A 271.5‑tonne Herrenknecht Mixshield TBM, Caroline, has started driving a 2.2km electricity cable tunnel with a 4m internal diameter beneath the River Thames in Essex for National Grid’s Grain to Tilbury project, delivered by the Ferrovial BEMO joint venture. The drive will pass through variable Thames estuary ground conditions between 35m‑deep launch and reception shafts of 15m and 12m diameter, with tunnelling continuing into 2026 and overall scheme completion targeted for 2029. The new tunnel will replace the 1969 Thames Cable Tunnel and carry new high‑voltage circuits between Grain and Tilbury substations.

A 13.46m diameter Herrenknecht Mixshield TBM has broken through into the future Balboa station on Panama Metro Line 3 after completing the first-ever TBM undercrossing of the Panama Canal at depths exceeding 60m below sea level. The 5,600kW, 26,616kNm machine, fitted with an accessible cutterhead and more than 4,500 sensors linked via the Herrenknecht.Connected platform, has achieved peak advance of 150 segment rings (about 300m) per month through mixed sandstone, tuff, breccias and basalt. Around 1.5km of the 4.5km twin-track tunnel remains to final breakthrough.

Federal funding for New York’s US$16bn Hudson Tunnel Project has been frozen, forcing the Gateway Development Commission to suspend works from 6 February after spending over US$1bn and employing about 1,000 site workers. A Manhattan federal judge has issued a temporary restraining order, giving the administration until 5 p.m. on 12 February to restore reimbursements or appeal, while contractors warn that demobilisation, resequencing and remobilisation will add cost and delay. Sites are now in “safe-pause” mode, with dewatering, ground support and environmental monitoring maintained, and assembly of two Herrenknecht TBMs in New Jersey likely to slip beyond the planned spring 2026 launch without funding certainty.

Swiss Federal Railways has awarded an Implenia/Marti 50:50 joint venture five of six MehrSpur Zurich–Winterthur lots worth just under CHF 1.7 billion, including the 8.3 km Brüttener tunnel (Lot 240) with twin 10 m diameter single-track tubes and a 1 km spur to Zurich Airport. TBM excavation will start in August 2029, with a roughly ten-year construction phase using BIM for planning and execution and extensive special foundations, earthworks and embankments. Additional works cover full redevelopment of Dietlikon station, about 6 km of new track across Dietlikon and Wallisellen sections, multiple underpasses, bridges and the Neumühle railway bridge and Storchen underpass near Winterthur.

A sinkhole roughly 8–10 m wide and several metres deep has opened on the AJ Burkitt Reserve sporting oval in Heidelberg, directly adjacent to the North East Link tunnel alignment in Melbourne’s northeast. Victorian Infrastructure Delivery Authority has confirmed the “surface hole” is in the vicinity of active tunnelling operations, leading to a work pause while engineers and emergency crews carry out geotechnical investigations and monitoring. No injuries or structural damage have been reported, but the area remains fully cordoned off pending cause determination and stability assessment.

TBM Xihe, a 7.3m-diameter, 100m-long, 1,000-tonne Herrenknecht slurry machine, has completed the up-track drive to the future Tung Chung West Station and has begun boring the down-track tunnel towards Tung Chung Station for MTR’s Tung Chung Line Extension in Hong Kong. The Bouygues Travaux Publics–Dragages Hong Kong JV turned the TBM underground within the launch shaft using a push-pull method and self-propelled modular transporter, avoiding full disassembly and surface transport. About 1.3km of new twin-bore tunnels are being driven close to existing rail and urban structures, with commissioning targeted for 2029.

Gamuda Engineering has secured the Sydney Metro Stations Package West as principal contractor, covering design and construction of five new underground stations at Westmead, North Strathfield, Burwood North, Five Dock and The Bays on the 24km Sydney Metro West line between Greater Parramatta and the CBD. The scope includes deep station boxes, entrances and access points, full station fit-out and integration with surrounding precincts, with Laing O’Rourke and DT Infrastructure joining as MetroVista delivery partners. Site works are scheduled to start on Monday, 5 January 2026.

The Metals Royalty Company has listed on Nasdaq under ticker TMCR, offering investors a royalty exposure to TMC’s NORI deep-sea polymetallic nodule project in the Pacific Ocean targeting nickel, cobalt and copper. Chief executive Brian Paes-Braga positions the structure as a conventional mining royalty model applied offshore, with returns linked to future production from nodules on the Clarion-Clipperton-type seabed rather than equity in TMC (NASDAQ: TMCWW). For mining financiers and project developers, the move signals growing capital-market appetite for seabed resource plays despite unresolved regulatory and production-risk questions.

Uranium Energy Corp has started production at its Burke Hollow project in Texas, the first new US in-situ recovery (ISR) uranium operation in more than a decade and now the country’s largest ISR wellfield, with measured and indicated resources above 6.15 million lb on a 20,000-acre property. The Vancouver-based miner now runs two active ISR operations, adding Burke Hollow to Christensen Ranch in Wyoming, with a third planned at Ludeman next year. ISR solutions from Burke Hollow will be piped to the Hobson Central Processing Plant, licensed for up to 4 million lb U₃O₈ per year.

First Quantum Minerals has partnered with the International Finance Corporation to align the Taca Taca copper project in Salta Province, Argentina, with IFC Performance Standards on Environmental and Social Sustainability, a move aimed at improving access to debt financing. The open-pit project is scoped for 40 Mtpa throughput with expansion potential to 60 Mtpa, requiring about $4.2–5.25 billion in capex and targeting roughly 291,000 tonnes of copper per year over the first decade of a 35‑year mine life. Construction is expected to create up to 4,000 jobs and 2,000 operational roles, with IFC emphasising local skills development and infrastructure build‑out.

Gold jumped as much as 3% to a three-week high above $4,850/oz after the US and Iran agreed a two-week ceasefire, easing fears that Middle East-driven oil price spikes would lock in higher inflation and delay US Federal Reserve rate cuts. Prices are still down about 9% since the war began and remain below the near-$5,600/oz record hit earlier in 2026, with analysts warning the rebound is fragile and highly sensitive to any breakdown around the Strait of Hormuz. Longer term, Goldman Sachs and Wells Fargo maintain bullish targets of $5,400/oz and $6,300/oz respectively.

Brazil’s Superior Court of Justice has reinstated criminal charges against former Vale CEO Fábio Schvartsman over the 25 January 2019 Brumadinho Córrego do Feijão tailings dam collapse, which killed more than 250 people and erased about US$19 billion from Vale’s market value in a single day. Federal prosecutors cited extensive internal documentation alleging Schvartsman assumed the risk of death by not acting on known instability issues at the upstream tailings structure, overturning a Minas Gerais court’s habeas corpus ruling. The decision restores 16 defendants, including ex‑Vale staff and TÜV SÜD consultants, with over 160 witnesses scheduled and hearings expected to run into next year, keeping corporate accountability for dam safety in sharp focus.

Rock Tech Lithium has secured a C$200 million investment from Canadian developer BMI Group to advance its Red Rock lithium converter in northern Ontario, designed to produce up to 32,000 tonnes per year of battery-grade lithium carbonate equivalent using a fully engineered and permitted converter design from its Guben, Germany operation. The 337-acre former Norampac paper mill site, about 100 km east of Thunder Bay, offers rail and road access plus roughly 120 MW of power capacity, with up to C$30 million earmarked for engineering, permitting and early works ahead of a 2026 final investment decision. Feedstock is planned from Rock Tech’s Georgia Lake project 60 km north, which has 10.6 million indicated tonnes at 0.88% Li₂O and 4.2 million inferred tonnes at 1% Li₂O, with mine capex estimated at about C$291 million for a nine-year life and converter start-up targeted for 2029.

