Skanska wins SEK 6.5bn grid expansion

Skanska has been awarded Svenska kraftnät’s Affärspaket Västerås, a major grid expansion programme worth SEK 6.5 billion in the counties of Västmanland, Dalarna and Gävleborg.

The contract covers both new construction and decommissioning of existing overhead lines over a six-year period. Around 400 kilometres of new 400 kV lines will be built while 300 kilometres of existing lines are removed.

When complete, the upgraded grid will increase available capacity to an estimated 1,000 megawatts – double the current level and roughly three times the total consumption of Västerås today.

– When we have rebuilt the transmission grid in Västmanland, the possible capacity will increase to an estimated 1,000 megawatts. That is approximately three times the current consumption in Västerås, says Magnus Lindholm, head of the grid division at Svenska kraftnät.

The project will strengthen the ability to transfer electricity from northern to southern Sweden. Six separate contracts will be awarded on a rolling basis throughout the programme.

– We have initiated cooperation with the education sector to ensure long-term capacity, while evaluating new technical solutions to improve efficiency throughout the assignment, says Christer Bäcklin, project manager at Skanska.

• More reading: Skanska to build new Stockholm landmark