National Grid has appointed BAM UK & Ireland to deliver works at the proposed Walpole converter station in Norfolk for Eastern Green Link 3, a planned 2-gigawatt electricity connection between Scotland and England. National Grid and BAM announced the contract on Monday 9 November 2026, making this a new delivery milestone rather than an old planning application being reported again.
The Walpole converter station would form the southern end of the proposed high-voltage direct current link from Peterhead in Aberdeenshire. The scheme is intended to move electricity generated in Scotland towards demand centres further south, using subsea and underground cables. Its promoters estimate that the link could transfer enough electricity for approximately two million homes.
Crucially, the appointment does not mean the whole project has permission to proceed. National Grid submitted a joint development consent application for the English elements of Eastern Green Links 3 and 4 on 30 October 2026. The Planning Inspectorate is considering whether to accept that application for examination. Contractor mobilisation and development consent are separate matters.
BAM appointed to Walpole converter station works
National Grid’s announcement dated 9 November confirms that BAM will be the construction partner for the southern converter station at Walpole. The contractor published its own matching announcement on the same day, and Construction Enquirer independently reported the award. That establishes the contract milestone directly from both parties.
The Walpole converter station works sit alongside BAM’s earlier involvement at the northern end of Eastern Green Link 3, near Peterhead in Aberdeenshire. The new appointment means the firm is now involved with civil engineering at both ends of the proposed transmission route, although separate contractual scopes and construction programmes still matter.
The proposed connection is technically substantial. A converter station allows electricity to be transferred between the direct-current link and the alternating-current transmission network. Its civil works can involve large buildings, foundations, site access, drainage and associated infrastructure. Those facilities must be assessed as part of the wider consented development rather than treated as routine grid equipment.
In its announcement, Huw Jones, Executive Director, Infrastructure at BAM UK & Ireland, said: We’re not just building energy infrastructure.
The statement reflects the company’s ambition, but the practical issue for planners is the distinction between selecting a delivery partner and securing the statutory approvals needed before construction can proceed.
The joint development consent application is not approved
The Planning Inspectorate’s EGL3 and EGL4 project page confirms that the joint Development Consent Order (DCO) application was submitted on 30 October and is at the acceptance stage. The Inspectorate has a 28-day period, ending on 27 November, to decide whether to accept it for examination. Acceptance would begin the next procedural stage, not grant development consent.
The proposed Walpole converter station is a central feature of the English elements of the infrastructure programme. EGL3 and EGL4 are separate electricity links, but their developers are coordinating the English applications because both would connect at the proposed Walpole B substation. That is why the submitted DCO material covers the two projects together.
The routes originate in different parts of Scotland. National Grid describes EGL3 as running from Aberdeenshire and EGL4 from Fife, with the onshore English cable infrastructure coming ashore north of Anderby Creek in Lincolnshire. The two developments would then connect into the transmission system in Norfolk. That geography matters for consultation, environmental assessment and the responsibilities of different consenting authorities.
The English DCO does not settle every authorisation needed for Scottish works and waters. National Grid explains that SSEN Transmission is responsible for consents associated with EGL3 in Scotland and Scottish waters, while SP Energy Networks has equivalent responsibilities for EGL4. Readers should not confuse an English application acceptance decision with complete project-wide approval.
For readers following the wider framework, Planning Geek’s guide to National Policy Statements explains how national policy is used when major infrastructure proposals are assessed. A contractor award may demonstrate commercial preparation, but does not determine the planning merits or short-circuit that assessment.
Funding, the supply chain and project timing
The Walpole converter station appointment follows major supply-chain commitments earlier in 2026. National Grid reported in March that Hitachi Energy had been selected to provide converter technology and NKT to provide the subsea and underground cable system. Those earlier agreements were valued at nearly £3 billion combined. The latest award covers a different package and should not be confused with the earlier technology and cable contracts.
Construction Enquirer’s 9 November account says Mott MacDonald will support BAM as lead civil and structural designer for the southern works. It also reports that the value of BAM’s new contract has not been disclosed. There is therefore no sound basis for presenting a separate confirmed price for the Walpole civils award.
The programme has a financial-regulatory dimension as well. On 30 October, Ofgem opened a consultation on an application for early construction funding for EGL3. It covers proposed support for strategic land purchases, enabling works and procurement commitments. The consultation is scheduled to close on 30 November. A consultation on a funding position is not a final funding determination.
According to Construction Enquirer, construction for the proposed link is currently targeted for 2028, with energisation envisaged for 2033, subject to consent. These are reported programme objectives rather than legally guaranteed dates. Actual timing will depend on the consenting process, procurement, infrastructure interfaces and the progression of works at both ends of the link.
What to watch next
For planning practitioners, three distinct stages now deserve attention: the award of the Walpole converter station delivery package, the Inspectorate’s acceptance decision on the application submitted on 30 October, and any subsequent examination and final decision. Each stage answers a different question. None should be reported as interchangeable with the others.
For affected communities, the submitted application documents and later examination material will be more informative about land take, construction traffic, ecological effects, landscape impacts and mitigation than a contract announcement alone. Those details will determine whether the proposed development can proceed on acceptable terms and what requirements might attach to any consent.
The latest Walpole converter station news is therefore commercially consequential without being a planning permission. Both the developer and contractor confirm the 9 November appointment, while the Planning Inspectorate’s project page confirms that the English DCO submission remains at the acceptance stage. Planning Geek will distinguish the next verified statutory step from further procurement announcements as the scheme progresses.
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