VSBW, the VolkerStevin–Boskalis Westminster joint venture, has opened the latest phase of the Southsea Coastal Scheme, delivering a new engineered frontage on the Portsmouth seafront. The section forms part of the multi-phase tidal flood defence upgrade designed to protect thousands of low-lying properties from coastal flooding and overtopping events. For geotechnical and coastal engineers, the scheme is a live reference for complex urban seawall construction, ground improvement and phased works in a constrained, heavily used waterfront environment.

Kier has mobilised a 100-strong team to deliver a £700M Norfolk highways and infrastructure services agreement, signalling the full operational start of the long-term contract. The programme will cover routine and structural maintenance of the county’s road network, associated structures and local infrastructure assets, with Kier responsible for planning, inspection and on-the-ground works. Contractors and suppliers can expect sustained demand for pavement materials, drainage upgrades and asset condition surveys across Norfolk’s strategic and local routes over the contract period.

Engineers have launched the Association for Consultancy and Engineering’s Delivering Infrastructure 2050 manifesto, calling for long-term reform of Welsh transport, energy and water networks ahead of the 7 May Senedd elections. The document presses for a stable 25-year infrastructure pipeline, faster planning and consenting for major schemes, and clearer funding models for projects such as strategic road upgrades and grid reinforcement. For geotechnical and civil practitioners, the proposals signal potential continuity of workload but also tighter scrutiny on whole-life carbon, asset resilience and value-based procurement.

Restoration of a 200-year-old suspension bridge by VolkerLaser is explored in a new Engineers Collective podcast episode, focusing on the structural and materials challenges of upgrading historic ironwork and timber elements to modern loading and durability expectations. The discussion covers techniques such as sympathetic strengthening of hangers and deck connections, corrosion management on original metalwork, and careful staging of works to maintain stability. Engineers gain insight into balancing heritage constraints with current design codes, inspection regimes and long-term maintenance planning for ageing suspension structures.

American Ocean Minerals Corp. is merging with Odyssey Marine Exploration in an all‑stock reverse takeover to form a roughly $1 billion Nasdaq‑listed deep‑sea miner (ticker AOMC), backed by over $225 million in recent equity financings and chaired by former Rio Tinto CEO Tom Albanese. The company is assembling a polymetallic nodule portfolio across the Cook Islands EEZ and US‑regulated international waters, including the Clarion‑Clipperton Zone and Penrhyn Basin, targeting nickel, copper, cobalt, manganese, iron and rare earths. AOMC has already met compliance for two US exploration applications under the Deep Seabed Hard Mineral Resources Act, covering more than 1.4 billion tonnes of inferred resources and moving towards prefeasibility and environmental studies as regulation evolves.

A £56M infrastructure programme by SP Electricity North West has started to replace 47km of overhead power lines along Cumbria’s West Coast, targeting ageing assets on key rural and coastal corridors. Works will involve new poles, conductors and associated foundations, with construction teams needing to manage soft ground, exposed coastal conditions and live-network constraints. For civil and geotechnical contractors, the scheme signals upcoming demand for access track upgrades, temporary works, and foundation design suited to high wind loads and variable ground conditions.

£3.5bn of Government Commercial Agency contracts have been awarded for defence, nuclear, general infrastructure, flood risk and asset management works, rising to £4.2bn including VAT. The framework covers global infrastructure delivery rather than UK-only schemes, but the contracting authorities have not disclosed the successful suppliers or lot allocations. Lack of visibility on contractor line-up and scope detail makes it harder for tier 2–3 specialists and consultants to position for upcoming packages in defence and nuclear civils, flood alleviation schemes and long-term asset management programmes.

