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Former Sir Robert McAlpine chief executive Paul Hamer will be nominated to join Royal Bam Group’s supervisory board at the Dutch contractor’s AGM in May 2025, replacing outgoing British board member Paul Sheffield. Sheffield, ex-chief executive of Kier and former Laing O’Rourke director, steps down after roughly nine years on Bam’s supervisory board, having first joined in 2017 and secured multiple reappointments. Hamer previously led WYG for nine years before his 2017–2024 tenure at Sir Robert McAlpine, giving Bam a board member with both consulting and major contracting experience.

McLaren Property has secured Legal & General forward funding for a £160m, 737-bed purpose-built student accommodation scheme on Upper Brook Street, Manchester, delivering 272,854 sq ft across two towers of nine and 23 storeys for completion by summer 2028. The PBSA sits within the Upper Brook Street masterplan alongside Kadans Science Partner’s nine-storey, 216,000 sq ft technical real estate building now under construction. For engineers and contractors, the scheme signals substantial high-rise mixed-use workload in a dense urban setting, fully financed by institutional capital without public funds.

UK construction output fell 0.6% in October 2025, with new work down 0.7% and repair & maintenance down 0.6%, while three‑month output to October slipped 0.3% as private housing R&M dropped 2.3%. New work over the three‑month period edged up 0.1%, but four of nine sectors contracted, signalling weak momentum in core building markets. Aecom buildings & places managing director Jo Streeten points to the government’s pledge to hire 350 planners and deploy AI‑driven digital review tools as critical to accelerating planning decisions and unlocking major programmes into 2026.

Unprecedented UK demand for high-density data centres driven by AI workloads is straining grid capacity and forcing operators to balance multi‑megawatt power feeds with strict net‑zero commitments. Developers are turning to on‑site generation such as gas reciprocating engines and fuel cells, advanced liquid cooling to handle rack densities above typical 10–15kW, and battery or flywheel systems to smooth grid interaction. For civil and M&E designers, this means planning for heavier plant loads, larger cable routes and switchgear rooms, and more complex resilience and waste‑heat integration strategies.

Ore feeding has begun at Titan Mining’s Kilbourne graphite demonstration plant in St. Lawrence County, New York, a fully permitted facility designed to produce 1,200 tonnes per year of graphite concentrate within the existing Empire State Mine complex and 5,000 t/d mill. The start-up will supply micronised and high-purity natural flake graphite from the Kilbourne deposit for qualification runs and offtake talks, underpinning plans for a 40,000 t/y commercial plant targeted to supply roughly half of current US natural graphite demand. Titan has secured an extra $5.5 million in EXIM funding and a non-binding Letter of Interest for up to $120 million in project finance, with a construction decision expected by end-2026.

Chinese autonomous haulage systems supplier CiDi has launched a Hong Kong Stock Exchange IPO to raise over US$180 million via the sale of up to 5.4 million shares, following a lapsed application earlier in 2024. The company provides autonomous driving stacks and AHS kits for large mine haul trucks and auxiliary fleets across Chinese open-pit operations, integrating perception, positioning and fleet management software. Fresh capital is likely to fund further R&D, large-scale mine deployments and potential overseas expansion, intensifying competition with OEM-integrated AHS offerings.

Hitachi Construction Machinery Co Ltd will establish LANDCROS Development Center Europe GmbH in Germany as a wholly owned subsidiary from 1 January 2026 to expand R&D for battery-powered excavators, ICT-enabled machines and digital solutions. The centre will focus on European requirements for zero-emission earthmoving, including high-capacity lithium-ion systems and grid/fast-charging interfaces, and on integrating machine control and remote monitoring. For mine operators, this signals faster localisation of electric excavator platforms and digital fleets tailored to EU regulations and site power constraints.

