PB helps found "supergrid" lobby group

Parsons Brinckerhoff, the US-based environmental consultancy and professional services group recently acquired by Balfour Beatty, is one of the founder members of a new group of European companies, the Friends of the Supergrid, that has been established to minimise the technical, financial and regulatory barriers to building a North Sea supergrid connecting the UK, Norway and Germany.

The group's other nine members are; Siemens, Areva, Brussels-based energy consultancy 3E, marine dredging company DEME Blue Energy, Belgian electricity transission group Elia, Hochtief Construction, Irish wind company Mainstream Renewable Power (MRP), Prysmian Cables & Systems and Visser & Smit Marine Contracting. Membership of the group will be kept to a maximum of 20 companies.

• MRP news release