Urenco Produces Europe’s First Batch of Longer-Lasting Nuclear Fuel in UK
Urenco has completed Europe’s first commercial production of LEU+, a higher‑enrichment low‑enriched uranium fuel, in a five‑day trial at its Capenhurst facility. The fuel, enriched to 5‑10% U‑235, is designed for existing gigawatt‑scale pressurised water reactors and the forthcoming Rolls‑Royce small modular reactors, promising longer operating cycles. Urenco now seeks regulatory sign‑off and a dedicated transport container, developed with Orano, before commercial shipments can begin. The company also highlighted its longer‑term HALEU ambitions, backed by a UK government investment of roughly $375 million.
16 SMEs Secure £19M of Work on Sellafield £7bn Framework
Solomons Europe’s Matchmaker scheme has helped 16 small and medium‑sized enterprises win roughly $24 million of work on Sellafield’s $9 billion nuclear decommissioning framework. The programme offers a structured, transparent route for regional firms to partner with lead contractors on highly regulated...
Transparency in Infrastructure Needs a Business Case and This Is How to Make It
Governments waste roughly one‑third of infrastructure spending, equating to trillions of dollars, according to the IMF. The Infrastructure Transparency Initiative (CoST) has introduced a new methodology that quantifies the financial benefits of transparency, accountability and public participation in infrastructure projects....
Construction Named Among ‘High-Risk’ Sectors for Modern Slavery
The UK’s Independent Anti‑Slavery Commissioner has classified construction as a high‑risk sector for modern slavery, placing it alongside vape shops, barbers and car washes. The 124‑page report, *Anticipating Exploitation*, highlights the government’s plan to build 1.5 million homes over five years...
Call for Counter-Drone Tech to Protect Infrastructure Receives High Volume of Proposals
UK Defence Innovation (UKDI) has opened a competition for counter‑UAS solutions to protect critical national infrastructure, receiving a high volume of proposals that delayed its assessment timeline. The feedback release has been pushed to 24 June 2026, with contracts expected to...
Engineers Survey 30m-High Roof of London Stadium
Engineers from Can, an RSK Group subsidiary, conducted a comprehensive inspection of the London Stadium’s 30‑metre‑high roof while the venue stayed in use. Using rope‑access specialists and 50‑metre mobile elevating work platforms, the crew examined over four miles of steel,...
Balfour Beatty Vinci to Begin Work on New HS2 Viaduct
Balfour Beatty Vinci will close Birmingham's Saltley Viaduct on 10 May to begin an 18‑month demolition and rebuild program for HS2. The new structure will sit 2 m higher and be 4.5 m wider, creating extra space for cyclists and pedestrians while the...
Webinar: The Pending Data Handover Challenge
A webinar hosted by NCE and eviFile will address the growing challenge of data handover at project completion. New British Standards for data handover are being drafted and will soon be required in government tenders. The session features experts from...
Four Contractors Selected for £200M Birmingham Transport and Infrastructure Framework
Birmingham City Council has appointed AtkinsRéalis, Jacobs, Mott MacDonald and Pell Frischmann as the four suppliers for a new Transportation and Infrastructure Professional Services Framework. The eight‑year agreement, valued at £200 million (about $256 million, $307 million including VAT), runs from 1 June 2026 to 31 May 2034. It...
Jackson Civil Engineering Secures £14M Hampshire Coastal Flood and Erosion Contract
Suffolk‑based Jackson Civil Engineering has been awarded a £14 million (≈$16.8 million) contract to deliver a flood and coastal erosion risk management scheme in Langstone, Havant, Hampshire. The 1 km defence will protect 53 residential properties, four businesses and the critical A3023 highway...
Construction Is Overdue a Culture Shift on Error and It Must Begin with Training
The UK construction sector is tasked with delivering a £718bn (≈$912bn) infrastructure pipeline, yet it loses up to £25bn (≈$31.8bn) annually to avoidable error. The Get It Right Initiative (GIRI) has trained more than 10,000 workers, and a pilot with...
‘Not Something Happening Tomorrow’: PAC Questions DfT over NPR Timelines
The Public Accounts Committee challenged the Department for Transport over the Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) timetable, noting that construction is unlikely before the 2030s despite a £1.1 bn (~$1.4 bn) planning tranche. DfT officials defended a £45 bn (~$57 bn) funding cap, saying it...
