TOP 10 UK CONSTRUCTION MEGAPROJECTS TO WATCH IN 2024
THE BIGGEST INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS BY REGION inc. key facts & figures…
STATE OF THE UK CONSTRUCTION SECTOR, 2024
The UK government continue to rely on unprecedented levels of stimuli and contracts in an attempt to literally build the UK out of recession.
Megaprojects provide a guaranteed and sustained infrastructure construction output over a prolonged period.
As a result, regional infrastructure projects continue to play a crucial role in driving economic growth, with UK infrastructure construction projected to rival China until 2030 (3.7% AAGR).
TOP 10 UK INFRASTRUCTURE CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS
1. Scotland: Scottish Water Capital Investment Plans (£5bn)
Scottish Water plans are already well afoot with its ambitious capital investment plans (total £5 billion), continuing to be the main growth driver leading up to 2030.
Various schemes will upgrade Scottish water networks to include reduction of carbon emissions through non-carbon energy sources, water efficiency measures and improved reporting/customer communication. The investment will also focus on waste management with 11 new facilities (expected online by 2026) to help meet Scottish Governmental pledges to eliminate all sewage pollution by 2030.
Goals are broad but nuanced and include improving infrastructure, sustainability measures, reducing leakage rates, enhancing water supply, treatment, and drainage systems, increasing training or employment opportunities and improving quality of life throughout Scotland.
2. England — North East: Teesworks Freeport Project (1.7bn)
The Teesworks Freeport project represents a significant investment of £200m in the North East region. Already the largest brownfield site in Europe, Teesworks is home to diverse, sustainable and low-carbon activity.
The Freeport proposal aims to create a world-leading industrial hub, fostering economic growth and attracting new businesses to the region. It will focus on redeveloping the former Redcar Steelworks site, where work continues towards the multi-faceted £ 1.5 billion Net Zero Teesside Power project.
Progress includes the £ 450 million SeAH Wind monopile manufacturing facility at South Bank and the deepwater South Bank Quay. Forty-three business units will also be built in 2024, providing 100,000 sq ft of industrial, commercial and office space.
3. England — North West: JV North Building Back Fairer Framework (£560m)
The JV North Consortium Building Back Fairer framework aims to deliver new homes and help create stronger communities through clear social value. With an investment of £560 million, this project will address well-documented regional housing needs — with a particular focus on affordable housing where they are needed most. Other factors include addressing social inequalities, improving air & health standards and reducing established unemployment mentalities.
The framework will ensure the construction of 4,000 high-quality, energy-efficient homes between 2021 and 2026, contributing to sustainable community planning across the North West. Locations include Manchester, Liverpool and Blackburn.
The Building Back Fairer initiative is also committed to boosting skills and employment opportunities for residents by providing training courses, apprenticeships, jobs and volunteering roles.
4. England — East Midlands: Midland Main Line Railway Project (£1.5bn)
The Midland Main Line Railway project is a significant upgrade to the 397 miles (639km) of track, 16 tunnels and 35 stations operating since 1870. With an investment of £1.5 billion, this project aims to improve railway connectivity, enhance passenger experience, and increase capacity.
The upgrades will result in faster and more reliable train services, benefiting commuters and travellers in the East Midlands region.
Electrification of key routes will help reduce the carbon footprint, limiting emissions to below 11,000t by introducing greener trains.
The first phase — between north of Bedford to Kettering and Corby saw completion in November 2019 — with phase 2 (north of Kettering to Leicester, Derby/Nottingham and Sheffield) scheduled for completion by early 2024.
5. England — West Midlands: Integrated Rail Plan (£96bn)
One of the largest-ever regional investments, the Integrated Rail Plan (IRP) will receive a staggering £96 billion in Government funding.
This substantial investment aims to overhaul the West Midlands rail network, providing improved connectivity. The IRP will deliver new stations, increase rail capacity and improve all transport links.
Furthermore, following the scrapping of the HS2 extension, the government have redirected unprecedented sums into alternative transport investment across the country. The Midlands will receive an extra £9.7 billion — with £1.75 billion to deliver the Midlands Rail Hub, connecting more than 50 stations and 7 million people.
The West Midlands Mayoral budget will also get over a £1 billion boost to fund extensions to the existing metro network and new stations.
6. England — East: Sizewell C Project (£20bn)
Expected to cost £20 billion when fully operational, Sizewell C will reduce reliance on fossil fuels and help achieve UK clean energy targets. The project is part of heavy investment by the government in nuclear power, including Small Modular Reactors, with the ambition of having up to a quarter of all UK electricity generated by nuclear before 2050.
