There are two main competitors to the new nuclear power station at Hinkley Point, according to two sustainable energy projects. The first is the Swansea Bay ‘tidal lagoons’ scheme, which is currently awaiting ministerial approval. The £1billion project involves building a walled lagoon in Swansea Bay that would generate electricity on the ebb and flood of every tide through largely British-built turbines, across 14 hours a day for a predicted project lifetime of 120 years. The scheme could be in place and in operation within 5 years – although to make it happen, it would require subsidy at a level comparable to offshore wide or new nuclear generation. It would also need millions of tonnes of concrete and aggregates from quarries across the UK, and would of course radically alter the local environment, particularly affecting sea life and wading birds. The lagoon power is, clearly, not without ‘teething problems’, but the look pretty modest when compared to nuclear reactor designs which may or may not actually work, and of course storing all the toxic waster afterwards. Should the lagoons prove effective, the project could quickly be added to, with a second lagoon planned in Cardiff, as well as a string of sites along the English and Welsh coasts. The enterpeneur behind this scheme, mark Shorrock, claims that this lagoon power could provide 8% of UK energy needs, which is more than Hinkley Point, and would be the lowest long-term cost per megawatt of any energy source. The other big contender is offshore wind farms. Herik Poulsen, who is chief executive of the French company Dong Energy, says that wind turbines can be built on time and on budget, and give the UK a reliable source of power if they were combined with output from new biomass or gas-fired plants. “Could you build a national energy policy without nuclear? Yes you could … and if you needed to fill a (energy capacity) gap offshore, wind could be accelerated to fill such a gap,” he said. Poulsen claims that the Brexit vote has not caused him to rethink Dong’s £5.1billion investment programme in the UK, which involves constructing three more windfarms on top of the eight already operating. “We hope offshore wind will remain a key component in the future energy system and are optimistic about prospects under the new government,” he added. Britain has a total of more than 5GW of offshore wind capacity, as well as almost 9GW of onshore wind, and new projects are coming on stream all the time. The new proposed Hinkley reactors would provide just 3.2GW.

GMB, the union for energy workers, has called for Ofgem to be scrapped and the government to take over as the regulator accountable to parliament after the new proposals from Ofgem. Earlier in the month, the UK energy regulator set out its approach to the recommendations of the Competition & Market Authority (CMA), stating that they will deliver a fairer and more competitive energy market for consumers. The two year investigation carried out by the CMA came to a close last month and found that the vast majority of households are not interested and paying over the odds for their energy in comparison to those who have switched tariff. The recommendations are trying to free up competition and encourage market innovation to reduce customer bills and make the service better for everyone, not just a minority. Dermot Nolan, Chief Executive at Ofgem, commented: “The CMA’s final report is a watershed moment for industry and consumers and points the way to a fairer and more competitive future. I call on energy companies and consumer groups to seize this opportunity.” However, GMB says that it is not convinced and believes that the government should not duck decision making that is required to keep the lights on and ensure the sector gets decarbonised. GMB National Secretary for Energy, Justin Bowden, said: “Here we go again with more Ofgem tinkering over the pretence that a free market is possible in this sector.” Bowden added that the organisation should be abolished and the government itself should be responsible for industry regulation, meaning that both are accountable to parliament. He also believes that the government should have the power to limit profit levels and cap prices when necessary to run and finance power stations. Meanwhile, GMB and Unison are set to consult their members before a fresh round of leadership endorsements.

JSM has developed the Non-Intrusive Cable Extraction (NICE) innovative system that removes underground decommissioned fluid filled cables without the need for traditional open cut trenching for the entire length of the cable route as current practice entails. Along with fluid filled cables, the NICE system can also be used on gas filled cables and standard power cables. JSM has already worked with UK Distribution Networks Operators (DNOs) and the National Grid in the delivery of commissioned projects and successful trials using the NICE system as the main operation method. JSM most recently carried out the first successful trial in an urban environment on behalf of UK Power Networks in the prestigious Greenwich area. The use of the innovative technology reduced a 460 metre trench to just 60 metres of smaller excavations. The NICE system works by firstly loosening the cables using ‘Launch’ and ‘Receive’ pits, a unique cable de-bonding tool connected to a special drill rig is wrapped around the decommissioned cable, and then extracting the cables, with a series of benefits associates with using the programme that can be filed into three categories. Firstly, there are physical benefits as it is a less intrusive and safer method compared to open cut trenching, with around 80-90% less excavating needed by comparison. There are also commercial benefits as the NICE system provides superior value with projects possibly achieving a cost neutral balance because of asset materials value being recovered. Meanwhile, environmental benefits are also associated with the use of the NICE system as it is more environmentally friendly and reduces the impact on neighbouring habitats and ecology, with reduced carbon emissions and fewer excavated materials sent to landfill sites. JSM is continuing to change and challenge the norms of the industry by refining and exploring the new innovate processes that will provide greater efficiency and added value to the industry.

