Design and technology in the news

Engineering stories whose deep dive explains design and technology, ready to use as a starter, a reading task or a real-world example. Each one links to the GCSE and A level curriculum.

Construction & Infrastructure

Small Modular Reactor Wylfa: UK’s First SMR Takes Shape

Arup leads the engineering team designing the UK's first small modular reactor at Wylfa, where three Rolls-Royce SMRs will generate 1.5 GWe of clean…

Deep dive: Building Nuclear Power in Sections

6 min read

Energy & EnvironmentBreakthroughs

Superhot Rock Geothermal: Drilling Three Miles for Clean Power

Mazama Energy's superhot rock geothermal wells drill three miles down to tap 400°C heat, with each well generating 15MW of round-the-clock clean power.

Deep dive: Drilling for Supercritical Heat

6 min read

ManufacturingInnovation

Lignin Carbon Fibre: Paper Waste Cuts Costs 25 Percent

Engineers have made lignin carbon fibre using paper-making waste and nanotubes, halving petroleum use and cutting production costs by 25 percent.

Deep dive: Turning Waste Wood into Structural Fibre

6 min read

Construction & Infrastructure

Orkney Subsea Cable: £1bn Link Connects Islands to UK Grid

SSEN Transmission's £1bn Orkney subsea cable will connect the archipelago to the GB grid for the first time, unlocking 220MW of renewable energy.

Deep dive: Cabling Through the Pentland Firth

6 min read

Construction & Infrastructure

HS2 Saltley Viaduct Rebuild Begins in Birmingham

Engineers begin an 18-month programme to demolish and rebuild the HS2 Saltley Viaduct in Birmingham, raising it two metres to make way for high-speed…

Deep dive: Building a bridge over live infrastructure

5 min read

Construction & InfrastructureInnovation

Menai Suspension Bridge Anniversary: 200 Years of Telford’s Engineering

The Menai Suspension Bridge anniversary celebrations mark 200 years since Thomas Telford's wrought-iron masterpiece connected Anglesey to mainland Wales.

Deep dive: The Menai Suspension Bridge Anniversary and Structural Principles

6 min read

Energy & EnvironmentInnovation

Wooden Wind Turbine Blades: First Factory Targets Fiberglass Waste

Voodin Blade Technology is building the world's first factory for wooden wind turbine blades in Spain, replacing hard-to-recycle fiberglass composites.

Deep dive: Why Wood Can Replace Fiberglass in Wooden Wind Turbine Blades

6 min read