Leading construction company GRAHAM has been appointed by Belfast Harbour as the main contractor for the initial build phase of the new £90 million deep water terminal to facilitate increased cruise tourism and facilitate offshore wind projects. With works commencing this month the project is set to be complete by 2027 and will see the construction of a new 340m long dual-purpose quay and deep water berth which will be able to accommodate some of the world’s largest cruise vessels, while also expanding the port’s capacity for offshore wind turbine assembly and installation. With 146 cruise vessels scheduled to berth at Belfast Harbour this year – Belfast is already the busiest cruise port on the island and second busiest cruise port in the UK.  The investment will futureproof Belfast’s position as a leading city for cruise tourism. It will also enable the growth of the already significant contribution of cruise tourism to the regional economy, estimated at between £20m-£25m per year. Paul Scott GRAHAM Contracts Director said: “We are delighted to be partnering with Belfast Harbour to deliver this project, not only will it enhance Belfast’s position as leading cruise destination but will also play a crucial role in enabling the future of offshore wind energy in the region”. “As the works commence, we will focus on working closely with key stakeholders and the local community delivering social value and creating impact for years to come”. Chair of Belfast Harbour Dr. Theresa Donaldson said: “Having announced our ambitious new Advance Regional Prosperity strategy only a few months ago, it is exciting to be partnering with GRAHAM to commence work on the single biggest investment project in Belfast Harbour’s history. “As a Trust Port, our primary responsibility is to maintain and develop the Port for the good of everyone in the region, and this project delivers on that mission. It will help us to attract more turnaround cruise calls to Belfast, boosting the economic contribution of cruise tourism, while also providing a pathway to our longer-term ambitions of facilitating the construction of the next generation of floating offshore windfarms, ultimately helping Northern Ireland and its neighbours to reach their clean energy and net zero targets. ” It is an exciting project, which will create a new home for cruise tourism in the port. From 2028, the majority of cruise vessels arriving into Belfast Harbour will dock at the new deep-water berth.  To maximise the opportunity for the regional economy the existing cruise hub will be returned to its original use as a full-time facility for offshore wind. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

GRAHAM, a leading civil engineering company, has constructed Forth Ports’ new deep-water riverside berth at the Port of Leith – designed to host the world’s largest offshore wind construction vessels. The berth was formally opened on Thursday 24 April, marking a significant step forward in Scotland’s pursuit of net-zero emissions. It has been named the Charles Hammond Berth in honour of Forth Ports’ former Chief Executive, with the naming ceremony attended by Kirsty McNeill MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Scotland. The newly engineered heavy-lift berth boasts a robust 100 tonnes per square metre (t/m²) capacity, backed up by 175 acres of adjacent land for associated renewables logistics, marshalling, and manufacturing. A pivotal asset within a 175-acre site, the design will accommodate Scotland’s energy transition plans, boosting local supply chains, creating new, high-quality green jobs, and making a significant contribution to the country achieving its net-zero carbon emissions targets. The Leith Renewables Hub is part of the Forth Green Freeport’s strategically located tax sites, which aim to reindustrialise central Scotland, generating thousands of high-quality green jobs by increasing trade and supporting the growth of businesses across the Firth of Forth. Paul Scott, GRAHAM Contracts Director, said: “The completion and grand opening of the Charles Hammond Berth is a proud moment for GRAHAM and a significant step forward for Scotland’s renewable energy sector. This complex project highlights our commitment to delivering critical infrastructure that not only meets immediate needs but also unlocks substantial long-term economic benefits for the region. We are delighted to have played a key role in creating a facility that will be instrumental in achieving Scotland’s net-zero targets and attracting significant investment and job creation.” The Charles Hammond Berth provides essential infrastructure for the Inch Cape wind farm and positions Leith as a key hub for the offshore renewables industry, attracting further investment and job creation within the Forth Green Freeport. Stuart Wallace, Chief Executive of the Forth Ports Group, said: “Today marks another important milestone in the history of Forth Ports and the transformation of the Port of Leith. Ahead of market demand, we have created a world class piece of infrastructure for Scotland as the nation starts to deliver the first wave of larger offshore wind projects taking shape in the North Sea. This, alongside our investment in the Port of Dundee, has created two purpose-built assembly terminals to meet the immediate needs of Scotland’s offshore wind sector. “These assets are part of Forth Ports’ vision aimed at addressing the UK’s port capacity required for the deployment of these projects, keeping the activity here in Scotland and the UK.  This port infrastructure will be here for the long term and will become part of our sustainable future. “Naming the berth after Charles couldn’t be a more fitting tribute to his leadership and we are proud to have his name on the berth as part of his legacy.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

The offshore construction programme for ScottishPower’s biggest-ever renewables project is officially underway with the installation of the first foundation for the green energy company’s £4 billion East Anglia THREE offshore windfarm. Standing at 83.89m tall, 10.6m in diameter and weighing 1,800 tonnes, the monopile also represents a new offshore wind industry record – becoming the largest installed to date from a jack-up vessel in Europe. Charlie Jordan, ScottishPower Renewables CEO, said: “The installation of our first East Anglia THREE foundation is a real wow moment for both ScottishPower and Iberdrola. It represents a mammoth feat of engineering, skill and a huge amount of work. We’re talking an incredible 1800 tonnes of steel, safely and securely lifted and then precisely placed in the exact spot in an area the size of almost 43,000 football pitches. We’ve never built anything of this scale before! “East Anglia THREE will be the biggest-ever windfarm across the whole of the Iberdrola group and the second largest in the world when it comes into operation. To visibly see it starting to take shape in the North Sea is a real milestone moment and definitely something to be proud of. This project is a fantastic example of how we’re generating more secure, green electricity for the UK; investing in the country’s clean energy future; and supporting jobs and opportunities for decades to come.”    The monopile – manufactured by Joint Venture Navantia Seanergies Windar Renovables (JVNW) – was installed by the Seaway Ventus jack-up installation vessel. It is the first of 95 monopiles being manufactured for the 1.4GW windfarm – the biggest in the ScottishPower and Iberdrola portfolios. JVNW is fabricating 45 of the 95 foundations for the project, with the remaining 50 being manufactured by Haizea. Each of the 95 monopiles will be between 67 and 85 metres in length, up to 10.6 metres in diameter and weigh between 1200 and 1800 tonnes. They will support 95 14.7MW Siemens Gamesa turbines that will generate a total of 1400MW of clean energy – enough to power the equivalent of more than 1.3 million homes. The first of the 95 transition pieces – produced by Windar Renovables – has also been installed, with each 20 metres in height, 8 metres in diameter and weighing more than 400 tonnes. Seaway7 is installing all of the East Anglia THREE monopiles and transition pieces. To achieve this, the Seaway Ventus jack-up vessel has been fitted with a custom-built mission equipment spread that was designed, fabricated, and installed in under two years to meet the project schedule and performance requirements. Lloyd Duthie, Seaway7 Vice President UK, Ireland & Asia, said, “We are proud to have successfully installed the first foundation for East Anglia THREE. This achievement comes after two years of preparation, resulting in Seaway Ventus installing the largest monopile from a jack-up vessel in Europe. It really is testament to the scale of engineering that can be achieved together with partners across the supply chain. We look forward to progressing this significant multi-year construction project, encompassing foundation and inner-array cable installation, with ScottishPower Renewables to deliver a substantial contribution to the UK’s renewable energy ambitions.” The installation of all 95 turbines is expected to be completed by early 2026. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

The offshore wind industry is not just a cornerstone of the UK’s transition to clean energy – it’s the driving force behind the nation’s push towards a sustainable future. As the global race for offshore wind capacity intensifies, deep-water quays like Steel River Quay are essential to ensuring the UK maintains its competitive edge in renewable energy. Teesworks, the UK’s largest Freeport and hub for the sustainable industry, is at the forefront of the nation’s clean energy revolution. Central to its success and situated in the North East of England is Steel River Quay – a unique quay with deep-water capabilities and purpose-built to support the rapid expansion of the offshore wind sector. Strategic importance One of the key bottlenecks in offshore wind expansion is the availability of technically suitable and well-connected Freeport. The deployment of offshore wind turbines requires quays with deep water access, extensive storage and heavy-lift capabilities to handle and store large monopiles, turbines and other vital components. England’s east coast has a limited number of deep-water ports capable of handling offshore wind infrastructure at scale. This is where Steel River Quay, part of the Teesworks site, comes into its own. The product of a two-year build and around £114m of investment, Steel River Quay is equipped to address the challenges of the offshore wind industry head-on. Offering a depth of at least 13.6 metres at any state of the tide and 450 metres long, it can accommodate two of the largest offshore wind installation vessels simultaneously. The quay’s heavy-lift platform, rated at 30 tonnes per square metre, ensures it can support the demands of the industry’s biggest players. A deep-water quay is just one of the ingredients needed for success in the offshore renewable energy sector – while it offers the opportunity for loading and unloading at speed, what happens to those components while they are not on board ship? Large-scale, secure storage is crucial to offshore wind operators in order to reduce ship journey numbers and hence keep costs down. Garry O’Malley, Chairman at Steel River Quay, said: “Steel River Quay is a standout facility and unique to the East coast of England. Not just for its deep-water capabilities and heavy lift technology but its expansive storage areas and access to an additional 500 acres of land via the South Bank Link Road. “The quay will be a major strategic facility for the North Sea offshore wind industry over the next few decades.” The quay to the UK’s biggest offshore wind projects While Steel River Quay was only completed in spring 2024, it is already making its presence felt with involvement in some of the UK’s biggest offshore wind projects. The quay’s deep-water capabilities and vast storage space provide an essential marshalling point for turbine components for the Dogger Bank Wind Farm – the world’s largest offshore wind farm currently under construction – before they are transported to their final installation sites in the North Sea. Additionally, the quay has also started taking deliveries for what will be the world’s largest monopile manufacturing facility – the giant £950m SeAH Wind factory nearing completion on the Teesworks site. The deep-water facilities, storage and related infrastructure on Teesworks were crucial components in the decision by SeAH to locate their 810-metre-long facility at the site, recently visited by His Royal Highness King Charles III. Teesworks will also play a significant role in the development of the £8.5bn Hornsea 3 offshore wind farm. Set to deliver enough green energy to power more than 3 million UK homes, Hornsea 3 will be making a significant contribution toward UK energy security, as well the local and national economy. As one of the UK’s most significant renewable energy projects, Hornsea 3 will require large-scale steel fabrication to support its offshore wind turbines. To assist with this, Hornsea 3 project developer Ørsted and steel contractor Severfield are establishing a steel fabricating facility at Teesworks for Hornsea 3. Severfield, a market leader in structural steel, is leveraging Teesworks’ strategic location, deep-water access and logistics network to construct key components for this transformative project. The multiplier effect While major occupiers and large-scale projects have grabbed the headlines at the Teesworks site, the development is also making its presence felt further down the supply chain. Planning permission was recently secured for more than 40 hybrid commercial units to be built on the Teesworks site near to the SeAH Wind factory. These units will be rented out to local SMEs, including those in the renewable energy and related sectors, a number of whom are likely to service the needs of large occupiers on the Teesworks site such as SeAH Wind. Chris Musgrave OBE, Teesworks Ltd chairman, explains: “We know how important small businesses are to building the bedrock of the local economy, creating jobs and driving prosperity which is why we always wanted to involve SMEs literally on the ground at Teesworks. “We’re keen to make a start on building those units as soon as possible so we’ll be getting on site as soon as we can and creating the spaces for new and existing businesses to set up and grow.” Powering the clean energy future By providing the essential infrastructure needed to support the next generation of offshore wind farms, Teesworks is not just supporting its investors and tenants—it is helping to power the UK’s clean energy future. Steel River Quay and Teesworks’ infrastructure are key to scaling up the UK’s offshore wind ambitions and meeting net-zero targets. As offshore wind continues to expand, facilities like Steel River Quay will be the backbone of the industry, ensuring a greener, more sustainable landscape for generations to come. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

Multiplex has energised a 10MWp solar farm in Norfolk, marking a major milestone in its commitment to reducing carbon emissions across its London construction projects. The Northwold Solar PV generating station, developed in partnership with Ampyr Solar Europe (ASE), is now fully connected to the grid. This follows years of planning and a power purchase agreement (PPA) signed in November 2023, making Multiplex the first UK contractor to operate its own dedicated solar farm. From April 2025, green energy offset under the PPA will power four of Multiplex’s major London developments, including New Zealand House, One Exchange Square, and Bankside Yards (Building 2). The company intends to bring all future projects under this long-term 15-year renewable energy partnership. The Northwold PV project spans 19 hectares, housing 16,380 solar panels with a generation capacity of 10MWp. Producing around 11,448 MWh annually, it can supply energy to over 4,200 homes. A 7.5MW battery storage system, managed by GridBeyond, will provide additional grid support during peak demand. Multiplex UK regional director Tom Marke hailed the project as a game-changer for the construction industry, stating:“Northwold PV going online is a significant step in reducing our carbon emissions—delivering actions, not just words, in the drive to decarbonise UK construction. This self-generated renewable energy will result in verifiable emission reductions, aligning with the UK’s National Grid decarbonisation goals.” Ampyr Solar Europe chief executive Tarun Agrawal added:“This project is another vital step towards a cleaner, greener future. We’re proud to be expanding our European renewable energy portfolio while supporting the UK’s ambitious net zero targets.” By securing a long-term renewable energy supply, Multiplex is driving towards its 2030 sustainability targets, including net zero building operations, zero emissions transport, and zero avoidable waste—paving the way for a more sustainable construction sector. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

Ian Rippin, CEO at MCS, comments on the latest MCS data: “February continued the strong start to the year for small-scale renewables. There were more than 27,000 certified installations in February, bringing the total for the year so far to more than 50,000 – the quickest we have hit this mark in scheme history. “It was another record month for battery storage with more than 2,500 certified installations, and heat pumps also had a strong month with over 5,000 certified installations – an 18% increase on February last year. There were almost 20,000 certified Solar PV installations – a 35% increase on February 2024 – demonstrating the ongoing strength of the solar market. “As MCS continues to support its certification bodies in preparing to offer the redeveloped Scheme, it’s great to see that consumer appetite for small-scale renewables is growing. With more consumers turning to home-grown energy, it’s crucial that there is a skilled installer base delivering high-quality installations against industry-recognised standards, backed by strong consumer protections. That is what the redeveloped MCS will deliver.” To view the MCS Data Dashboard for real-time dynamic visualisations of renewables uptake, please visit: https://mcscertified.com/about-the-mcs-data-dashboard/ Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

Strategic renewable energy consultancy calls on property asset managers to prioritise the performance and safety of their commercial solar PV assets to boost profitability Landlords and property asset managers should pay closer attention to the operations and maintenance of the solar systems installed on their buildings otherwise they risk devaluing their asset and also missing out on potentially lucrative returns, according to Longevity Power, the independent strategic renewable energy consultancy. As the global solar market continues to grow, the losses from underperforming solar assets grow with it. 2024 research by RaptorMaps, the solar asset management company, found that worldwide, underperforming solar PV systems are estimated to have led to USD$4.6 billion in preventable losses in 2023. Anthony Maguire, Managing Director at Longevity Power, explained, “A commercial solar PV system is an investment that needs to be properly maintained and monitored in order to deliver a reliable ongoing return for the owner. Real estate investors who install solar PV systems on their properties often rely on the installer to oversee the operations and maintenance of their new asset. This approach may seem easier, however installers are often not well placed to provide a sufficiently high quality of service”. Correctly maintaining and optimising a solar PV system can be challenging without the right expertise. Maguire makes the point that the potential revenue missed can quickly add up without owners realising or taking any steps to rectify it. “Without properly tracking performance, there is no recourse for the asset owner to trigger performance damages or remediation work for which the installer may be contractually liable” said Maguire. “In reality, companies that install systems are often not well equipped to carry out maintenance and monitor performance because they lack both the dedicated in-house expertise and the appropriate platform, often relying upon the free portal provided by the inverter manufacturer.” Maguire continued, “At a basic level, failing to monitor your asset can be a significant fire safety risk but further to this, it can have a big impact on projects return on investment.” “For example, there is a very real possibility that the asset owner might be receiving an export tariff for the energy generated from their building’s solar system that is below market rate.By tendering this regularly you can secure a higher rate. And in markets where there are negative export prices during periods of peak generation, systems that are not managed in a dynamic, smart way will actually incur a cost. “Poor solar PV maintenance and management also causes problems further down the line when the time comes to sell a property. We are increasingly seeing prospective buyers pull out of sales where onsite solar PV systems are lacking a data bank of historical performance data and as-built specification documentation. “Missed revenue opportunities can quickly add up too, including the potential for the co-location of battery storage. By continually evaluating the consumption pattern of the building, owners can identify opportunities to install batteries for the storage of surplus electricity rather than exporting it back to the grid. Investing in on-site battery storage becomes financially sensible and delivers significant cost savings as both the consumption pattern of the asset and the market price of consumed electricity and surplus generation inevitably change over time. Maguire identified the following important steps for asset managers and property owners to follow to ensure poor performance doesn’t eat into potential returns. “Fundamentally owners need to be smart about how they manage these assets. To get the best out of an asset, owners need to remotely monitor their system on a platform that is able to collate a wide variey of data points to ensure that it is performing in line with expectations,” he said. “This way, the platform can conclusively determine whether there is a safety fault that merits further investigation, or based on the cost of cleaning and the forecasted drop off in performance, whether it is worthwhile having the panels cleaned.” “Without careful operation, maintenance and management of their solar PV systems, asset owners are not only compromising the safety of their tenants and their buildings, but also leaving money on the table and delaying a worthwhile return on their investment.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals