Quanta Services and Kiewit Energy Group have been awarded combined contracts worth $1.7bn for the Grain Belt Express transmission line – set to be the largest electric transmission project in the US.
Developed by Invenergy, the 800-mile (1,287.5km) high-voltage direct current (HVDC) line will cross Kansas, Missouri, Illinois and Indiana.
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The project will enhance US energy delivery capacity by 5GW and deliver $52bn in energy cost savings over 15 years.
Phase one development, linking Kansas and Missouri, will begin in 2026 and create 4,000 jobs.
Quanta and Kiewit plan to source materials locally, supporting regional economies, with the main offices for phase one to be located in Kansas.
Invenergy founder and CEO Michael Polsky stated: “We’re pleased to partner with Quanta and Kiewit as we build the biggest transmission line in US history. Grain Belt Express is a transformative project that delivers jobs and deepens America’s energy supply chain capabilities in innovative transmission technology.
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By GlobalData“Interregional transmission is key to unleashing American energy dominance to power our nation’s businesses and strengthen our national security.”
The project will bolster grid security and reliability, connecting to multiple regional grids and facilitating 8GW of existing generation.
It will also support the increasing electricity demand from sectors such as data centres and manufacturing.
Quanta Services president and CEO Duke Austin stated: “Grain Belt Express is an important project that supports the country’s energy dominance priority, manufacturing restoring, [and] mission to lead the world in AI and secure our grid.
“The entire Quanta team, including those at our Infrastructure Solutions Group in Kansas City, is ready and looks forward to helping modernise our electric infrastructure and bring much-needed relief to energy consumers across the Midwest.”
The merchant business model of the Grain Belt Express will encourage market-driven electricity transactions, offering an alternative to traditional transmission line funding.
Kiewit Energy Group executive vice-president Chad Jessen stated: “We’re very pleased to be an integral part of the Grain Belt Express project, which is focused on delivering a significant transmission project that will help ensure reliable, secure power in the United States.
“Our extensive EPC [engineering, procurement and construction] experience with complex power delivery projects suits us well, especially using this HVDC technology to connect grid regions to help reliably meet growing energy demand.”
Other contractors for the transmission project are Prysmian North America for transmission conductors, Hubbell for insulators and assemblies and Siemens Energy for HVDC technology.
Invenergy recently commenced operations at the Sauk Valley hydrogen facility, its first clean hydrogen project in Rock Falls, Illinois.