Industry Remembers Tyne and Wear Metro Mastermind and Past ICE President
Professor Tony Ridley, the architect of the Tyne and Wear Metro, died at 92. As director general of the Tyne and Wear Passenger Transport Executive (1968‑75), he drove the planning, funding and first year of construction that turned the Metro...
Network Rail Carrying Out £140.5M of Engineering over May Bank Holidays
Network Rail will undertake £140.5 million (≈$178 million) of engineering works across the UK rail network during the two May bank holiday weekends. Projects focus on track renewal, signalling upgrades, and drainage improvements on key corridors such as the East Coast Main...
‘Long-Anticipated’ Refresh of Nuclear Regulatory Guidance Welcomed
The Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) has issued the seventh edition of its Licensing Nuclear Installations guidance, the first update since 2021. The new edition emphasizes early applicant engagement and incorporates the latest government policies, including National Policy Statement EN‑7,...
Rock & Alluvium Installs Its Deepest Ever Piles at London Development
Rock & Alluvium, a Van Elle subsidiary, has completed its deepest continuous flight auger (CFA) piling at the Bow Green development in East London, driving 594 piles up to 40 m deep. The work marks the start of Phase 2 for St James,...
Movers and Shakers: Biggest Construction and Engineering Appointments April 2026
April 2026 saw a flurry of senior appointments across the UK construction and engineering landscape. Northern hired Warrick Dent as chief operating officer to strengthen its rail operations, while Ramboll brought in Richard Graybrook to steer its UK&I and Europe...
Thames Water Starts 19km of Essex Pipe Replacement as Part of £20bn Network Upgrade
Thames Water has launched a £30 million (≈$38 million) project to replace 19 km of water pipes in Loughton, Essex. The three‑year programme, affecting more than 60 roads, is part of the utility’s £20 billion (£25 billion) network‑wide upgrade aimed at reducing leaks and handling...
Bam Gets Green Light for ‘Landmark Integration of Environment in Infrastructure’
UK contractor Bam UK will create a public garden on the former Royal Liverpool Hospital site, collaborating with the Eden Project. The biophilic landscape, featuring native flora, is designed to boost healing, wellbeing, and biodiversity for patients, staff and the...
‘Unique Engineering Challenge’ as Mid-Century Bridge Is Lifted Clear of River Hull
Esh Construction has lifted the 20‑ton, 1953 aluminium Weel Bridge from the River Hull using a 250‑ton crane, a key milestone in a £1 M (≈$1.27 M USD) refurbishment. The project, commissioned by East Riding of Yorkshire Council, aims to extend the...
Peri’s Role in the Formation of the Reactor Domes at Hinkey Point C
Peri has been central to Hinkley Point C since 2017, delivering the complex formwork for the nuclear reactor domes. The project required 199 bespoke Vario panels and a tie‑free system using 550 Strongbacks and 45‑degree anchor adapters to support loads...
ADS UK Manager Offers a Comparison Between North American AASHTO/ ASTM Methodologies and Eurocode Requirements
Advanced Drainage Systems (ADS) UK manager Stuart Crisp compared North American AASHTO/ASTM design methods with European Eurocode requirements for thermoplastic arch‑shaped stormwater chambers. He highlighted that the systems must resist short‑term live loads, intermediate loads and long‑term earth loads over...
Long-Awaited Review of Ofgem Puts Forward Reforms to Modernise Regulator
The UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero released a review proposing sweeping reforms to modernise Ofgem, the energy regulator created in 2000. The plan calls for an outcome‑based Strategy and Policy Statement, a shift to three equal principal...
How Programme Delivery Partner Approach Supports Clients During Complex Programmes
Regional development schemes such as regeneration programmes and new‑town sites are large, multi‑stakeholder undertakings that often suffer from fragmented governance, optimism bias and capacity gaps. To address these challenges, clients are turning to a Programme Delivery Partner (PDP) model that...
Spotlight | Collaboration Is Not Just a ‘Nice-to-Have’
Wendy Blundell, chair of ICE Northern Ireland, warns that short‑termism is eroding infrastructure resilience and that long‑term, collaborative planning is essential. She cites the institution’s Enabling Better Infrastructure programme and the 2026 State of the Nation report as evidence that...