Brogan Group is expanding its scaffolding operations across the Midlands and North of England, appointing industry specialist Jon Cooke to lead growth in combined access solutions for regional projects. The move follows investment in powered access, particularly construction hoists, and builds on the October 2025 acquisition of Sunbelt’s hoist division. A Wigan depot will act as a central hub for large-scale scaffolding, powered access, common tower, Atlas loading gantry and crane deck projects, consolidating temporary works logistics for major sites.

Trant Engineering has opened a new regional office in Exeter to service its five‑year AMP8 Amplify Framework contract with South West Water, located close to the client’s headquarters for tighter programme and site coordination. The hub will support project delivery across Devon, Cornwall and Somerset, including western Wessex Water framework schemes and newly secured Bristol Water works. Trant plans to use the base to consolidate design, construction and MEICA delivery for water, energy and defence infrastructure in the South West.

Laing O’Rourke has secured BSI certification to PAS 2080:2023 for carbon management in buildings and infrastructure, confirming its organisation-wide processes for assessing and reducing whole-life emissions. The updated PAS 2080:2023 specification extends beyond linear infrastructure to cover buildings and mandates value-chain collaboration, transparent governance and quantified carbon reduction pathways aligned with net-zero targets. For contractors and consultants, this signals that major Tier 1 clients may increasingly require verifiable PAS 2080-compliant carbon management on design, procurement and construction packages.

Morgan Sindall Construction has secured a £29.3m contract from Ealing Council to redevelop Villiers High School in Southall, centred on a new three-storey Eco teaching block. The scheme will replace outdated accommodation with a modern block designed to improve energy performance and support expanded capacity, although detailed fabric, MEP and low‑carbon system specifications have not yet been released. Contractors and designers should note the project as another London borough commissioning higher‑value, sustainability‑branded school infrastructure, with procurement and design standards likely to track current DfE low‑energy school guidance.

Strabag UK has acquired Crofton Engineering Limited, a Linton, Cambridgeshire-based specialist in structural steelwork, architectural metalwork and turnkey fire training infrastructure including training buildings and towers. Crofton will continue trading under its own name from its existing fabrication and installation facilities, with the current senior management team retained to maintain project and client continuity. Strabag MD technical Ian Burford said the deal is a core part of Strabag’s UK growth strategy, pairing its wider resources with Crofton’s specialist steel fabrication and fire-training structures expertise.

Perenti’s underground mining arm Barminco has secured a A$180 million extension to its alliance-style contract with Regis Resources at the Duketon Operations in Western Australia’s Goldfields, building on the three-year agreement first announced on 2 April 2024. The extension keeps Barminco in place for additional years of underground development and production services, locking in fleet, workforce and ground support planning across multiple Duketon orebodies. Contractors and suppliers can expect continued demand for underground drilling, blasting, ventilation, and backfill consumables tied to Regis’ ongoing gold production strategy.

AngloGold Ashanti has deployed a Normet Utimec LF 600 Transmixer SD battery-electric concrete mixer at its Cuiabá underground gold mine in Brazil, claimed as the first electric concrete mixer operating in the country. The SmartDrive unit will undergo an 18‑month trial, targeting reduced diesel use and lower heat and exhaust loads in confined headings. For geotechnical and shotcrete operations, the trial will test whether battery haul and mixing cycles can maintain required concrete quality and placement rates without compromising ventilation design.

First Quantum Minerals has received formal approval from the Government of Panama to remove, process and export stockpiled ore at the 85 Mt/y Cobre Panamá copper complex, limited to material mined before the November 2023 suspension. The campaign will draw down existing ROM and crushed ore stockpiles to reduce geotechnical and environmental risks from long-term surface storage, including potential slope instability and contact water management issues. Processing will use the existing concentrator and tailings facilities under previously permitted operating parameters.

