, David has found it to be “an inclusive company that focuses on doing the right thing for its employees and customers”.
He added that there are plenty of development opportunities such as charterships, accreditations and memberships to organisations such as the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS).
“There is a huge amount of satisfaction gained from delivering for the company and delivering for the UK on such an important subject of net zero. We are at the cutting edge of how procurement work is undertaken, and it is being applied on a scale that is unique in the UK”.
National Grid’s procurement department is currently expanding to match the scale of the construction infrastructure needed for its investment programme.
“National Grid will support people who want to get into procurement by giving them the skills and knowledge base,” said David. “You just need to be curious and comfortable working outside of your comfort zone.”
For more information, visit careers.nationalgrid.co.uk
This article is part of the LOCALiQ Clean & Green campaign, which aims to promote our region as the biggest in the UK and Europe for all forms of renewable energy.
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