Powering 2030: Can Great Britain’s infrastructure
support industrial growth and net zero?

The grid reality gap: what Britain’s industrial sector needs to know

For commercial and industrial organisations planning major investments, grid connection is rarely the first consideration, but the research suggests it should be. The findings from a survey of 200 director-level decision makers across Great Britain reveal a striking awareness gap between those who have navigated grid connection challenges and those yet to encounter them.

What Britain’s industrial directors really think about grid connections

The research uncovers a significant disconnect between expectation and reality, with directors anticipating grid connections taking 3.2 years on average — when the realistic timeframe for a major project is closer to eight.

  • 34% of directors who have experienced grid connection delays say it stopped company growth altogether, yet only 8% of those without direct experience identify timescales as a significant barrier

  • 60% of directors who have faced connection challenges report direct business impact on their organisations

  • 29% believe grid connection challenges are directly posing risk to energy security

  • 72% think the UK risks being left behind as the world enters a net zero based industrial age

  • 25% are considering locating new plants overseas, with 18% exploring relocating entire operations outside the UK

Download the full report

The gap between what directors expect from the grid connection process and what they are likely to encounter is significant and costly. Read the full report to understand what the data reveals, and what it means for organisations planning major investments.

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