Global giant Siemens is a long-standing key client for Solomons Europe.

We have been providing the full suite of quantity surveying services for a number of years to support its Newcastle-based team’s role in a host of new build electricity substations and major substation refurbishments, primarily in Scotland.

Solomons has a dedicated key account team providing commercial services spanning budget performance, variations and payments to supply chain companies. We also deliver a range of further ‘added value’ services including NEC® contract procurement and NEC® training, with the overwhelming majority of Siemens’ work falling under the suite of contracts.

The projects – which are typically in the tens of millions of pounds – include the now operational Loch Buidhe and Fyrish substations in the Highlands, part of the wider £1.1bn Caithness-Moray project, and a new substation at Crossaig constructed as part of the Kintyre to Hunterston connection project to reinforce the existing transmission system in the area to accommodate the increase in requests for renewable generation connections to the electricity network on the Kintyre peninsula.

Solomons has also been involved in the construction of a new substation on the Stronelairg Windfarm site, an extremely complex and challenging project given its location 600 meters above sea level in the Monadhliath Mountain range in the Highlands.

And we have also supported Siemens in its work to construct a new substation at Melgarve to connect electricity generated at Stronelairg Windfarm to the National Grid, as well as providing ad-hoc support to the under-construction Rothienorman substation, Aberdeenshire, which will bring a significant boost to the electricity transmission capacity in the region.

The majority of these projects are being delivered through a joint venture with civil engineering company BAM Nutall for client Scottish and Southern Energy Networks.

We are also supporting Siemens on National Grid’s new Sandford substation project in Somerset, part of the Hinkley Point C Connection Project, which will connect the nuclear power station to the nation’s energy supply.

The key account model we use at Siemens is mutually beneficial.

Siemens secure a high performing, commercially focused, embedded team that draws on its experiences from other clients and projects – further enhanced by additional reach back into the wider Solomons team – to help drive innovation and process improvement.

For us, the model provides stability, security, and development opportunities for the team members.

Solomons is proud to be supporting Siemens by playing a key role in ensuring the nation’s electricity transmission network can handle the extra load coming from both new and existing low carbon and renewable energy facilities.