©Reuters Steam rises at night from the cooling towers of the Electricite de France (EDF) nuclear power station in Dampierre-en-Burly, French nuclear group Areva said that the collapse of talks with Finnish counterpart TVO would not hinder its proposed state-backed bailout or the sale of its nuclear reactor division to
Category: Construction Industry Today | Subscribe to Construction Industry Today Feed Published Fri, Apr 22nd 2016 Corelli College in London proudly opened its new sports complex earlier this year. The £2.6 million construction boasts a state of the art fitness suite, 4-court sports centre, PE classroom space and high
The government has approved the development of the largest offshore windfarm in the world, Hornsea Project Two. Situated off the Yorkshire coast, the windfarm will have a 1.8GW capacity and will be made up of 300 turbines. The project is owned by Dong Energy and will be developed by Smart
Keltbray has broadened its range of services with the acquisition of some of the Dunne Group’s assets from the administrators FRM Advisory after it went into administration last month. Included in the purchase is Dunne’s former yard and head office at Bathgate in Scotland, along with a plant used for
Building products firm Polypipe has enjoyed a continuation of its record growth figures after reporting a strong first half performance, following on from its strong results in the first quarter of this year. The company said that “after an excellent start, demand from all segments of our core UK market
The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) is set to relocate to Midgate, Peterborough. Savills, working on behalf of Pelican Partners (Peterborough) LLP, has let office space at Midgate House on Midgate in the city to the RNIB. The institute has agreed to a new 15 year lease for
LJJ Building Services Contractors has been chosen for the £8.5 million building services installation contract at the Royal Holloway student accommodation scheme in Surrey. The work is part of the Willmott Partnership Homes’ £39 million scheme for Royal Holloway, University of London, and will be delivered as part of the
Leisure and retail specialist Holder Mathias has been granted permission by the Republic of Ireland’s planning authority for the construction of the first Center Parcs scheme outside of the UK. The proposal for a 160ha site in County Longford was approved by An Bord Pleanala for a village that can
©Reuters Steam rises at night from the cooling towers of the Electricite de France (EDF) nuclear power station in Dampierre-en-Burly, French nuclear group Areva said that the collapse of talks with Finnish counterpart TVO would not hinder its proposed state-backed bailout or the sale of its nuclear reactor division to utility EDF. Areva and TVO have been in negotiations to resolve multibillion-euro legal claims relating to cost overruns at the Olkiluoto 3 nuclear plant in Finland, but the talks collapsed two weeks ago. More On this topic IN Energy This raised fears that, without clarity on the future of the project, Areva would be unable to sell its Areva NP reactor division, valued at €2.5bn, to EDF. This sale is seen as a crucial part of a wider restructuring to save the company. On Wednesday, Philippe Knoche, Areva chief executive, said that the “door was open” to a deal with TVO but outlined “other options” to push ahead with the restructuring without a settlement. Areva and TVO have been exchanging blows in the media over the collapse of the talks. TVO told the Financial Times this week: “We don’t really understand why we don’t proceed with the negotiations. Our understanding is that it has something to do with the restructuring in France or the politics.” Areva was brought to its knees in part due to the Finland project, with TVO the first customer for its European pressurised reactor technology — due to also be used at the UK’s controversial Hinkley Point power station. The project is already 10 years behind schedule and €5bn over budget, helping to push the group to a record €4.8bn net loss for 2014 and €2bn for 2015. This led to a state-funded bailout being agreed this year. Areva, and its former joint venture partner, Siemens of Germany, are suing TVO for €3.5bn in an arbitration case, while the Finnish company is countersuing for €2.6bn. Mr Knoche said on Wednesday that the company had worked out a “Plan B” if the TVO talks do not restart. This would involve moving all the activities of the old Areva NP except the Finnish project into a new company that could then be bought by EDF. The risk for the Olkiluoto 3 project would then remain indirectly with the French state. The government rescue package will see the company raise €5bn in the markets. The EDF sale was also agreed in principle, radically shrinking the group. Mr Knoche outlined a strategy for the new Areva, which after selling its nuclear reactor business will focus on uranium mining, enrichment, recycling and nuclear decommissioning. The new company is provisionally being called NewCo. “NewCo has strong assets in terms of technology, order book and skill base and is well positioned for a rebound of the global nuclear market,” he said. Mr Knoche said the French state wants to hold 67 per cent of NewCo and that strategic investors will be invited to buy up to 33 per cent of the company’s capital. NewCo will still burn cash in 2016-17 but should turn cash positive from 2018, he said, but declined to say when it could start paying a dividend. “The focus will be on repaying our debt,” he said. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2016. You may share using our article tools. Please don’t cut articles from FT.com and redistribute by email or post to the web. Source link
