Spark NEL ignites AI partnership with nPlan to assure and de-risk Victoria’s largest highways project
Partnership reflects nPlan’s growing strength in the highways sector, where project owners and contractors are increasingly turning to its dataset of more than 750,000 past schedules to assure and de-risk delivery.
9th December 2025 - Melbourne, Australia and London, UK: Spark NEL, the consortium delivering Victoria’s largest road project, has partnered with UK technology company nPlan to bring AI-led assurance and risk management to the North East Link. By tapping into nPlan’s dataset of more than 750,000 past project schedules–the largest of its kind in the world–Spark NEL will gain super-accurate forecasts, confidence in achieving outcomes, and risk insights to guide the actions needed to deliver successfully as the programme enters its final phases. The partnership also marks a major milestone for nPlan in terms of its expansion in the highways sector - building on its existing global leadership in rail, energy, and utilities.
The A$11 billion North East Link will close a critical gap in Melbourne’s transport network through the construction of two six-and-a-half kilometre, three-lane twin tunnels. Spark NEL D&C - a joint venture comprising Webuild, CPB Contractors, GS Engineering & Construction, and China Construction Oceania - is responsible for managing the construction and commissioning of the project, which is due for completion in 2028.
To assure delivery, Spark NEL will deploy nPlan Insights Pro, the company’s flagship AI-led project assurance platform. Insights Pro will enable the project controls team to quantify schedule uncertainty, highlight risky activities and sub-critical paths, and surface schedule complexity and quality challenges. By guiding where to act, the technology will help Spark NEL reduce risk, strengthen schedule robustness, and increase confidence in achieving critical milestones on time and on budget.
“It is in the later stages of delivery where risks can multiply quickly and delays can pile up suddenly,” said Rui Gaiao, Project Controls Director at Spark NEL D&C. “By partnering with nPlan, Spark NEL D&C is acting responsibly to ensure we have the best possible chance of completing the North East Link with confidence, supported by world-class data-driven assurance.”
The agreement comes on the heels of nPlan’s $16 million Series B fundraising, led by CapHorn, Chevron Technology Ventures, and Suffolk Technologies, with continued support from GV, Pentech Ventures, and LocalGlobe. The funding has accelerated nPlan’s expansion, with the company now trusted on more than $500 billion of live projects worldwide. Recent partnerships span industries including rail (HS2, Network Rail, Transpennine Route Upgrade), energy (Chevron, LNGC), water (Anglian Water), and major urban development (NEOM).
“Our partnership with Spark NEL shows the momentum we’re building following our Series B raise,” said Dev Amratia, CEO and Co-Founder of nPlan. “We’re already the AI project controls and delivery market leader in energy, utilities, and rail, and with North East Link we’re extending that leadership into highways. Owners and contractors are turning to us because our dataset - more than 750,000 past project schedules, representing over $2 trillion of capital spend - gives them a uniquely powerful way to see risks clearly, manage uncertainty, and deliver with confidence.”
