Oldham Council is inviting businesses to tender for a £1.2 million contract to deliver a major new solar farm in the borough. The site at Wrigley Head, Failsworth, is the council’s first solar farm and is a key project in our Green New Deal – our strategy to make Oldham
Balfour Beatty today announces that, alongside Technip Energies and GE Vernova, it has received a Letter of Intent from bp, on behalf of NZT Power Limited, to progress with the next phase of the Net Zero Teesside Power project. Net Zero Teesside Power, a joint venture between bp and Equinor,
Export Finance Norway (Eksfin) is providing loan financing of EUR 525 mn to Ørsted of Denmark, one of the world’s largest offshore wind developers. The financing is based on the purchase of two transformer platforms from Norway’s Aibel for the Hornsea 3 offshore wind farm project in the UK. The
The UK government’s plans for new gas power stations as back up for renewables should prompt high energy users to consider decentralised solutions to balance security of supply against the need for greener energy, according to a sector expert. The government says the new gas power stations, which will be
3ti®, the UK’s leading designer, installer, funder and operator of Solar Car Parks (SCPs) is installing the first large-scale SCP in Europe to be constructed from sustainable Glulam timber beams and Glass-Glass solar panels. Opening to the public in April, the new SCP at Wiltshire Council’s Five Rivers Health &
Legrand UK & Ireland has saved over a tonne of CO2 in a single month with the installation of a solar photovoltaic (PV) panel array on the roof of its West Bromwich site, near Birmingham. The panels were installed and commissioned in October 2023 and, before the end of November, had
Costain, the infrastructure solutions company, has successfully completed the front-end engineering design (FEED) stage for key onshore elements of the East Coast Cluster (ECC) – Net Zero Teesside Power (NZT Power) and the Northern Endurance Partnership (NEP) – in the industrial heartland of Teesside. NZT Power, a joint venture between
Prologis Europe is pleased to share its latest success in rooftop solar. Prologis wins 10 German renewable energy contracts Prologis Europe has been successful in winning ten on-roof solar contracts as part of the German government’s latest Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG) tender. Prologis was one of the largest bidders
Banks Renewables is expecting to invest over £100 million to develop Pond Energy Park, which will see a section of an industrial park near Bathgate re-designed into a two-hectare battery site. Plans are expected to be submitted later this year and Pond Battery Storage will have an export capacity of
SOLAR & STORAGE LIVE Stand N3… A gull wing solar parking structure at Solar & Storage Live is set to demonstrate how organisations can provide their own green electricity to meet the growing demand for EV charging points. SIG Building Solutions, exhibiting at the show for the first time, is
Oldham Council is inviting businesses to tender for a £1.2 million contract to deliver a major new solar farm in the borough. The site at Wrigley Head, Failsworth, is the council’s first solar farm and is a key project in our Green New Deal – our strategy to make Oldham Council buildings carbon neutral by 2025, followed by the whole borough by 2030. We’ve now launched a tender process, inviting interested businesses to design, build, operate and maintain the 1MW site for 20 years. Cllr Abdul Jabbar MBE, Cabinet Member for Finance and Corporate Resources, said: “This is a really exciting opportunity for green technology businesses to get involved in a pioneering project in Greater Manchester. “The solar farm will create green energy which is capable of creating enough electricity to power the equivalent of around 750 homes at one time. “It will transform the land, which was previously a derelict site, giving it a new sustainable purpose which will boost the environment and biodiversity. It will also reduce our reliance on fossil fuels giving the council cheaper energy bills that stay low – unlike gas prices, meaning we have more money to spend on front-line services. “We were the first council in the UK to adopt a Green New Deal and we are aiming to be the greenest borough in Greater Manchester. “This new solar farm is just one of many green projects we have planned, and an added plus is that it will be the first subsidy-free local authority owned solar farm in Greater Manchester. “This is your chance to play a key role in this exciting programme.” With construction planned to start in September, the council requires a contractor who can review the outline design for the ground-mounted solar PV array and improve upon it, taking into account developments in new technology and any other factors. The new design will need to be agreed with the council, planning authority and any other key stakeholders. Following this, the contractor will then construct, operate and maintain the installation for up to 20 years. The net value of the contract is £1.2m. Interested parties can view the tender documents on the council’s procurement portal The Chest at www.the-chest.org.uk The solar farm opportunity comes as Oldham Council secured £8.7 million in grant funding to support our plans to create a low carbon district heat network for Oldham Town Centre. These unique systems use local sources of eco-friendly heat which would otherwise go to waste. In Oldham, we could use air, wastewater, minewater and biomass. Heat networks distribute heat from a central source and deliver it to different buildings including shops, offices and homes. By supplying multiple places, they avoid the need for individual boilers or electric heaters in every building. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Balfour Beatty today announces that, alongside Technip Energies and GE Vernova, it has received a Letter of Intent from bp, on behalf of NZT Power Limited, to progress with the next phase of the Net Zero Teesside Power project. Net Zero Teesside Power, a joint venture between bp and Equinor, is poised to become one of the world’s first commercial scale gas-fired power stations with carbon capture, expected to capture up to 2 million tonnes of CO2 per year. The project is set to provide flexible, dispatchable low-carbon power equivalent to the average electricity requirements of around 1.3 million UK homes. In partnership with Technip Energies and GE Vernova, Balfour Beatty will construct a highly efficient combined-cycle plant, integrated with a state-of-the-art carbon capture plant using Technip Energies’ Canopy by T.ENTM solution powered by the Shell CANSOLV® CO2 capture technology. Balfour Beatty will bring its deep domain knowledge and unique, end-to-end multidisciplinary capabilities to deliver this landmark project, including the company’s industrial mechanical and electrical (M&E) heritage, utilising modular construction techniques to build the M&E equipment and plant rooms off-site, in a controlled factory setting. Leo Quinn, Balfour Beatty Group Chief Executive, said: “Today’s announcement takes us a step closer to realising one of the world’s first commercial scale gas-fired power stations with carbon capture. It’s a significant milestone in delivering the critical infrastructure needed to transition the UK to Net Zero. “Balfour Beatty’s market leading capabilities, underpinned by our unrivalled experience and proven track record in delivering complex infrastructure projects, means we are perfectly positioned to support the delivery of this critical project alongside Technip Energies and GE Vernova – proving on the world-stage that the UK is primed and ready to lead the way in decarbonising our industrial footprint.” Arnaud Pieton, CEO of Technip Energies, commented, “Our selection for the Net Zero Teesside Power project is a testament to Technip Energies growing leadership position as an integrated state-of-the-art CCUS solutions provider. By capturing up to 2 million tonnes of CO2 at a large power plant, we collectively rise to the challenge of scale by providing sustainable and available energy at a large scale. With our partners GE Vernova and Balfour Beatty, we are honoured to contribute to this flagship project that supports bp and the UK in their goal of developing one of the first decarbonised industrial clusters in the world.” Maví Zingoni, CEO, Power at GE Vernova commented: “The development of Net Zero Teesside Power, one of the world’s first commercial scale gas-fired power stations with carbon capture, marks a huge step towards supporting the UK government’s commitment to fully decarbonise its power system by 2035. GE Vernova will help bring proven expertise in natural gas combined cycle plant engineering, operability, and full-scale integration to support carbon abatement for this project. We believe post-combustion carbon capture can play a crucial role in reducing emissions and ensuring dispatchable power in the future.” Balfour Beatty’s selection follows the recent granting of the Development Consent Order by the Secretary of State for the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero with the project shortlisted for UK Government funding. Final contract award will be subject to receipt of regulatory clearances and final investment decisions (FID) being taken in September 2024 or earlier. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Export Finance Norway (Eksfin) is providing loan financing of EUR 525 mn to Ørsted of Denmark, one of the world’s largest offshore wind developers. The financing is based on the purchase of two transformer platforms from Norway’s Aibel for the Hornsea 3 offshore wind farm project in the UK. The transaction increases Eksfin’s total offshore wind financing to nearly EUR 3.5 bn. Hornsea 3, situated off the Norfolk/South Yorkshire coast, will be the world’s single largest wind farm. It is expected to generate a minimum of 2.9 GW of electricity when in operation in 2027, enough to supply around three million homes with clean energy. It will be Ørsted’s third gigawatt-scale project in the Hornsea zone following Hornsea 1 (1.2 GW) and Hornsea 2 (1.3 GW), which are already in operation. Promoting Norwegian exports Building large offshore wind farms is capital intensive. Partnering with banks, Eksfin offers state-backed loans and guarantees directly to developers based on the purchase of equipment and services from Norway. The financing for Ørsted, together with last year’s EUR 45mn financing for Spanish energy companyt Iberdrola, falls into this category. Offshore wind is currently the main driver for the Norwegian supply industry’s strong growth in renewables. Norwegian companies specialise in platform construction, cable laying and maritime installations and have secured major export contracts. In 2022, the Norwegian offshore wind industry had an international market share of 7.5 per cent. The Norwegian government’s target for the Norwegian offshore wind industry is a world-wide market share of 10 per cent by 2030. Increased focus in the UK Ørsted currently manages 12 wind farms in the UK, which is one of the world’s most mature offshore wind markets backed by broad political support and the provision of Contracts for Difference (CfDs) that lock in a minimum price for green electricity. Ørsted secured attractive CfDs for Hornsea 3 with a duration of 15 years. The UK government’s ambition is to have 50 GW of offshore wind in operation by 2030 and to be net zero by 2050, requiring a total of between 65 and 125 GW of installed renewable power. This makes it a key market for Norwegian offshore wind suppliers going forward, and by default for Eksfin. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
The UK government’s plans for new gas power stations as back up for renewables should prompt high energy users to consider decentralised solutions to balance security of supply against the need for greener energy, according to a sector expert. The government says the new gas power stations, which will be capable of operating for as little as one to two hours, are needed to meet demand on days when renewables such as solar and wind cannot deliver. “These plans underscore the looming energy shortages facing the UK’s power network as the energy mix rightly shifts towards renewable sources, which are inherently vulnerable to unfavourable weather conditions,” said Chris Rason, Managing Director of Aggreko Energy Services. “This issue is most acute for high energy users such as manufacturing facilities and data centres, which must maintain resilience while achieving tough voluntary and statutory decarbonisation targets. “Coupled with well-documented challenges relating to grid capacity and connection delays, it is unsustainable for high energy users to wait for centralised solutions from government. These will take many years to come to fruition, following site selection, design, planning permission and construction, and may not be ready when needed by energy intensive industries. As a result, a move towards decentralised generation is crucial.” The short-term decentralised options offered by Aggreko include battery energy storage solutions (BESS) combined with low emission, high performance Stage V generators, supporting or working independently of existing grid supply, with the option to scale to meet increased demand resulting from future expansion. Beyond this, Aggreko is also offering long term renewable solutions on a permanent basis. Chris added: “Adopting decentralised solutions gives control back to high energy users, assuring them of their ability to maintain uptime despite increasing challenges for the security of supply from the grid, while offering the ability to scale up or down depending on grid performance and operational needs.” Aggreko’s support for the energy transition is reflected in its recently launched sustainability framework, Energising Change. The framework allows Aggreko and the organisations it works with to embed low-carbon power technologies in their operations. At the heart of Energising Change are investments that give high energy users access to cleaner and greener energy sources, such as the expansion of its fleets of small, mid and large-size BESS, which builds on $140m earmarked over the last two years to expand Aggreko’s Greener UpgradesTM fleet, including new boilers, Stage V generators, batteries and chillers. To find out more, visit: www.aggreko.com. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
3ti®, the UK’s leading designer, installer, funder and operator of Solar Car Parks (SCPs) is installing the first large-scale SCP in Europe to be constructed from sustainable Glulam timber beams and Glass-Glass solar panels. Opening to the public in April, the new SCP at Wiltshire Council’s Five Rivers Health & Wellbeing Centre is a significant leap in maximising the lifetime sustainability of solar installations and showcases several advanced technologies that revolutionise the construction, efficiency and visual appeal of SCPs. The new SCP structure is made from Glulam, renewable, recyclable wood laminations bonded together to offer a natural alternative to steel or concrete. The engineered timber affords significant advantages over structural steel; it is three times stronger and a third lighter, and uses only a tenth of the energy it would take to produce an equivalent steel beam, contributing to a more sustainable building process. The material has minimal environmental impact from its production, is highly repairable, and is an excellent biofuel at the end of its life, further minimising waste. As part of the construction, 3ti has used special Spirafix™ ground anchors to secure the SCP structure, without using conventional concrete bases or steel piles. This achieves significant carbon savings, speeds up the installation process, is more durable and can be recycled or properly disposed of once the anchors reach the end of their lifecycle. The solar installation at Five Rivers comprises three gullwing solar canopies covering 70 car park spaces, with a combined total capacity of c.220 kWp. The leisure centre will use 100% of the solar generation on-site, which will contribute approximately 10% of overall electricity demand at the site, saving around £50,000 a year on electricity bills. In its first year, the Five Rivers SCP is expected to generate 186MWh of electricity, enough to drive 679,856 miles in a modern EV, saving 36 tonnes of carbon emissions – the equivalent of planting nearly 600 trees and powering 50 homes. The canopies are fitted with transparent Glass-Glass solar panels from German manufacturer, Solarwatt®. The panels offer high efficiency and long-term yields thanks to their bifacial technology, which means solar energy is captured on both sides of the panel increasing total energy generation. The solar cells are embedded in a highly durable Glass-Glass composite protecting them from challenging environmental and mechanical stress, including snow and hailstorms, and are ammonia and salt mist resistant. In addition to its large scale SCP, Five Rivers recently became the first leisure facility in the UK to install 3ti’s award-winning Papilio3® pop-up solar car park and EV charging hub. Papilio3 is built around a recycled shipping container, and can be installed in under eight hours. It can fast charge 12 EVs at 7, 11 or 22kW simultaneously, ideal for a range of destinations with longer dwell times, removing the reliance on carbon-intense and costly ultra-rapid charge points. Pre-fitted with a range of innovations and safety features, including motion lighting, CCTV, advertising screens and full accessibility for wheelchair users, Papilio3 can be rented on a monthly basis from 3ti. Philip McMullan, Senior Technical Lead on Major Energy Projectsat Wiltshire Council, said: “We have invested heavily in sustainability to achieve our 2030 carbon neutral goals. The new solar installations at Five Rivers will help reduce our carbon footprint and support the local community with the transition to zero emission motoring by strengthening the county’s EV charging infrastructure.” Tim Evans, Founder & CEO at 3ti, adds: “Our job is to champion workplace and destination EV charging to promote a ‘charge where you stop’ mentality across the UK, while supporting customers to achieve their sustainability goals. Better EV charging infrastructure at destinations with long dwell times – offices, hospitals and leisure facilities like Five Rivers – will encourage greater EV adoption rates; it’s refreshing to see Wiltshire Council adopting such a forward-thinking approach, and we are honoured to play a part in their sustainability vision. “We are constantly evolving our SCP products and are proud to feature these innovative new designs, construction materials and techniques at Five Rivers. Introducing these features means we can offer better durability and versatility than conventional materials and significantly reduce carbon emissions generated across the entire product lifecycle. This installation marks a major milestone on our journey to supporting customers and society as a whole; we will continue to work with facilities around the UK to roll out installations to support future generations and ‘leave something better behind®’.” For more information on 3ti’s SCPs and Papilio3, please visit: 3ti.co.uk Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Legrand UK & Ireland has saved over a tonne of CO2 in a single month with the installation of a solar photovoltaic (PV) panel array on the roof of its West Bromwich site, near Birmingham. The panels were installed and commissioned in October 2023 and, before the end of November, had saved 1,087kg of CO2 emissions. This emissions reduction represents a significant milestone on Legrand’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) roadmap with this installation’s annual CO2 savings projected to be in the region of 29 tonnes. The West Bromwich site serves as Legrand’s National Distribution Centre, housing a variety of Legrand products and components prior to shipping. The site is now home to 330 PV panels, each with the capacity to generate 500w as part of a 165kWP system. Legrand’s latest CSR roadmap is the fifth the company has put into practice. The environmental part of the roadmap focuses on reducing the carbon emissions generated by Legrand and its supply chain, phasing out single-use plastics and increasing the use of recycled materials. The PV installation is just one of many ways Legrand is cutting carbon. Others include procuring more sustainable components and materials for the products it manufactures and designing those products to be as energy efficient as possible in order to help lower the emissions of its customers. Pascal Stutz, CEO of Legrand UK & Ireland, said: “We are really happy with the carbon saving the PV panels have delivered for us. We’re always looking at ways to reduce our impact on the planet and a big part of that involves switching to renewable energy. As a major UK manufacturer, we understand that we have a responsibility to the environment and that means doing everything we can to lower our carbon footprint while making it easier for our customers to reduce their own Scope 3 emissions.” For the third year running, Legrand has been the recipient of the Platinum EcoVadis medal, meaning that its practices are in line with the most ambitious objective of the Paris Agreement – namely, limiting the global increase in temperatures to 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels and achieving carbon neutrality. Pascal continued: “The health of the planet is something we take very seriously and we are dedicated to our environmental commitments. The solar power system at West Bromwich is a significant step forward and we’re looking forward to continuing our progress by making further carbon reductions in the coming months and years.” For more on Legrand’s environmental commitments, see Legrand.co.uk. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Costain, the infrastructure solutions company, has successfully completed the front-end engineering design (FEED) stage for key onshore elements of the East Coast Cluster (ECC) – Net Zero Teesside Power (NZT Power) and the Northern Endurance Partnership (NEP) – in the industrial heartland of Teesside. NZT Power, a joint venture between bp and Equinor, aims to be the world’s first commercial scale gas-fired power station with carbon capture technology and could generate up to 860 megawatts of low carbon power – equivalent to the electricity requirements of around 1.3 million UK homes. The NEP, a joint venture between bp, Equinor, and TotalEnergies, is the CO2 transportation and storage provider for the East Coast Cluster. The front-end engineering design (FEED) phase commenced in April 2022 and has seen Costain planning new systems for both NZT Power and NEP in an integrated programme of activity. The completed FEED design for NZT Power includes natural gas supply pipework and a high voltage 275kV power network. For NEP, design work focused on the onshore CO2 gathering network. When finished, the c.12km of 22” pipeline will have an initial capacity to transport around 4m tonnes of CO2 per annum to be securely stored under the North Sea. The Teesside onshore NEP infrastructure will serve the Teesside-based carbon capture projects – Net Zero Teesside Power, H2Teesside and Teesside Hydrogen CO2 Capture – that were selected for first connection to the ECC by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) in March 2023 as part of the cluster sequencing process for CCUS. To support this selection, Costain is currently updating the FEED design, due for completion Q2 2024, in readiness for detailed design. Net Zero Teesside Power and the Northern Endurance Partnership aim to take Final Investment Decisions in September 2024, and aim for first commercial operations from 2027. Laura Hughes, energy sector director at Costain, said: “This is an exciting and complex project and one that will leave an enormous legacy for the region. It won’t be long before Teesside will benefit from a world-leading, integrated decarbonisation system, with the East Coast Cluster bringing the UK closer to its net zero goals. “We have designed a CO2 gathering network that is the first in the world to be a wholly above-ground network. This presented interesting design and engineering challenges when considering the properties of CO2 and its ability to liquify at certain temperatures and pressures. However, extensive flow assurance simulations and data modelling has given us a better understanding of the dynamics of CO2 and its behaviours to successfully complete the design for a safe, resilient and efficient network.” Data-led innovation The Costain FEED team, operating out of Teesside and Manchester with partners px Group, used a variety of techniques and technologies to design the routing for the new carbon capture network. Key to the success was creating a new geographic information system (GIS) to act as a single source of truth to capture asset information and data from a variety of sources and stakeholders. This included extensive use of laser scanning, topographical information, and ground investigations in order to document, for the first-time, the above-and-below ground assets at the site location. Hughes added: “The digital footprint that has been generated for the area is pioneering. This is the first time that the assets, spanning across many decades, have been collectively documented, enabling us to design the integrated network accurately and safely. Not only does this knowledge help the many different stakeholders to work together effectively, but this digital footprint will be a legacy for the local industry and asset owners beyond completion of the project and first commercial operations in 2027.” Costain is a recognised leader in energy engineering, construction, and infrastructure. The infrastructure solutions company has been involved in carbon capture projects since the 1960s, and provides end-to-end services throughout the project lifecycle, from conducting feasibility studies to tunnelling and executing full EPCm programmes. Ian Hunter, managing director, NZT Power, said: “Net Zero Teesside Power has an important role to play in helping the UK reach net zero, and could generate up to 860 megawatts of low carbon power – equivalent to the electricity requirements of around 1.3 million UK homes. With Final Investment Decision fast approaching in September this year, we are delighted that Costain has completed the FEED stage which is an important milestone on our journey to deliver this world-first project.” Chris Daykin, general manager, NEP, said: “The Northern Endurance Partnership’s onshore CO2 pipelines are essential to connect carbon intensive projects across Teesside to offshore storage and will play an important role in helping the region achieve net zero. Completion of the design of the onshore Teesside CO2 gathering network by Costain is a crucial milestone as we work towards Final Investment Decision in September this year.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Prologis Europe is pleased to share its latest success in rooftop solar. Prologis wins 10 German renewable energy contracts Prologis Europe has been successful in winning ten on-roof solar contracts as part of the German government’s latest Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG) tender. Prologis was one of the largest bidders of the 88-contract auction, winning a contract for every bid submitted. The German government is accelerating the deployment of rooftop solar, announcing increased auction capacity from 650MW in 2023 to 900MW in 2024. Prologis Europe operates approximately 3.15 million square metres of logistics real estate within Germany, with a total generation of 25MW of rooftop solar. These 10 contracts will add more than 16MW to Prologis’ solar portfolio, supplying energy to more than 11,000 German households per year. It expects to be able to assist the German government in reducing their CO2 emissions annually by approximately 13,300 tonnes. Prologis Europe works with the public sectors in its 12 European markets to support the needs of local communities and businesses. These rooftop solar efforts increase capabilities of municipalities and local governments to generate clean, renewable energy locally, creating a more resilient and dependable source of energy as well as meeting sustainability goals. According to Sean Greany, head of Energy, Prologis Europe, “We’re proud of our efforts into solar energy production and battery storage, which provide our customers and communities with increased access to clean, renewable energy as they transition from fossil fuel. Since the installation of our first solar panel in 2005, we have been pushing the boundaries in our industry—leveraging our scale, global presence and local expertise to help expand the generation of solar power and support the transition to renewable energy.” Community Solar in Europe Community solar is still fairly new in Europe but is surely gaining traction. Governments and communities are looking for sources of clean, renewable energy at affordable rates. Industrial real estate, with large roofs on which to place solar panels, can be a tremendous source of solar power. The Spanish government, for instance, are prioritising clean, renewable energy within Spain. It has a goal to ensure 74% of electricity is generated from renewable sources by 2030, and 100% by 2050. Prologis Europe is working with one of its customers on a rooftop solar project in Madrid through its Prologis European Logistics Fund (PELF). In line with its clean energy strategy, it is part of Prologis Europe’s intent to be the largest community solar investor in Spain in 2024 and beyond, by expanding the size of this rooftop solar project and others in the pipeline. With these new contracts in Germany, Prologis Europe continues to expand the areas where it is partnering with government agencies to help support the transition to clean energy. Prologis achieves 500MW Solar Milestone Rooftop solar and storage installations on Prologis Inc’s global portfolio can now generate 500 megawatts of energy—a significant milestone that puts the company halfway to its 1GW by 2025 goal. Apart from providing customers with clean power and potential cost savings through the Prologis Essential programme, its energy generation also feeds directly into local electrical grids in select regions, provides emissions-reduction and grid resilience benefits to local communities. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Banks Renewables is expecting to invest over £100 million to develop Pond Energy Park, which will see a section of an industrial park near Bathgate re-designed into a two-hectare battery site. Plans are expected to be submitted later this year and Pond Battery Storage will have an export capacity of 200 megawatts over two hours. When fully charged, this project will be enough to supply the average demands of 600,000 homes for that two hour period – more homes than Edinburgh and Glasgow combined. The new site is set to deliver opportunities for local businesses in areas like construction, groundworks, civils and remediation; with Banks’ flagship ‘Connect2Renewables’ initiative prioritising local businesses as much as possible when awarding contracts on their sites. The responsible developer is renowned for its onshore wind projects in South Lanarkshire – including the construction of the UK’s tallest and most efficient onshore wind turbines at its Kype Muir Extension site near Strathaven. Gordon Thomson, projects director at Banks Renewables said: “The proposed Pond Battery Storage project in West Lothian marks a very exciting time for us here at Banks Renewables. “Battery storage projects like this are becoming increasingly important in Scotland’s push for net zero. When it’s not sunny or windy, battery energy storage can allow us to dip into the reserves by using pre-generated energy in the batteries to supply to the national grid and reducing our reliance on energy derived from imported fossil fuels.” The first in-person consultation events will occur on 12 October, from 2pm – 7pm, at the Jim Walker Partnership Centre in Bathgate. Here, members of the community will be invited to give their thoughts, help shape the proposals and highlight key local priorities which could be addressed using community benefits. Battery storage, or battery energy storage systems (BESS), are devices that store and enable energy from renewables, like solar and wind farms. Natural fluctuations in weather conditions mean that renewable electricity generation can often be out of step with demand and batteries can address this by storing surplus generation when demand is low and releasing it when demand is higher – maximising the efficiency of renewable energy. Batteries are set to play a huge role in the country’s push for net zero, reducing the reliance on large fossil fuelled power stations. If approved, the site will be based at Pond Industrial Estate on Whitburn Road to the south-east of Bathgate. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
SOLAR & STORAGE LIVE Stand N3… A gull wing solar parking structure at Solar & Storage Live is set to demonstrate how organisations can provide their own green electricity to meet the growing demand for EV charging points. SIG Building Solutions, exhibiting at the show for the first time, is erecting the galvanised steel structure, one of a number of canopy designs the group manufactures, on Stand N3. Over 250 exhibitors will gather at Solar & Storage Live 2023, October 17-19, at the NEC and the event is expected to draw over 20,000 attendees. It is the UK’s largest renewable energy exhibition celebrating technologies at the forefront of the transition to a greener energy system. SIG Building Solutions entered the solar car parking structure market late last year with a range of designs developed to help private and public sector organisations, which have large parking facilities, to capitalise on the opportunities the structures provide for capturing solar energy and reducing their carbon footprint. SIG works in conjunction with the solar system provider to provide the structure element. “After an exciting first year during which the interest in our solar canopy support structures has been phenomenal, we are excited to be at Solar & Storage Live,” says SIG Building Solution’s business development manager Guy Chilvers. “Our canopies have been designed for ease of installation, so erecting our pre-built gull wing version at the NEC will not pose a challenge.” Half of the gull wing structure at Solar & Storage Live will be painted to illustrate the possibility of applying customer brand colours and the other half will be left galvanised. Sustainable, intelligent lighting specialist IBond LED is providing the lighting technology. “With countries around the world banning the sale of fossil-fuelled vehicles in the years to come, customers and employees will increasingly travel in EVs. Solar car parks will keep them moving by providing charging capacity. At SIG Building solutions we have set out to work in conjunction with the client’s PV solar panel provider to help them generate their own clean electricity using their parking spaces,” adds Guy Chilvers. During its first year, SIG Building Solutions has worked with clients including a local authority, a motor manufacturer, leisure centre and business park to manufacture and supply structures for circa 500 solar parking spaces. SIG’s three basic styles include double gull wing, double mono and single row structures to support PV panels. The canopy specification depends on the client’s requirements and on-site analysis. SIG’s investment has resulted in a range of unique structures that require less steel, so reducing cost, and can be installed efficiently to minimise disruption to car parking during construction. The use of Z600 galvanised steel maximises the life of the structure and minimises maintenance over its lifetime. Its low weight reduces the cost of foundations. The structures are manufactured at SIG facilities in the UK from UK held steel, enabling quick project turnaround. The SIG Building Solutions’ canopies are watertight. No steel sheet is required on the canopy support structure, the PV panels (manufactured by others) form the canopy using SIG’s mounting solution. New product launch at Solar & Storage Live Join SIG Building Solutions at Stand N3 at 10.30 on Tuesday, October 17, for the launch of its new solar panel ground mounting structures. More details to be announced. SIG Building Solutions SIG Building Solutions group businesses produced over two million metres of profiled steel sheeting in 2022. Building Solutions is part of SIG plc, a leading supplier of specialist insulation and sustainable building products and solutions with an emphasis on expertise and service. SIG plc has 6,800 employees, 432 sites and 250,000 product lines and is committed to supporting customers make tangible steps towards a greener future. For more information, contact Guy Chilvers, SIG Building Solutions, on 07528 777513 Email: GuyChilvers@SIGbuildingsolutions.co.uk www.sigbuildingsolutions.co.uk www.ledibond.com Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
