Member Article

Big Grid deal for Fastflow

A fledgling utility services infrastructure business has won the chance to work alongside the sector’s giants by securing a place in a multi-million pound framework agreement with National Grid.

The energy services division of the Fastflow Group – restructured and re-launched only a year ago - is one of just six partners selected to carry out work on the grid’s Integrated Security Solution (ISS) programme.

Up to £600 million is expected to be invested in making the UK’s gas and electricity networks more secure over the next four years.

Following a rigorous, six month bidding process Fastflow Energy Services (FES) beat off competition from much larger organisations to take its place alongside AMEC, Galliford Try, Land and Marine, Morgan Sindall and Murphy.

The ISS project will involve the installation of state-of-the-art security fencing, monitoring and CCTV around the most critical elements of the UK’s services infrastructure to protect it from sabotage or terrorist attack.

Said Chief Executive Officer, Neil Armstrong: “This is a huge boost for this division of Fastflow which we re-structured specifically to bid for National Grid work. I am extremely proud of the team, which has shown it has the skills and expertise to compete at the highest level with the biggest names in the industry.”

With former Great Britain Rugby League star Tony Cottrell at the helm, Warrington based FES has already secured approved partner status on National Grid’s specialist engineering framework for gas diversion and installation works.

With over 40 years experience of the pipeline industry, during and after his playing days, the former Leigh Centurions forward threw his full weight behind the ISS bid and said of the success: “We have come a long way in a short time and I am very pleased with the results to date. But we will not be resting on our laurels. We will be carefully selecting and competing vigorously for the CNI contracts which we feel we are best placed to win.

“It is our aim to secure at least 10% of this work, which will allow us to invest in growing our business further and in our people. We are certainly keen to set up an apprenticeship programme to keep skilled people coming up through the ranks.”

Fastflow’s other division, Fastflow Pipeline Services is based in the North East, at Washington. It maintains around 450 square miles of Northumbrian Water’s network, as well as installing meters and responding to bursts and faults. It also provides services to Scottish Water and the Anglian subsidiary, Hartlepool Water.

The group turnover for the last financial year was £33 million, to which FES contributed just £3 million. The CNI framework agreement could see that figure more than double over the next 12 months, taking group turnover closer to £40 million.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Paul Dobbie .