GHD awarded funding to support Nature4Networks Beta Phase delivery
GHD, the professional services consultancy delivering integrated solutions across critical infrastructure in water, energy and transport, has secured funding from Ofgem’s Strategic Innovation Fund (SIF) to progress the Beta Phase of the Nature4Networks (N4N) project.
The N4N project is led by Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks Distribution (SSEN-D) and delivered by a multi-disciplinary consortium of partners, bringing together expertise across engineering, economics, environmental science and innovation delivery. GHD is leading the technical development of the programme, supporting the design, testing and evaluation of nature-based solutions that can be safely deployed alongside live, regulated electricity assets.
The £8.99 million, five-year initiative focuses on embedding nature-based solutions into operational electricity network infrastructure, moving interventions beyond concept to deployable, repeatable models that can be adopted at scale by network operators.
The N4N project shows how the strategic use of nature can deliver fit-for-purpose solutions to protect the integrity of electricity networks in a more volatile climate, in a way that reduces the impact on the environment and benefits biodiversity.
The Beta Phase will transition the project from early concept development into large-scale demonstrator trials. During the Discovery and Alpha project phases, GHD developed early-stage conceptual ideas, outline designs, and specifications for integrating nature-based interventions into live networks without compromising safety, performance or regulatory compliance. Building on those insights, GHD will now support the delivery of large-scale trials across four evidence-led use cases:
- Native species linear woodland will be tested alongside overhead lines to reduce visual impacts and protect assets from weather and bird strikes, while boosting biodiversity and capturing carbon.
- Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) will be deployed at and around substations to manage surface water more effectively, reduce flood risk and support climate resilience. Trials will explore how SuDS can be standardised across different asset types and land ownership arrangements.
- Transformer bioswales will be tested as an innovative alternative to traditional concrete bunding for oil-filled transformers, providing environmental protection while reducing embodied carbon, enabling more integrated site design, and providing new habitat.
- Strategic thorny planting schemes will be trialled around overhead line poles to deter livestock interaction and accidental vehicle damage, reducing maintenance costs and safety risks while improving soil condition and habitat value.
N4N originates through an Energy Networks Association (ENA) innovation challenge, initially focused on addressing flooding risks at primary substations. Early concept development and engagement with network operators highlighted broader potential, prompting the programme to expand its scope to explore how nature-based solutions could be applied across electricity networks to address a wider range of operational, environmental, and resilience challenges.
During the Alpha phase, GHD played a central role in translating these concepts into an evidence-led framework. Working closely with network operators and delivery partners, the team undertook site selection, outline design development and economic assessment to understand how nature-based interventions could be integrated into highly regulated live assets without compromising safety, reliability, or regulatory compliance.
By embedding nature-based solutions directly into operational infrastructure, the programme is helping establish practical pathways for electricity networks to deliver environmental outcomes while maintaining reliability for customers.
Nature-based solutions are well established in sectors such as water; applying them safely and effectively within electricity networks remains uncharted territory. Nature4Networks is an innovative programme that challenges how natural systems can operate alongside highly regulated, safety-critical infrastructure.
GHD has led the project's technical development, building the engineering and regulatory evidence needed to demonstrate how nature-based solutions can move from aspiration to delivery. Through real-world testing on live assets, the Beta Phase will help establish a repeatable framework that enables network operators to integrate nature-based solutions confidently and at scale into critical infrastructure.
Nature4Networks demonstrates how innovation funding can be used to rethink what infrastructure looks like in a changing climate. This programme is helping electricity networks move beyond pilots and policy ambition toward practical, scalable delivery.
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About GHD
GHD is a leading professional services company operating in the global markets of water, energy and resources, environment, property and buildings, and transportation. Committed to a vision to make water, energy, and communities sustainable for generations to come, GHD delivers advisory, digital, engineering, architecture, environmental and construction solutions to public and private sector clients. Established in 1928 and privately owned by its people, GHD’s network of 12,000+ professionals is connected across 165 offices located on five continents.