Ipsum secures SP Energy Networks contracts

Ipsum Group has won four 132kV Major Projects contracts with SP Energy Networks, as part of a multi-million-pound programme of substation and overhead powerline works to support the government’s Clean Power 2030 ambition.

During 2026 Ipsum’s Power Division will upgrade auxiliary systems and infrastructure at various locations across Cheshire, starting at Ince near Elton in March and concluding in Runcorn in Q4 of 2026.

At Ince, the longest of the four contracts, our specialist teams will undertake the works for the 132kV Grid Tx T1 & T2 Replacement.

Also beginning in March are similar works at Radway Green near Alsager, which is the undertaking of the site reinforcement, with the replacement 132kV Grid Tx T1.

Radway Green works are scheduled for completion in summer, which also sees the start of a contract at the former ICI Wade works near Northwich. Ipsum’s Power division colleagues will again undertake the works involved in the 132kV Switchgear Modernisation. Similar works will also take place at the fourth and final contract of 2026 at Percival Lane in Runcorn, with SF6 132kV switching isolator modernisation works starting in the summer and scheduled for completion in autumn.

Lee Maxwell, Managing Director at Ipsum, said: “What a way to begin the New Year. Well done to everybody involved in securing these important contracts. Our business prides itself on sustainability, so we are privileged to be able to be able to support SP Energy Networks and play such a critical role in helping meet the country’s Clean Power 2030 ambition.
“Winning these contracts is further testimony to the quality of our SPEN team and I am confident that they will deliver to an exceptional standard.”

Ipsum is a leading provider of engineering services in the Power, Water, Infrastructure and Telecoms sectors. It works in partnership with customers across regulated and non-regulated environments to optimise asset performance, supporting the security and resilience of critical networks. The recent acquisition of Core Controls further strengthened Ipsum’s controls and automation capability, positioning the business to play a critical role in the UK’s power sector.

The government’s Clean Power 2030 ambition is to deliver a clean power system by 2030, addressing significant challenges such as fossil fuel dependency and the need for a secure energy system. Delivering Clean Power 2030 will also pave the way to decarbonising the wider economy by 2050, when annual electricity demand is likely to be at least double what it is now.