Murphy has earned international recognition after securing two Green World Environment Awards, highlighting progress across both its plant operations and a major UK infrastructure scheme.

The Green World Champion Award was presented to the Plant team for its entry in the Building & Construction – Carbon Reduction category, showcasing practical steps to decarbonise site equipment. One strand focused on fossil‑free operations using HVO and a fully electric 13‑tonne excavator, which cut CO₂ by more than 99% during trials and saved 374 litres of fuel (in collaboration with Elstree). A second strand trialled a battery‑electric telehandler as a replacement for diesel, eliminating fumes and stoppages while delivering weekly savings of around 108 kg CO₂e and 20–30 litres of fuel — equivalent to 5.6 tCO₂e annually, or driving a petrol car 14–15,000 miles (in collaboration with JLH at Tru East).

A Silver Green World Award went to the Uxbridge Moor project team for Building & Construction – Sustainability, recognising its early, practical adoption of hydrogen power. Developed in close partnership with National Grid and GeoPura, this was Murphy’s first deployment of hydrogen power on a major strategic construction project, providing a rare opportunity to test the technology at scale in a live, high‑demand setting.

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A 250 kW Hydrogen Power Unit (HPU) supplied the project’s North Compound, replacing conventional temporary sources such as diesel generators or HVO units. While HVO offers a lower‑carbon option than diesel, it does not remove pollutants like NOx or particulate matter. The hydrogen system avoided these emissions entirely and significantly reduced on‑site noise.

During the initial deployment period, the HPU displaced 4,744 litres of diesel‑generator‑equivalent fuel, eliminating approximately 6 tonnes of CO₂, 59 kg of NOx, 2.3 kg of particulate matter, and 31.8 kg of carbon monoxide. These outcomes delivered measurable improvements in air quality, carbon reduction, and working conditions for both the workforce and the surrounding community.

Judges noted that such a deployment is still highly unusual in the construction sector, where temporary power is predominantly diesel‑driven. Demonstrating hydrogen as the primary power source for a major compound showed that cleaner technologies can meet the demands of a large, complex site and provided evidence that hydrogen can be integrated safely, reliably, and efficiently in environments that traditionally rely on combustion‑based power.

Beyond hydrogen, the Uxbridge Moor team advanced a whole‑site approach to lower‑impact construction. Measures included Instagrid portable battery systems to reduce reliance on combustion tools, EV charging and electric pool vehicles to support low‑emission travel, and SUREGROUND low‑carbon soil stabilisation — a reversible treatment that cuts the need for imported aggregate and reduces vehicle movements.

Selected from more than 500 nominations worldwide, the winning teams and project partners received their trophies and certificates at a ceremony at Cardiff Castle, Wales.

The Green World Awards are organised by The Green Organisation, an international, independent, non‑political, non‑profit environmental group that recognises, rewards, and promotes environmental excellence across the globe. In line with the awards’ environmental ethos, trees will be planted to help offset the carbon footprint of the prizegiving event.