BDC

Search
Linkedin
BDC Magazine
Kenneth Booth

Energy conscious decisions based on data — Helvar’s complete solution showcased at the Light + Building Fair

Kenneth Booth October 3, 2022

Helvar is an international lighting technologies company specialising in intelligent and energy-saving lighting solutions. Helvar lighting control solutions and luminaire components help to create smart energy-saving environments built for the future, using information, and working seamlessly with other systems. The strong commitment to intelligent lighting control solutions, people’s wellbeing and

Read More »

Emesent Hovermap for mass data capture

Kenneth Booth October 3, 2022

Hovermap Case Study Article: Hovermap provides drone autonomy and collision avoidance, easing the burden on operators and allowing them to fly closer to critical infrastructure and into confined spaces. A versatile SLAM-based mapper, Hovermap makes data collection quick, easy, and secure. In addition to drone use, its adaptable design enables

Read More »

PLANNING APPROVED FOR NET ZERO CARBON LOGISTICS SCHEME

Kenneth Booth September 30, 2022

Work Starts On 88,888 Sq Ft Evo Warrington 89 Development Evo Industrial has secured planning consent and started preparatory work to develop EVO Warrington 89, a modern, logistics and HQ industrial unit located on Omega Boulevard in Lingley Mere, Warrington. CBRE and Williams Sillitoe have been appointed as joint agents

Read More »

GMI Construction Group to build new sustainable construction centre in the Jewellery Quarter

Kenneth Booth September 30, 2022

GMI Construction Group has been appointed by University College Birmingham to develop a state-of-the-art sustainable construction skills centre in the Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham. The project, located in the Jewellery Quarter’s Conservation Area, will see GMI regenerate the iconic James Cond print works building into a skills centre for University College

Read More »

Etex goes beyond sustainable lightweight construction and commits to 2030 circularity and decarbonisation targets

Kenneth Booth September 30, 2022

To face our world’s critical needs for sustainable and qualitative living spaces, global building material manufacturer and pioneer in lightweight construction Etex further pledges to be an agent of change in the sustainable building sector. Next to its intrinsically sustainable portfolio, Etex is doing more by setting clear ambitions for

Read More »

Red Rock & ESB choose turbine supplier Vestas for 1.1GW Inch Cape

Kenneth Booth September 29, 2022

Inch Cape Offshore Limited, a joint venture between Red Rock Power and ESB, has appointed Vestas as the preferred wind turbine supplier for the 1100MW Inch Cape Offshore Wind Farm in Scotland. Both Red Rock Power and ESB are Vestas clients for onshore wind projects, and with this new commitment,

Read More »

Winvic awarded emergency bridge repair project under national highways SDF

Kenneth Booth September 29, 2022

Winvic Construction Ltd, a leading main contractor that specialises in the design and delivery of multi-sector construction and civil engineering projects, has been given its first contract within National Highways’ new Scheme Delivery Framework (SDF). Routine investigations to the M62 Ouse Bridge, located between Goole and Howden in Yorkshire –

Read More »
Latest Issue
Issue 343 : Aug 2026

Kenneth Booth

Energy conscious decisions based on data — Helvar’s complete solution showcased at the Light + Building Fair

Kenneth Booth October 3, 2022

Helvar is an international lighting technologies company specialising in intelligent and energy-saving lighting solutions. Helvar lighting control solutions and luminaire components help to create smart energy-saving environments built for the future, using information, and working seamlessly with other systems. The strong commitment to intelligent lighting control solutions, people’s wellbeing and the future of smart buildings has led Helvar to develop a full end-to-end solution unmatched by the competition. At the Light + Building 2022 trade fair, Helvar will showcase its market-leading position in the field of intelligent, digitalised lighting innovations and will host thought-provoking lectures and seminars throughout the week in Hall 8.0, Stand D38. Helvar has taken firm steps to introduce future-proof, energy-saving and people-centric technologies to support its mission of Brighter Spaces. In 2022, Helvar has doubled the number of DALI-2 certified products since its 2021 launch. Over 40 certified DALI-2 application controllers and input devices allow customers to specify the Imagine 950 solution for a wider range of projects and applications, increasing their project portfolio and solution flexibility. The most significant addition to the Imagine 950 solution in 2022 is the ability to read energy and maintenance information from standard-compliant DALI-2 LED drivers. Helvar is one of the first manufacturers to offer a full end-to-end solution for this standardised data. It consists of LED drivers, application controllers and BMS integration through to cloud analytics, reporting and remote monitoring via Helvar Insights. “This is a great achievement for Helvar and the industry as a whole, and I am excited to continue our market leadership with the Imagine solution. With this end-to-end solution, customers can know the actual power consumption and energy use of their lighting accurately for each luminaire or luminaire group and view them in easy-to-understand graphs and reports through our digital services – Helvar Insights interface,” says Thet Oo, Helvar’s Director of Wired Solutions. “Maintenance data is also very useful for facility units. For example, knowing how many hours luminaires have been on compared to their rated lifetime allows facility maintenance to better schedule maintenance and even perform it proactively.” The just-launched Helvar Operating & Energy Insights module — providing energy and maintenance data — adds to the powerful suite of existing Helvar Insights modules such as Monitoring, Control and Occupancy, for space optimisation. This shows that DALI-2 with Helvar solutions is perfectly positioned to take lighting into the next era of smart buildings, giving the ability for clients to make data-driven decisions for their buildings. Helvar Insights has also widened its scope with energy monitoring and wireless ActiveAhead, meaning customers can now have one user interface showing Helvar Insights for Imagine, ActiveAhead or a hybrid lighting control system. The same user interface and features available to existing Helvar Insights customers using Helvar’s wired Imagine lighting control systems can now be used to get the same efficiency, sustainability and wellbeing insights from Helvar’s wireless ActiveAhead lighting control systems. With energy prices increasing and with an ethical responsibility to save energy from a sustainability perspective and as a way of helping to ensure a secure energy supply, understanding how customers’ lighting system uses energy is an important part of their facility management process. Through the upgrade of Helvar ActiveAhead Node Advanced in May, Helvar brings new scalability to its award-winning intelligent wireless lighting control solution ActiveAhead. The upgrade has resulted in the ability to connect and control individual DALI luminaires and selected Helvar DALI devices such as sensors and relays. With these additions, the easiness of ActiveAhead can be brought to use cases utilising DALI addressing and to new application areas such as warehouses, new types of offices, retail, and many others. The ActiveAhead Node Advanced is a truly unique product in the lighting market. No other product offers the benefits of DALI devices with simple local wiring while having these areas still connected together on a wireless mesh network. As a part of its full end-to-end solution, Helvar’s highly efficient LED drivers are designed to consume less energy and bring cost savings for a range of applications where powerful light output is needed. Helvar LED modules help luminaire manufacturers achieve a successful transition to smart, energy-efficient LED lighting solutions with optimised design and outstanding performance.

Read More »

Emesent Hovermap for mass data capture

Kenneth Booth October 3, 2022

Hovermap Case Study Article: Hovermap provides drone autonomy and collision avoidance, easing the burden on operators and allowing them to fly closer to critical infrastructure and into confined spaces. A versatile SLAM-based mapper, Hovermap makes data collection quick, easy, and secure. In addition to drone use, its adaptable design enables it to be used for walking, vehicle, and backpack-mounted surveys. This adaptability has been a significant factor in Hovermap’s widespread acceptance. Combining precision engineering, SLAM algorithms, and robust drone autonomy operators can gather accurate LiDAR data for as-builts, surveys, and inspections above or below ground, indoors or outdoors. This case study was conducted by COPTRZ, the UK’s leading supplier of commercial drone technology, with the assistance of an independent surveyor in order to validate the accuracy of Emesent’s Hovermap SLAM-based LiDAR and Ground Control Point (GCP) Software. Solutions for a LiDAR scanner in construction, such as the Emesent Hovermap mobile mapping technology, can reduce, and in many cases eliminate, the interruptions that add time and expense to a construction project.  Too frequently, companies have neither explored nor are aware of these alternatives.  Instead, they continue doing things the same way they always have, so they endure:
 • Time and resource intensive manual processes, such as traditional surveying and measuring instruments. • Employing professional surveyors, which is an added cost that frequently requires additional time and lacks the flexibility to capture the entire site, difficult-to-access areas, and confined spaces.
 • Fewer collaboration skills, which impede innovation and communication with other members of your project management team.
 • Less specific or exhaustive information for estimating materials and budgeting • Predetermined scanning intervals for monitoring construction
 There is a reason why construction professionals look to LiDAR innovation for construction and data collection: it can speed up and reduce the cost of entire processes.  Overall, this case study sought to determine the extent to which a SLAM-based LiDAR system can be utilised to acquire accurate point cloud data for engineering and mass data applications. The captured data would be compared to Total Station-surveyed points. The precision of ground control points (GCPs) and surveyed points was used to validate claims of accuracy. In addition to these parameters, the time required to capture data and the processing time were also evaluated. This experiment was conducted at a new 73-meter-long housing estate entrance, allowing the testers to scan a continuous stretch of road to test the precision of Hovermap. For evaluation purposes, the environment featured a variety of characteristics, including a rising gradient, street furniture, and utilities. All features, including the top and bottom of the curb, spot levels, GCPs, and utilities, were surveyed by an independent surveyor. A COPTRZ employee performed the Hovermap data set and the positioning of GCPs. Five reflective 500mm targets were used as GCPs. These were placed in a “Zig-Zag” pattern up the road to position the scan in an absolute coordinate system. This eliminated slips and SLAM (inertial measurement unit) drift. The Hovermap data was collected via a walked scan and processed with Emesent software in accordance with the company’s best practises. When the scan begins, the algorithm creates multiple ‘local’ maps and then attempts to align them with greater precision on the global map. The entire survey was conducted at a walking pace, and a closed loop was achieved. SLAM recognises unique characteristics from the outset. When merging ‘local’ and ‘global’ maps, greater alignment is achieved by closing the loop on the scan. Overall, the Emesent Hovermap ST proved to be easy to set up and user-friendly in operation. After configuring Hovermap on a mobile device and waiting 30 seconds for initialization, the data was gathered. The collection of data required 3 minutes and 40 seconds. The processing time, which included the importation of GCPs’ positions, was 13 minutes and 50 seconds. The .las extension was exported and data was imported the point cloud into Leica 3DR. After analysing the data, the standard deviation of 3DCQ shows 95% of all points checked are better than 20mm.

Read More »

BTS set to evaluate critical role of measurement within BEIS heat pump ready programme

Kenneth Booth October 3, 2022

The BEIS Heat Pump Ready Programme is a part of the UK Government’s Heat and Buildings Strategy to transition to Net Zero; BTS partners with Veritherm and Elmhurst Energy Consultancy to deliver project objectives Build Test Solutions (BTS), alongside Veritherm and Elmhurst Energy Consultancy, have secured support from BEIS under the Heat Pump Ready Programme to focus explicitly on the role of using on-site measured building performance parameters to optimise and validate heat pump system specification, design, and management. The Heat Pump Ready (HPR) Programme forms part of BEIS’s £1 billion Net Zero Innovation Portfolio (NZIP), which aims to accelerate the commercialisation of innovative clean energy technologies and processes through the 2020s and 2030s. As a key solution for decarbonising homes, heat pumps will be critical for meeting the UK’s legally binding commitment to achieve net zero by 2050. The Heat Pump Ready Programme will support the development of innovative solutions across the heat pump sector. The Government’s recently published Heat and Buildings Strategy sets out several key commitments for helping to ensure that the transition to low-carbon buildings is affordable and achievable for all, including delivering a package of measures to scale up the deployment of heat pumps to 600,000 a year by 2028 and to support industry to reduce the costs of heat pumps. The Strategy set out the ambition to work with industry to reduce the upfront costs of heat pumps by 25-50 per cent by 2025 and to parity with boilers by 2030, as well as making them as cheap to run as a gas boiler.  The capital cost, lifetime operational cost and lifetime efficiency of both ground and air source-based heat pumps are all fundamentally linked to establishing the required combined space heating and hot water demand profile. Get it wrong and an undersized heat pump cannot adequately heat the home, while oversized heat pumps cost more and don’t run as efficiently. In most cases, approximately two-thirds of this demand is driven by space heating requirements. However, this is currently determined through heat loss calculation software underpinned by a series of assumed inputs. This can be useful as a guide but with the introduction of smart meters, low-cost sensors, and newly established techniques, it is now possible to measure key performance parameters directly on a per property basis at scale. The awarded 15-month project is to be delivered by BTS in partnership with Veritherm, both of whom are leading providers of thermal performance measurement solutions, along with Elmhurst Energy Consultancy. Together the businesses will work together to determine: “Veritherm are delighted to be working alongside BTS and Elmhurst to explore how measured building performance can play a crucial part in the mass rollout of heat pumps,” says Tom Fenton, Founder and CEO of Veritherm. “We believe the project will highlight a new methodology that uses real-world data to improve system specification, design, and management. The collaboration brings together the UK’s leading innovators in building performance measurement and we hope the outputs from our research will help to break down barriers to adoption, whilst providing valuable insights that can be shared with the industry.” Richard Jack, BTS Technical Director, adds: “The argument is simple. No two buildings are ever the same and yet desktop heat loss calculations rely on identikit assumptions and fixed parameters. We are delighted to have been awarded this project and we are going to take this opportunity to demonstrate that the measurement of building heat loss is not only cost-effective and highly scalable, but it also delivers better outcomes including, crucially, optimal lifetime heat pump system functionality and performance.” For more information, visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/heat-pump-ready-programme-successful-projects/heat-pump-ready-programme-stream-2-projects.

Read More »

Land & Water awarded the contract for A VAST Thames Water River Restoration project

Kenneth Booth October 3, 2022

Leading wet civil engineering firm Land & Water has been awarded a place on the framework contract for the Thames Water River CP0033 Restoration and associated works. This groundbreaking project will see the implementation of river restoration and fish passage, improving available habitats and resilience within rivers. Land & Water will develop small and large scale solutions to improve the waterways, mitigate the impact on the environment and enable Thames Water to meet regulatory requirements as part of the Water Industry National Environment Programme (WINEP). As part of the overhaul and improvement of the waterways, work will include weir removal or modifications, channel bed re-profiling, riverbank re-profiling and replacing banks with softer, natural options. Barriers to fish passage will also be overcome, with pass channels and other solutions such as rock ramps and in-channel gravel (to allow fish to lay their eggs). Having successfully worked on other environmentally sensitive sites, Land & Water is an expert at implementing ‘soft’ nature-based engineering solutions and is experienced in dealing with regulators and local communities. It has previously restored hundreds of miles of waterways throughout the UK for the Canal & River Trust, building solid working relationships with the Environment Agency, Natural England, land owners and local stakeholders. Fiona Moore, Divisional Business Manager, said: “We’re very excited to bring our wealth of experience to developing these projects over the coming years. “The result will be a transformation and improvement of the Thames Waterways, reducing the impact on the environment and meeting its obligations under the Water Framework Directive. “As custodians of the environment, it also ensures that we are safeguarding habitat for the flora and fauna for years to come.” Thames Water is the UK’s largest Water and Wastewater services provider, serving 15 million customers, supplying more than 2.6 billion litres of drinking water on average, per day to 9 million drinking water customers and recycling waste from 15 million people safely back to the environment. A key driver for the river restoration programme is to mitigate the impact from abstractions. However, the complexity of river systems means that reducing abstraction alone may not address all of the pressures in the impacted area, and therefore there needs to be improvements throughout the river environment. The scale of the framework will see the works varying from small local projects which can be delivered manually and with minimal mechanical input, through to larger scale schemes.

Read More »

PLANNING APPROVED FOR NET ZERO CARBON LOGISTICS SCHEME

Kenneth Booth September 30, 2022

Work Starts On 88,888 Sq Ft Evo Warrington 89 Development Evo Industrial has secured planning consent and started preparatory work to develop EVO Warrington 89, a modern, logistics and HQ industrial unit located on Omega Boulevard in Lingley Mere, Warrington. CBRE and Williams Sillitoe have been appointed as joint agents on the speculatively developed scheme which will be Evo Industrial’s fifth Net Zero Carbon building. Howard Russell Construction has been appointed to construct the unit which will be available in Spring 2023. The building focuses on low running costs and a low carbon footprint and will achieve BREEAM Excellent and Net Zero Carbon when in use, targeting an A+ rating for energy performance. The property will include recycled materials, solar roof panels, comfort cooling, LED lighting, parking for 88 vehicles, EV car charging points and a warehouse flooded with natural light. The fully fitted first floor offices are designed with high-speed fibre broadband and will be ready to occupy with raised access floors making hardware installation easy. The location on Omega Boulevard and just off Junction 8 of the M62 offers easy access to Manchester, Liverpool, and beyond. Other major occupiers within the area include Amazon, Asda, Brakes, Domino’s Pizza, Hermes, Royal Mail, The Hut Group and Travis Perkins. Adam Courtenay, Director at Evo Logistics, said: “It’s a major milestone for us to be developing our fifth Net Zero Carbon building and this is a fantastic site to be bringing that aspiration to life. and we are looking forward to seeing progress between now and the building’s launch in Spring next year.” Paul Cook, Senior Director at CBRE Manchester, said: “We are delighted to be appointed on this scheme for Evo Industrial. A net zero carbon building, EVO Warrington 89 is situated in an excellent position close to the M62 Motorway with access to several cities and airports. With businesses currently seeking properties offering low running costs and a low carbon footprint, we are confident there will be high interest in this scheme.” Mark Sillitoe, Director, Williams Sillitoe commented: “Logistics developments don’t get any better than this.  Prime location, best in class building.  This will undoubtedly be well received in the market.”

Read More »

ROCKWOOL® launches the UK’s most thermally efficient stone wool for cavity walls

Kenneth Booth September 30, 2022

NyRock® Cavity Slab 032 combines the UK’s lowest lambda rating for stone wool with acoustic and fire performance, plus space saving capabilities ROCKWOOL has launched NyRock® Cavity Slab 032 providing specifiers with a low lambda, non-combustible stone wool slab for full and partial fill masonry cavities that enables a thinner wall construction. NyRock Cavity Slab 032 has been developed using NyRock technology, the manufacturer’s patented production process that creates a more efficient fibre structure than traditional stone wool products. With its 0.032 W/mK thermal conductivity value, users can achieve a U-value of 0.18 W/m²K with a thickness of 150mm, depending on construction type, which is 25mm thinner than standard stone wool cavity products within the same wall build up. As with all ROCKWOOL stone wool insulation, NyRock Cavity Slab 032 can withstand temperatures in excess of 1000°C, achieving the highest Euroclass A1 non-combustible reaction to fire classification. It also benefits from a high density semi rigid composition meaning it will not slump in the cavity and retains the same thermal and fire resistance properties more than 55 years after installation according to independent research.[1] NyRock Cavity Slab 032 comes in 455mm widths to suit standard vertical wall tie spaces and achieves a closely knitted joint with adjacent slabs, without the need for taping of the joints. This helps eliminate gaps allowing for continuity of insulation across the cavity. “Energy efficiency is a very real and immediate challenge for the construction sector,” said Paul Barrett, Head of Product Management at ROCKWOOL UK. “Alongside the need to improve the thermal effectiveness of existing buildings against a backdrop of rising energy bills, our eyes must also be on the more onerous requirements of the Future Homes Standard and the UK’s wider 2050 net zero carbon target too. “NyRock Cavity Slab 032 gives specifiers a new level of thermal performance for stone wool alongside spacing saving capabilities, and acoustic and fire performance that are equally critical when providing occupants with comfortable and safe spaces. These performance benefits are also backed by a strong commercial offer including a competitive price point and installation efficiencies such as ease of cutting and fitting on-site.”  Having undergone an extensive testing programme, NyRock Cavity Slab 032 is suitable for new build, renovations and extensions and has British Board of Agrément (BBA) certification[2] for full and partial fill applications. All ROCKWOOL stone wool insulation comprising NyRock technology have water repellent properties and can be recycled indefinitely. Stone wool insulation is manufactured from naturally occurring volcanic rock that is abundant in supply as it is continually replenished by the earth’s crust. For more details on NyRock Cavity Slab 032 and the wider NyRock range, visit rockwool.com/uk/nyrock. [1] FIW (German test and research institute), Durability Project Mineral Wool, 2016 [2] BBA Certification 22/6252

Read More »

GMI Construction Group to build new sustainable construction centre in the Jewellery Quarter

Kenneth Booth September 30, 2022

GMI Construction Group has been appointed by University College Birmingham to develop a state-of-the-art sustainable construction skills centre in the Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham. The project, located in the Jewellery Quarter’s Conservation Area, will see GMI regenerate the iconic James Cond print works building into a skills centre for University College Birmingham’s intake of construction students next year. Offering courses in areas such as modular buildings, retrofit construction, and green technologies, the centre will specialise in teaching skills that support the region’s growth areas, including sustainable construction methods and renewable energy. Current construction students will also have the opportunity to get involved with the build, offering them real-world experience and the chance to help build their own learning facility. GMI will commence building works in October 2022 and the project is expected to be completed ready for September 2023’s intake of students. Gareth Jones, Construction Director at GMI, said: “We’re looking forward to working with University College Birmingham on the regeneration of this historic building in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter, unlocking new opportunities for the area through improved access to education. “Improving the sustainability of the construction industry is high on our agenda, so it’s a pleasure to be working on a project that will provide training in this area and equip the future workforce with the skills they need to make a positive change to the industry.” Professor Michael Harkin, Vice-Chancellor and Principal at University College Birmingham, added: “There is a great need for new talent in the sustainable construction field, with hundreds of thousands of new workers expected to be required in the next few years. “We look forward to working with GMI to bring this much-needed skills centre to life, and welcoming new students to the facility next year.” To find out more about GMI, please visit: www.gmiconstructiongroup.co.uk. 

Read More »

Etex goes beyond sustainable lightweight construction and commits to 2030 circularity and decarbonisation targets

Kenneth Booth September 30, 2022

To face our world’s critical needs for sustainable and qualitative living spaces, global building material manufacturer and pioneer in lightweight construction Etex further pledges to be an agent of change in the sustainable building sector. Next to its intrinsically sustainable portfolio, Etex is doing more by setting clear ambitions for the next eight years across five priority areas: health, safety and well-being; decarbonisation; circularity; diversity, equity, and inclusion; and customer engagement. Etex’s 2021 Sustainability Report is accessible here. Etex’s answer to the world’s needs for sustainable and qualitative living spaces Climate change and societal challenges demand sustainable stewardship from businesses, governments and the wider public. Etex strives to be an agent of change in the sustainable building sector committed to combating climate change. Driven by six megatrends – resources scarcity, a growing world population, ageing cities, technological evolutions, growing complexity and productivity matters – Etex made key strategic investments in the technologies and areas of expertise that should be crucial for the future. With its effective lightweight construction solutions and innovative building materials such as plasterboards, fiber cement boards or glass mineral wool, Etex embraces the demand for high-quality, energy-efficient and sustainable living and working spaces. Etex’s lightweight construction solutions are 15 to 45% less emission-intensive to produce and offer the potential to reduce raw material and energy use, contributing to long-term circularity through deconstruction, reuse and recycling. Sustainability as key strategic driver As part of the construction industry value chain, Etex depends on raw materials, energy, water and other ecosystem services. By design, the industry has a significant environmental footprint: 26% of greenhouse gas emissions are from the construction value chain. At the same time, social considerations matter along this value chain. As a proactive partner, Etex strives for continuous improvement towards people and the planet. In recent years, Etex laid a solid foundation to become a more sustainable organisation. In 2020 the company became a signatory of the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) for sustainable and responsible business practices. As a global citizen, Etex also committed to supporting the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by implementing concrete projects and initiatives. Together with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders the company defined where it has the biggest impacts and where it can secure the biggest sustainability wins. These early efforts have already paid off, with tangible results and recognition. In 2021 Etex published its first-ever Sustainability Report. In its most recent business sustainability assessment as a supplier in 2021, Etex received a silver medal from EcoVadis in recognition of its best-in-class sustainability management. The silver medal places Etex in the top 25% of all companies evaluated by EcoVadis. In 2021, Etex’s Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) risk exposure was rated 18.1 out of 100, indicating that the company has a low risk exposure and is ranked favourably amongst its peers in the top 10% of the construction industry. Road to Sustainability 2030 It is now time to go further, which is why Etex decided to embark on its Road to Sustainability 2030. Etex’s sustainability goals are ambitious, and the company worked hard to translate them into dedicated workflows, clear action plans and targets. They are organised across five priority areas: Health, safety and well-being: the daily goal is to reach zero fatalities, harms or burnouts; Customer engagement: Etex aims to build a sustainable roadmap per product platform by 2025; Diversity, equity and inclusion: by 2025, Etex will cover all teammates by diversity, equity and inclusion policies, procedures and practices. It will also train all teammates on diversity, equity and inclusion as well as close the gender pay gap; Decarbonisation: the goal for 2030 is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (intensity of scopes 1 and 2) by 35% compared to 2018; Circularity: by 2030, Etex will use more than 20% of circular input as raw material (compared to 2018), send zero waste to landfill, use 100% recycled packaging material and reduce plastic packaging with 20% (compared to 2018), offer a take back service of its product portfolio in 80% of its European countries, and dedicate 50% of its innovation resources to sustainability. Celebrating the sustainability successes of 2021 In line with Etex’s overall sustainability efforts and the publication of its first-ever Sustainability Report in 2021, the company also garnered significant successes over the past year. Among some of the achievements, Etex increased the percentage of its worldwide purchased electricity from renewable sources to 82%. Additionally, improvements in feeding production waste back into the production process and other successful activities led to a significant reduction in the amount of total waste generated, avoiding more than 45,000 tonnes. 2021 was also marked by innovation records. Etex’s solutions where a positive contribution to sustainability is the key feature made up 75% of innovation projects. To support the mental health of teammates, in September 2021 Etex sealed a partnership to offer an employee assistance programme accessible 24/7 to all teammates in their local languages. Regarding its overall work environment, Etex is motivated by a 2021 survey results which showed an 86% employee engagement rate across Etex, up 15% on 2018 and 6% above the manufacturing industry norm. Bernard Delvaux, CEO of Etex: “Today Etex has sustainability as a guiding compass of business transformation, with concrete objectives that reflect the company’s ambition. We are on an exciting journey towards improving sustainability in the short and long term. We know there is a long road ahead, which is why we invite all our stakeholders to further support us in becoming a leading benchmark in our industry.”

Read More »

Red Rock & ESB choose turbine supplier Vestas for 1.1GW Inch Cape

Kenneth Booth September 29, 2022

Inch Cape Offshore Limited, a joint venture between Red Rock Power and ESB, has appointed Vestas as the preferred wind turbine supplier for the 1100MW Inch Cape Offshore Wind Farm in Scotland. Both Red Rock Power and ESB are Vestas clients for onshore wind projects, and with this new commitment, these partnerships now continue offshore. The project, located 15 km off the Angus Coast on the East of Scotland, will feature 72 V236-15.0MW turbines. The agreement also includes a 15-year Operations and Maintenance (O&M) contract, which will provide a multi-year solution to service the wind farm when operational. President of Vestas Northern & Central Europe Nils de Baar said: “Offshore wind projects are evolving rapidly, and Vestas is proud to play a leading role in this expansion with our industry leading offshore technology. “We are honoured to have been selected as preferred supplier by Inch Cape Offshore Limited, enabling us to support Scotland and the UK’s net zero ambitions, while increasing the security of energy supply. “Inch Cape is a landmark project, and to be a part of it is a proud achievement for all our employees, who work with great dedication to develop reliable, resilient, and sustainable offshore technology all around the world.” Inch Cape Offshore Limited secured a contract for difference in the UK’s fourth CfD allocation round, which concluded on July 7, 2022. Ir recently announced the Renewables Hub at the Port of Dundee as its intended pre-assembly site and the Port of Montrose as the project’s O&M base. If and when the agreement with Inch Cape becomes a firm order for Vestas, Vestas will disclose the order in a company announcement in accordance with the company’s disclosure policy.

Read More »

Winvic awarded emergency bridge repair project under national highways SDF

Kenneth Booth September 29, 2022

Winvic Construction Ltd, a leading main contractor that specialises in the design and delivery of multi-sector construction and civil engineering projects, has been given its first contract within National Highways’ new Scheme Delivery Framework (SDF). Routine investigations to the M62 Ouse Bridge, located between Goole and Howden in Yorkshire – or between junctions 36 and 37 of the M62 – identified a partial failure of a joint on the eastbound carriageway. Therefore, Winvic has been appointed as one of the organisations on the SDF undertaking temporary and then permanent repairs on the structure and highway. It was discovered that increased vibration from traffic had started to damage the concrete under lane three and a bridge joint, which allows the carriageway to expand and contract with the weather. A contraflow was immediately put into place, reducing traffic on the eastbound carriage to one lane, to allow temporary works to begin, while a series of overnight road closures during the week commencing 13 June facilitated a second eastbound traffic lane to open on Saturday 18 June minimising disruption to road users. Winvic installed temporary metal bridging plates across parts of the eastbound carriageway, which enabled a further eastbound lane and the eastbound exit slip road at junction 37 to be reopened on Friday 8 July.   Winvic has employed its ‘one-team’ approach and is working closely with a number of National Highways project partners; Jacobs is designing the repairs, traffic management is being led by Amey and Winvic, along with specialist Contractor VSL, is heading the joint repair and replacement. Together the companies are currently working on the complex design process required to replace all eight joints across both carriageways towards a solution that reduces the need for full closures in the future as much as possible. Temporary bridging plates have been installed over the damaged bridge joints as a temporary mitigation measure, and a second set will be added this autumn. The two most critically damaged joints on the eastbound carriageway will be replaced by spring 2023 and the project will be fully complete in Autumn 2023. Winvic won its place on the National Highways SDF in September, along with 49 other contractors that will deliver £3.6 billion of road renewal works on England’s motorways and trunk roads over the next six years. Rob Cook, Winvic’s Director of Civils and Infrastructure, commented: “We have been working hard with National Highways and the Yorkshire North East region to mobilise the Scheme Delivery Framework since we were awarded our place on it in September, so we were able to mobilise rapidly on this project on the M62 Ouse Bridge to begin the necessary immediate temporary works. We put multiple interfaces in place with the National Highway team and the other project partners, so we could work as one-team, towards one-goal with safety as the ultimate priority. “The surfacing and bridging plate works have met programme expectations, meaning road users have been able to go back to using multiple carriageways and the programme is in place to install more plates this Autumn; while the priority always must be safety, it’s also crucial that disruptions to people’s journeys is minimised as quickly as possible and negate the need for full road closures as much as possible. Once the permanent solution has been fully designed and  fabricated, we will undertake these permanent works, facilitating the long-term safe use of the Ouse Bridge.”  Members of the public can keep up to date about the project and any related traffic disruption, by visiting https://nationalhighways.co.uk/our-work/yorkshire-and-north-east/m62-ouse-bridge/.  Phil Jepps, National Highways Programme Delivery Manager, added: “The temporary repair work around the bridge joint and the permanent replacement of all eight joints on the Ouse Bridge is a very complex project. To complete this as quickly, safely and effectively as possible, it’s important we work with outstanding partners who share our commitment to working towards the highest possible standards. We would like to thank Winvic and our other partners on the Scheme Delivery Framework for their ongoing support to keep traffic moving safely while completing the vital resurfacing and bridging plate work.” For more information on essential safety work taking place on Ouse Bridge, visit the National Highways dedicated web page for the bridge https://nationalhighways.co.uk/our-roads/yorkshire-and-north-east/m62-ouse-bridge/ or follow National Highways Yorkshire on Facebook. Winvic will be attending the Highways UK event at The NEC, Birmingham, on 2 and 3 of November 2022 – find them at exhibition stand number E6 or contact the firm to pre-book a meeting. For more information on Winvic, the company’s latest project news and job vacancies please visit www.winvic.co.uk. Join Winvic on social media – visit Twitter @WinvicLtd – and LinkedIn.  

Read More »