ThoroughTec Simulation is promoting an integrated “training ecosystem” for mines, combining high-fidelity equipment simulators, remote learning platforms and data analytics to upskill operators on complex digital and semi-autonomous fleets. The approach targets remote operations centres and sites with limited instructors, using scenario-based training for OEM-specific systems such as autonomous haul trucks and advanced drill rigs, plus real-time performance tracking. For geotechnical and mining teams, this points to more standardised operator competence on critical tasks like slope loading, crusher feeding and underground navigation, with reduced reliance on traditional ride-along training.

ABB is evaluating automated visual and LiDAR shaft scanning as an add-on to its hoisting service contracts, with Global Business Unit Manager John Manuell pointing to integration with existing ABB hoist control and condition monitoring systems. Technologies showcased at the “Shaft Inspections 4.0: A New Revolution” event included cage- or bucket-mounted scanners capturing high-resolution 3D profiles of shaft steelwork, buntons and guides in a single run. For geotechnical and mechanical teams, this could shift inspections from manual descent and point checks to trendable, full-length digital twins of deep shafts.

Metso is launching a configurable Grinding classification system built from compact, pre‑engineered modules integrating pumps, hydrocyclones, product samplers, liquid resistance starters and particle size measurement. The modular skids are designed to shorten design and installation schedules for new and brownfield grinding circuits while standardising layouts, interfaces and safety provisions. For plant engineers, the approach simplifies layout planning, reduces on-site fabrication and should ease future debottlenecking or capacity upgrades by swapping or adding classification modules.

Anglo Asian Mining has started production from two new larger filter presses and an associated thickener at its Gedabek flotation plant in Azerbaijan, following installation of a second press announced on 16 October 2025. The upgraded dewatering circuit is designed to handle higher concentrate throughput and produce drier filter cakes, improving water recovery back to the plant. For plant and tailings engineers, the changes point to tighter control of slurry densities and potentially lower tailings storage volumes per tonne processed.

Mining services contractor G3 Mineração e Construção has completed assembly of Brazil’s first XCMG XDE130 diesel-electric rigid haul truck, marking the local debut of XCMG’s 130 t-payload class in the country. The company frames the investment as central to its 2025 growth plan, targeting higher fleet performance through large-capacity, diesel-electric haulage rather than conventional mechanical-drive trucks. For mine operators, the move signals growing competition to established OEMs in Brazil’s ultra-class segment and potential alternative sourcing for high-payload truck fleets.

Barhale has secured three contracts under United Utilities’ £3bn Better Rivers programme to expand stormwater storage capacity and cut combined sewer overflows to rivers across North West England. The packages will focus on new offline storage tanks and network upgrades to hold excess flows during peak rainfall, reducing untreated discharges to receiving watercourses. Civil and geotechnical teams can expect substantial deep excavations, complex temporary works and interface with existing live sewer infrastructure in constrained urban corridors.

Engineers have again ranked as the UK’s second most trusted profession in the 2025 Ipsos Veracity Index, with a large majority of respondents saying they believe engineers tell the truth. The result places engineers just behind nurses and ahead of doctors, teachers and scientists in perceived honesty. For infrastructure and construction teams, this public confidence strengthens the mandate for engineers to lead on risk communication, safety decisions and major project trade-offs in areas such as flood defences, transport schemes and energy infrastructure.

Sixteen projects across England, Wales and Scotland will share more than £13M from The Crown Estate’s Supply Chain Accelerator to develop UK offshore wind manufacturing, installation and operations capability. Funding is aimed at critical supply chain gaps such as large-diameter monopile and jacket fabrication, high-voltage export cable systems, and specialised installation and service vessels. Civil and geotechnical contractors should expect opportunities around deep-water foundations, port upgrades for heavy-lift components, and logistics hubs supporting Round 4 and Celtic Sea leasing areas.

Dumfries and Galloway Council has approved a £68.6M flood defence scheme for the River Nith, clearing the way for construction to start in spring 2026 and for significant remodelling of the town’s riverside corridor. The project will install new engineered flood protection along key riverfront sections, integrating hard defences with urban realm upgrades to streets and public spaces adjacent to the river. Civil and geotechnical teams can now progress detailed design, ground investigation and contractor mobilisation to meet the 2026 start date.

