Hyperion Robotics supplies 90 3D printed concrete pipe supports for UK's Teesside CO2 pipeline project

Hyperion Robotics has been contracted by Costain and A E Yates to produce approximately 90 high-strength concrete pipe support bases, or sleepers, for the Northern Endurance Partnership's onshore CO2 gathering system on Teesside. The robotic 3D printing process eliminates formwork and enables off-site production for 1.3 kilometers of pipeline infrastructure. According to the companies, the method reduces concrete and steel use by 40% and cuts carbon emissions by up to 50% compared to traditional precast methods, while producing structures claimed to be up to ten times stronger and 60% lighter. Fernando De los Rios, CEO of Hyperion Robotics, emphasized the collaboration as a model for delivering critical UK infrastructure with greater efficiency and a lower carbon footprint.

This project represents a significant validation for automated concrete deposition within the energy vertical, specifically for carbon capture and storage infrastructure-a fragmented but strategically important early-adoption sector. The move fits the recurring pattern of construction-scale AM finding its initial commercial traction not in architectural showpieces but in economically critical, repeatable industrial components where material efficiency and logistical simplification drive ROI. For Hyperion, securing a role on a nationally significant decarbonization project like the Northern Endurance Partnership provides a powerful reference case that transcends the experimental phase, embedding the technology into the qualification-heavy process of major civil engineering contractors like Costain.

The practical takeaway is that Hyperion must now execute flawlessly on delivery and code compliance to convert this project milestone into a repeatable template for similar pipeline and linear infrastructure work. For the broader AM-in-construction segment, the key lesson is that success hinges on integrating seamlessly into established contractor workflows and supply chains, not on displacing them. This contract demonstrates that the value proposition-reduced material, lower carbon, and off-site fabrication-is sufficiently compelling to clear the high bar of major infrastructure procurement when paired with strong engineering partners.