Weir’s Heavy Bay Foundry in Gqeberha, Eastern Cape is undergoing a major expansion to serve as a central manufacturing hub in the company’s global supply chain for large high-performance cast components. The upgraded facility will supply castings for Weir’s heavy-duty slurry pumps, screening equipment and crushers, consolidating production that was previously spread across multiple sites. For mining OEM and project engineers, the move signals increased casting capacity and shorter lead times for critical wear parts and process equipment.

Orica Digital Solutions has launched a next-generation GroundProbe geotechnical monitoring platform aimed at mine slope stability, combining “future-ready” hardware with new software workflows for faster, higher-confidence decisions. The system is designed for quick, low-touch deployment and intuitive, risk-based monitoring workflows so small geotechnical teams can manage continuous radar or laser-based surveillance with less manual intervention. Orica is pitching the upgrade at operations needing rapid setup and streamlined data interpretation to support day-to-day geotechnical risk management around highwalls, tailings and pit ramps.

Industrialising delivery of small modular reactors (SMRs) is being pushed as critical if the UK is to convert its renewed nuclear ambitions into a scalable, low‑carbon baseload fleet. Proponents argue for factory‑fabricated reactor modules, standardised civil works and repeatable balance‑of‑plant designs, rather than bespoke, site‑specific construction seen on gigawatt‑scale projects like Hinkley Point C. For civil and geotechnical engineers, this points to highly standardised nuclear island foundations, modular containment structures and logistics‑driven site layouts that can be replicated rapidly across multiple locations.

The Hunter Region’s M1 Pacific Motorway extension to Raymond Terrace is now scheduled to open in late 2026, more than a year ahead of the original programme, after acceleration enabled by completion of the Heatherbrae Bypass. The project, described as one of the region’s largest infrastructure undertakings, extends the existing M1 corridor north of Newcastle, creating a continuous high‑speed link that bypasses current congestion pinch points. Early opening will shift heavy vehicle traffic off local roads sooner, affecting pavement design life assumptions, maintenance planning and freight logistics across the Hunter network.

AI-driven subsurface intelligence is shifting mining from drilling more holes to connecting fragmented datasets, with 51% of geoprofessionals already using or considering AI despite only 39% of organisations having a defined data framework. At OceanaGold’s Waihi mine in New Zealand, a cloud-based AI tool re-analysed legacy drill data to identify a previously unmodelled vein in 60 minutes, adding an estimated US$10 million in value, while PT Stargate reports a 10% gain in grade control efficiency and an 80% reduction in drilling. Dynamic, traceable geological models are emerging as key to faster permitting, more defensible risk assessments, and tighter control of drilling-related environmental impacts.

Townsville’s Cleveland Bay Purification Plant is being upgraded to supply up to 15 megalitres per day of industrial-grade recycled water to the Sun Metals zinc refinery and the adjacent Lansdown Eco-Industrial Precinct, freeing higher-quality potable supplies for Townsville’s 200,000-plus residents. The $274.2 million project includes new pipelines, storage and treatment assets designed for heavy industrial users, underpinning planned critical minerals processing and battery materials facilities in the city’s south. For engineers, the scheme reduces water security risk for future hydrometallurgical and chemical plants in a region already constrained by variable rainfall.

Bellevue Gold has reported record underlying free cash flow for the March 2026 quarter at its Bellevue operation in Western Australia, driven by higher head grades and stronger mill performance as the project moves through ramp-up. The underground mine, targeting more than 200,000oz per annum at nameplate, is increasing stoping tonnage from the Armand and Deacon lodes while continuing development of new high-grade panels. Management is prioritising accelerated decline advance and ventilation upgrades to support higher ore production rates and sustain the improved grade profile.

Regis Resources has added $198 million in cash and bullion in the latest quarter, taking its liquidity buffer to around $1 billion as higher output from its Duketon operations and Tropicana joint venture feeds through to the balance sheet. Management is prioritising debt reduction and disciplined capital allocation over major new acquisitions, while continuing brownfields drilling around Garden Well and Rosemont to extend open-pit and underground mine lives. The stronger balance sheet gives Regis more flexibility to fund cutbacks, waste stripping and potential plant upgrades without stressing project cashflows.