New Civil Engineer founder and first editor Sydney Lenssen, born in 1938, has died in 2025, leaving a legacy in shaping modern civil engineering journalism in the UK. Lenssen was recalled from Australia in the summer of 1973 by the UK Government to help manage public communication during a period of national concern, underlining the strategic value placed on clear technical reporting. His editorial approach helped professionalise coverage of infrastructure, influencing how engineers, policymakers and the public engage with complex projects.

East West Railway Company, which is delivering the 120km Oxford–Cambridge East West Rail link including new sections between Bicester, Bletchley and Bedford, could be absorbed into Network Rail as part of the government’s review of arm’s length bodies ahead of establishing Great British Railways. Bringing EWR Co inside Network Rail would centralise control of route design, consents and future operations for the largely double‑track, 100mph‑design corridor. Any change in governance will affect procurement strategies, asset standards and interfaces with existing main lines at Oxford, Bletchley and Cambridge.

Unions Unite and GMB have condemned contractor behaviour at the Royston hydrogen gigafactory site in Hertfordshire after around 30 construction workers were reportedly suspended for raising health and safety concerns. The workforce had complained about site safety conditions on the large industrial build, which is expected to house hydrogen production and storage plant, before being removed from site. The dispute raises immediate questions for principal contractor and client CDM duties, worker consultation processes, and the robustness of on-site reporting channels for safety-critical issues.

National Grid has awarded two major contracts for Sea Link, a 140km subsea electricity interconnector between Kent and Suffolk designed to reinforce the UK transmission network. The project will require high‑voltage subsea cabling across the southern North Sea and new onshore converter infrastructure at each landfall to integrate offshore wind and other generation into the grid. Contractors will need to address marine geotechnical risk, cable burial depth, landfall HDD or trenching solutions, and interface with existing 400kV assets in constrained coastal corridors.

Genus general manager, commercial, Eoin Gorman argues that de-risking mine electrification starts with integrated planning of power supply, distribution and fleet charging rather than bolt-on battery swaps. He points to remote Australian sites where 11–33kV overhead lines, containerised substations and high‑power DC fast chargers must be staged alongside pit expansions and new electric haul trucks to avoid stranded assets and grid constraints. For engineers, the message is to treat electrical infrastructure as a core part of mine design, with early load modelling and phased capital deployment.

Metso executives David Tulloch, Duncan Wyatt and Guillaume Lambert outline how the company is targeting critical minerals flowsheets with integrated crushing, grinding and flotation circuits, combined with smelting test work at its Pori Research Centre. The approach uses ore-specific pilot campaigns, digital process control and modular equipment packages to raise recovery and reduce energy per tonne, particularly for complex nickel, lithium and rare earth ores. For mine planners and process engineers, the message is tighter ore characterisation upfront and more standardised, scalable plant designs across greenfield and brownfield projects.

Westgold Resources has restarted mining at the historic Great Fingall gold mine near Cue in Western Australia, firing the first production blast after more than a decade on care and maintenance. The operation targets high-grade underground ore beneath the old Great Fingall open pit, using modern longhole stoping and paste fill to extract remnant pillars and deeper lodes. Geotechnical teams will need to reconcile historic workings, old shaft infrastructure and voids with contemporary ground support, seismic monitoring and water management standards in WA’s Murchison region.

Brightstar Resources has released a 22 per cent increase in mineral resource estimate for its Menzies gold project, sharpening plans to develop the site as a standalone mining hub in Western Australia’s Eastern Goldfields. The updated resource focuses on near-surface, open-pittable ounces across key deposits such as Yunndaga and Lady Shenton, supporting a potential central processing facility rather than trucking ore to Brightstar’s Laverton plant. For mine planners and geotechs, the shift towards shallow oxide and transitional material points to conventional drill‑and‑blast with relatively straightforward pit geotechnical design.