SSEN Transmission – Accelerated Strategic Transmission Investment digital team
Efforts for preparing full-scale project delivery for this SSEN Transmission project ran from January 2025 to the present. The challenge was twofold: roll out a new CDE, while delivering a live, standardised high-voltage direct current converter (HVDC) station design across multiple sites.
This is the first UK-wide standardised converter station design, developed in two variants: coastal (with indoor equipment) and inland. As a client, SSEN holds a unique integration role between the standardised design partners and the wider supply chain. High data accuracy, reliable processes and close collaboration between engineering teams and design partners were essential.
CDE adoption had just begun, yet project delivery and training for internal teams and contractors had to start immediately. This was a technical and business-critical transformation, combining digital strategy, training, governance and engineering.
A specialist digital information team worked alongside project information officers, BIM, engineering leads and contractors to make the new CDE functional and embed best practice. The team became CDE gatekeepers, drawing on previous project lessons learned to develop improved workflows, governance and practical workarounds.
A holistic training programme was rolled out to internal teams and contractors, covering system navigation, 19650 standards, compliance, structured data, and quality and assurance responsibilities. A hybrid approach advanced previous “pseudo-BIM” approaches into true digital information management strategy, balancing live design with contractor-led delivery.
The CDE was integrated with other tools and workflows, making reporting easier and ensuring asset data would be handed over efficiently for long-term use. Governance was aligned with 19650 and corporate standards.
A centralised, site-adaptable modelling system was used across four HVDC (high-voltage direct current) sites using Autodesk Construction Cloud and Navisworks Manage, with master coastal and inland models replicated per site. A structured clash process, geolocation control and robust governance ensured standards, spatial integrity and efficient design coordination and information flows.
Cultural and capability shifts moved teams from 2D/document-heavy habits to BIM-enabled workflows, improving collaboration. Digital rehearsals and structured reviews reduced coordination defects and strengthened health and safety planning. Standardised digital processes supported the 45% carbon reduction ambition, and unlocked efficiencies in procurement, design and delivery.
[This case study is reproduced with kind permission of the Digital Construction Awards, and is for a 2026 finalist shortlisted for Digital Team of the Year – a category sponsored by nima. Read all the shortlisted profiles on Digital Construction Plus. The winner will be revealed at the Awards dinner on 18 March at the London Marriott Grosvenor Square.]