Category: Construction Industry Today | Subscribe to Construction Industry Today Feed Published Fri, Apr 22nd 2016 Corelli College in London proudly opened its new sports complex earlier this year. The £2.6 million construction boasts a state of the art fitness suite, 4-court sports centre, PE classroom space and high quality changing and showering facilities. The complex is designed to increase participation in sport both within the school and the wider community. ROCKFON® ceiling solutions were installed throughout to provide the required acoustic control and satisfy BB93 Building Regulation standards. Posted via Industry Today. Follow us on Twitter @IndustryToday Corelli College was formerly Kidbrooke School, the country’s first purpose-built comprehensive. It came into prominence when Jamie Oliver launched his healthy school dinner’s campaign with dinner lady, Nora Sands. Now an Academy, the school is run as a co-operative and parents, staff and the local community can become members. KRS Interiors Director, Steven Pieri recommended ROCKFON for the project. “The specifications for the sports hall were diverse and demanding but having worked with ROCKFON before, I knew they would have a cost effective solution. I was right and the client is very pleased with the finished result.” As well as working closely with the ceiling contractor, ROCKFON collaborated with the architect Ariadni Beliati of EWA, Doug Mumford, Senior Surveyor of WW Martin and distributor CCF Ashford to ensure all materials were delivered to the exacting specifications and on time. Doug Mumford is particularly delighted with how well the project has gone:“It was great having ROCKFON on board. Their expertise and advice were invaluable. Everything was delivered on time and within budget. I couldn’t be happier.” ROCKFON® Samson™ wall absorbers were chosen for the main sports hall because they deliver exceptional acoustic comfort, are very strong, provide the highest fire safety and are easy to install and maintain. The wall absorbers are able to withstand impact from ball sports and tough daily use in this high activity area. Reverberation in what could be a very noisy, echoey space is controlled by ROCKFON Samson’s excellent sound absorbent surface helping to create a comfortable acoustic environment where staff can communicate and be heard over the enthusiastic sports people in the hall. The college’s showers and changing areas are exposed to high levels of moisture. ROCKFON® Koral™ ceiling tiles has a durable, wipeable surface and will maintain their shape and colour even at humidity levels of up to 100% RH so they are ideal for wet areas. ROCKFON Koral offers the highest Class A sound absorption.Circulation areas in schools are busy spaces where unwanted sounds can travel through the walls and disturb lessons taking place in adjacent classrooms. To combat this, ROCKFON® Artic™ was installed to provide the required sound absorption, keeping noise disturbance to a minimum. The ceiling tiles are light in weight, making them easy to carry and quick to install. ROCKFON Artic offers good functionality for a variety of areas and is the main reason why it was also chosen for the classrooms and dance studios. ROCKFON Artic tiles have a smooth, matt, white surface which creates a clean and elegant finished ceiling. The bright appearance combined with the ceiling’s high light reflectance can help to reduce the level of artificial lighting required.. ROCKFON Artic tiles can be fitted with either a semi-concealed or exposed grid, offering flexible design options. Like the majority of ROCKFON stone wool products, they are manufactured to withstand up to 100% humidity and offer the highest Class A1 fire safety performance. ROCKFON has many years of expertise in multi-purpose education projects. The range of acoustic products offer outstanding sound control, are aesthetically pleasing and can be tailored to the individual needs of any building design. Source link
The government has approved the development of the largest offshore windfarm in the world, Hornsea Project Two. Situated off the Yorkshire coast, the windfarm will have a 1.8GW capacity and will be made up of 300 turbines. The project is owned by Dong Energy and will be developed by Smart Wind. Greg Clark, Business and Energy Secretary has now approved the plans and has given government consent for the project in its entirety, including export cables, array cables, offshore and onshore substations, foundations and turbines. Clark commented: “The UK’s offshore wind industry has grown at an extraordinary rate over the last few years, and is a fundamental part of our plans to build a clean, affordable, secure energy system. “Britain is a global leader in offshore wind, and we’re determined to be one of the leading destinations for investment in renewable energy, which means jobs and economic growth right across the country.” Meanwhile, Brent Cheshire, UK County Chairman at Dong Energy said that the development of the second phase of the Hornsea project is most welcome and will build on the company’s £6 billion investment in the UK so far, providing a further exciting development opportunity in offshore wind. The company believed that a project of this size will help them in their efforts to keep cutting the cost of electricity from offshore wind and illustrates their commitment to UK investment. Huub den Rooijen, Crown Estate Director of Energy, Minerals and Infrastructure, said that offshore wind is already on course to meet 10% of electricity demand in the UK by 2020. He added that major developments on the same scale as the Hornsea Project Two will result in a continuation of growth along with a reduction in costs that will create high value jobs and support the UK’s transition to a low carbon energy supply.
