Review of Civil & Utilities Sector Activity in 2016

The value of Civil projects moving to On-Site stage in 2016 has fallen 6% when compared with 2015, down from €1.68 billion to €1.58 billion (Fig. 19).

Fig. 19

However, when we look at the number of projects, we see a 30% increase in projects started as the Government ramps up its capital program (Fig. 20). Over 240 projects began in 2016, with 100 in Munster alone.

Fig. 20

Future Pipeline of Civil Sector Projects

The value of Civil projects granted planning in 2016 has increased by 174% when compared with 2015 (Fig. 21). Over €1.5 billion of projects are in the pipeline with a regional spread of over €300 million in each region (with the exception of Munster which has only €120 million at Plans Granted stage).

The North–South interconnector which was controversially granted planning by An Bord Plenala in December 2016 is classed as an Ulster project but will be also routed through much of Leinster.

 

Fig. 21

The number of Civil projects submitted for planning in 2016 is up 29% on 2015 levels with over 275 projects submitted for planning (Fig. 22) . Leinster has the largest share of the market with 95 projects in this category, or 35% of the market.

Fig. 22

Civil & Utilities Sector

The value of projects On-Site in the first 9 months of 2016 has increased by 6% from €1.29 billion in 2015 to over €1.36 billion. However, as can be seen from Fig. 13, the growth is directly attributable to one or two large scale projects in Leinster.

Fig. 13

On-Site Gort to Tuam Motorway scheme

Only 8 projects over €10 million have commenced On-Site in Q3 2016, split evenly between wind farms and flood relief schemes.

Future Pipeline of Civil Sector Projects

Further government confidence in the economic recovery is likely to see more large scale projects being given the green light in the next number of years with over €610 million worth of Civil & Utilities projects being granted planning in the first 9 months of 2016. This is up from €490 million, or 25% in the same period in 2015 (Fig. 14).

Fig. 14

Two major projects account for €400 million of the total Plans Granted projects, in the form of the Ringsend Waste water treatment works extension and the Oweninny Wind Farm. Dublin has over 50% of the projects by value with Connacht with a further 20%.

Dublin’s Ringsend Water Treatment Plant Extension at Plans Granted Stage

2016 has seen a surge in Plans Granted for renewable energy projects with 17 solar farms granted planning as compared to just 1 in the same period last year (Fig. 15). Unsurprisingly the south east has the majority of these projects.

Fig. 15

The number of projects submitted for planning in the first nine months of 2016 is up 45% on the same period last year with almost 200 projects in the sector. Leinster and Munster are the biggest regions in the sector by volume with 61 and 66 respectively.

Fig. 16