Ofgem has approved an initial £28 billion package for Britain’s energy networks to reinforce safety, security and resilience, while upgrading and enlarging capacity to meet rising demand. The programme will modernise electricity and gas infrastructure and help shield consumers from volatile global energy prices. The largest share, £17.8 billion, is
Outlet Shopping at The O2 is closing out 2025 with a strong development push, securing a series of new lettings, first-time outlet formats and significant store upgrades across the scheme. Leading the latest wave of activity is Lovisa, which is making its debut in the outlet sector. The jewellery brand
The Helios Renewable Energy Project development consent order (DCO) application UK has been granted development consent by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. The scheme will deliver ground-mounted solar arrays, energy storage facilities and associated grid connection infrastructure to support the construction, operation and maintenance of a project
OCS has now formally completed the acquisition of EMCOR UK from EMCOR Group Inc. after clearing the UK regulatory process. This transaction brings together two of the UK’s largest hard services-led facilities services businesses, with unmatched engineering capabilities and established operations across the UK, supported by a clear focus on
Heidelberg Materials UK’s plans to build the UK’s first carbon capture facility at a cement works have taken another major step forward with the signing of an engineering, procurement and construction management (EPCM) contract. The agreement with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) and Worley continues the company’s working relationship with the
Ofgem has approved an initial £28 billion package for Britain’s energy networks to reinforce safety, security and resilience, while upgrading and enlarging capacity to meet rising demand. The programme will modernise electricity and gas infrastructure and help shield consumers from volatile global energy prices. The largest share, £17.8 billion, is earmarked to operate, maintain and replace assets across Britain’s gas networks, keeping them among the safest and most resilient worldwide. A further £10.3 billion will go into electricity transmission to boost reliability and unlock extra capacity for electrification and economic growth. Across both gas and electricity, the overall investment is expected to reach around £90 billion by 2031. Acting now, Ofgem says, is the most cost-effective way to harness more domestic clean power, support growth and reduce exposure to gas price shocks like those in 2022. As day-to-day operations, asset replacement and maintenance costs flow through to bills faster than long-term expansion, these near-term outlays will contribute more quickly to customer bills even though they form a smaller portion of the total £90 billion programme. By 2031, network charges are projected to add £108 to typical dual-fuel household bills (£48 for gas and £60 for electricity). Factoring in the benefits of grid expansion, Ofgem estimates households would save about £80 compared with not building out the grid, leaving a net impact of roughly £30 overall, or under £3 per month. Electricity grid expansion alone is forecast to cut bills by £50 by 2031 by curbing reliance on imports and reducing constraint costs. Jonathan Brearley, Ofgem CEO, said: “The funding announced today will keep Britain’s energy network among the safest, most secure and resilient in the world. The investment will support the transition to new forms of energy and support new industrial customers to help drive economic growth and insulate us from volatile gas prices. “But this is not investment at any price. Every pound must deliver value for consumers. Ofgem will hold network companies accountable for delivering on time and on budget, and we make no apologies for the efficiency challenge we’re setting as the industry scales up investment. We’ve built strong consumer protections into these contracts, meaning funds will only be released when needed and clawed back if not used. Households and businesses must get value for money, and we will ensure they do.” Throughout 2025, the regulator scrutinised spending plans from electricity transmission owners, National Gas and gas distribution companies to secure the best deal for billpayers. Ofgem has set firm delivery milestones, demanded greater efficiency and rejected proposals not in consumers’ interests, delivering potential savings of over £4.5 billion (15%) versus initial £33 billion submissions. The final package will back 80 electricity transmission projects and related works over the next five years, adding new lines, substations and technologies to increase capacity and move clean, domestic power efficiently to homes and businesses, supporting growth. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Outlet Shopping at The O2 is closing out 2025 with a strong development push, securing a series of new lettings, first-time outlet formats and significant store upgrades across the scheme. Leading the latest wave of activity is Lovisa, which is making its debut in the outlet sector. The jewellery brand has taken a 1,722 sq ft unit positioned between Dune London and Kurt Geiger. The new store will be fully fitted out to showcase Lovisa’s complete range of necklaces, earrings and rings, and will incorporate a dedicated area for piercing services. Also joining the line-up in its first outlet location is British heritage menswear brand T.M. Lewin. The retailer is set to broaden the menswear offer at The O2 with a new 1,827 sq ft unit, designed to accommodate its core formal and businesswear ranges. The Entertainer has opened its first outlet store in London within a 2,121 sq ft space at The O2. The new fit-out has been configured to house a wide selection of leading toy and games brands including LEGO, Barbie, Disney and Nintendo, reinforcing the scheme’s family offer. Adding a distinctive new concept to the tenant mix, art toy retailer POP MART has delivered a ‘roboshop’ adjacent to Mint Café. The installation brings POP MART’s vending machine model to an outlet environment for the first time, providing an automated retail unit designed to tap into the growing popularity of the ‘blind box’ format and offer a compact, high-impact addition to the mall. In a further vote of confidence, long-standing tenant New Balance is reinvesting in its presence at The O2. The sportswear brand is upsizing into a 3,129 sq ft unit that will be completely refurbished to showcase its latest global store concept, enhancing merchandising capacity and improving the overall customer journey. These construction, fit-out and expansion moves follow a strong trading period for Outlet Shopping at The O2, which recorded a 23% uplift in sales in November compared with 2024, alongside a 24% increase in footfall across the scheme. Louisa Dalgleish, leasing director at Outlet Shopping at The O2, said:“As a destination already anchored by leading retail brands, the fact that we continue to secure high-profile outlet debuts underlines the strength and momentum of the scheme. Our performance is driven by a collaborative landlord approach and a carefully curated tenant mix. The positive results throughout November demonstrate that demand remains robust, and Outlet Shopping at The O2 is firmly on the radar for brands looking to enter or expand within the outlet market.” This latest round of lettings and store investments follows the announcement that Guinness World Records will open its first permanent entertainment venue in the UK at The O2 in late 2026, in a 25,000 sq ft unit that will undergo a major fit-out to deliver an immersive experience. KLM and CBRE act as leasing agents for Outlet Shopping at The O2. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
The Helios Renewable Energy Project development consent order (DCO) application UK has been granted development consent by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. The scheme will deliver ground-mounted solar arrays, energy storage facilities and associated grid connection infrastructure to support the construction, operation and maintenance of a project capable of generating over 50 megawatts of electricity. Submitted by Enso Green Holdings D Limited to the Planning Inspectorate on 02 July 2024, the application was accepted for examination on 30 July 2024. Following an examination in which the public, statutory consultees and other interested parties provided evidence, the Examining Authority made its recommendations to the Secretary of State on 3 September 2025. This is the 102nd energy application out of 169 applications examined to date, and the Planning Inspectorate completed the case within the statutory timetable set by the Planning Act 2008. Local communities were able to take part in the six-month examination. The Examining Authority listened to and fully considered local views and all evidence before reaching its recommendation. The decision, the Examining Authority’s recommendation to the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, and the evidence considered are available on the project pages of the National Infrastructure Planning website. The decision was taken by Minister Martin McCluskey, acting under the Energy Secretary’s legal authority. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
OCS has now formally completed the acquisition of EMCOR UK from EMCOR Group Inc. after clearing the UK regulatory process. This transaction brings together two of the UK’s largest hard services-led facilities services businesses, with unmatched engineering capabilities and established operations across the UK, supported by a clear focus on safety, quality and long-term customer partnerships. The acquisition follows the purchase of FES FM and FES Support Services in December 2024, further strengthening OCS in the UK hard services market and significantly enhancing our technical and engineering capability. The combined division will include more than 7,000 engineers and annual revenues exceeding £1 billion. This creates one of the largest hard services providers in the UK, with the scale, expertise and comprehensive UK coverage needed to support customers in complex and critical environments. The integration brings together long-standing expertise across defence, data centres, government, healthcare, life sciences and commercial property, serving customers in highly regulated and technical environments where performance, compliance and reliability are essential, supporting a hard services-led integrated FM approach across these sectors. The combined business will strengthen