Keltbray has broadened its range of services with the acquisition of some of the Dunne Group’s assets from the administrators FRM Advisory after it went into administration last month. Included in the purchase is Dunne’s former yard and head office at Bathgate in Scotland, along with a plant used for the construction of reinforced concrete structures. The company said in a statement: “Keltbray sees this as an opportunity to broaden its capability and services portfolio, widen its geographical reach and to respond to market demands.” Dunne Group went into administration on July 19 after workers at the company and its five subsidiaries were understood to have been pulled from a number of sites, including 100 Bishopsgate, with Brookfield Multiplex. Three days after the contracting firm entered administration, Brookfield Multiplex replaced Dunne with Byrne Group on 100 Bishopsgate and its One Blackfriars job. The specialist concrete firm was also at work on Mace’s Newington Butt’s scheme in South London and earlier in the month was replaced by concrete contractor Getjar on the scheme. Chief Executive of Keltbray, Brendan Kerr, is due to speak at the CN Summit on the subcontractor panel and will appear along with Jim De Waele, managing director of Keller UK, and Francis Keenan, managing director of FK Group. Earlier in the month, London-based Keltbray announced that it will fit DawesGuard safety systems to London tippers. The move was announced after a 12 week trial around the capital with the ‘revolutionary’ road safety device, which creates a shield across the danger zone between the front and rear axles of construction vehicles. A flick of the switch in the cab can lower and retract the device which will prevent anyone and anything from being dragged under the back wheels. Fixed above each DawesGuard, over the under-run bars, is also a Dawes shatterproof plastic PeoplePanel, designed to reduce any risk of entanglement of clothing or cycle parts.
Building products firm Polypipe has enjoyed a continuation of its record growth figures after reporting a strong first half performance, following on from its strong results in the first quarter of this year. The company said that “after an excellent start, demand from all segments of our core UK market has remained strong.” The group reported that order intake has stayed at a steady level with the normal season pattern and is yet to suggest and signs of weakening even after the result of the EU referendum. In the first half of the year, revenue was £223.3 million, a 31% increase from last year and, excluding acquisitions, the revenue was 8.1% ahead of the previous year. Underlying profit grew by 47% to £37.7 million, with pre-tax profit also increasing by 29% to £29.9 million, while the group’s operating margin was 16.9% for the half year, compared with 15.1% for the same time frame in the previous year. David Hall, Chief Executive, said that the company has delivered another record performance in the first half of 2016 which continues their strong momentum built up in the previous year. He put the growth acceleration down to their strategic focus on structural growth opportunities, along with the acquisition of their Nuaire ventilation business. Hall added: “Despite the uncertain economic backdrop, the long-term structural drivers of our business remain strong, our balanced business model means that we are not overly exposed to any particular sector and the nature of the Group’s production processes enables us to adapt and flex quickly to changes in demand.” The company’s board remains confident that the business’ cash generative characteristics and a commitment to stay ‘agile’ will allow the group to carry on its development and outperform, regardless of the market conditions. The group reported that the Nuaire acquisition has been performing well, with some early success in specification of Nuaire systems with Polypipe duct.
