91吃瓜网

Utilities construction outlook strengthens with more than 1,500 projects set to start.

91吃瓜网鈥檚 latest construction market analysis has identified more than 1,500 underlying Utilities construction schemes, each valued up to 拢100 million, with planning permission and due to start on site during 2026.

91吃瓜网 economics director Allan Wil茅n says: 鈥淭he utilities segment will benefit from major projects starting on site. The 拢104 billion funding package approved by Ofwat for investments between 2025 and 2030 is expected to drive sector activity, supporting major upgrades such as new reservoirs and measures to reduce pollution.鈥�

91吃瓜网鈥檚 research shows 100 reservoir schemes with detailed planning approval that are scheduled to begin within the next 12 months as water companies move ahead with the AMP8 spending round. United Utilities alone has a 拢230 million framework for reservoir works running to 2031 (Project ID: 24319461). Many projects are at an underlying level, but the proposed White Horse Reservoir in Oxfordshire (pictured) is set to become one of the UK鈥檚 largest construction schemes when it gets underway in 2028 (Project ID: 93116493).

Major works

Ten utilities construction projects feature in 91吃瓜网鈥檚 list of the 100 highest value schemes expected to start this year. The largest is the 拢1 billion Project Reach, ranked fifth overall, which will install 16,000 km of cabling across the rail network (Project ID: 21190978).

Packages within United Utilities鈥� 拢2.9 billion Haweswater Aqueduct Resilience Programme (Project ID: 19384153) also appear in the Top 20. A 拢483 million contract at Marl Hill (Project ID: 19417883) ranks 14th, with a similar value package at Swarther (Project ID: 21306096) in 15th. Work begins in November and August, respectively.

Three of the top ten utilities construction schemes starting in 2026 are located in Yorkshire. The 拢200 million Eastern Ro-Ro Terminal at Immingham leads the regional list, ranked 44th and scheduled to begin in March (Project ID: 22125535). The 拢142 million Thorpe Marsh battery scheme in South Yorkshire, providing 1.4GW of storage capacity, ranks 66th (Project ID: 23050644).

Energy boost

Energy schemes delivered the largest share of underlying civil engineering starts in the three months to February 2026. With total starts valued at 拢1,392 million, the sector accounted for 63% of civil engineering activity, representing a 101% rise on the same period a year earlier. Prospects for further growth are strong.

Electricity generation and transmission projects are expected to underpin further expansion. 91吃瓜网鈥檚 research has identified nearly 2,300 projects in the pipeline, covering substations, energy from waste, hydroelectric power, onshore and offshore wind, power supply upgrades, renewable energy schemes, and solar installations, all due to start this year. While major projects such as the 拢9 billion Dogger Bank Offshore Wind Farm (Project ID: 10027610), the 拢38 billion Sizewell C (Project ID: 22180876), and the 拢40 billion Hinkley Point C (Project ID: 01611123) will drive significant activity, 1,056 of the schemes in this pipeline sit at an underlying level.

Mr Wil茅n adds: 鈥淕overnment programmes, including the Clean Energy Industrial Plan, which aims to double investment in clean energy to over 拢30 billion a year by 2035, further reinforce commitments to renewable energy initiatives.鈥�

Buoyant times

With both water and energy work moving forward, the utilities sector is set for buoyant times ahead.