IN Brief:
- The Power range supports underground high- and ultra-high-voltage cable systems.
- Products include thermal concrete, cement-bound sand, fills, gels, and grouts.
- Target applications include substations, data centres, storage, wind, and solar projects.
Heidelberg Materials UK has launched a range of thermally engineered construction materials for underground electricity cables and associated energy infrastructure.
The Power range includes ready-mixed concrete, cement-bound sands, backfills, bedding materials, and specialist grouts developed to transfer heat away from high- and ultra-high-voltage cables. Applications include transmission and distribution networks, substations, data centres, battery-storage facilities, and renewable-energy projects.
PowerCrete, the principal concrete product within the range, is designed to provide consistent thermal conductivity around buried cables. Efficient heat transfer helps limit conductor temperatures and electrical resistance, supporting greater transmission performance while reducing localised overheating.
PowerSand CBS and CBS Extra provide cement-bound sand options aligned with electricity-network requirements, while PowerFill is intended for backfilling applications. CableGel and CableCem products provide bedding and grouting solutions for ducts, trenches, and other cable-installation details.
Daniel Clayton, technical product manager at Heidelberg Materials UK, said: “Heat generation can be an issue with underground cabling. As the cable temperature rises, so does the resistance, leading to transmission loss.”
The company has already supplied specialist thermal materials to major energy schemes including Hinkley Point C, National Grid substations, and the Hornsea offshore wind development. The new range brings those products together as a defined portfolio for network operators, consultants, and project designers.
Grid expansion is creating a specialist materials market
Electricity infrastructure is moving from a relatively narrow civil engineering market into one of construction’s largest growth areas. New generation, storage, data centres, electrified transport, and industrial decarbonisation all depend on greater network capacity, while existing assets require reinforcement and replacement.
The resulting construction pipeline includes substations, converter stations, overhead lines, underground cable corridors, tunnels, offshore connections, and distribution upgrades. A £300m Scottish electricity-network framework has already demonstrated the volume of contractor demand emerging from reinforcement programmes.
Underground cable systems present particular material challenges because the surrounding medium must provide predictable thermal behaviour, structural support, workability, and durability while accommodating variable site conditions. Ordinary backfill can differ substantially in moisture, density, and thermal performance, creating uncertainty during electrical design.
Controlled thermal materials give cable designers a more reliable basis for calculating ratings and transmission losses, although performance still depends on installation quality. Segregation, incomplete compaction, variable thickness, voids, water conditions, and poor contact around ducts can undermine the assumptions used within the design model.
Coordination between electrical engineers and civil contractors is consequently essential. Cable routes are often planned around electrical capacity and land constraints, but the buildability of trenches, joint bays, crossings, drainage, and temporary access determines whether the specified thermal environment can be reproduced consistently.
Data-centre development is adding further demand. Large campuses can require power connections comparable with substantial industrial facilities, often in areas where available network capacity is already limited.
Developers may therefore fund dedicated substations and cable routes, creating demand for specialist civil materials outside the traditional regulated network programme. Battery-storage and renewable-energy schemes are producing similar requirements as generation and balancing assets connect at larger capacities.
Carbon performance will also receive closer examination. Concrete and cement-bound products can improve operational efficiency by reducing electrical losses, although their embodied carbon must still be measured against alternative materials and installation methods.
Environmental product declarations, local supply, mix optimisation, durability, and the expected life of the cable system will all shape whole-life assessments. A higher-performing material may justify additional embodied carbon where it reduces transmission losses or extends asset life, but those benefits will need to be demonstrated through project-specific analysis.
Standardising a portfolio can help designers specify compatible products across trenches, ducts, joints, and substations rather than treating each material separately. It may also support quality assurance by establishing defined properties and installation guidance for contractors working across several network clients.
Heidelberg Materials is positioning the range between heavy construction materials and electrical engineering. As network investment accelerates, the performance of cables and switchgear will remain closely tied to the civil materials that control heat, protect assets, and support reliable operation below ground.