The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) is set to relocate to Midgate, Peterborough. Savills, working on behalf of Pelican Partners (Peterborough) LLP, has let office space at Midgate House on Midgate in the city to the RNIB. The institute has agreed to a new 15 year lease for offices on floors one and two of the building, totalling 19,145 sq ft and follows the recent letting to Reed Recruitment, who will also occupy space on the first floor totalling 2,970 sq ft. Refurbishment work has already started on the reception area and entrance at Midgate House where almost 18,000 sq ft of property is still available to let on floor three. The space is on the market at a quoting rent of £10 per sq ft, while 109,778 sq ft at the RNIB’s old premises at Orton Southgate is also being sold by Savills. Associate in the business space team at Savills Peterborough, Edward Gee, commented: “Situated in the heart of Peterborough city centre, Midgate House offers good quality office space and is an ideal location for The RNIB’s new Peterborough office. “We are very pleased to have helped facilitate the move and to retain such a high profile occupier in the city.” Spoke Consultancy advised the Royal National Institute of Blind People during the relocation process. Last month, the RNIB announced that it has appointed Sally Harvey as acting chief executive officer with effect from October, replacing outgoing chief executive Lesley-Anne Alexander who is set to retire from the group. According to a statement from the organisation, Harvey (pictured) has held a number of senior management roles within the RNIB since 2009. She is currently interim chief operating officer, a role she began earlier this month. Prior to her appointment as chief executive, she was managing director for RNIB Places, leading the charity’s housing services, supported living, care and education.
LJJ Building Services Contractors has been chosen for the £8.5 million building services installation contract at the Royal Holloway student accommodation scheme in Surrey. The work is part of the Willmott Partnership Homes’ £39 million scheme for Royal Holloway, University of London, and will be delivered as part of the Scape Major Works Framework. Stride Treglown of Bristol have designed the scheme which will form the cornerstone of the university’s North Campus in Egham, Surrey. Across the 56 townhouses there will be 621 student bedrooms, along with an amenity block featuring several teaching spaces and a lecture theatre. This will allow the university to offer all first year undergraduates with a residential place. As part of the BREEAM Excellent scheme, LJJ will install a new district heating system in the new amenity block which will be linked to the whole university building management system. The primary energy source will be a combined heat and power unit which will deliver 90kW of thermal energy and 49kW of electrical energy. Also featured in the system will be three gas fired boilers with a total output of 1,250kW for boost and back up, while LJJ will also install a pre-insulated direct heating main that will run beneath the development to deliver domestic heat and hot water to the townhouses through a 300 litre heating interface unit in every building. In terms of cold water supply, LJJ will install a cold water storage tank of 30,000 litre capacity along with a booster system. The company will also install a mechanical ventilation system with heat recovery in the roof space of all town houses to feed the supply and extract for all communal areas, kitchens, corridors and bathrooms. The electrical installation will involve provision of a new HV network, including a new transformer and three HV ring main units.
Leisure and retail specialist Holder Mathias has been granted permission by the Republic of Ireland’s planning authority for the construction of the first Center Parcs scheme outside of the UK. The proposal for a 160ha site in County Longford was approved by An Bord Pleanala for a village that can house up to 2,500 guests with 470 lodges and 30 apartments built in natural surroundings. Holder Mathias partner, Peter Gamble, said that Center Parcs is a much loved holiday destination and the company is pleased to be part of the design team for the first ever village of its kind in Ireland. Gamble added: “The design of the centre buildings responds to the unique setting of Longford Forest offering a wide range of activities, including the Subtropical Swimming Paradise, which will create unforgettable experiences for many families.” Also included in the project team are Peter Brett Associates, Larnaca, Jackson Design and NTR Planning, along with Irish partners EIS and ORS. The site masterplan includes a 3.2ha lake and a network of footpaths and cycle tracks. Holder Mathias was the architect behind the plan and was the lead designer behind the last completed Center Parcs in Woburn Forest. Earlier in the month, it was revealed that revenues are continuing to soar at Center Parcs, up to £420 million. The company operates sites in Sherwood Forest, Longleat Forest, Elveden Forest and Woburn Forest (which opened two years ago). The firm’s most recent results show that revenues reached £420.2m in the year to 21 April 2016, up from £386.9m the year before. In the year, Center Parcs made an overall profit of £6.4m, although one-off expenses of £63.3m, including £42m relating to a debt refinance, led to a £6m loss at pre-tax level, while underlying profit rose by £30.6m up to an impressive £48.8m.
