Balfour Beatty has strengthened its position at the forefront of the UK’s electricity infrastructure transformation after securing a £325m contract to deliver a major new transmission hub in Aberdeenshire that will play a critical role in connecting the next generation of renewable energy projects. Awarded by Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN), the contract will see Balfour Beatty construct the Netherton Hub, one of the largest and most strategically important electricity transmission developments currently planned in Scotland. The project forms part of the UK’s ongoing investment in strengthening the national grid to support increasing volumes of clean, homegrown renewable energy. The two-year contract has been awarded through SSEN’s Accelerated Strategic Transmission Investment Offshore Framework and builds upon Balfour Beatty’s existing involvement at the site, having previously been appointed to undertake enabling works. Located in Aberdeenshire, the Netherton Hub will become a key component of Scotland’s expanding transmission network, helping to connect offshore wind farms and other renewable energy generation projects while improving energy security and supporting the UK’s transition towards a low-carbon economy. Under the contract, Balfour Beatty will deliver extensive earthworks and major civil engineering infrastructure across the site. The development will include five large platforms designed to accommodate two electrical substations and three converter stations, together with an operational base and supporting infrastructure required to manage one of the country’s most significant grid investment programmes. Construction activity is expected to support more than 800 jobs at its peak, providing a significant economic boost to the region. In addition, Balfour Beatty has committed to ensuring that at least five per cent of its workforce on the project will comprise apprentices and graduates, helping to develop the next generation of engineering and construction professionals. The award reflects the rapidly growing demand for specialist contractors capable of delivering complex energy infrastructure as network operators continue to invest billions of pounds in upgrading Britain’s electricity transmission system. As offshore wind generation expands and electricity demand rises through the electrification of transport, heating and industry, major transmission hubs such as Netherton will become increasingly vital to maintaining a resilient and flexible national grid. Philip Hoare, Group Chief Executive of Balfour Beatty, said the Netherton Hub will play a pivotal role in enabling the delivery of secure, homegrown, low-carbon power at scale, supporting the UK’s long-term energy security while accelerating progress towards Net Zero. The project also highlights the growing importance of Scotland within the UK’s renewable energy landscape, where significant investment in transmission infrastructure is essential to unlock the full potential of offshore wind resources and support future economic growth. As construction progresses, the Netherton Hub is expected to become a cornerstone of Britain’s evolving energy network, providing the infrastructure needed to connect clean electricity generation with homes, businesses and industries across the UK for decades to come. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

OCU Group today announces the acquisition of Volta Energy Group (“Volta”), an Australian energy advisory, design, project delivery and high-voltage commissioning business specialising in the development and delivery of major energy infrastructure projects.  The acquisition further strengthens OCU’s growing presence across Australia and New Zealand (ANZ) and expands the Group’s capability across the full energy project lifecycle, from early-stage development and advisory services through to project delivery and operational support as an integrated end-to-end solution provider for clients.    With offices in Melbourne and Sydney, Australia, Volta has established a strong reputation for supporting large-scale renewable energy, transmission, datacentre, and energy infrastructure projects through a combination of technical expertise, commercial insight and practical delivery experience. Volta is an Approved Contractor in the state of Victoria, enabling the company to work on regulated electricity networks. The accreditation process is highly selective, with only a small number of companies achieving the exacting standards required for approval.  The acquisition adds upstream grid connection, power systems studies and early-stage advisory capability – improving visibility of pipeline, grid constraints and project origination, alongside scarce downstream expertise in commissioning, substations, BESS and system integration. The addition of Volta to the Group further positions OCU as being able to offer a broader integrated service proposition across Australia and New Zealand, combining strategic advisory and design, project development and delivery expertise.  “Volta adds an important capability to our growing Australia & New Zealand operations” said Sheldon Upton, CEO of OCU Group (ANZ). “The team brings deep expertise in energy project development, commercial advisory and project delivery, complementing the construction and engineering capabilities already established within OCU. Together, we are creating a stronger proposition for clients seeking support across the entire infrastructure lifecycle.”  Ryan McKenzie, Managing Director of Volta added: “Volta was founded on the belief that successful energy projects require a combination of technical excellence, commercial understanding and practical delivery experience. Joining OCU Group gives us access to a broader international platform while allowing us to continue supporting clients with the same specialist expertise and collaborative approach that has underpinned our growth.”  Australia’s energy market continues to evolve rapidly, creating demand for partners that can support projects from concept through to delivery. Volta’s experience in development, grid connection and project advisory adds significant value to OCU’s existing offering and strengthens the team’s ability to support clients as projects continue to become increasingly complex.   The move further supports OCU’s disciplined international expansion strategy and continues to build the Group’s capability across renewable energy, power infrastructure and the wider energy transition market throughout Australia and New Zealand.  Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