Perenti has secured a further extension to its underground mining services contract with Regis Resources at the Duketon gold operations in Western Australia, reinforcing a long-running contractor–owner relationship on the multi-mine complex. The deal keeps Barminco, Perenti’s underground division, in place for core services such as jumbo development, production drilling, load-and-haul and ground support across Duketon’s underground orebodies. Continuity of a single contractor on a mature site like Duketon typically allows tighter control of unit costs, ground control practices and equipment maintenance strategies.

Ramelius Resources has kept its FY26 production guidance of 260,000–300,000 ounces of gold despite a cyclone, higher diesel prices and operational disruptions affecting its March quarter output. Weather-related access issues and fuel cost inflation have raised unit mining and haulage costs at its Western Australian open pits, pressuring margins and short-term strip ratios. Maintaining guidance signals continued confidence in ore reserve quality and mill performance, but leaves limited buffer for further weather or supply-chain shocks in upcoming quarters.

MAX Power Mining has drilled the Bracken Well, completed a high‑resolution 3D seismic survey over the Lawson Discovery and the wider 15‑19 discovery area, and identified a Lawson “look‑a‑like” target 12 km southwest using legacy 2D seismic, materially enlarging its natural hydrogen footprint along Saskatchewan’s 475‑km Genesis Trend. Core desorption tests from Cambrian Basal sands above the Basement Complex hydrogen zone returned helium up to 8.7% (average 4.4%), leveraging historically high helium prices. Backed by a C$20.5 million raise, MAX Power plans a Lawson follow‑up well, Bracken completion and further seismic across Genesis and Grasslands, with Bell Canada’s proposed mega data centre nearby adding potential baseload demand.

CEA has expanded its national footprint from five metropolitan branches to seven sites, adding new regional facilities in Mackay and Rockhampton to distribute heavy equipment into Queensland’s mining, civil and road construction markets. From these hubs, CEA now supplies a broad SANY portfolio – including excavators, wheel loaders and compaction equipment – alongside other OEM lines for quarrying, materials handling and infrastructure works. The denser service network should shorten maintenance response times and parts supply chains for contractors operating large fleets on remote haul roads and highway projects.

Allied Critical Metals’ Borralha project in northern Portugal has intersected over 200 metres of visible tungsten mineralisation at the new Venise breccia target, 400 metres from the Santa Helena breccia complex, sending its shares up 8% to C$1.88 and valuing the company at C$317 million. A March PEA for Santa Helena alone, based on 13 Mt at 0.21% WO₃ (measured and indicated) and 7 Mt at 0.18% WO₃ (inferred), outlines an 11‑year mine producing 1,708 t/y WO₃ with an after-tax NPV of C$473 million and 49% IRR. Venise, defined within a 20,000‑metre drill programme and historically mapped but never systematically tested, was excluded from the PEA and is now central to plans to grow a district-scale tungsten system designated a strategic national project by idD Portugal Defence.

BRICS+ central banks now hold about 6,000 tonnes of gold, or 17.4% of global reserves, up from 11.2% in 2019, with Russia (2,336 tonnes), China (2,298 tonnes) and India (880 tonnes) the largest holders. Annual official-sector gold buying has averaged roughly 1,000 tonnes over the past four years, doubling after 2022 sanctions on Russia, and BRICS+ countries accounted for more than half of purchases between 2020 and 2024. The report flags Saudi Arabia as a potential “wild card”, noting that a shift to a 5% gold allocation could alone match projected total central bank demand for 2026.

The BNG Federation accuses the UK government of breaking its promise to set a clear timetable for applying biodiversity net gain (BNG) rules to nationally significant infrastructure projects (NSIPs), leaving major schemes in a “regulatory vacuum”. Developers of large highways, energy and rail projects currently lack certainty on when and how the statutory 10% BNG requirement will apply, complicating land acquisition, habitat design and long-term management plans. The federation warns that without a defined start date and guidance, DCO applications and environmental impact assessments risk delay and redesign.