Expected to house 2 of the most powerful nuclear reactors in the world, Sizewell C will generate reliable, low-carbon power for 60 years, reduce carbon emissions by 9 million tonnes per year and provide 3.2 gigawatts of electricity — enough to power about 6m homes.
The world-leading quality of this project will also create over 10,000 jobs and attract significant external investment to the region as a centre for nuclear science.
7. Greater London: Brent Cross Town Redevelopment (£8bn)
The Brent Cross Town Redevelopment Project, with a total investment of £8 billion, will transform the under-utilised and poorly connected Brent Cross Centre (and surrounding area) into a sustainable, modern, and community-centric space.
Brent Cross Town is a 180-acre site being redeveloped into a new park town in partnership with Barnet council, to include 50 acres of parks and green spaces. The completed scheme will provide 6,700 new homes and three million sq ft (for 25k workers) of office space.
The first phase of work is on track for completion by 2025, including construction of rail infrastructure and Brent Cross West station (operational: 10th December 2023), 1,750 new homes, 1 million sq ft of offices and 650 student homes.
Public service improvements so far include new indoor and outdoor sports and play facilities, retail units, restaurants, a local cinema, the first primary school and two new parks.
8. South East: Lower Thames Crossing Project (£8.2bn)
The Lower Thames Crossing is a transport infrastructure project led by the National Highways Association (NHA) and receiving an investment of £8.2 billion to build 23km of new road in east London, including two 4.2km long tunnels under the River Thames. Originally scheduled to begin work in 2024, the project is still in planning & consultation, delayed until 2026.
NHA awarded Balfour Beatty the £1.2bn north of the Thames roads contract in January 2023 and released the final shortlist of hydrogen suppliers for use across the project (over 6 million kilograms) in November 2023.
“Lower Thames Crossing is designed to be the greenest road ever built in the UK. We’ve put carbon reduction at the heart of our procurement process and have ambitious plans to use hydrogen to target one of the biggest sources of embedded carbon in the construction industry — diesel.” — Kat Ferguson, Procurement Director, Lower Thames Crossing.
The project will link Kent and Essex, relieving Dartford Crossing traffic bound towards east London and improving transport links throughout the South East region.
9. South West: Hinkley Point C Nuclear New Build (£32.7bn)
The Hinkley Point C project is the most expensive infrastructure investment in South West history. Conjointly with Sizewell C, it will provide around 13% of all UK power when fully operational and low-carbon electricity to millions of households.
Despite this positive boost to UK energy infrastructure and any associated employment opportunities, the project, marred by controversy, poor planning and global volatility, has seen majority-owner EDF costs spiral. The original 2016 estimated cost (£16bn) was revised to £25 billion in May 2022 before, in February 2023, announcing that costs would rise to £32.7bn.
The related operational delays of a further 15 months mean Hinkley C will not be online until September 2028, despite 22,000 UK workers currently engaged in the project.
10. Wales: Shaping Swansea Regeneration Project (£1bn)
The Shaping Swansea regeneration project is the most significant single initiative in Wales. With a funding of £1 billion, the venture aims to transform Swansea into a vibrant and sustainable city.
The three-phase project is a strategic partnership between the Welsh government and Swansea council to regenerate the city. Improvements already underway include:
— transportation upgrades, including the M4 motorway and rail services
— air quality through the creation of new parks and green spaces
— new public services infrastructure such as schools and hospitals
The investment will focus on enhancing city infrastructure, cultural attractions and transport links to create 2,500 job opportunities, attracting external investment and boosting tourism.
TL/DR:
Several major infrastructure projects are taking shape in the United Kingdom between 2024 and 2027, with each region committed to significant investments and improving the quality of life for residents and businesses.
Infrastructure sector is predicted to become increasingly dominant within the construction industry over the next decade to 2030.
Delivering improved water networks, railway upgrades, redevelopment projects, and clean energy initiatives will undoubtedly have a transformational impact — but alone do not guarantee healthy local economies or community spirit.
Reforms and shifts towards nascent industries — like MMC, deconstruction and Digital Modelling — are expected to provide 50,000 new jobs annually and an additional 400,000 indirect positions created across support roles and construction-related industries.
So how can construction make its most prominent costs — responsibility and sustainability — profitable?
Tom@TG
What do you call the solution to an industry-wide problem? TradeGraft.