Continues Costain’s track record of delivering predictably as it upgrades pipeline through to 2029 Costain, the infrastructure solutions company, has marked the completion of five years of its Contract Management Organisation (CMO) contract with Cadent by delivering 1625km of gas main line. Cadent is the UK’s largest gas distribution network managing more than 131,000km of pipes and transporting gas to 11 million customers. Since 2021, Costain has been tasked with upgrading more than 300km of gas mains each year in Cadent’s East of England network.   The progress, which has involved more than 230,000 reinstated excavations and 160,000m3 tonnes of backfill and top material, means that 168,000 homes have now had new gas mains and supplies installed. The upgrades support a more resilient energy network by reducing the risk of supply disruption to households and businesses in the region. Costain has consistently ensured best-in-class results in health and safety, programme management, commercial and operational excellence, and customer satisfaction scores. This strong performance led to Costain in 2024 seeing the initial five-year contract being extended to run to eight years, through to 2029. Alan Cheung, Energy Sector Director at Costain, said: “This is a fantastic milestone that is testament to Costain’s reputation of delivering predictably and efficiently. Over the last five years we have cultivated productive and collaborative working relationships with Cadent and our local supply chain teams, which have enabled us to maintain the highest safety, quality and efficiency standards and achieve record customer satisfaction scores. “As we embark to the next phase of the project, we’ll be working closely with Cadent to ensure this transformative scheme continues to improve the lives of millions of people in the East of England whilst making the UK’s energy system more resilient for future generations.” Victoria Grieve, Network Director for the East of England at Cadent said: “Costain has been a trusted partner to Cadent for years. It is helping us deliver our major investment programme to enhance the gas network, keeping millions of people warm in their homes and supporting the transition to lower-carbon gases.“The last five years have seen the network undergo significant enhancements and this milestone illustrates the collaborative partnership between ourselves, Costain and its supply chain, and we’re excited to continue pressing on with these upgrades together.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

Rolls-Royce SMR has signed a landmark agreement in the UK with Great British Energy – Nuclear (GBE-N) to begin work on three small modular reactors (SMRs) at Wylfa, on the coast of Ynys Môn. The contract enables immediate progress on site and marks a major step toward delivering what is expected to be Europe’s first fleet of SMRs. It provides the certainty needed for Rolls-Royce SMR to advance its site-specific design, order key components, and scale up recruitment to deliver the initial three units. The Wylfa project was first announced in November 2025 by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who confirmed the site would host the country’s first SMRs. Chris Cholerton, Rolls-Royce SMR Chief Executive, said: “This contract unlocks the delivery of our first three units at Wylfa and is a tangible example of the Government’s ‘golden age’ of new nuclear being delivered successfully with British technology. “This brings certainty to the UK SMR programme and differentiates our business as the only SMR company with multiple commitments in Europe – an initial three units at Wylfa and up to six units in Czechia. “We are transforming the way nuclear projects are delivered, to give greater cost and schedule certainty with a standardised, factory-built approach. This project is important to the UK’s energy security and will power up our business and the UK supply chain.” The development is expected to create around 3,000 jobs locally at Wylfa and a further 5,000 jobs across the UK, boosting the domestic supply chain and nuclear workforce. Chancellor Rachel Reeves said: “This investment, along with vital financing from the National Wealth Fund, will strengthen our energy security, create skilled jobs and help to build a new generation of homegrown nuclear technology that will power our economy for decades to come. “We have the right economic plan – one where growth and clean energy go hand in hand – and one that will benefit everyone across the country.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

Rolls-Royce SMR has signed a pivotal contract with Great British Energy – Nuclear to deliver the UK’s first generation of Small Modular Reactors, marking a major milestone for both the energy and construction sectors. The agreement follows the company’s selection as preferred technology partner in June last year, with £2.6 billion earmarked in the 2025 Spending Review to support the wider rollout of the programme. The first project is set to be developed at Wylfa on Anglesey in North Wales, where construction is expected to support around 3,000 jobs at peak delivery, alongside thousands more across the national supply chain. The scheme represents a significant pipeline of work spanning advanced manufacturing, infrastructure delivery and specialist engineering. Under the terms of the contract, Rolls-Royce SMR will progress site-specific design, regulatory approvals and planning activities, moving the project closer to a final investment decision. The programme is based on a standardised, factory-built approach, aimed at improving cost efficiency and programme certainty compared with traditional nuclear construction. The company plans to deliver three SMR units in the UK, with each facility capable of generating enough electricity to power approximately one million homes. The modular nature of the technology is expected to drive demand for off-site manufacturing, logistics hubs and highly specialised industrial facilities. A consortium including BAM Nuttall, Laing O’Rourke and Atkins is supporting the development of the SMR design, bringing together expertise across engineering, construction and project delivery. Chris Cholerton, chief executive of Rolls-Royce SMR, said the agreement provides clarity and momentum for the programme, enabling the transition from planning into delivery. He added that the scheme will play a key role in strengthening the UK’s energy security while creating long-term opportunities for the construction sector and domestic supply chain. The deal highlights the growing importance of nuclear-led infrastructure in driving industrial development, with SMRs positioned to reshape how large-scale energy assets are designed, manufactured and delivered across the UK. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

