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OCU Markets
We work in a wide range of sectors from power and energy transition, through to the water and digital infrastructure industries.
OCU Group is at the forefront of ensuring the critical services that we all rely on are ready for the UK’s renewable energy powered future. Our commitment is to innovate and deliver sustainability, while designing, building and maintaining these vital services for our clients’ customers.
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Energy Transition
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Regulated Power
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Digital Infrastructure
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Water & Wastewater
Energy Transition
The UK’s shift to a low carbon energy system is accelerating as government policy, private investment and rapid technology deployment converge to drive substantial growth across non regulated markets. Expanding wind, solar, battery storage, EV charging and emerging green hydrogen production are central to meeting national targets for a fully decarbonised power system by 2030.
Recent legislation, including the Energy Act 2023 and Clean Power 2030, together with the National Wealth Fund and GB Energy, is enabling large scale investment in clean energy projects and supporting a sustained pipeline of activity. As a result, demand is rising for the infrastructure that connects, stabilises and integrates these technologies into the grid, with similar momentum emerging across North America and Australia as their clean energy programmes expand.
OCU is well positioned to support this transition through its specialist capabilities across power engineering, grid connections and multi utility delivery.
The Group plays a key role in onshore elements of wind projects, solar farm development, battery storage integration and the nationwide expansion of EV charging. There is also growing opportunity in early stage technologies such as hydrogen production, district heating and carbon capture. With strong policy backing and ambitious national and international targets, the energy transition represents a significant and expanding market for OCU through 2030 and beyond.
Regulated Power
The UK’s regulated electricity networks are entering a period of significant expansion as distribution and transmission operators scale their systems to meet rising national demand. Under Ofgem’s RIIO price control framework, investment across both DNOs and TNOs is increasing to reinforce capacity for growing volumes of electric vehicles, heat pumps and low carbon generation. RIIO ED2 has already unlocked more than £22bn of committed expenditure for distribution upgrades, while planning for ED3 indicates an even larger investment cycle from 2028.
In transmission, the RIIO T2 period is enabling major high voltage reinforcements and strategic projects, with early plans for T3 signalling unprecedented capital programmes. Accelerated initiatives such as the ASTI framework and the shift towards smart, flexible networks further strengthen long term investment momentum, with similar regulatory driven programmes emerging internationally as North America and Australia expand their grid infrastructure.
OCU supports this regulated market through a full range of engineering and construction services that enable the safe, compliant and efficient delivery of new and upgraded electrical networks.
The Group works with DNOs and TNOs across substations, overhead lines, underground cabling and grid connection assets, providing the design, build, commissioning and maintenance expertise needed to deliver large scale network improvements. Continued digitalisation, flexibility services and the transition from DNO to DSO are creating additional opportunities as the electricity system becomes more dynamic and data driven. With stable regulatory returns and sustained investment requirements, the regulated power sector represents a substantial and resilient growth market for OCU through the remainder of the decade and beyond
Digital Infrastructure
The UK’s digital networks are undergoing sustained expansion as full fibre broadband and advanced mobile connectivity become essential to national economic activity. Fibre rollout remains strong, with millions of new FTTP connections added each year and a growing installed base that requires continual operation, maintenance and legacy asset retirement. As copper networks are phased out, operators are managing higher volumes of field activity to maintain service standards and meet regulatory expectations for fast repair times and resilient networks. In parallel, mobile infrastructure investment continues as operators densify 5G networks, deploy new macro sites and expand thousands of small cells across urban streetscapes.
The growth of data centre development is further driving demand for power, fibre routing and civil engineering works, creating a stable digital infrastructure pipeline that mirrors similar trends emerging across North America and Australia.
OCU supports this expanding market through its fibre installation, testing and maintenance services, as well as its specialist civil engineering and utilities capabilities for both fixed and mobile networks. The Group delivers ducting, cabling, HDD works, mast sites and power connections, helping clients build and operate reliable gigabit capable infrastructure.
OCU also supports data centre developments through utility connections and diversified fibre routes, reinforcing the link between digital capacity and resilient network design. With continued government backed programmes and rising private investment, digital infrastructure represents a long term growth area for OCU, driven by the need for robust connectivity across homes, businesses and public services.
Water & Wastewater
The UK’s regulated water sector is entering AMP8 with an unprecedented investment programme aimed at improving service resilience and environmental outcomes across England and Wales. Ofwat’s PR24 settlement has approved more than £100bn of expenditure for 2025 to 2030, almost doubling the previous regulatory period and creating a stable pipeline of essential infrastructure works. Water companies are preparing major upgrades to reinforce supply security, reduce leakage, mitigate storm overflows and increase drought resilience through recycling schemes and nature based solutions.
The sector is also progressing its net zero 2030 commitment, driving investment in energy efficiency, renewables and low carbon operations. Similar needs driven programmes are taking shape internationally, with North America and Australia expanding their own water infrastructure to meet growing climate, resilience and regulatory demands.
OCU supports this market through its long standing expertise in delivering water and wastewater networks, treatment upgrades and resilience projects.
The Group provides design, construction and maintenance services for assets such as mains replacement, pumping systems, pipelines, reservoirs and nature based infrastructure. OCU also works across adjacent markets including flood defence, coastal protection and port development, all of which depend on reliable civil engineering and utility integration. With AMP8 setting out record levels of regulated investment and continued global focus on water security, the sector represents a substantial and sustained opportunity for OCU over the coming years.