Fernando
09 Jul 2025
The UK utilities sector is at a critical juncture. Water, gas, and energy networks are under intense pressure to modernise rapidly, while also hitting net-zero targets, improving resilience, and minimising public disruption. These pressures are converging just as the sector faces significant challenges around skilled labour shortages, material inflation, and ageing infrastructure.
To keep pace, utility providers and their contractors must embrace new methods of infrastructure delivery – methods that are faster, greener, and smarter. One such innovation gaining traction across Europe and now making its mark in the UK is 3D printing for utilities infrastructure.
At Hyperion Robotics, we’re at the forefront of applying robotic 3D printing with low-carbon concrete to real-world infrastructure challenges. Our technology offers a powerful tool for utilities seeking to streamline delivery, cut carbon, and future-proof their assets – all while maintaining high structural integrity and compliance with UK and EU standards.
Why digital construction Is a game-changer for Utilities
Utilities operate in some of the most complex and constrained environments, often working below ground, in congested corridors, or in ecologically sensitive areas. Traditional construction methods, which rely heavily on manual labour, formwork, and long lead times, can be slow, disruptive, and expensive.
That’s where energy infrastructure digital construction can transform outcomes.
Digitally enabled methods like 3D printing offer utilities a way to:
- Automate and accelerate prefabrication of reinforced concrete structures
- Standardise and customise components through parametric design
- Reduce on-site labour and disruption with off-site production and plug-and-play installation
- Improve traceability and quality control through data-rich digital workflows
By integrating 3D printing into infrastructure programmes, utilities gain more control over time, cost, and carbon – key priorities as the sector modernises.
Concrete 3D Printing in action: real-world applications
The Strongford Wastewater Hub
At Severn Trent’s Strongford Wastewater Treatment Works, Hyperion Robotics delivered 3D printed concrete chambers and drawpits designed for underground utility infrastructure as part of the UK’s first Net Zero Hub for wastewater treatment. By reimagining foundation design, Hyperion achieved a 32% reduction in embodied carbon – saving 608 kilograms of CO₂ per foundation – through optimised 3D printing that reduced concrete use by 50%, resulting in cost savings of 60%.
Efficient offsite production enabled all 32 foundations to be printed in just two days, with each unit taking only 15 minutes. On-site installation was fast and required minimal manpower, cutting project time by 67% to just 16 days. The durable, Eurocode-compliant hybrid structures demonstrate Hyperion’s ability to deliver sustainable, high-quality, and cost-effective infrastructure solutions for UK utilities.
Read more about the Strongford project.
National Grid’s 3D-Printed Substation Foundations
Hyperion Robotics has partnered with National Grid and the University of Sheffield to trial low-carbon 3D-printed concrete foundations for electrical substations – a UK-first initiative aimed at reducing carbon emissions, material use, and costs. The project is part of National Grid’s commitment to leverage innovation to future-proof the network.
Our 3D-printed foundations offer multiple efficiency improvements over conventional designs. As conservative figures, these include a 70% reduction in concrete usage, 80% less soil displacement, and a 65% decrease in carbon emissions. The new foundations are also 70% lighter than typical foundations and require 50% fewer site operative hours.
Learn more about the National Grid project.
Yorkshire Water – Esholt Wastewater Treatment Works
At Yorkshire Water’s Esholt Wastewater Treatment Works near Leeds, Hyperion Robotics collaborated with Mott MacDonald Bentley and Tarmac to deliver four 3D-printed drawpits for electrical cabling. These bespoke structures replaced traditional 5.2m² concrete pits with 2.2m diameter circular designs, reducing material use by 50% and achieving a 40% reduction in embodied carbon.
Each drawpit was printed in approximately two hours, incorporating pipes and reinforcement. The units were then delivered from Finland to the UK, where they were successfully installed at the newly refurbished pumping station.
This project exemplifies how 3D printing can facilitate faster, more sustainable infrastructure delivery, aligning with Yorkshire Water’s commitment to reducing its carbon footprint and exploring innovative construction methods.
Learn more about this Esholt project.
Quantifiable benefits for utilities
Transitioning to 3D printed infrastructure isn’t just about innovation; it’s about delivering tangible business and project outcomes. Here are some of the key benefits that matter most to utility stakeholders:
Carbon savings
Hyperion’s concrete formulations are low-carbon, cutting embodied CO₂ by up to 75% compared to conventional concrete. With sustainable infrastructure construction UK targets becoming more stringent, this offers a credible pathway to reduce Scope 3 emissions.
Time savings
3D printed components can be produced in days, not weeks. No time is spent building and dismantling formwork, waiting for curing, or transporting large raw materials to site.
Fewer man hours and lower site risk
Automation reduces dependency on skilled on-site labour – a major advantage amid industry-wide labour shortages. Fewer personnel on-site also means lower health and safety risks, fewer vehicle movements, and reduced need for site accommodation or welfare facilities.
Less site disruption
Off-site prefabrication and just-in-time delivery are particularly beneficial in dense urban environments, rural locations, or ecologically sensitive zones. With energy infrastructure digital construction, you avoid the noise, dust, and traffic disruption of traditional site works.
Cost efficiency
3D printed components require less raw material, less transport, and less installation time. Combined, this results in reduced total installed cost for utilities and contractors, especially when scaled across multiple standardised assets.
Learn more about how our technology delivers these results on the Hyperion Robotics homepage.
Built for compliance: meeting industry standards
Innovative construction methods must still meet the rigorous technical and regulatory requirements of the utilities sector. At Hyperion, we design every solution with compliance and safety at the core.
- Our components follow British Standards (BS) and Eurocode guidelines for reinforced concrete structures
- All designs are structurally validated through finite element analysis and digital simulation
- Hyperion is actively pursuing CE marking and other certification pathways for widespread infrastructure use
- We collaborate with our partners to co-develop specifications, ensuring all outputs meet utility performance criteria
Whether you’re installing a foundation or a drawpit, you can trust that every Hyperion product is engineered for the demands of UK infrastructure environments.
What’s next: the future of Utilities Construction
As asset owners look to decarbonise their portfolios, streamline delivery, and build more resilient infrastructure, 3D printing offers a unique opportunity to reset expectations.
We’re seeing growing interest from UK utilities in using 3D printing to:
- Standardise repetitive infrastructure assets
- Prototype and test modular systems in energy transition projects
- Reduce embodied carbon across major capital programmes
- Deploy prefabricated solutions at pace for maintenance and emergency repairs
By embracing sustainable infrastructure construction UK methods now, utilities can unlock long-term cost savings, risk reduction, and carbon reduction – all while staying ahead of regulatory and public expectations.
Let’s build the future – together
Hyperion Robotics is ready to help you explore what 3D printing can do for your utilities project. Whether you’re focused on water, gas, or energy, our team of engineers, designers, and project delivery experts can help you identify the right pilot opportunity, align with your internal standards, and demonstrate impact quickly.
Get in touch to explore a pilot project and start building smarter with Hyperion Robotics.
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