Centrica has handed Carillion a £90m contract to deliver facilities management and project services. The initial five-year deal starts in December 2016 and could be extended to seven years. Carillion has worked with Centrica for more than a decade as managing agent for its British Gas business. The new contract
Lendlease has won a £200m contract to build what will be one of the tallest, and probably glitziest, apartment blocks in London. Above: Aykon London One, with interiors by Versace Nine Elms Property Ltd, a subsidiary of Dubai developer Damac Internaional, has handed Lendlease the main construction contract for its
Renewables groups have lauded a spike in solar PV capacity, but warned that subsidy cuts will see new installations dwindle. Solar PV capacity increased 62 per cent in the 12 months from February 2015, according to figures from the Department of Energy and Climate Change (Decc). However,
United Utilities (UU) and Severn Trent have confirmed that all conditions relating to their joint venture – Water Plus – have been satisfied and the transaction has been completed. Operations will be progressively transferred to a new head office located in Stoke-on-Trent over the course of 2016. The joint venture,
Ardmore has awarded Vital Energi with the contract to provide the energy solution for the £170 million mixed-use residential-led Ram Quarter Development. This will be Vital Energi’s sixth collaboration with Ardmore, with previous successes including the Limehouse Basin development and the City Road Tower in Islington. Vital will be
With the height of the oil and gas industry in the past, the production of aerogel will be looking for clients in other sectors in order to diversify and thrive going forward. The aerogel manufacturing industry has been the source of hope and expectation for a number of years, with
NEC4, the next evolution of the NEC suite of contracts, is to play a key role in setting the ‘19th century ‘analogue’ built environment sector on the path to a critical digital ‘industrial revolution’, according to Dr David Hancock, Head of Construction at the Cabinet Office. Speaking to a sold-out
It’s no denying that political and financial leaders have been searching for ways to strengthen the economy, and we’re not surprised to see that a recent venture in the Highlands is soon to make headlines internationally. Locations within north west Scotland possessed many dry docks that were used during the
Cheffins held their second property auction of the year on Wednesday last week, the 21st of June. The auction seemed to go well, with a number of different properties managing to be sold for over their guide price. The total realization of the auction event coming to more than £2.5
Audiologist.co.uk, the Yorkshire based hearing aid specialist that works nationwide has issued the opinion that warning signs should be placed by noisy construction sites to protect those that are passing by. Operatives that work on noisy site are issued with ear defenders in order to protect their hearing while they
Centrica has handed Carillion a £90m contract to deliver facilities management and project services. The initial five-year deal starts in December 2016 and could be extended to seven years. Carillion has worked with Centrica for more than a decade as managing agent for its British Gas business. The new contract builds on this relationship with an extension of scope to a total facilities management service. Under the new contract Carillion will provide hard and soft facilities management services, including asset surveys and planning, planned and reactive maintenance, cleaning, security and catering for Centrica’s 115 locations in the UK and Republic of Ireland, together with the delivery of certain construction projects for Centrica. Carillion chief executive Richard Howson said: “We have worked closely with Centrica since 2005 and built a strong partnership. We are delighted to be extending this relationship, which is based on a one-team approach in which Carillion and Centrica work together to deliver award-winning standards of facilities management and customer service across all Centrica and British Gas sites.” This article was published on 5 Sep 2016 (last updated on 5 Sep 2016). Source link
Lendlease has won a £200m contract to build what will be one of the tallest, and probably glitziest, apartment blocks in London. Above: Aykon London One, with interiors by Versace Nine Elms Property Ltd, a subsidiary of Dubai developer Damac Internaional, has handed Lendlease the main construction contract for its £645m Aykon London One tower block, with interiors designed by Versace Home. The 50-storey building, designed by architect Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates, will provide 450 new homes at Nine Elms in south London. Versace Home said that Aykon London One would be “the first private residence project in London with the interiors fully designed and conceptualized by a luxury fashion house, with Versace involved in all aspects of the interior