The Top 5 Stories from Construction This Week

UK Net Zero: £455bn Pipeline Opens New Era for Construction

The UK's transition to net zero is generating one of the largest construction pipelines in the country's history.

According to The Race for Net Zero report by the Energy & Climate Intelligence Unit, a £455bn (US$575bn) renewable energy infrastructure pipeline spanning 262 GW requires construction delivery across the UK. 

The immediate opportunity lies in transmission infrastructure. The report identifies £56bn (US$71bn) of planned investment required over the next five years to connect renewable generation to homes and businesses. 

Bechtel: How LNG Boom is Driving a Wave of Mega-Contracts

Bechtel has been awarded a US$4.69bn contract to build Train 7 at the Sabine Pass Liquefaction Expansion Project in Cameron Parish, Louisiana. 

It is the latest in a growing portfolio of liquefied natural gas (LNG) contracts for the contractor, as demand for energy security infrastructure drives a global construction boom.

Work will begin in early 2027 on Train 7, which will produce approximately 5 million tonnes per annum of LNG at peak capacity, according to owners Cheniere Energy.

Volvo CE & Hitachi Energy: Zero-Emission Construction Sites

Volvo Construction Equipment and Hitachi Energy signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that establishes a framework to support the deployment of electric construction equipment.

The collaboration will focus on system‑level requirements needed to enable electric construction machines on site including power supply, charging solutions, energy management and operational integration.

The companies say the collaboration is focussed on accelerating the transition to zero-emission construction sites. 

Micron & Bechtel: Construction on New York Semiconductor Fab

Micron Technology has selected Bechtel to partner on the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) of the first phase of Micron’s memory manufacturing complex in Clay, New York.

The site is planned to become the largest semiconductor manufacturing facility in the US. Micron is investing US$100bn in the project, marking the largest private investment in New York State’s history. 

The global semiconductor plant construction market was estimated at US$47.2bn in 2025. The market is expected to grow from US$59.3bn in 2026 to US$85bn in 2035, at a CAGR of 4.1%, according to statistics from Global Market Insights.

Meta & Zelestra: Delivering new Energy Infrastructure

Major technology conglomerate Meta is expanding its digital fingerprint with a new partnership which will bring forth a new solar plant in Freestone County, Texas.

The collaboration between Meta and Zelestra, a global, multi-technology, customer-focused renewable energy company, is part of a new power purchase agreement (PPA) for the 180 MWdc (140 MWac) Palmera solar plant. This is the latest proceeding in the continued energy agreement between both entities.

Amanda Yang, Meta’s Head of Clean and Renewable Energy, says: “Meta is committed to bringing new renewable energy to the grid and our expanding relationship with Zelestra is helping make that possible at scale.