Ofwat has accepted a £44.7M enforcement package from Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water to remediate wastewater network failures and cut sewage spills across Wales. The measures will target storm overflows and underperforming treatment works, with investment directed to upgrading sewer infrastructure, increasing storage capacity and improving process control at key wastewater treatment plants. For civil and environmental engineers, the programme signals near-term demand for hydraulic modelling, network rehabilitation, and construction of additional attenuation and treatment assets under tighter regulatory scrutiny.

Nova has switched on a floating solar farm at a Cheshire silica sand quarry, delivering on-site power generation for one of the UK’s largest producers of high-quality industrial silica sand. Developed with environmental consultancy RSK, the array is mounted on a buoyant platform system on the quarry lake, preserving limited land area for extraction and processing infrastructure. The installation reduces grid dependence for energy-intensive washing and grading plant, and will require geotechnical and hydraulic checks on anchoring, bank stability and water-level variability over the quarry’s remaining life.

BHP and the Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation are trialling a marine biofuel blend derived from used cooking oil and waste animal fats on a BHP‑chartered bulk carrier voyage from Australia to China. The pilot focuses on blending, handling and tracing multi‑feedstock biofuels through existing bunker supply chains, using current marine fuel infrastructure rather than dedicated new storage or pipelines. Outcomes will inform fuel specification, engine performance and contamination risk management for large dry bulk vessels on long‑haul export routes.