Construction Insights Point Toward Increased Project Delivery Risk Driven by Macroeconomic and Geopolitical Pressures
A new Pick Everard survey shows construction firms are grappling with heightened delivery risk as inflation, Middle‑East tensions and the Ukraine war drive material and energy costs upward. While only 27% remain optimistic, 40% express concern and 4% are pessimistic,...
Call to Reopen Peak District Railway Now Used as Hiking Trail
A feasibility study for the "Peaks and Dales" line was submitted to the Department for Transport, urging the reinstatement of the former Midland Main Line between Ambergate and Chinley in the Peak District. The report argues that rail is the...
£16M GWR Property Construction Consultancy Framework Tender Issued
First Great Western Railway has launched a £16.1 million ($20.6 million) property construction consultancy framework for the Great Western Railway network. The framework is divided into seven lots—ranging from project design and SISS engineering to cost management and clerk of works—each estimated...
Competence Issues and Knowledge Gaps in Temporary Works Persist Despite Its Raised Profile
The construction industry still struggles with basic knowledge gaps in temporary works despite 50 years of guidance since the Bragg Report. Small house‑building contractors often lack dedicated coordinators and formal design procedures, leading to incidents like the HSE‑imposed £100,000 (≈$127,000) fine...
Iran Conflict Forces Government to Reopen CO2 Plant to Support Nuclear Power Security
The UK government has temporarily restarted the Ensus bio‑ethanol plant in Wilton to produce carbon dioxide after the Iran conflict disrupted European fertilizer‑derived CO₂ imports. CO₂ is a critical coolant for the country’s advanced gas‑cooled reactors at Hartlepool, Heysham 1, Heysham 2...
Tees Transporter Bridge Listed Among UK’s Most At-Risk Structures
The 1911 Tees Transporter Bridge, a 260‑metre span with a 69‑metre‑high gondola, has been listed on the Victorian Society’s 2026 Top 10 Endangered Buildings. Closed since 2019, it now faces an estimated £60 million (£≈$76 million) repair bill due to corrosion and structural...
AtkinsRéalis and Oxford Robotics Institute Form Partnership to Develop Robots for Nuclear Work
AtkinsRéalis has teamed up with Oxford’s Robotics Institute to turn proven UK autonomous‑robot prototypes into commercial products for nuclear and energy sites. The collaboration will refine navigation, mapping and radiation‑hotspot detection systems in ORI’s labs before deploying them through AtkinsRéalis’s...
TfL Signs £99.1M Bridges and Civil Structures Maintenance Contract with M Group
Transport for London (TfL) has awarded M Group Transport a £99.1 million (≈$126 million) five‑year contract to maintain bridges and civil structures across its rail network, with an optional three‑year extension. The deal, announced after a competitive flexible procurement under the Procurement...
Housebuilding Targets at Risk without Energy Support for Brick Manufacturers
Labour’s goal of building 1.5 million homes faces a bottleneck as brick manufacturers struggle with soaring energy costs. The GMB union warns that the British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme (BICS) excludes brick and tile producers, even though it supports mortar suppliers. Brickmakers...
Engineering the Highlands’ Next Chapter: Why the North Is Becoming the UK’s New Powerhouse
The Inverness and Cromarty Firth Green Freeport is accelerating Scotland's energy transition, drawing massive offshore wind, hydrogen, digital infrastructure, and grid‑reinforcement projects. Abundant renewable generation, deep‑water ports at Nigg and Invergordon, and a clear policy framework have created a high‑tech...
Nista CEO Becky Wood on How Diversity of Thought Benefits Infrastructure Delivery
The National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (Nista) celebrated its first year in April, having been created in April 2025 by merging the National Infrastructure Commission and the Infrastructure and Projects Authority. Under CEO Becky Wood, Nista is steering the UK’s...
Stop Talking About Transparency and Start Measuring It
Public infrastructure receives trillions of dollars annually, yet up to 30% is lost to corruption and mismanagement. The Infrastructure Transparency Index (ITI), created by Cost, offers an objective, free‑to‑use methodology that evaluates transparency across four dimensions and translates scores into...
Graham Constructed Millers Quay Named ‘Building’ Winner at The Pineapples
Millers Quay at Wirral Waters, a £130 M (≈$166 M) mixed‑use residential development, won the Building category at The Pineapples awards. Designed by Howells and built by Graham, the project delivers 500 sustainable homes, 20% affordable, and generated over 1,000 jobs with...
Thousands of Engineers Receiving Pay Rise After Industrial Action Threat
Thousands of engineering construction workers in the UK will receive a 4.5% pay rise, about £2,000 (~$2,560) each, starting in May. The increase follows a threatened industrial action by Unite after an initial 3.6% offer was rejected. The deal, narrowly...
Jacobs, GHD and WSP Designing Five Stations for Australian Metro Development
Jacobs, GHD and WSP have formed a joint venture to design five underground stations for Sydney Metro West’s Stations Package West, linking Greater Parramatta with the Sydney CBD. The stations—Westmead, North Strathfield, Burwood North, Five Dock and The Bays—are slated for a 6‑Star Green Star...
Hammersmith Bridge Closure a ‘National Disgrace’, Says MP
Seven years after Hammersmith Bridge was closed for safety reasons, MPs have denounced the prolonged inaction as a "national disgrace" and "matter of national embarrassment." The historic 1827 suspension bridge reopened to pedestrians and cyclists in April 2025, but remains...
Why Progress on AMP8 Is Proving Slower than Anticipated
The UK water sector’s Asset Management Period 8 (AMP8), running 2025‑2030, aims to spend roughly $132 bn—about double the $65 bn allocated in AMP7. Early progress is lagging; United Utilities only launched a $44 m wastewater upgrade, while Anglian Water has spent $1.4 bn on...
£500M Spent on Cancelled National Highway Schemes Brought No Benefit, MPs Told
National Highways told MPs it cannot confirm any public benefit from roughly $630 million (£500 million) spent on projects cancelled in 2024‑25. The Department for Transport wrote off over $3.4 billion in total, including £410 million on four major road schemes and £62 million on...
Galliford Try Secures £750m Affordable Homes Framework
Galliford Try’s Building division has secured a £750 million (≈$960 million) affordable‑homes framework from Sovereign Network Group. The deal supports SNG’s goal of delivering over 2,000 homes per year across southern England, with Galliford Try covering mid‑ and high‑value bands in London,...
Range of Reforms to Electricity Network Planning and Consenting Pushed Through
The UK government has enacted a suite of reforms to electricity network planning and consenting, expanding permitted‑development rights for substations, overhauling Section 37 to fast‑track low‑impact overhead line upgrades, and raising the distance threshold for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs) from...
£4.1bn Procurement for Merged Civils, Enabling Works and Infrastructure Framework
Pagabo, acting for the Yorkshire Purchasing Organisation, has launched a £4.16 bn (£5.3 bn USD) civil engineering and enabling works framework that will rise to about £5 bn (£6.4 bn USD) including VAT. The four‑year contract, running from 4 Sept 2026 to 3 Sept 2030, merges the existing...
Rainbow-Coloured Excavator Raising Much-Needed Funds for Children’s Hospice
True Group, a Leicestershire plant‑hire firm, has added a Komatsu 8‑ton excavator wrapped in a rainbow‑coloured livery to its fleet to support Rainbows Hospice for Children and Young People. The machine, decorated by Poly Graphics, will operate across the East...
DfTO Director Concerned About Length of £2bn HS2 Trains
Former DfT director Chris Gibb warns that the £2 bn (≈$2.6 bn) HS2 train contract for eight‑coach, 200‑metre units may be too short for some stations and could limit capacity on existing intercity routes. He proposes revising the order to include longer...
Building for Demand: Power and Adaptability in Data Centres
Europe’s data‑centre market is scaling rapidly, with campuses routinely exceeding 150 MW as AI‑driven workloads demand higher power density. Medium‑voltage (MV) cables, once treated as commodity components, now face pressure to perform across diverse climates, moisture levels and flood‑risk sites. Early...
Japanese Earthquake and Tsunami Warning Forces Evacuation From Fukushima Nuclear Plants
On April 20, 2026, a magnitude‑7.5 earthquake struck off Sanriku, Japan, prompting a tsunami advisory for Fukushima Prefecture. TEPCO ordered all staff at the Fukushima Daiichi and Daini nuclear power stations to evacuate to higher ground; the company reported no...