Bro Tathan Power

Procurement reference

C058/2025/2026

Procurement description

The Welsh Government is providing potential market participants with early notice of the forthcoming Bro Tathan Power Project procurement. This notice and Memorandum of Information (MOI) provides preliminary details in respect of the background, objectives and intended delivery approach for the Project, to enable interested organisations to consider and prepare for the formal tender process, which is expected to commence in at the end of April2026.

The information contained within this notice and MOI is provided for awareness only. It does not constitute a call for competition, nor does it commit the Welsh Government to proceed with any procurement.

Bro Tathan is a 1,200-acre strategic employment and innovation site located at St Athan in the Vale of Glamorgan (Bro Tathan Site). The Bro Tathan Site forms part of the Cardiff Airport and St Athan Enterprise Zone, a key driver for regional growth. The Bro Tathan Site benefits from exceptional connectivity - just five miles from Cardiff Airport and directly linked to the M4 corridor via the Northern Access Road (Ffordd Bro Tathan). It also features a fully operational 1,800-metre runway with airside access. Bro Tathan is already home to major occupiers such as Aston Martin Lagonda, eCube Solutions and Caerdav, and offers capacity for over3 million sq ft of additional development across its designated zones (West, East, North, South and Y Porth). Each zone of the Bro Tathan Site will support advanced manufacturing, aerospace, R&D and commercial employment uses. The Welsh Government has invested extensively in enabling infrastructure and site servicing, positioning Bro Tathan as a ready-to-invest platform for high-value inward investment. The Project is central to this long-term vision, delivering the energy capacity and resilience needed to attract and sustain occupiers at the Bro Tathan Site.

Connecting the Bro Tathan Site to the National Grid Electricity Transmission network via new 132kV circuits and a substation, the Project will help realise Bro Tathan’s potential as a nationally significant location for investment, innovation and sustainable industrial growth.

The intention is for the Project to be delivered through a Joint Venture (JV) between the Welsh Government and a private-sector partner. The JV will be responsible for the design, build, finance, operation and maintenance of the network infrastructure required to deliver up to 280 MVA of capacity to the Bro Tathan Site. The forthcoming procurement will seek to select a single consortium capable of providing the full range of expertise required for successful delivery of the Project.

The Welsh Government intends to launch the Project procurement through the Competitive Flexible Procedure under the Procurement Act 2023. Further information in relation to the anticipated procurement process (including an indicative timetable) can be found in the MOI. The MOI can be found by following the this link: https://www.brotathan.wales/news

Main category

Works

Additional categories

Services

Delivery regions

• UK - United Kingdom

Total value (estimated)

35000000.00 GBP Excluding VAT

42000000.00 GBP Including VAT

Contract dates (estimated)

31 March 2027, 00:00AM to 30 September 2029, 23:59PM

Llywodraeth Cymru / Welsh Government

Is the total value above threshold?

Above threshold

CPV classifications

• 45000000 - Construction work
• 65000000 - Public utilities
• 51000000 - Installation services (except software)
• 09000000 - Petroleum products, fuel, electricity and other sources of energy

Delivery regions

• UK - United Kingdom

Contract start date (estimated)

31 March 2027, 00:00AM

Contract end date (estimated)

30 September 2029, 23:59PM

Engagement process description

The Welsh Government conducted extensive market engagement for the Bro Tathan Power Project between 2021 and 2025. This engagement involved discussions with key industry stakeholders, including:

Independent Distribution Network Operators (IDNOs)

Independent Connection Providers (ICPs)

Funders

Infrastructure Operators

Objectives of Engagement:

Test Deliverability: Assess the feasibility of the project and its implementation.

Gauge Investment Appetite: Understand the level of interest and willingness of private-sector entities to invest in the project.

Evaluate Commercial Structure: Gather feedback on the proposed Joint Venture (JV) model and its alignment with market expectations.

Key Outcomes:

Market Readiness: Strong support and readiness from stakeholders for the project.

Endorsement of JV Model: Participants favoured the formation of a single bidding consortium combining IDNO, ICP, funder, and operator capabilities.

Alignment of Expertise: The consortium structure was recognised as the most effective way to integrate technical delivery with financing and operational expertise.

This engagement has helped to shape the delivery approach and procurement strategy for the project, ensuring alignment with market expectations and maximising the potential for success.

Welsh Government is now undertaking a further phase of structured pre-procurement market engagement. This phase is intended to support the refinement of the proposed delivery, legal and commercial approach ahead of the formal procurement.

As part of this engagement, Welsh Government is inviting interested organisations to provide feedback on the proposed legal and commercial principles for the Project, as set out in further detail in the MOI. Any feedback received may be used to inform the development of the formal procurement approach.

Welsh Government also intends to offer the opportunity for meetings with interested organisations during [March and April] 2026. These meetings are intended to provide a forum for high-level discussion of the Project and the proposed approach. Participation is voluntary and will not form part of the procurement process or influence any future tender evaluation. Any documentation shared as part of the engagement process and supplier meetings will be made available via the Sell2Wales notice so that interested parties that could not make the meetings have access to the information.

Further information on how interested organisations can register their feedback in relation to the anticipated procurement approach, or request a meeting with the Welsh Government, can be found in the MOI.

Previous notices published under the PCR 2015 in connection to this opportunity are as follows:

Bro Tathan - High Voltage Power Connection

Llywodraeth Cymru / Welsh Government

F01: Prior information notice (prior information only)

Notice identifier: 2024/S 000-016186

Procurement identifier (OCID): ocds-h6vhtk-0469b6

Published 22 May 2024, 2:32pm

All interested parties are encouraged to express an interest in the forthcoming procurement by sending an email to robert.stokes@burroughs.co.uk .

Please note that organisations will not be prevented from participating in any future procurement where they do not register an interest. Any information shared by the Welsh Government during the preliminary market engagement exercise will be made available to organisations via future notice amendments.

The MOI can be found by clicking on the following link: https://www.brotathan.wales/news

Due date

24 April 2026, 23:59PM

Has the engagement period already ended?

No

Publication date of tender notice (estimated)

27 April 2026