£1.75bn Lake District aqueduct works

Credit United Utilities

The Haweswater 6 tunnel section aqueduct was originally built between 1933 and 1955 and have since provided water to over 2.5 million homes in Cumbria, Lancashire and Greater Manchester.

United Utilities has announced three JVs shortlisted to undertake The Haweswater Aqueduct Resilience Program (HARP) the largest infrastructure project since privatisation to repair 128km aqueduct route and maintain the pipes for the next 25 years.

  1. Acciona, Dragados and Iridium
  2. FCC Construcción, SNC-Lavalin, FCC Aqualia, Webuild and BeMo Tunnelling
  3. Equitix and Strabag

Costain has won a £750m engagement already. Information about the next phase of the appointment is relatively non existent but materials from the beginning of the project state that construction is expected to commence in 2023.


Saudi Arabia planning 170km mirrored city

Credit: Neom

Saudi Arabia is planning a 170km sci fi mega city that is only 200 metres wide, 500m above sea level, completely mirrored on both sides that will run through the dessert.

‘The line’ city will have no roads or cars, will run on 100% renewable energy and 95% of land will be preserved for nature.

Watch the TikTok video https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMFyQN4RN/


Famous Menai suspension bridge closed for repairs

Credit Menai Suspension Bridge by Elliott Brown via Flickr

Menai suspension bridge in Wales was a triumph of engineering when it was constructed 200 years ago and recently after structural analysis deemed to be unsafe which led to its closure. Urgent repairs to its iron hangers are underway expected to take between 2 and 3 months.

Since closure activists have called for a third crossing to be built across the river however costs have escalated from an initial estimate of £130m 4 years ago to more than £400m.


Mainstream and Ocean Winds sign £36m Scottish offshore wind deal

Credit nicholas-doherty-via unsplash

The Scottish Government has appointed Mainstream Renewable Power and Ocean Winds to build a £36m 1.8GW floating offshore wind farm in the Scottish Shetland Islands called ‘Arven’. Once complete the development will power 2 million homes.

Mainstream has partnered with Aker a Norwegian company and with Ocean Winds on projects in South Korea and Norway.


Liverpool’s first net zero block

Credit Knowledge Quarter

Liverpool Council has granted planning permission for the city’s first net zero office block. Hemisphere will be 7 stories and contain 120 sq feet of office space on the site in Paddington Village next to the Spine building.

The £31m project will have 166 cycle spaces and the building will be surrounded by 8 miles of public greenspace.

Construction is due to begin in 2022.


Keltbray buys HV power engineering contractor

Credit: IDEC

Manchester constructor Keltbray has purchased IDEC a Teesside high voltage electricity specialist for an undisclosed sum.

IDEC provides full-service substation design construction and commissioning up to 275kV. It turned over £20m in 2021.

IDEC has a range of interesting projects in its portfolio including gas turbine project for Rolls Royce, airport switches and wind farm connections.

Keltbray has won several energy and power contracts recently.


Consultancy and Engineering Awards moved to January

Credit Ace Awards by Cheryy23 via Wikimedia commons

The annual awards were originally due to take place on 3 November but have been rescheduled to Thursday 19 January due to train strikes.

Hosted by the Association for Consultancy and Engineering, the awards celebrate excellence in infrastructure and the built environment. ACE has 400 members in the UK which employ 60,000 in the UK and 250k globally.

The awards ceremony will take place at Marriott Hotel Grosvenor Square.


Exploring Menopause in the Workplace

Credit ACE

The Association of Consultancy and Engineering is hosting an online event on menopause in the workplace on Wednesday 9 November at 11am.

Research has shown that apathy over menopause costs the economy £10 billion with 1 in 10 women leaving their job due to symptoms including insomnia, hot flashes, migraine, muscle and joint pain and depression and a quarter taking time off.

Attendance is free, register here https://www.acenet.co.uk/events/meetings/hr-forum/november-2022/


Rail lobby group wants to open Northern Ireland railway

Credit Peace bridge Derry Londonderry by Mark McGaughey via Wikimedia Commons

A rail lobby group wants to open a portion of rail line between Derry and Portadown that was controversially closed in 1965.

‘Into the West’ wants to open the North West rail corridor which would connect the west of Northern Ireland to Dublin and would connect more people and cities than any other corridor would.

A public consultation received a high level of public support.


World’s tallest 3D printed building

Credit Dar Al Arkan

The world’s tallest 3D printed building has been built in 26 days in Saudi Arabia. Standing at almost 10m tall the 3 story structure cost around £8,000 to build.

The materials were a D.fab solution developed by Mexican cement company Cemex and COBOD which produces 3D printers for industry. Construction was carried out in August / September which is the hottest summer period without the use of a tent.


48 story residential Birmingham tower

Credit HUB

Plans have been submitted for a new 48 story tower in Birmingham which will include 462 built to rent apartments, commercial space and public realm.

2 Snowhill Plaza is part of the massive £500m Ballymore Birmingham redevelopment on the site of a former carpark.