National Grid Electricity Transmission has acquired 73 acres of land at Dorman Point in Teesside. The site, purchased from the public-private partnership Teesworks, is intended for the construction of a major electrical substation. This facility is expected to provide over 1 gigawatt of new electrical capacity, with local officials suggesting a potential expansion up to 3.2 gigawatts.
The project is part of the broader Great Grid Upgrade initiative aimed at modernizing the UK transmission network. The substation will support a private-wire network designed to power a planned large-scale AI datacentre and a battery energy storage system. The UK government previously identified the Teesworks location as a strategic site for such infrastructure in 2025.
The planning process is currently underway, with an outline application submitted in September 2026 and the land agreement finalized in late October 2026. A community consultation period is scheduled to conclude on November 11, 2026. Major industry participants, including Balfour Beatty and Steel River Power, have already expressed interest in the development.
The Teesworks complex spans 2,500 acres and is considered the largest brownfield site in Europe. Plans for the adjacent AI datacentre campus involve a facility covering nearly 500,000 square meters. Future developments depend on the planning authority's response and the commitment of a confirmed operator for the datacentre complex.
