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Core Lithium has awarded a three-year underground mining contract, with a two-year extension option, to Dev Mining Services (a Develop Global subsidiary) for the BP33 deposit that underpins the Finniss lithium operation in Australia’s Northern Territory. The scope covers all underground production activities at BP33, shifting Finniss from open-pit to a combined open-pit/underground operation and locking in a medium-term mining services provider. For engineers and contractors, the deal signals forward work on underground development, ground support and lithium ore handling in a relatively young NT hard-rock lithium district.

Barminco has secured an underground mining services contract worth about A$850 million over four years, with a one-year extension option, at Bellevue Gold’s high-grade Bellevue gold project in Western Australia. The scope is expected to cover decline and level development, production stoping and associated underground services for the planned underground mine, positioning Barminco as the key contractor through the project’s ramp-up phase. The scale and term of the award signal long-term demand for specialised underground fleet, labour and ground support capacity in the WA gold sector.

Boliden’s Somincor zinc and copper operations in Portugal are about to trial their first battery-electric production support unit, a Normet Variomec XS 035 Crew SD mine service vehicle delivered this week after being showcased at The Electric Mine in Lisbon. The compact XS 035 platform is configured for crew transport and general services, targeting reduced diesel emissions and heat in deep workings. Results from this trial will inform Somincor’s wider electrification strategy for auxiliary fleets and associated ventilation load reductions.

Australia’s 2026/27 Federal Budget allocates more than $8.6 billion to new and ongoing nationally significant transport projects, while keeping a rolling infrastructure pipeline above $120 billion over 10 years. Funding profiles are being reshaped in the near term to reflect economic impacts from the Middle East conflict and broader fiscal pressures, rather than cutting headline commitments. Contractors and designers can expect continuity on major road and rail corridors but should plan for timing shifts in tender releases, cashflow and staging of large packages.

Forrestania Resources has exercised its option to acquire 100 per cent of Hyden Project Holdings, giving it full control of the Hyden gold project in Western Australia’s Wheatbelt. The project sits roughly 300km east of Perth and complements Forrestania’s existing lithium and gold tenure in the Forrestania and Southern Cross greenstone belts. The deal consolidates a larger contiguous land package over Archean greenstones, with potential for structurally controlled lode gold systems similar to other shear-hosted deposits in the region, and will likely refocus near-term drilling and resource definition.

Barminco has secured an $850 million underground mining contract from Bellevue Gold for the Bellevue gold project in Western Australia, extending Perenti’s footprint in high-grade underground operations. The scope is expected to cover long-hole stoping, decline and level development, and associated ground support for narrow-vein orebodies typical of the Bellevue deposit. Contractors and suppliers should anticipate demand for high-productivity jumbo development, paste-fill or cemented rockfill systems, and geotechnical instrumentation to manage seismicity and ground conditions in a deep, structurally complex Archean lode.

Tungsten Mining has begun on-site preparation at its wholly owned Mt Mulgine tungsten project in Western Australia, signalling a move towards development of what it aims to position among the world’s largest tungsten operations. The project targets the state’s Mid West region, where existing iron ore and gold infrastructure could support large-scale open-pit mining, high-volume crushing and gravity-flotation circuits typical of hard-rock tungsten deposits. For geotechnical and mining teams, early works will focus on pit design in abrasive, high-density ore and waste, haul road geometry, and water management in a semi-arid environment.

Arafura Rare Earths has signed a US offtake agreement for neodymium-praseodymium (NdPr) from its Nolans rare earths project, 135km north of Alice Springs in the Northern Territory, further underpinning project financing. The Nolans operation is designed as an open-pit mine and processing plant producing separated NdPr oxide for permanent magnets, with a projected mine life of around two to three decades. For mining engineers and project financiers, the long-tenor offtake de-risks revenue assumptions and supports progression towards final investment decision and construction.

Australia’s 2026–27 Federal Budget directs major funding to critical minerals, fuel security and faster project approvals, signalling a more supportive policy setting for new mines and downstream processing. Industry groups point to expanded backing for strategic minerals supply chains and measures to shore up diesel and aviation fuel stocks, reducing exposure to import disruptions that can halt haulage and processing plants. Commitments to streamline approvals are expected to shorten lead times for greenfield projects, with direct implications for permitting schedules, early works planning and capital allocation.

Heidelberg Materials UK has resurfaced 1,600m² at the Kent entrance to the Eurotunnel service tunnel and emergency vehicle garages with 140 tonnes of Tufflex asphalt using a CarbonLock bio-binder and CleanAir additive, cutting CO₂ by more than 25% versus the original SMA specification. The Era 140 warm mix process enabled production at up to 40°C lower temperature, reducing plant emissions by up to 15%, improving on-site conditions and shortening possession time. Biogenic CarbonLock permanently stores absorbed CO₂ even after recycling, while CleanAir cuts specific gas and particulate emissions by up to 40%, critical for tunnel air quality.

Roadways has completed a key asphalt surfacing phase of the Southsea Coastal Scheme in Portsmouth two months ahead of programme, working as sole surfacing contractor to the VolkerStevin–Boskalis Westminster joint venture VSBW. The works form part of the multi-phase coastal defence upgrade along Southsea seafront, where new sea walls and raised promenades are being constructed to reduce flood risk to thousands of properties. Early delivery gives the JV more float for subsequent marine and public realm works, reducing interface risk between heavy coastal construction and highway traffic management.

RPS Group has agreed an £8.2m partnership with Vico Homes to install photovoltaic panels on more than 2,000 social homes across West Yorkshire. The programme is part-funded through the UK government’s Warm Homes: Social Homes Fund, targeting lower energy bills and reduced fuel poverty for tenants. For asset managers and designers, the scale suggests significant rooftop structural checks, electrical integration with existing low-voltage networks, and coordination with planned maintenance cycles on a large, dispersed housing stock.

Network Rail has appointed AtkinsRéalis as delivery partner for its Wales & Western region under the CP7 (2024–2029) delivery support services framework, with support services valued at up to £9m against a regional investment programme of £5.2bn. The Lot 1 contract covers multi-disciplinary services including commercial management, project management, programme controls, planning and risk management across enhancements and renewals. Scope spans stations, major renewals and complex capital schemes such as the MetroWest programme, signalling strong demand for integrated project controls and specialist technical capacity.

Leguan has launched a fully electric power train option for its all-terrain spider lifts, using the in-house Avant Power OptiTemp battery with liquid-immersion thermal management to keep cells at optimal temperature for consistent output in hot and cold conditions. The electric system is offered alongside, not instead of, existing diesel variants, with lift structures and user interfaces unchanged, simplifying fleet integration and operator training. First public demonstrations of the electrified models are scheduled for the Apex exhibition in the Netherlands in June.

Wandle Housing Association has awarded Travis Perkins Managed Services a three-year materials supply contract from 1 April, covering more than 7,000 homes across nine south London boroughs via core branches in Croydon and Peckham plus seven additional outlets. The deal uses TPMS’ TPgo Data platform to give real-time visibility of purchases, product locations and spend, supporting first-time fix targets and tighter control of responsive repairs logistics. Procured through the Cirrus Framework and aligned with Lumensol’s repairs process review, the arrangement aims to cut stockouts, shorten lead times and lower both operating costs and carbon from van mileage.

Peri UK has delivered a bespoke formwork system for the Hinkley Point C reactor domes, enabling multi-directional curved concrete pours about 45 m above ground without conventional through-ties due to the inner 6 mm airtight steel shell. The solution combined Vario formwork with 199 custom panels, Rundflex transition panels, SCS Starter Brace with 550 Strongbacks, and reconfigured SB platforms forming 5 m-wide horizontal working decks, all anchored via special 45° adapters to carry fresh concrete and equipment loads. Extensive 2D-to-3D digital modelling and precise anchor coordination around dense rebar grids cut Unit 2 platform installation to under 14 days and reduced on-site redesign.

Pyroguard and Schüco have supplied more than 400 m² of Pyroguard Protect fire safety glass integrated into Schüco FW 50+ FR 60 curtain walling for Belfast’s new £340m Grand Central Station, designed by RPP and delivered by Carey Glass and specialist contractor Williaam Cox. The glass specification, Pyroguard Protect T-EI60/25-3, provides 60 minutes’ fire resistance while allowing large pane sizes and uninterrupted sightlines across multiple façades. As Ireland’s largest integrated transport hub, designed for up to 20 million passenger journeys a year, the station’s fire strategy depends on combining this EI60 performance with high natural light, thermal and acoustic control.

McPhillips has completed the £4.23m Talbot Park scheme in Kidderminster, replacing a stepped access route between Worcester Street and Bromsgrove Street with a fully landscaped community space funded by the Government’s Future High Streets Fund under an NEC4 Option A contract. Works introduced levelled routes with improved disabled access, a dedicated play area, LED lighting, new paving, extensive soft landscaping and street furniture in a steeply sloping town centre site with deep drainage infrastructure. Construction had to manage complex legacy ground conditions from previous demolitions, buried concrete blocks and concurrent works on a new National Grid substation, but finished on programme and to budget.

Strabag and Group company Züblin have secured the design-and-build structural works for the ABS Gäubahn Nord/Pfaffensteig Tunnel in south-west Germany, centred on an 11km twin-bore rail tunnel linking Stuttgart Airport station directly to the Gäubahn line towards Switzerland. About 9.8km will be driven by two TBMs, with conventional tunnelling for the A8 motorway undercrossing and airport connection, plus a 240m cut-and-cover section, retaining structures, railway underpasses and a grade-separated crossing. A 3km surface section will be upgraded and partially realigned for 200km/h operation, delivered under an integrated project delivery model with Ed. Züblin, Wayss & Freytag and Strabag AG sharing tunnelling, structural and earthworks packages.

Offsite timber frame manufacturer Donaldson Timber Systems has created a new UK-wide head of technical role and appointed long-serving engineer Grant Sanderson, who joined the firm in 2015 and became engineering manager in 2020. Sanderson, a Napier University civil engineering graduate with nearly 20 years’ experience including offshore oil and gas jacket and topside fabrication support, will lead technical coordination, engineering, design development and project governance from tender through delivery. The move consolidates technical oversight across Donaldson’s network of manufacturing and technical centres, signalling tighter control of timber frame design quality and compliance.

L&Q has appointed Cardo as a delivery partner on its 15‑year, £3bn Major Works Investment Programme, which covers all L&Q rented homes and communal areas in mixed‑tenure blocks. Cardo will focus initially on fire remediation from 2026/27, then wider planned works including mechanical and engineering upgrades, fire safety works, and energy efficiency measures to lift all homes to at least EPC C through insulation and other fabric improvements. More than 21,000 homes have already been upgraded, with Cardo joining nine existing partners including Kier Places, Morgan Sindall Property Services and Wates Property Services.

The University of Wolverhampton has begun a Knowledge Transfer Partnership with Drywall Steel Sections Ltd to develop AI-powered tools for designing and costing light gauge steel framing and drywall systems. Current manual take-off and pricing workflows can take several weeks and are often unrecoverable pre-contract costs, while the planned digital system aims to cut this to a few hours and improve quantity and cost accuracy. For contractors and designers, faster, more reliable steel stud and board layouts could tighten bid margins, reduce abortive design effort and support more standardised detailing.

Hyundai Construction Equipment has appointed Hodge Plant as its dealer for Scotland, with coverage across the country except Dumfries and Galloway and initial sales, parts and service run from Hodge’s main Hamilton workshops. A new Stirling/Northern depot, with building works already underway and completion targeted for spring 2027, is intended to strengthen support for central, northern and rural regions via an expanded sub-dealer network. Hodge currently fields four road-based service engineers, backed by fabrication and in-house paint facilities, signalling increased local capacity for heavy equipment maintenance.

Thames Water has appointed Barhale to deliver Phase Three of the £17m Greenwich Trunk Main, installing the final 1km of ductile iron pipeline by open-cut from the Blackwall Lane roundabout to the O2 arena and connecting 350mm–800mm diameter sections to the existing 800mm main at Croon’s Hill. Barhale and specialist contractor Suez will commission the 4km main using ice pigging rather than swabbing and high-velocity flushing, saving about 1.8m litres of water and cutting required pits from 25 to six. The approach trims project costs by roughly £800,000, reduces carbon and brings forward commissioning of Phases Two and Three to May 2027.