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National Grid Partners

Britain’s electricity grid is undergoing its biggest transformation in generations. National Grid’s Great Grid Upgrade is a major infrastructure program designed to keep pace with rising electricity demand; enable the transition to cleaner, home-grown energy from more affordable sources; and strengthen long-term energy security. 

“Meeting the scale and pace of grid transformation required this decade means we must think and work differently,” said Carl Trowell, President of UK Strategic Infrastructure, the business unit tasked with this massive undertaking. He said working with National Grid Partners has been key to introducing his team to new technologies that can make the process faster and more efficient.  
 

“By working with National Grid Partners, we’re able to identify, develop, and adopt cutting-edge technologies much faster than traditional infrastructure projects typically allow,” said Trowell, who brings decades of experience overseeing major engineering projects in the energy sector. “This collaboration is helping us bring real innovation into planning, consenting, and construction, and it’s making The Great Grid Upgrade more efficient and more responsive to communities. 

The upgrade – which will involve dozens of major infrastructure projects to support the British government’s 2030 renewable electricity commitments and beyond – will result in radical changes to the layout of the energy supply system. It isn’t just about keeping the lights on: It’s about upgrading a network that was once centered around coal-fired power stations into one that’s flexible, resilient, and capable of connecting new generation from renewable sources while continuing to ensure reliable supply nationwide. 

Speed is essential. Meeting the 2030 targets will require, for example, delivering about six times more overhead lines in the next six years than have been built over the last three decades.  

This unprecedented delivery schedule demands standardized design, faster consenting processes, and innovation in planning, construction, and logistics. For context, most large infrastructure developers might manage one major planning application at a time; National Grid will have nine or 10 running in parallel. 

Alongside traditional engineering, a new wave of digital solutions is helping accelerate processes that have historically been slow-moving — from route planning to environmental assessments to construction.  

Much of the work begins long before construction starts, as teams determine where to build and upgrade energy infrastructure. Traditionally, developing new routes for power lines can take years, but that timeline is no longer acceptable given the scale of demand.  

National Grid Partners introduced the Strategic Infrastructure team to Swiss company Gilytics, which helps digitize optioneering and route selection. Its Pathfinder visualization software evaluates cost-benefit analyses and multiple design iterations, shortening the concept engineering stage from months to weeks. The result: Essential infrastructure routes can now be planned far faster — and explained more clearly to regulators, local officials, and communities. 

Other new technologies are transforming how environmental and ecological assessments are carried out. Because sustainability is at the heart of every project, Strategic Infrastructure is working with California-based startup AiDASH, which uses satellite data and artificial intelligence to make environmental surveys and audits more efficient. By streamlining fieldwork and improving accuracy, AiDASH enables planners to more quickly assess the environmental impact of new transmission routes and prepare detailed mitigation plans. 

Meanwhile, new techniques for underground mapping are proving crucial for reducing the risk of hitting buried assets during construction — one of the leading causes of delay and disruption. To avoid costly, carbon-intensive, and potentially dangerous excavation, National Grid has been piloting Exodigo’s non-intrusive mapping technology, which uses multiple sensors and artificial intelligence to create detailed subsurface maps. These models are already improving risk management and helping shorten project timelines. 

Accelerated Route Development

Meeting the UK's 2030 renewable energy targets will require delivering about six times more overhead lines in the next six years than have been built over the last three decades.  

As the energy transition company, National Grid is committed to finding solutions that work for customers and the planet. Teaming with National Grid Partners enables the Group to collaborate with innovative startups and integrate their technologies quickly — helping make large-scale projects like The Great Grid Upgrade more efficient, sustainable, and future-ready. 

These new digital tools, combined with National Grid’s deep sector expertise and experience,  are redefining how infrastructure is delivered — accelerating the UK’s progress toward a cleaner, more secure, and more affordable energy system for decades to come. 

How Our Startups are Supporting Britain’s Grid Transformation