• The jury awarded its innovative modular manholes for electrical and telecommunications ducting, made of 100% recycled plastic 

• The delivery ceremony took place at the Dubai World Trade Center, headquarters of BIG 5, in which more than 2,500 companies from 60 countries participated.

Spanish manufacturer Hidrostank has won the award for the most sustainable product of the year at the 10th edition of the GAIA Awards, The Big 5 award for green built environment solutions.

The BIG 5 DUBAI, which took place from 26th to 29th of November, is the main construction and civil engineering fair in the Middle East.

The jury, composed by panel of industry experts chaired by Anwaar Al Shimmari, director of the Department of Design of the Ministry of Infrastructure Development of the United Arab Emirates, wanted to recognize HIDROSTANK innovative modular manholes for electrical and telecommunications ducting, made of 100% recycled plastic, from over 100 competing products.

The GAIA Awards, open not only to exhibitors but also to all operators whose products are distributed within the MENA Region, have become a reference for the industry due to their recognition of equipment and construction products that are committed to moving towards a increasingly sustainable environment.

Receiving the award, Hidrostank’s commercial director, Juan Gazpio Irujo, said: “20 years ago we bet on a much more sustainable world. Our challenge was to change the mindset of traditional contractors with a eco friendly alternative to concrete manholes. So we are really proud of being recognised today by such an important jury.”

“More and more administrations are considering sustainable procurement to improve the efficiency of public procurement and use the power of the public market to promote important environmental and social benefits at the local, regional and global levels”, says Juan Gazpio, Commercial Director, in the photo . “Today it is not enough to be competitive. Sustainability is in the DNA of our clients and we have known how to integrate this variable into our productive model”.

The activity of HIDROSTANK is especially focused to emerging countries (LATAM, MENA…) where these modular manholes make it possible to speed the execution of their numerous projects up in a much more sustainable way. The Expansion of the Panama Canal is perhaps one of its main international references. The spanish company supplied to the winning consortium Grupo Unidos por el Canal (GUPC), led by SACYR, its modular manholes in the urbanization works. HIDROSTANK Access chambers enable the contractors to significantly reduce the execution of the works and fulfil  the arranged deadlines at the beginning of the project.

The high resistance of the HIDROSTANK cable pit make it a real alternative to traditional concrete systems. “Not only are they ecofriendly, but also their modularity makes transport easier, a simple and quick installation on site, without the need for heavy machinery, and a reduction in manpower,” says Alberto Ayesa, company manager. ” This will lead to significant savings and a much more sustainable construction.”