---
title: "BE24221 - Research Study of the Potential for Cost Reduction in Undergrounding Transmission Lines over Long Distances"
ocid: "ocds-b5fd17-8f4ed226-b913-4b93-851e-e7b850752beb"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-8f4ed226-b913-4b93-851e-e7b850752beb"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-8f4ed226-b913-4b93-851e-e7b850752beb.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-8f4ed226-b913-4b93-851e-e7b850752beb.json"
source: "Contracts Finder"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "UK SBS"
published: "2025-02-12"
---

# BE24221 - Research Study of the Potential for Cost Reduction in Undergrounding Transmission Lines over Long Distances

Buyer: UK SBS  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-b5fd17-8f4ed226-b913-4b93-851e-e7b850752beb

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## Summary

The UK SBS has recently awarded a contract titled "BE24221 - Research Study of the Potential for Cost Reduction in Undergrounding Transmission Lines over Long Distances" to Ramboll UK Limited. This falls under the industry category of Research and Development Services and Related Consultancy Services (CPV code: 73000000). The procurement process was a selective call-off from the CCS Research and Insights RM6126 Dynamic Purchasing System. The project is focused on improving the evidence-based understanding of undergrounding transmission lines in the context of the UK. The contract, valued at £69,903, commenced on 3rd February 2025 and is set to conclude on 31st March 2025. The project will be implemented across various locations including the British Overseas Territories, Channel Islands, Europe, Isle of Man, the United Kingdom, and the Rest of the World.

This tender presents significant opportunities for businesses involved in innovative undergrounding technologies and related services. SMEs with expertise in underground transmission line installation and innovation, especially those knowledgeable in the areas of equipment, methodologies, and costs, would find this contract particularly beneficial. The project's emphasis on the potential for cost reduction and innovation in undergrounding methods can lead to long-term business growth and relevance in the energy sector. By partnering with a prominent organisation like the UK SBS and contributing to this high-impact research, businesses can demonstrably enhance their portfolios and market credibility.

## Notice

**Please note this is an Award Notice and not a call for competition, this Contract has been awarded via the CCS Research and Insights (RM6126) Dynamic Purchasing System.** The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) is appointing a Contractor to to conduct a research study of the comparative costs of different methods of undergrounding transmission lines in a GB context, and the potential for these costs to be reduced if scaled up to longer distances. Its purpose is to update and improve the evidence base for undergrounding costs and identify potential for further innovation to reduce costs. Depending on the study findings, the research may have implications for innovation funding in this area and potentially influence related policy. The objectives are: - To list undergrounding methods that could be used for transmission lines. - To qualitatively assess all methods of undergrounding with respect to their suitability for undergrounding transmission lines over long distances of order 20-50km and shortlist three methods with the most potential for further study. - To document published evidence for the lifetime cost of the counterfactual of undergrounding in shallow trenches using 'cut-and-cover' and sensitivity to distance per km in a UK context. - To engage with specialist suppliers for the three shortlisted undergrounding methods chosen for further study to quantify and validate current installation costs and sensitivity to distance of these methods using a basis consistent with that for the counterfactual. - To work with specialist suppliers to identify areas where innovations in shortlisted undergrounding methods such as in equipment or methodology might help to reduce costs when scaling-up to longer distances. - To analyse and compare costs with the counterfactual and identify the main cost components. - To identify if choices about cable technology such as voltage and whether AC or DC impacts the comparative costs of undergrounding methods. - To qualitatively assess wider aspects of the shortlisted non-traditional undergrounding methods including constraints, environmental impact, deliverability, and energy security - To write a final study report collating the above research and analysis with conclusions on whether there is scope to reduce undergrounding costs using nontraditional undergrounding methods and recommendations for further work

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Contracts Finder |
| Latest notice | https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/b536cebd-4c2a-4ef1-be66-e17dd6553228 |
| Notice type | Award Notice |
| Procurement type | Dynamic |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Selective |
| Procurement method details | Call-off from a dynamic purchasing system |
| Tender suitability | SME |
| Awardee scale | Large |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 12 Feb 2025 |
| Submission deadline | 18 Dec 2024 |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 29 Jan 2025 |
| Contract period | 3 Feb 2025 - 31 Mar 2025 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £100,000 |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | £69,903 |
| Contracts value | Not specified |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Complete |
| Lots status | Not specified |
| Awards status | Active |
| Contracts status | Not specified |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | UK SBS |
| Locality | SWINDON |
| Post town | Swindon |
| Postcode | SN2 1FF |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLK South West (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLK7 Gloucestershire and Wiltshire |
| ITL 3 | TLK71 Swindon |
| Local authority | Swindon |
| Electoral ward | Rodbourne Cheney |
| Westminster constituency | Swindon North |
| Delivery location | Not specified |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | RAMBOLL |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 73 - Research and development services and related consultancy services

### Codes

- 73000000 - Research and development services and related consultancy services

## Release History

- 12 Feb 2025 at 15:57 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/b536cebd-4c2a-4ef1-be66-e17dd6553228

## Documents

- https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/b536cebd-4c2a-4ef1-be66-e17dd6553228
  12th February 2025 - Awarded contract notice on Contracts Finder
- https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/Attachment/3b9fe2d0-61b3-4bb6-93b7-1c757a90e0f4
  n/a
- https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/Attachment/de1168e5-2a60-434e-87aa-fd15fb2ea0d2
  n/a

## Notice URLs

- http://www.uksbs.co.uk

## Provenance

This Markdown file is an alternate public rendering of the D3 Tenders contract record. The canonical page is https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-8f4ed226-b913-4b93-851e-e7b850752beb. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-8f4ed226-b913-4b93-851e-e7b850752beb.json.