support in energy services and technology-led engineering, with recognised strengths in asset data, performance insight and predictive maintenance, which complements OCS’s established Energy Services team. Together, the organisation will support customers with energy management, decarbonisation plans, compliance, smart building controls and data-led engineering strategies that improve performance and resilience. Rob Legge, Group Chief Executive Officer of OCS, said: “This acquisition supports our ambition to build the best hard services-led facilities services business in the world, with the skills and scale to deliver what customers need across essential sectors. We are bringing together teams known for their technical depth and commitment to safety, which strengthens our ability to make people and places the best they can be” Daniel Dickson, UK and Ireland CEO of OCS, said: “Bringing these businesses together creates a stronger hard services platform for the UK, with deeper technical capability, wider sector coverage and enhanced engineering support for customers across complex and critical environments. The integration of our divisions will give colleagues more opportunities to develop and customers a broader range of integrated services across the UK. Our priority now is a smooth transition that protects service quality for every customer. Both organisations share similar values and a focus on people, so colleagues will continue to deliver with the same professionalism and care.” Cheryl McCall, Chief Executive Officer of EMCOR UK, said: “We are thrilled to join an organisation that shares our deep commitment to putting customers and our people at the heart of everything we do. The combined organisation will bring specialist skills to support customers in environments where performance, safety, and reliability matter every day. We look forward to working with teams across the business as we combine our strengths in Facilities Management, hard services, engineering excellence, and innovation across data insights, asset, and carbon management.” Over the coming months, teams across the business will work together to ensure a smooth integration and continued support for customers, guided by OCS’s mission to make people and places the best they can be. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Heidelberg Materials UK’s plans to build the UK’s first carbon capture facility at a cement works have taken another major step forward with the signing of an engineering, procurement and construction management (EPCM) contract. The agreement with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) and Worley continues the company’s working relationship with the partners, who successfully completed the front-end engineering design (FEED) for the project at Padeswood in north Wales. Heidelberg Materials and the UK Government reached a final investment decision (FID) for the carbon capture and storage (CCS) project in September. The company has since been carrying out initial enabling works and the construction schedule is now set to move to the next phase. The facility is set to be operational in 2029, enabling the production of evoZero carbon captured near-zero cement. “This is the next major milestone in our plans to decarbonise cement production at our Padeswood cement works,” said Simon Willis, CEO at Heidelberg Materials UK. “The new facility will capture around 800,000 tonnes of CO₂ a year from our existing works and enable the production of evoZero, the world’s first carbon captured near-zero cement, on an industrial scale to help decarbonise the construction industry.” MHI is providing the carbon capture technology for the project while Worley will lead the EPCM delivery and provide support to infrastructure development, technology integration and commissioning. “We’re proud to be working alongside Heidelberg Materials and MHI to deliver a facility that will help transform cement production and support the UK’s net zero ambitions,” said Chris Ashton, Chief Executive Officer of Worley. “Our role in this project reflects our ability to enable sustainable industrial solutions and leverage our global expertise in delivery for complex energy and infrastructure projects.” Tatsuto Nagayasu, Senior Vice President (CCUS) of GX (Green Transformation) Solutions of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, said: “We are proud to support Heidelberg Materials in realizing the UK’s first full-scale carbon capture facility in the cement sector. Using our Advanced KM CDR Process™, this project will play a leading role in decarbonising one of the most challenging industrial sectors. Together with Worley, we look forward to delivering this landmark CCS facility that will contribute to the long-term resilience of UK industry and help fulfil the country’s net zero ambitions.” Heidelberg Materials’ plans at Padeswood are part of the HyNet North West decarbonisation cluster, which aims to create the world’s first low carbon industrial cluster through its development of a hydrogen and carbon capture and storage project. The carbon captured at Padeswood will be compressed and transported via an underground pipeline for secure storage under the seabed in Liverpool Bay. For more information about the project visit: Padeswood CCS Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals