ENGINEERING services group Amec's Darlington division has won a £22m contract with the National Grid.

The contract is to refurbish and upgrade overhead power lines in South Yorkshire, Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire.

Amec, one of Darlington's largest employers, won the work because its system can replace electrical wires while keeping the communication cables open.

The work is the latest in a number of contracts Amec has won with National Grid Transco as it embarks on a UK-wide upgrade of the grid over the next five years.

Steve Lee, managing director of Amec's industrial division, which is based in Darlington, said: "This is another step forward in our long-term relationship with National Grid Transco, with whom we are working across the UK on gas and electricity delivery systems. Power transmission is a growing market and this contract reinforces our position as a leading provider of services to the energy industry."

Amec is refurbishing overhead powerlines in the South-West and it recently opened a training centre in Darlington to meet the need for skilled line technicians throughout the UK.

High voltage overhead lines are seen as a major growth area and Amec predicts that a great deal of money will be spent on it in the coming years.

During the three years since moving to its office in Yarm Road, Darlington, Amec's operations have created 150 jobs.

Contract wins throughout the Amec group also have an impact on the company's support services operation, based in a separate office in Darlington.