Scope
Description
This Tender Notice coincides with the launch of the procurement process for Engineering, Procurement, Construction, Installation and Commissioning (EPCI) for the High Voltage Cable Works in relation to the LirIC HVDC Interconnector located between Scotland and Northern Ireland (NI).
This Tender Notice is linked to a Request to Participate event in the Delta eSourcing platform where potential bidders are asked to provide certain information followed by an indication of the Lot they wish to bid for.
Previous publications
This Tender Notices follows the UK3 Planned Procurement Notice published on 5 March 2025. Reference: 2025/S 000-007973
TI LirIC Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of Transmission Investment (TI), a leading UK-based energy and utility investment platform. TI is part of TAQA Transmission, a subsidiary of the TAQA Group.
The LirIC Project
TI LirIC Limited is engaged in the development of an up to 700MW High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) electricity interconnector project that will connect the Great Britain (GB) and Irish (I-SEM) transmission networks. This project is called the "LirIC" Project (https://tinv.com/intercon-projects/liric/).
The project will link grid connection points in the GB and Northern Irish transmission grids.
The LirIC interconnector shall utilise Voltage Source Converter (VSC) technology and the configuration shall be a Symmetrical Monopole. The rated DC voltage shall be +/-320 kV.
The link shall be bi-directional and shall have a rated power (receiving end) of 700 MW
The LirlC Project components
The main components of the LirIC Project will comprise:
•LOT B Group (to which this Tender Notice relates):
• Two (2) High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) electricity cables buried in or placed (and protected) upon the seabed between Northern Ireland (Kilroot) and Scotland (Hunterston) to a route length of approx.140km.
•HVDC onshore and offshore cable 'transition bays' near the shorelines at the landfall points in both Scotland and Northern Ireland; It is expected that at both landfalls horizontal directional drilling (HDD) will be required to facilitate the export cables transition from onshore to offshore.
•HVDC onshore cables from the transition bays to each of the converter stations assumed to be no more than 2km at each site;
•High Voltage AC onshore cables from the Scottish converter station to the Scottish grid connection. The AC connection voltage on the GB side of the link is 400 kV and 275 kV at the NI side. (The High Voltage AC onshore cables from the NI converter station to the NI grid connection will be delivered by others.)
•LOT A Group (under a separate Tender Notice in respect of the LirIC Project)
•HVDC to HVAC VSC Converter Stations in both Scotland and Northern Ireland with associated civil and building works
NOTE: The works and services for Lot A listed below are not being procured by means of this Tender Notice and bidders should refer to the separate publication)
The Project has been awarded an 'in principle' cap and floor arrangement in Great Britain by Ofgem and a transmission licence in Northern Ireland. The Project is targeting a Financial Close in Q3 2027.
Preliminary Market Engagement
TI LirIC Limited has conducted Preliminary Market Engagement prior to publication of this Tender Notice and encourages further collaboration between OEM's and Construction Contractors to establish bidding arrangements in time for the next step of the Procurement Process (notably the Qualification Questionnaire).
Any prospective bidder wishing to receive the final Pre-Tender bulletin should contact the contracting authority by email.
Request to Participate (RTP)
Respondents wishing to participate are requested to register in Delta eSourcing (via the link https://www.delta-esourcing.com/).
The Link to the Request to Participate event for all Lotting options in Lot Group B can be found in this Tender Notice.
Information relating to each Lot covered under this notice can be found below in this Tender Notice.
Bidders will only be allowed to choose one Lot.
Any questions relating to the RTP must be sent through the Delta message center.
For the avoidance of doubt, TI LirIC Limited does not consider itself to be bound by the Procurement Act 2023 or any associated procurement legislation (together, "UK procurement legislation"). Accordingly, the procurement for the award of Converter Stations and Civil & Building Works as further described in this notice and any associated documents (the "Procurement") is not, nor does it purport to be, subject to UK procurement legislation. For the avoidance of doubt, interested suppliers are put on notice that the publication of this document and any other document that relates to this Procurement is published voluntarily and nothing in this document, or any other document that TI LirIC Limited publishes in relation to this Procurement should be construed as purporting to give rise to rights or obligations under UK procurement legislation.
For more information about this opportunity, please visit the Delta eSourcing portal at:
https://www.delta-esourcing.com/tenders/UK-UK-London:-High-voltage-cable./W6C227A75S
To respond to this opportunity, please click here:
Total value (estimated)
- £304,000,000 excluding VAT
- £365,000,000 including VAT
Above the relevant threshold
Contract dates (estimated)
- 1 March 2026 to 1 October 2032
- 6 years, 7 months, 1 day
Main procurement category
Works
Lot constraints
Maximum number of lots a supplier can bid for: 1
Maximum number of lots a supplier can be awarded: 1
Not the same for all lots
CPV classifications and contract locations are shown in Lot sections, because they are not the same for all lots.
Lot LOT B1. [LOT B1]: LirIC HVDC Cables Offshore and Onshore (two sites)
Description
HVDC Cables between the two HVDC Converter Stations (at Hunterston and at Kilroot). This will include the Subsea cable, landing and underground cables to the converter stations. See the specifications highlighted in the scope. Design, Supply, Installation, Testing and Commissioning will form part of this Lot.
It is envisaged that the contract will be made in stages with consideration of a Preferred Supplier Agreement (Capacity Reservation, FEED studies and EPCI Heads of Terms).
Following the completion of the FEED the decision shall be taken on whether to proceed with the award of an EPCI contract for detailed design / engineering, construction and commissioning, and also the decision for the O&M scope. The EPCI contract shall not be subject to a separate Tender Notice
Lot value (estimated)
- £296,000,000 excluding VAT
- £355,000,000 including VAT
CPV classifications
- 31321300 - High-voltage cable
- 31321500 - Submarine cable
- 45000000 - Construction work
- 45314310 - Installation of cable laying
Contract locations
- UKM93 - East Ayrshire and North Ayrshire mainland
- UKN06 - Belfast
Same for all lots
Contract dates are shown in the Scope section, because they are the same for all lots.
Lot LOT B2. [LOT B2]: LirIC HVAC Cables (Scotland Only)
Description
The HVAC Cables and associated Civil Works that will run from the Hunterston Converter Station to the Scottish AC Grid. See the specifications highlighted in the scope. Design, Supply, Installation, Testing and Commissioning will form part of this Lot.
It is envisaged that the contract will be made in stages with consideration of an Early Contractor Involvement (ECI) arrangement and EPCI Heads of Terms).
Following the completion of the ECI the decision shall be taken on whether to proceed with the award of an EPCI contract for detailed design and construction, and also the decision for the O&M scope. The EPCI contract shall not be subject to a separate Tender Notice
Lot value (estimated)
- £8,000,000 excluding VAT
- £10,000,000 including VAT
CPV classifications
- 31321300 - High-voltage cable
- 45000000 - Construction work
- 45314310 - Installation of cable laying
Contract locations
- UKM93 - East Ayrshire and North Ayrshire mainland
Same for all lots
Contract dates are shown in the Scope section, because they are the same for all lots.
Lot LOT B. [LOT B]: LirIC Cables (All HVDC and HVAC Cables) Supply and Installation
Description
This is a combined solution of Lot B1 (HVDC Cables) plus Lot B2 (HVAC Cables)
It is envisaged that the contract will be made in stages with consideration of a Preferred Supplier Agreement (Capacity Reservation, FEED/ECI studies and EPCI Heads of Terms).
Following the completion of the FEED/ECI the decision shall be taken on whether to proceed with the award of an EPCI contract for detailed design / engineering, construction and commissioning, and also the decision for the O&M scope. The EPCI contract shall not be subject to a separate Tender Notice
Additional credit in the evaluation criteria will be given to those bidders who bid for the Lot B combined solution (additional information on the evaluation criteria will be released with the ITT Instructions during the ITT stage).
The estimated value of Lot B is the combined values of Lot B1 and Lot B2.
Lot value (estimated)
- £0 excluding VAT
- £0 including VAT
CPV classifications
- 31321300 - High-voltage cable
- 31321500 - Submarine cable
- 45000000 - Construction work
- 45314310 - Installation of cable laying
Contract locations
- UKM93 - East Ayrshire and North Ayrshire mainland
- UKN06 - Belfast
Same for all lots
Contract dates are shown in the Scope section, because they are the same for all lots.
Participation
Legal and financial capacity conditions of participation
Lot LOT B1. [LOT B1]: LirIC HVDC Cables Offshore and Onshore (two sites)
Lot LOT B2. [LOT B2]: LirIC HVAC Cables (Scotland Only)
Lot LOT B. [LOT B]: LirIC Cables (All HVDC and HVAC Cables) Supply and Installation
Specified in the pre-selection stage (RTP) and for those bidders selected for the Qualification Questionnaire (QQ) Stage.
Technical ability conditions of participation
Lot LOT B1. [LOT B1]: LirIC HVDC Cables Offshore and Onshore (two sites)
Lot LOT B2. [LOT B2]: LirIC HVAC Cables (Scotland Only)
Lot LOT B. [LOT B]: LirIC Cables (All HVDC and HVAC Cables) Supply and Installation
Specified in the Qualification Instructions available for downloading for bidders participating at the Qualification Questions (QQ) Stage.
Submission
Enquiry deadline
13 June 2025, 1:00pm
Submission type
Tenders
Deadline for requests to participate
20 June 2025, 1:00pm
Submission address and any special instructions
Tenders may be submitted electronically
Yes
Languages that may be used for submission
English
Award decision date (estimated)
15 February 2026
Award criteria
| Name | Type | Weighting |
|---|---|---|
| Technical, Scope & Programme (Further information at ITT stage) | Quality | 50% |
| Cost & Commercials (Further information at ITT stage) | Cost | 50% |
Other information
Payment terms
30 days based on agreed milestones.
Applicable trade agreements
- Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
- Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP)
Conflicts assessment prepared/revised
Yes
Procedure
Procedure type
Competitive flexible procedure
Competitive flexible procedure description
It is intended to procure the Lots via a multi-stage process.
For all Lots in Lot B Group the first stage will involve a Request to Participate event followed by an ITT.
For Lots B1 & Lot B, the ITT will involve the release of all documentation to potential bidders for both Qualification and Request for Proposal (RFP). The Qualification event will complete before the RFP to allow Qualified bidders the additional time to complete the RFP.
For Lot B2 the ITT will involve two stages: a Qualification stage followed by an RFP.
For the avoidance of doubt, TI LirIC does not consider itself to be bound by the Procurement Act 2023 or any associated procurement legislation (together, "UK procurement legislation"). Accordingly, the procurement for the award of HVDC & HVAC Cables (Supply & Install) as further described in this notice and any associated documents (the "Procurement") is not, nor does it purport to be, subject to UK procurement legislation. For the avoidance of doubt, interested suppliers are put on notice that the publication of this document and any other document that relates to this Procurement is published voluntarily and nothing in this document, or any other document that TI LirIC publishes in relation to this Procurement should be construed as purporting to give rise to rights or obligations under UK procurement legislation.
Contracting authority
TI LirIC Limited
- Public Procurement Organisation Number: PWJV-7322-MWTR
17th Floor, 88 Wood Street
London
EC2V 7DA
United Kingdom
Region: UKI31 - Camden and City of London
Organisation type: Public authority - sub-central government