The UK Government’s Clean Power 2030 target is reshaping the construction landscape, opening the door to a new wave of large-scale infrastructure projects, says Glenigan.
As part of the wider ambition to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, the plan aims for clean energy generation to meet the country’s total annual electricity demand, with unabated gas as a backup.
For the construction industry, this shift towards renewables, particularly nuclear, wind, solar, hydro, and decarbonisation projects, offers a pipeline of high-value opportunities.
Many of these schemes are classified as Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs), meaning they face complex planning processes and significant public scrutiny. The Government has signalled a desire to accelerate these early stages, which could see projects moving into delivery more quickly.
One of the sector’s flagship projects is the £38 billion Sizewell C nuclear power station (Glenigan Project ID: 01611111) in Leiston, Suffolk (pictured). Having secured its Development Consent Order and final Government investment approval in July 2025, construction will roll out over several phases, with operation planned for the 2030s.
The largest infrastructure project in Suffolk’s history, Sizewell C, is already generating local employment and associated works, including the Four Villages Bypass and a 2,400-bed worker campus.
Each new nuclear station is predicted to supply up to 9% of the UK’s electricity, making them a cornerstone of the Clean Power 2030 strategy.
Round 4 of the UK’s offshore wind leasing programme is adding six new wind farms to the pipeline, with three major schemes in North Wales and the Irish Sea:
- Morgan Offshore Wind Farm (Glenigan Project ID: 22400841): £2 billion, 1,500 MW capacity.
- Morecambe Offshore Wind Farm (Glenigan Project ID: 22400842): £1.5 billion, 480 MW capacity.
- Mona Offshore Wind Farm (Glenigan Project ID: 22262860): £3 billion, 1,500 MW capacity.
Together, these projects could power 6.5 million households. Planning decisions are expected between August and late 2025, paving the way for major marine and onshore construction activity.
In Powys, Wales, the proposed £200 million Esgair Galed Energy Park (Glenigan Project ID: 25098969) will see 26 turbines generating 171 MW of clean power, enough for up to 179,000 homes. In Scotland, a £250 million pumped hydro storage plant (Glenigan Project ID 16089043) with eight wind turbines will store surplus energy and release it at peak times, stabilising the grid and supplying the equivalent of 289,000 homes.
The Government’s solar ambitions target 45–47 GW capacity by 2030. The £250 million Tillbridge Solar Farm (Glenigan Project ID: 23129324) in Lincolnshire, covering 1,400 hectares, has been deemed an NSIP, with a planning decision due in late 2025 and construction anticipated in 2026.
From coastal wind farms to inland solar arrays, and from nuclear megaprojects to pumped hydro systems, the UK’s renewable energy drive represents a massive, long-term opportunity for the construction sector.