design”. Damac Group specialises in luxury projects and says it “strives to provide dream homes and unique living concepts to customers from all over the world”. Damac chairman Hussain Sajwani said: “Aykon London One is a landmark project and our first major international development outside of the Middle East. We have great confidence in the London marketplace and this project is already proving to be highly desirable to customers and investors from within the UK as well as other parts of the world. We are delighted to be working with a respected partner such as Lendlease.” Neil Martin, managing director of construction for Lendlease Europe, said: “We are excited that Damac Group has chosen Lendlease to deliver its flagship project in the UK. Our strategy of taking a selective approach to bidding is paying off, and is allowing us to focus on prestigious projects such as this one.” Aykon London One will also offer an allocation of affordable housing, together with office, retail and amenity accommodation across two-interlinking towers. The four-storey office space is above the affordable residential floors at the top of the south block. This forms a habitable sky bridge between the south building and north tower, which is topped by a roof garden at level 24. Further residential amenities include a children’s play area, an indoor swimming pool and Jacuzzi, gymnasium, residents lounge, hospitality services as well as 922 m2 of communal gardens. Completion is expected by the end of 2020. This article was published on 23 Aug 2016 (last updated on 23 Aug 2016). Source link
Renewables groups have lauded a spike in solar PV capacity, but warned that subsidy cuts will see new installations dwindle. Solar PV capacity increased 62 per cent in the 12 months from February 2015, according to figures from the Department of Energy and Climate Change (Decc). However, just 11MW of capacity was deployed in February 2016 which is 92 per cent less than the same month in 2015. March 2016 saw an influx of smaller solar schemes launched ahead of the closure of the Renewables Obligation (RO) subsidy mechanism. The RO closed to large scale projects last April, causing a major spike in capacity installed in March 2015. Solar suffered further subsidy cuts this January, when the Feed in Tariff was reformed to pay much lower rates of subsidy to businesses and households installing solar arrays and became subject to a quarterly deployment cap. Lauren Cook, policy analyst at UK Solar, part of the Renewable Energy Association, said: “This increase [62 per cent] took place under the old policy framework. The government cuts [to the Feed in Tariff] that kicked in this January are beginning to bite – solar PV deployment from January to February 2016 was 92 per cent lower than between January to February 2015. “We’re looking to work constructively with government to remove the many barriers to solar PV deployment that have been erected since the general election. We are frustrated that these barriers, including the severe cuts to the Feed-in Tariff and proposed tax policy changes, will slow the uptake of solar, and ultimately delay the time it takes to reach cost-parity.” Solar Trade Association communications and public affairs manager Sonia Dunlop said: “These figures, encompassing the first installations since the Feed in Tariff reductions, reflect how difficult the government’s changes have made things in the market. “However we are delighted to see there is significant activity at the domestic scale – around 75 per cent of new deployment. It shows that, while challenging, installers are finding ways to make the new rules work, and that consumers who install solar will continue to benefit from home-grown, cost-effective, low carbon energy.” Source link
United Utilities (UU) and Severn Trent have confirmed that all conditions relating to their joint venture – Water Plus – have been satisfied and the transaction has been completed. Operations will be progressively transferred to a new head office located in Stoke-on-Trent over the course of 2016. The joint venture, initially announced on 1 March 2016, will combine the two companies’ non-household water and wastewater retail businesses into one business, and Competition and Markets Authority approval was granted on 3 May. With the non-household retail market in England opening for competition in 2017, Water Plus will combine the complementary skills of both companies – including sales, customer service, business strategy and credit management – to deliver an “attractive proposition” for large and small business customers across England and Scotland. The companies said bringing their businesses together will create a JV with the synergies to provide an “efficient and cost-effective operation” focussed on improved customer service and growth. Speaking to Utility Week last month, Water Plus chief executive Sue Amies-King said the company plans to be a “winner in the market” and wants to be “market-leading on service and on people engagement”. “We have ambitions for growth and we want to be successful, we want to be seen as a go-to company for business customers,” she added. Read Utility Week’s full Q+A with Sue Amies-King here In January, Portsmouth became the first water company to reveal that it would exit the market when competition is introduced. The water-only company sold its business customer base to Scottish supplier Castle Water, which has subsequently applied to Ofwat for a water supply and sewerage licence and has set its sights on English market expansion. Four other companies have also applied for licences since Ofwat opened the application process for those wishing to provide retail services in the new market at the beginning of April. Scottish retailers Cobalt Water and Clear Business Water, and Thames Water Commercial Services and Northumbrian Water Business have all now submitted applications. Other Scottish suppliers, including Business Stream and new entrant Everflow, have told Utility Week they are considering buying into the English market when it opens, and Veolia UK has also said it wants to grow its retail activities in the UK water market. English companies looking to stay have begun positioning themselves for market opening, with Northumbrian Water announcing a rebrand of its business retail arm to Wave, and South West Water teaming up with Bournemouth Water to create Pennon Water Services. Utility Week understands Anglian Water and at least one other WASC are set to follow suit. Read Utility Week’s analysis: one year to market opening and WICS chief executive Alan Sutherland’s advice on how to prepare Source link
Ardmore has awarded Vital Energi with the contract to provide the energy solution for the £170 million mixed-use residential-led Ram Quarter Development. This will be Vital Energi’s sixth collaboration with Ardmore, with previous successes including the Limehouse Basin development and the City Road Tower in Islington. Vital will be working with Ardmore’s professional team to supply and install the new low-carbon energy centre which will house two 229kW combined heat and power engines, two 25,000 litre thermal stores, four 963kW boilers, with the capacity to add a fifth, and two 1MW chillers. Vital Energi will also be installing the hydraulic interface units, risers and laterals, and heating and cooling meters for the development, Phase One of which will see the creation of 338 apartments and a variety of commercial units too. Rob Callaghan, Regional Director for Vital Energi commented, “This is a development which is rich in heritage and history and we are delighted to be delivering a 21st century low-carbon energy solution. This project also marks the sixth time we have partnered with Ardmore and we are happy to be continuing our relationship on another great project.” The former Ram Brewery in Wandsworth has a continuous history as a brewing site dating back almost 500 years, and is being developed by the Chinese investment company Greenland Group. In addition to the residential buildings, the development will also create new public spaces, shops, restaurants, cafés, a microbrewery and a heritage centre to celebrate the site’s history.
With the height of the oil and gas industry in the past, the production of aerogel will be looking for clients in other sectors in order to diversify and thrive going forward. The aerogel manufacturing industry has been the source of hope and expectation for a number of years, with attempts to commercialise the industry taking place, without success, by Monsanto in the 40s and BASF 80s. A parallel has been found between the performance of crude oil in terms of popularity and companies in the sector are basing their forecasts more realistically on these demands going forward. In order to succeed in the future, the Aerogel Looking For Clients in Other Sectors to Diversify and Thrive industry needs to become less dependant on the oil and gas sector as their main source of clients and diversify. The industry has been able to make the most of the progress that has been made in manufacturing process, and the development of new technology and composite and polymeric materials. The industry has been able to use thises developments to expand. At the moment the majority of business in this industry comes from the oil and gas sector where a manufactured silica composite can be used in order to provide insulation solutions. The product that has been manufactured as a part of the aerogel industry is used in refineries and subsea pipelines. The composite offers offer a lightweight, hydrophobic and highly insulative product that, because of its early stages of development, is quite expensive. The price of the product means that the industry is reliant on clients willing to spend the extra amount. In the future aerogels could be used in a range of different sectors such as electrical systems, aerospace, cosmetics and packaging sectors. These potential sectors as well as a number of others could be able to make the most of aerogels and help to develop the industry in the future.
NEC4, the next evolution of the NEC suite of contracts, is to play a key role in setting the ‘19th century ‘analogue’ built environment sector on the path to a critical digital ‘industrial revolution’, according to Dr David Hancock, Head of Construction at the Cabinet Office. Speaking to a sold-out event audience of public and private sector industry experts in Westminster on Thursday (22nd June) – as NEC4 was made available for the first time – Dr Hancock said the contracts’ collaborative and flexible ethos will help UK industry move towards the ‘massive behavioural change’ needed to embrace a ‘critical digital future’. Endorsed by and aligned with the Government Construction Strategy (GCS) and its commitment to Building Information Modelling (BIM) and Soft Landings, NEC4 has been sculpted from 20 years of user feedback in a move to inspire and enable project collaboration. NEC contracts have already been critical to countless high-profile and iconic international projects including the London 2012 Olympics and Crossrail while all contracts let under the phase one of the High Speed Two (HS2) rail project are from the suite. Dr Hancock added NEC4 is ‘central to strengthening the Government’s capability as a construction client’ and that the suite’s central themes of collaboration and shared understanding towards efficiency and risk management are key if ‘we are to enter new era of true manufacturing capability’. Thursday’s event, the biggest-ever annual NEC Users’ Group Seminar, also heard from Beth West, NEC Users’ Group chair, who called on the industry to ‘create an environment of diversity of thought and remove barriers to entry and progressive behaviours’ if it is to truly embrace transformative digital, modular and off-site methods. “NEC contracts provide a toolkit to resolve issues with common sense language, collaborative working and risk management. It is up to us to come together and use this to our advantage. This contract requires you to think and act in a certain way to get success – collaboratively.” “This industry is about people as much as concrete. Having the right people is critical because it is easier to teach skills than behaviour.” The NEC Users’ Group seminar, which also included a series of interactive workshops, panel sessions and networking opportunities, is the highlight of the NEC calendar and was the first opportunity for the industry to see the new suite – a culmination of years of best practice and industry feedback. The audience also heard from ICE President Tim Broyd, NEC User’s Group President Rudi Klein and Peter Barclay, Midlands Highway Alliance Manager. Insights from John Hughes D’aeth, NEC4 Contract Board and Partner at Berwin Leighton Paisner, NEC4 contract board chair Peter Higgins and board members Matthew Garrett and Steve Rowsell completed a packed key speaker programme. Later in the evening, the Leeds Flood Alleviation Scheme was crowned NEC Large Project of the Year at the very popular NEC Users’ Group Awards, established to recognise and celebrate the world’s finest examples of NEC3 contract collaborations. This and the full list of winning submissions, see below, will now be championed globally as the pinnacle of contract collaboration. Rekha Thawrani, general manager for NEC: “What a fantastic start for NEC4 – this was biggest ever event and we were thrilled to have such an informed public and private sector audience including clients, contractors, consultants and professionals from along the supply chain. “Our speakers highlighted the need, and inherent desire, for the UK to embrace a digital and collaboration revolution. An evolution built on the collaboration, feedback and endorsement of you, our users, NEC4 embraces these outstanding collective working practices already transforming industry, to make them accessible, practical and affordable for all. “We all want to see this industry delivering outstanding projects on time and on budget, efficiency savings and risk management. Only together can we reach the highest standards, now and in the future, to the benefit of both industry and society.” NEC4 is now available to purchase online. For all the latest up to date information visit https://www.neccontract.com/NEC4-Products/NEC4-Contracts
It’s no denying that political and financial leaders have been searching for ways to strengthen the economy, and we’re not surprised to see that a recent venture in the Highlands is soon to make headlines internationally. Locations within north west Scotland possessed many dry docks that were used during the 1970s and 1980s, unfortunately, the majority of these mammoth structures eventually fell into disuse. This is about to change thanks to an investment by Kishorn Port Limited. A recent financial injection of £500,000 is set to revitalise this defunct station and to provide jobs to more than 200 workers. The Size of the Development Project It is difficult to overestimate the size of these dry docks. At a diameter of 160 metres, they are one of the largest in Europe and the largest that was ever built to accommodate the needs of the North Sea oil and gas sector. One of the reasons why developers surmised that they would be perfectly suited to house a wind farm. Known as the Kincardine Offshore Windfarm, it will be able to generate an impressive 50 megawatts of energy when fully operational. This is the equivalent of powering 56,000 houses. Why Scotland? Aside from helping Scotland meet its medium-to long-term carbon emission targets, one of the main reasons why this project is considered economically viable arises from the geographic location of Scotland and the Highlands, where offshore winds represent as much as 25 per cent of the total wind power capacity of the European Union. Developers claim that more than 110 jobs will be created during the renovation and upgrading processes before the farm becomes active. Christopher Snelgrove, founder of HIJOBS commented “Additional employment opportunities will likewise occur as a result of ongoing activities and many of these roles will be provided to skilled laborers. The Changing Face of the Scottish Construction Sector With the economic slowdown associated with less of a reliance upon traditional fossil fuels, Scotland saw many of its previous jobs evaporate during the 1990s and the early 2000s. However, this is all now changing due to an increased recognition of the importance of renewable energy sources. This has always been extremely relevant for the production of wind energy and one of the main stumbling blocks was the capability to create infrastructure that could be able to support such offshore technologies. Developers seem to have struck a balance in regards to these current dry docks, as they enable a truly massive wind farm to be constructed within a protected environment before it is floated out to sea. From a fiscal standpoint, this makes a great deal of sense. Much less money will be required during the initial stages of fabrication and the entire project should take much less time than would normally be required. A Reflection of the Energy Industry as a Whole These latest developments are another illustration of how the UK is placing a greater amount of importance upon the provision and utilisation of renewable energy sources. This is quite logical, for the energy sector has been encountering some rough waters in recent times. Michael Hewson, senior analyst at CMC Markets, commented “the energy sector has already taken a hit in recent weeks given talk of price freezes, business renationalisation and greater regulation, from both main political parties.” A paradigm shift into renewable energy production could help to create increased stability and more importantly, it will be able to contribute to the overall health of the Scottish construction sector. Image credit – Decom North Sea
Cheffins held their second property auction of the year on Wednesday last week, the 21st of June. The auction seemed to go well, with a number of different properties managing to be sold for over their guide price. The total realization of the auction event coming to more than £2.5 million. There were 17 different lots available at last wednesday’s auction which took place at the company’s Cambridge salesroom. The sale rate of the auction managed to reach 76% and reflects the strength of confidence in the East Anglian property market. The next auction by Cheffins is scheduled to take place on the 27th September. The auction that took place this month has shown that the market has continued to grow and do well for those looking for development opportunities, investments and end-users. The results of the recent General Election and the beginning of Brexit negotiations have lead to uncertainty that could have a negative impact on the property market. However, the property market in Cambridge and the surrounding area seem to be doing well at the moment. There has been an interest shown in farmland and grassland lots that have the potential for developments. A Kenford village hall was sold to a local buyer for £330,000 with outline planning permission to demolish the building and replace it with two three bedroomed detached houses to be built on the 0.3 acre site. End users purchased a number of houses at the auction including a two bedroomed detached cottage that has a large and mature garden located in Helions Bumpstead on the borders of Cambridgeshire, Suffolk and Essex for £200,000, £50,000 over the property’s guide price. There was a competitive amount of bidding for the lot that consisted of 1 & 1A Oxford Street in Exning which is located near to Newmarket. This lot needs a great deal of refurbishment but there is the potential to re-establish the shop and create a rental income from the flats in the property.
Audiologist.co.uk, the Yorkshire based hearing aid specialist that works nationwide has issued the opinion that warning signs should be placed by noisy construction sites to protect those that are passing by. Operatives that work on noisy site are issued with ear defenders in order to protect their hearing while they carry out the work, however this is impractical for passers by because of the cost and loss of hundreds of ear defenders by handing them out to the public wouldn’t work long term. Signage and warnings in areas where work is being carried out at levels above what is thought to be safe. Any sound above 85 dB is thought to cause damage to hearing without precautions, with those most at risk from noise damage being the young, the elderly and those that already have compromised hearing. A pneumatic drill operates at around 90 dB, with the extra 5 dB accounting for a 150% increase in the level of noise. This increase is so large because the decibel measuring system is logarithmic, not linear, and every 10dB reflects a doubling in the loudness of a sound. Those building sites and construction zones operating loud machinery should be putting up warnings for the general public in order to help protect their hearing, according to the nationwide hearing aid specialist. It has been suggested that the noise created on construction sites would be ok if it were confined to behind the fencing, however those in the city with more sensitive hearing could be quite badly affected by the noise generated. The warning signs will inform the public and then allow them to consider their own hearing and find an alternate route or not if they choose. Warnings could also allow passers by the opportunity to take precautions such as covering their ears as they pass by in order to offer some level of protection while construction work is taking place.