Copper’s early-2026 rally above $14,500/t has fully reversed, with prices now around $12,000/t and down 2.5% year-to-date after the Iran war and Strait of Hormuz disruptions pushed energy costs higher and clouded global growth. Goldman Sachs, led by analyst Aurelia Waltham, has cut its 2026 base-case copper target to $12,650/t from $12,850/t, versus an estimated “fair value” of about $11,100/t, and warns of a “severely adverse” downside scenario if the strait stays blocked. For project modellers and mine planners, the bank’s note signals weaker near-term demand assumptions and greater price risk around expansion and hedging decisions.

Revival Gold’s 2025 drilling at the past-producing Mercur gold project in Utah returned one of its strongest South Mercur intercepts to date, with hole RMC25-031 cutting 74 m at 2.8 g/t Au from 91 m downhole, including 13 m at 8 g/t from 13 m depth, and RMC25-032 intersecting 84 m at 1.1 g/t from 14 m. The company, which now owns 100% of Mercur after buying Barrick’s remaining stake, is advancing a heap leach operation based on a PEA outlining US$208 million capex for a 10-year, 95,000 oz/y mine. A 16,000 m follow-up drilling and engineering programme will feed into a pre-feasibility study targeted for Q1 2027, ahead of a potential construction decision in 2028 and first production in 2029.

MAXAM Tire has added a 45/65R45 size to its MS406 E4/L4 off-the-road tyre line, targeting heavy loader applications in mining and large quarry operations. The MS406 design uses a deep tread pattern and reinforced casing to handle high load cycles and abrasive conditions, aiming to extend service life and reduce unplanned downtime on large wheel loaders. For mine operators, the new size broadens fitment options on 45-inch rims, supporting tyre standardisation across mixed fleets and tighter cost-per-hour control.

Pilot Crushtec will use the Hillhead 2026 show (23–25 June, UK, c.20,000 visitors expected) to launch its latest-generation TwisterTrac VS350E Stage V mobile crusher and push for an expanded European dealer network. The VS350E, a track-mounted vertical shaft impact unit, is configured for quarrying, construction and recycling applications where EU Stage V emissions compliance is now mandatory. Stronger distribution in Europe signals more local support and parts availability for high-spec mobile crushing fleets on both greenfield and brownfield sites.

Engineers restored rail services through Somerset after completing Easter bank holiday works at East Somerset Junction, between Westbury and Taunton, several hours ahead of schedule. Teams replaced life-expired rail, sleepers and ballast on this key junction, working within a tight multi-day possession to minimise disruption on the route. The renewal improves track geometry, drainage and bearing capacity at the junction, reducing future maintenance interventions and supporting higher reliability for passenger and freight operations.

McEwen Copper is seeking about $4 billion in financing, including export-credit support from agencies such as the US Export-Import Bank and the US International Development Finance Corp., to build the Los Azules copper project in Argentina. The feasibility-stage operation targets copper cathode production, not concentrate, with planned output of 205,000 tonnes per year for the first five years, then averaging 148,000 tonnes over a projected 22-year mine life, extendable to 33 years. Backers include Stellantis and Rio Tinto’s Nuton, with a $300 million IPO and first production by 2030 under consideration.

Hunterston B in North Ayrshire has become the first advanced gas-cooled reactor (AGR) nuclear power station to transfer from EDF to direct UK Government ownership as it moves into the full decommissioning phase. The twin-reactor AGR plant, which ceased generation in 2022 after more than four decades of operation, will now be managed through the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority’s framework. For civil and geotechnical contractors, the shift signals upcoming packages for reactor dismantling, large reinforced concrete demolition, waste encapsulation structures and long-term coastal site management.