Scottish-based steel fabrication yard secures major transmission contracts award

(Photo: From left Sandy Crerar, Ops Director, Wood Transmission and Distribution Ltd, Rob McDonald, Managing Director of SSEN Transmission, Anthony Jones, Chief Commercial Officer of Had-Fab, Liam Corr, Managing Director for Energy Projects, Murphy)

• Scottish jobs boost from investment in electricity grid

• Event at Had-Fab in East Lothian to celebrate tower fabrication work

• Welcome from Scottish and UK Governments

At an event in East Lothian today [Thursday], SSEN Transmission and its supply chain partners celebrated a jobs boost arising from the business’s investment programme to upgrade the electricity grid across the north of Scotland. Had-Fab, based in Tranent, has secured work to fabricate nearly 500 steel towers for the proposed Spittal – Loch Buidhe – Beauly 400kV overhead line electricity transmission project that is being delivered by SSEN Transmission’s supply chain partners Murphy and Wood Transmission and Distribution Ltd. The overall value of the work is more than £100m - the largest award in Had-Fab's history.

Had-Fab is one of the UK’s leading structural engineering and metal fabrication companies.

In the last 18 months, Had-Fab has increased its employee numbers from 120 to 197, enabling a continued skilled labour force for the future, with most based locally in East Lothian. Overall, the number of its employees will increase to more than 250 people over the next 12 months, based on the planned tower and substation requirements and other work. An additional 70 jobs are directly associated with the work announced today, with other posts also supported by SSEN Transmission grid upgrade projects. Had-Fab has a long-standing relationship with SSEN Transmission, having provided fabricated steel and aluminium for several other overhead line and substation projects, including on the Argyll and Kintore 275kV Reinforcement Project that is in construction, and this new work accelerates the company’s investment and employment growth plans.

The new posts will cover all of Had-Fab’s business operations: Design and Engineering; Project Management and Planning; Commercial and Finance; Operations - Fabricators, Machine Operators, skilled and semi-skilled; Logistics; Construction activities; Safety, Health, Environment and Quality; and an associated increase in apprenticeship numbers. The company has recently opened a Commercial, Projects and Engineering office in Glasgow, employing 15 people. In addition, Had-Fab plans to galvanise the towers using supply chain companies in the UK, including Glasgow-based Scottish Galvanizers Ltd – part of Wedge Group Galvanizing – which make a further contribution to domestic employment, skills development and economic growth.

As the transmission operator for the north of Scotland, SSEN Transmission expects to invest at least £22bn in the period to March 2031 as part of a wider renewal of the electricity transmission system across Great Britain – including several new 400kV overhead lines – that are required to enable the homegrown low-carbon electricity needed to deliver UK and Scottish clean power and energy security targets. At the contracts award ceremony, senior representatives of Had-Fab, SSEN Transmission, Murphy and Wood Transmission and Distribution Ltd were joined by the Secretary of State for Scotland in the UK Government, Ian Murray MP, and the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Energy in the Scottish Government, Gillian Martin MSP. Also in attendance were MSPs Paul McLennan, the constituency member for East Lothian; and Martin Whitfield, member for the South Scotland region, which includes East Lothian.

SSEN Transmission is the end customer for the towers, and the work is being delivered under the energy regulator - Ofgem’s - Accelerated Strategic Transmission Investment (ASTI) framework, introduced in 2022 to help meet 2030 renewable electricity generation ambitions. Over the next three years, Had-Fab will fabricate 28,000 tonnes of tower steelwork under the terms of the work announced today.

 

(Photo: Government officials and leaders from SSEN Transmission, Had-Fab, Murphy and Wood Transmission and Distribution Ltd at today's event)

Anthony Jones, Chief Commercial Officer of Had-Fab:
“These contracts reflect the continuing trust placed in Had-Fab’s capabilities and the strength of our commitment to innovation, sustainability, and engineering excellence. We are proud to play a central role in building the infrastructure that will help power a greener future.”

Scottish Secretary Ian Murray MP:
“This is great news for our country’s clean power ambitions, and for more skilled jobs in here in Scotland.

“The significant investment in Had-Fab will help to support more than 250 jobs, creating opportunities and putting more money in people’s pockets.

“This work is critical to unlocking Scotland's vast renewable energy potential. The transmission towers being manufactured in East Lothian will form the backbone of the grid infrastructure we need to carry clean electricity generated by wind farms in the north of Scotland to benefit communities across Scotland and elsewhere in the UK.”

Energy Secretary Gillian Martin MSP:
“Ensuring renewable power can flow from where it is generated to where it is needed is critical to Scotland’s just transition to net zero and for fully realising the economic opportunities from our abundant resources.

“I welcome this investment by SSEN Transmission to upgrade the grid across the north of Scotland and ensure companies based in Scotland benefit from the supply chain opportunities. 

“It is also vital that local communities and businesses benefit from all aspects of our green revolution and just energy transition to net zero. We are committed to working with partners to ensure the delivery of renewable energy comes with benefits for people in Scotland and support a green and growing economy in which nobody is left behind.”

Rob McDonald, Managing Director of SSEN Transmission:
“The scale of this work secured by Had-Fab demonstrates the major economic opportunities that are generated by investing to upgrade our electricity transmission infrastructure.

“Maximising the opportunities presented by Scotland’s clean power potential and growing the economy to support high quality jobs go hand in hand. That is exactly what is happening here in East Lothian, and in many other communities across the country, and demonstrates that we have supply chain companies with the skills and experience to support the journey we must complete to a clean power future.”

Iain Lamont, General Manager and Director, Wood Transmission and Distribution Ltd:
"Upgrading the electricity grid across northern Scotland is a vital part of the UK’s broader transmission system renewal, supporting national low-carbon and energy security goals. Wood has partnered closely with SSEN Transmission and Had-Fab for years to deliver high-quality transmission infrastructure across Scotland. This award reflects the collective expertise we bring to this critical project, and we’re proud to strengthen local supply chains and contribute to the regional economy.”

Liam Corr, Managing Director for Energy Projects, Murphy:
"Our partnering agreement with Had-Fab supports our work in the Highlands to upgrade SSEN’s high voltage electricity transmission grid. The agreement builds on our longstanding relationship with Had-Fab and establishes a collaborative approach to the supply chain challenges the sector is facing. The scale of the contract provides the opportunity to grow our close relationship with Had-Fab, creating the security to support Had-Fab’s investment  in their specialist Scottish business - creating opportunities and securing real jobs at Had-Fab and in the Highlands.”.