Renewable construction projects rebound

Work on renewable construction projects is expected to rebound in 2026 and help propel a rise in civil engineering starts.

The underlying value of project starts for renewable work (schemes worth up to £100 million) slipped back in 2025 according to Glenigan’s construction market research, but this is expected to be a temporary dip.

“Government programmes, including the Clean Energy Industrial Plan, which aims to double investment in clean energy to over £30 billion annually by 2035, further reinforce commitments to renewable energy initiatives,” explains Glenigan economics director Allan Wilén.

“This expansion reflects efforts to modernise infrastructure, integrate renewable energy, and meet rising demand for resilient and sustainable utility services.”

As 2025 draws to a close, this rebound is beginning to materialise. In the most recent quarter to November 2025, major renewable projects starting on site range from the £37.4 million Whitelaw Brae Wind Farm comprising 14 turbines in Strathclyde (Project ID: 15027589) to a £300 million energy from waste combined heat and power plant in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire (Project ID: 20074930).

Energy storage pipeline

Many of the schemes set to keep renewables work growing and help fuel rises in civil engineering workload are major projects.

Glenigan’s market research has identified 54 renewables schemes valued between £100 million and £5 billion with detailed planning permission that are expected to begin construction during the next 12 months alone.

A number of these major schemes are for energy storage, such as a £200 million proposal from Net Zero 18 at Rectory Lane in Chester, where work could begin early next year (Project ID: 24254345).

The first quarter of 2026 is also expected to bring a start for work on the £300 million Redcar Energy Centre scheme (Project ID: 20214634) and a £249 million plan for a 249-megawatt storage facility at Kemsley in Kent (Project ID: 24021408).

Clean power plans

The largest approved renewable schemes due to commence over the coming year are for offshore wind, which the UK government wants to supply between 43 to 50 gigawatts of power a year by 2030.

These include the £2.5 billion Green Volt Offshore Wind Farm, which will comprise a floating plant located 12 miles off the east coast of Scotland in the Outer Moray Firth (Project ID: 22377916). Construction is expected to begin towards the end of 2026.

The Mona Offshore Wind Farm is being developed by energy giant BP in the Irish Sea and will have a capacity of 1,500 megawatts, with work due to begin before next summer (Project ID: 22262860).

Solar shine

Glenigan’s research has also identified eight solar schemes valued between £100 million and £5 billion with planning permission and due to start on site in the next 12 months.

These include the £100 million Benthead Solar Farm in Strathclyde (Project ID: 22043328) and the £400 million Dudleston Solar Farm in Shropshire (Project ID: 23352287).

At an underlying level, the solar pipeline is even larger, with 231 approved schemes valued from £1 million to £99 million set to begin construction over the next year. These include the £14 million Fen Farm Solar Park in Louth, Lincolnshire (Project ID: 23350750) and the £50 million Fair Oaks Renewable Energy Park near Nottingham (Project ID: 23051709).

With the UK focused on reducing carbon emissions across all areas, renewable work is set to keep rising.