Engineering consultancy Arup has been appointed to carry out early-stage design and engineering work for the UK’s first small modular reactor (SMR), planned for the Wylfa site on Anglesey. Great British Energy – Nuclear (GBE-N) confirmed that Arup will provide early-phase foundation engineering and design support as the landmark project begins to take shape. Small modular reactors are designed to accelerate the construction of new nuclear power generation. Their smaller, factory-built components are intended to simplify construction compared with traditional nuclear plants. SMRs are also expected to play a key role in supporting intermittent renewable energy sources such as wind and solar, helping to maintain electricity supply during periods of low generation, sometimes referred to as a dunkelflaute or “dark doldrums”. They could also provide direct power connections for major industrial energy users. Plans for the Wylfa scheme were confirmed in November 2025, when GBE-N announced proposals to build three reactors at the site in Ynys Môn, Wales, using technology developed by Rolls-Royce. The project is backed by £2.5bn of UK government funding. Earlier this year, US engineering firm Amentum was selected to lead the delivery programme. It is being supported by a team including Turner & Townsend, Hochtief, Mace Consult and Unipart. Arup’s appointment brings together a group of specialist partners working on the early stages of the project. Landscape architects and master planners LDA Design are involved in shaping the wider site vision, while nuclear safety specialists TÜV SÜD Nuclear Technologies will provide safety expertise. Gleeds has been appointed to focus on cost engineering during the initial phases of site and infrastructure development. Simon Roddy, chief executive of GBE-N, said delivering a safe and integrated design for the UK’s first SMR would require close collaboration between engineering and technology partners. He said the project would rely on strong technical decision-making and innovation, adding that Arup and its partners would play a key role alongside GBE-N and Rolls-Royce SMR. Jeremy Stain, Arup’s nuclear business lead, said the project represented the first step towards a potential fleet of small modular reactors across the UK. He said the development aligned with national energy policy and the drive to reduce carbon emissions while strengthening energy security, with nuclear expected to remain a vital part of the future energy mix. Stain added that Arup was pleased to bring its multidisciplinary engineering expertise and local knowledge to the landmark project. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

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

Wylfa on the Isle of Anglesey in North Wales has been selected as the site for the UK’s first small modular reactor (SMR) nuclear power station. The government has confirmed that publicly owned Great British Energy-Nuclear will develop three SMR units at Wylfa, with Rolls-Royce named as the preferred technology supplier, subject to final contract agreements. Great British Energy-Nuclear is expected to begin activity on site in 2026. While the initial development is for three reactors, the site has the potential capacity for up to eight SMR units in total. The ambition is for Wylfa’s small modular reactors to begin supplying electricity to the grid from the mid-2030s. The £2.5bn scheme is projected to support up to 3,000 skilled jobs at peak construction, providing a significant boost to the local economy. Prime minister Keir Starmer said that the project marks a turning point for both Anglesey and the UK’s nuclear sector, noting that the country had once been a global leader in nuclear power but had suffered from “years of neglect and inertia”. He added that the government is cutting red tape, reforming planning rules and backing growth to deliver the first SMR in North Wales. Simon Bowen, chair of Great British Energy-Nuclear, said the Wylfa project would establish the foundation for a fleet-based approach to nuclear development in the UK, enhancing energy security while driving long-term investment into the surrounding area. Chris Cholerton, chief executive of Rolls-Royce SMR, described Wylfa as the starting point for the company’s UK fleet programme. He said the scheme represents the first step in a 100-year commitment to clean energy, innovation and partnership with the local community. Cholerton added that the SMRs would be delivered using a high degree of modularisation and factory-built components, reducing disruption for local residents during construction. The decision has, however, disappointed the US government, which had hoped to see Westinghouse selected to deliver a larger-scale nuclear reactor at Wylfa. Warren Stephens, US ambassador to the UK, said the United States was “extremely disappointed” by the move, arguing that alternative options could provide clean, safe energy at the site more quickly and at lower cost. He suggested there remained “a different path” for large-scale nuclear projects and stressed that high energy costs could hinder the UK’s ability to act as a strong ally to the United States. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals