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.