Leading global non-combustible insulation manufacturer ROCKWOOL today announced it has signed an agreement to buy 114 acres (or 46 hectares) of land at the Peddimore site, north east of Birmingham, with the intention to build a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility featuring proprietary electric melting technology for its stone wool insulation products. The new facility would boost supply capacity for UK and Republic of Ireland customers, whilst also supporting ROCKWOOL’s ambitious global sustainability plans. This significant investment would also create skilled long-term jobs and local supply chain opportunities as well as help in achieving the UK’s net zero targets and in creating a safer and more sustainable built environment through ROCKWOOL’s portfolio of non-combustible and recyclable stone wool insulation products. Local community consultation plans The Peddimore site, which is designated specifically for manufacturing use, is included in Birmingham City Council’s Development Plan and has outline planning permission for a manufacturing facility. Key infrastructure including a new access road and roundabout into the site is already in place, servicing an adjacent facility built in 2023. In the coming weeks, ROCKWOOL will begin consulting with the community about its plans, including open house events where community members can meet ROCKWOOL leaders and learn about the business as well as its commitment to delivering social and environmental value in the communities in which it operates. ROCKWOOL will subsequently submit applications to Birmingham City Council to adapt the existing planning permissions to its specific proposal. Information about the plans will also be made available at www.rockwool.com/uk/peddimore as the proposal develops. Building on long-term success Nick Wilson, Managing Director of ROCKWOOL UK & Ireland, said: “We’re very excited at the opportunity to expand the business into the West Midlands that would enable us to boost our production capacity in the UK and to create quality jobs and business opportunities in the local community. During the past 45 years, we have built a strong foundation at our site in South Wales where we will continue to manufacture and invest for the long-term, and are now looking to build on that success with a second manufacturing plant at the Peddimore site. “The West Midlands has a skilled, local workforce, a strong manufacturing tradition, and excellent transport links, so it is an ideal location for us to expand our business in the UK and bolster our service to customers in the Midlands and across the north of England and Scotland. We’re looking forward to sharing our plans with the local community and are fully committed to being a good neighbour and partner for the Minworth and wider West Midlands community.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

North East-based Harlyn Solutions Ltd (Harlyn) has signed an agreement with Ocean Winds for the collection, storage, and emergency preparedness of Moray West’s spare inter array cables (IACs).  Moray West is a new offshore wind farm in the outer Moray Firth and this exciting project is set to make a vital contribution to Scotland’s renewable energy and climate change targets. Moray West is overseen by Ocean Winds, the 50/50 joint venture between EDP Renewables and ENGIE. Moray West, a key part of the energy transition and the drive to Net Zero emissions, started generating power to the grid in July and will consist of 60 wind turbines, each with a generating capacity of 14.7 megawatts. Harlyn, a UK engineering company, has been appointed to collect and store the spare inter array cables at its facility in the Port of Blyth. This comes after Harlyn successfully delivered two other projects for Moray West, including the transportation of both substations and the cleaning of monopiles infield.  Harlyn has an excellent track record of delivering flexibles. Last year, the engineering company designed bespoke baskets to transport two fibre optic cables and also delivered six 1,500 tonne baskets of flexible pipe.  Hamish Adamson, managing director of Harlyn, said: “I am thrilled that our unique problem-solving approach to projects has been picked up and understood by Ocean Winds. Our teams have worked hand-in-hand across multiple scopes and this long-term project shows the dependability of the team we have at Harlyn as being the partner of choice for these complex challenges.” Pete Geddes, Moray West Project Director at Ocean Winds, said: “We’re delighted to be using Harlyn to store our cables in the UK. Delivering local content is important to Ocean Winds and working with Harlyn for a third scope we are able to support a thoroughly competent UK supplier.”  Joanna Stewart, Harlyn project manager, said: “I am excited to be leading on and delivering this complex multi-disciplinary project collecting the cables and storing them for years to come. It highlights the skills and expertise that Harlyn has to offer, from complex project management through to detailed spooling and flexible engineering.” The work will be delivered over the next few months before the cables and cable accessories will enter storage. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

Using waste clay and brick in cement production could reduce the material’s embodied carbon by up to 30 per cent and boost UK construction’s circular economy, according to a new report.   A two-year study led by the Mineral Products Association (MPA) with funding from Innovate UK has demonstrated that UK reclaimed clays and finely ground brick powder can be used as calcined clays in cement and concrete manufacturing to deliver lower emissions compared to the market-leading CEM I cement.  The findings also confirmed that calcined clays from these sources have the potential to divert 1.4 million tonnes of material from potential waste streams if the materials were adopted by the UK construction industry.  Clay is a naturally abundant material in the UK and can offer an alternative to industrial by-products such as ground granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBS) and fly-ash which have been traditionally used to lower the embodied carbon of cement. UK production of both materials is reducing as the power and steel industries decarbonise. In other parts of the world, calcined clays are used as a secondary cementitious material but until now they have not been officially tested in the UK. Two heating methods were trialled to prepare the clay for use in cement and concrete: commonly used rotary kilns, and the more innovative ‘flash heating’. Both methods have been shown to produce high-quality calcined clays, and with no significant difference between techniques. The project has been supported by Heidelberg Materials UK, Tarmac, Imerys Minerals Ltd, Forterra, University College London and University of Dundee. Dr Diana Casey, Executive Director, energy and climate change at the MPA said: “Using brick waste and reclaimed clays will not only lower carbon and reduce waste but has the potential to create a whole new market if these clays become widely used in the construction industry, helping to retain economic value in the UK, secure jobs and attract investment.” The development of low carbon cements and concretes represent one of seven key levers in MPA UK Concrete’s Roadmap to Beyond Net Zero.  The roadmap sets out the UK concrete and cement industry’s own commitments to delivering net zero and builds on its decarbonising the industry by 53 per cent since 1990. Read the full report on the MPA website https://cement.mineralproducts.org/Innovation/Reclaimed-calcined-clay-cements.aspx Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

A new Chair in Energy appointment by the University of St Andrews heralds a groundbreaking era in battery technology research, crucial for addressing the climate emergency. The University of St Andrews, in partnership with the Faraday Institution, is delighted to announce the appointment of Professor Venkataraman Thangadurai as its new Chair in Energy. Professor Thangadurai, who joins St Andrews from the University of Calgary in Canada, has been awarded a Faraday Institution Adjunct Professorial Fellowship. The Faraday Institution Adjunct Professorial Fellowship programme is designed to enable universities in its community to attract leading battery scientists to the UK or promote new people to contribute to fields related to energy storage research. Professor Thangadurai’s research interests involve the design and preparation of novel solid electrolytes exhibiting fast oxide ion, lithium ion, and sodium ion conduction and mixed ionic-electronic conduction based on inorganic crystal structures. His work primarily explores novel solid electrolytes, electrode materials, and interfaces to enhance battery performance, safety, and longevity. By addressing key challenges in energy storage, his research aims to facilitate the adoption of more efficient and sustainable energy technologies, contributing significantly to the advancement of renewable energy systems and electric vehicles. The newly created position of Chair in Energy at St Andrews will see Professor Thangadurai bring his extensive expertise to the University’s School of Chemistry. His leadership will significantly enhance the St Andrews research capabilities and contributions to sustainable energy solutions, the development of technological spin-out opportunities and Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs). This strategic appointment aligns with St Andrews dedication to advancing global energy sustainability through cutting-edge research and innovation. Professor Thangadurai’s research will look to the future of battery technology, playing a critical role in combating the climate emergency by enhancing energy storage solutions, essential for integrating renewable energy sources like solar and wind into the power grid. Speaking about his appointment, Professor Thangadurai said: “I am delighted to be given this opportunity to continue my research at St Andrews, working with the world’s leading researchers in battery and renewable technologies. The support of the Faraday Institution in making this role a reality shows the commitment to the development of next generation of battery technologies so we can make a real change in the world, playing our part in tackling the climate emergency that impacts us all. The work we will continue and develop at St Andrews will ensure safe, sustainable, renewable energy solutions for generations to come.” Professor Thangadurai, will also work with colleagues from the School of Chemistry, including Professor John Irvine CBE, as part of the Faraday the NEXGENNA research project into sodium-ion batteries. The Faraday Institution’s NEXGENNA project is accelerating the development of sodium-ion battery technology by taking a multi-disciplinary approach incorporating fundamental chemistry right through to scale-up and cell manufacturing. Its aim is to put on the path to commercialisation a sodium-ion battery with high performance, low cost, that has a long cycle life and is safe. Professor Thangadurai will deliver the keynote address at the 24th International Conference on Solid State Ionics in London on Friday 19 July. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals