A "first of a kind" 100 tonne electric drilling rig has been unveiled in Warwickshire in a bid to cut carbon emissions during the construction.

HS2 said the high-capacity machine was part of its ambition for "diesel-free construction sites".

Contractor Balfour Beatty VINCI said the machine has a net reduction of 1,292kg CO2 per day and makes half as much noise as a conventional machine.

Andrea Davidson, HS2's air quality manager said: "We are proud to be working with our supply chain and leading manufacturers to drive a step change in the UK construction industry, demonstrating the viability and benefits of emissions-free heavy electric plant.

"Being at the forefront of a ground-breaking trial like this is another step on our journey to achieving our target of all diesel-free construction sites by 2029, and net zero carbon from 2035 - helping HS2 to become the most sustainable infrastructure project ever delivered."

Dan Fawcett, Innovation Director at BBV added: "We're committed to driving real innovation across everything we do.

"That's why we're so excited to trial the world's first all-electric, high capacity drilling rig at one of our HS2 sites in Warwickshire.

"This pioneering project marks a major step forward towards transitioning to all-electric powered plants, which is great news for the environment too.

"We'll look to share what we learn from this trial and extend it across our other sites, as well as the wider industry."