Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram joined SP Energy Networks CEO Nicola Connelly to officially open the company’s brand-new office in the heart of the city’s commercial district.

The office in St Paul’s Square will provide a new home for more than 60 of the distribution network operator’s colleagues, bringing them together in a modern base that will support the company’s continued growth as it injects hundreds of millions of pounds to rewire the region’s electricity grid.

SP Energy Networks is investing more than £1.5 billion across its Manweb licence area to 2028, ensuring local communities continue to benefit from a safe, secure and reliable energy supply as demand for electricity increases.

Around £250 million of that is directly earmarked for the Merseyside region.

The investment reflects the region’s increased demand and key growth priorities. This will not only ensure the necessary critical infrastructure is built but, in turn, it will support hundreds of high-quality jobs – right across the company and its supply chain, from apprentices to experienced professionals – driving wider economic growth.

Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said: “As we become increasingly dependent on electricity in our journey towards a cleaner, greener future, it’s vital that our local infrastructure keeps pace with demand and is equipped to deliver the reliable power our communities need.

“At a time when local residents are rightly concerned about the cost of living, investment in our energy network is crucial in order to improve resilience and reliability and ensure that local people and businesses can access the power they need.

“It’s also welcome to see a long-term commitment to the Liverpool City Region, supporting dozens of high-quality local jobs and helping people here develop the skills they need to build careers in the industries of the future. I’m looking forward to seeing local people and communities benefit from this investment in our region.”

SP Energy Networks CEO Nicola Connelly said: “The UK is embarking on the biggest grid upgrade we’ve ever seen since the electricity network was invented. Parts of our network across Liverpool and Merseyside date back to the Beatles and beyond, so it’s vital we provide our teams with the facilities and resources that will support and sustain our investment and deliver the network we need for an all-electric future. We also need to have the space to continue to grow our workforce, which we’re doing year-on-year with almost 300 new trainees starting just this month across our business.

“Our new St Paul’s space – the first of three new offices we’re opening across Merseyside – allows us to do just that. It’s fantastic to welcome Steve Rotheram and colleagues to our new home to celebrate this new chapter, which cements our commitment to Liverpool and the North West and strengthens our connections with people, businesses and communities across the region.”

Daisy Hesketh (19) from Crosby is a Project Management Apprentice with SP Energy Networks’ Merseyside investment team and based in the new St Paul’s Square office. On the verge of completing her two-year apprenticeship, Daisy is part of a team managing a £2 million programme to upgrade the local electricity network across the region, overseeing nearly 300 projects a year.

Daisy started her career early after deciding that sixth form college was not for her and she wanted to get into the world of work. She said: “It’s great to be in our new home at St Paul’s, which is another example of how SP Energy Networks is investing in Merseyside. My apprenticeship has been unbelievable and has given me the chance to experience all different parts of the business and achieve a level of responsibility I wouldn’t have thought possible at this age. I would recommend it to any young person and encourage them to throw themselves in – the connections, the skills and the confidence I’ve developed have definitely opened up a career for life. There are so many opportunities!”

Chloe Power (23) from West Derby is a first-year Trainee Craftsperson with SP Energy Networks, currently working between Hoylake Training Centre and Lister Drive Depot. Leaving sixth form after Covid, Chloe worked in a variety of roles in the retail and care sectors before applying to ScottishPower. She joined the team as a Workshop Assistant, supporting the trainers at Hoylake, where her hands-on experience confirmed that she really enjoyed jointing and wanted to be ‘out on the tools’ herself.

Chloe said: “I’m absolutely loving it and can already see the endless opportunities available. Electricity is the future, so you can have a job for life and there is every sort of role out there across the company. The craft programme is definitely the right one for me! It’s hard work and can be challenging at times, but it’s so rewarding and I’m really glad I took a chance on SP Energy Networks and they took a chance on me. I would tell any other young person to do the same and just go for it. I’m certainly not going anywhere anytime soon!”

St Paul’s Square is the first of three new offices being opened by SP Energy Networks to support its ambitious investment plans across Merseyside, with spaces in Knowsley – which will also include a new depot – and Birkenhead to follow.

The £250 million investment in Merseyside to 2028 is part of SP Energy Networks RIIO-ED2 Business Plan, which runs from 2023-2028. Work is currently underway on the RIIO-ED3 Business Plan, which will cover the period 2028-2033 and will be submitted to energy regulator Ofgem in November.