The UK’s first use of cold repaving has been described as a success as highway contractors on Northumberland’s A1 have pioneered a new method of road resurfacing that is 10 times faster than traditional methods. Highways England’s contractor for the area, A-one+, which is a joint venture of Halcrow, Costain and Colas, has resurfaced 2.2km of the A1 at Brownieside in Northumberland with the use of cold repaving. For the first time, the Wirtgen cold recycling machine is being used in the UK. The machine allows the road’s underlying layers to be recycled, churning up the old surface material, combining it with new material within the body of the machine then laying it back down immediately on the road behind. Every year in Germany, over five million sq m of thin layers are paved in cold application but this is the first time that the technique has been used in the UK. Here, the machinery is owned and operated by subcontractor Lane Rental Services, which purchased the equipment three months ago. There are two models of cold recycling machines offered by Wirtgen; the 3800 CR and the 2200 CR, both of which have an integrated paving screed for in-situ cold recycling of carriageway pavement, however these may be adapted for the addition of bitumen emulsion, water cement slurry or foamed bitumen. Lane Rental Services specified a custom-made 3200 CR, capable of paving carriageways of 3.2- to 5-metre widths, which is being used in Northumberland in conjunction with a Vögele Super 1900-3i tracked paver. The road surface is initially prepared for the application of the thin overlay by cold milling machines with fine milling drums. This results in a fine profile of the milled roadway which created a substrate with which micro-surfacing can engage. The ‘valleys’ of the fine-milled profile engage the layers of the micro-surfacing, which in turn produces a smooth layer structure.

Heating installation firms are gearing up for Gas Safety Week, with Swale Heating the latest company to get behind the initiative by giving away free CO monitors. The heating business, based in the south east, is working with Gas Safe Register (GSR) to ensure that members of the public are fully aware of the gas safety message that the scheme is trying to get across. Matthew Edwards, Swale Heating’s Sales Director, said that one of the best ways of protecting the safety of its customers would be to give away the monitors. Edwards commented: “Members of the public are not always gas safety aware, despite our best efforts. We know from Gas Safe Register’s own survey that many householders are very trusting and don’t always understand how important it is to use a registered engineer. “Giving away CO monitors during Gas Safety Week is a way of encouraging householders to come to a professional, fully registered company and have equipment installed that could save a life.” Gas Safety Week will run from September 19 to 25 this year and the firm is set to provide free CO monitors with any private boiler purchase during the week. Swale Heating has also agreed several other events to mark Gas Safety Week, including a campaign on social media and a gas safety feature placed in local papers in the Kent area. Gas Safety Week is a project that is run every year by the Gas Safe Register to raise awareness of gas safety and stresses the importance of taking care of gas appliances. Landlords are legally required to have a gas safety check, while the focus is on homeowner to get this done too. Poorly services and badly fitted gas appliances may lead to carbon monoxide poisoning, explosions, fires and gas leaks, with thousands of people in the UK diagnosed with CO poisoning every year.

Yorkshire Water has said that it will give its customers in Thorne and Moorends “good will payments” after placing a Boil Water Notice in the area since Saturday which is not expected to be lifted until the end of this week. Charlie Haysom, Director of Service Delivery at Yorkshire Water, commented: “We understand this situation has been very inconvenient for our customers in Thorne and Moorends, and that’s why we’ve decided to give them a £30 good will payment to thank them for their patience. “We’re still asking residents to boil their water before drinking or cooking with it, and we hope to return to normal service as soon as possible.” Customers at approximately 3,600 properties have been told to boil their water before cooking and drinking after high bacteria levels were found in the water last Friday. Haysom added that the water supplier is still investigating how the incident was caused and continue to focus on the Coulman Industrial Estate as the potential source of the problem. The instruction to boil water prior to use will stay in place until further sample results have been examined, with the latest results on Sunday described as encouraging. However, Yorkshire Water is using extreme caution and will not remove the Boil First instruction until new samples show that the water is definitely safe to drink. The company has been delivering bottled water to the affected areas since the problem was first reported, however a number of people in the affected area have said that they have waited hours for the bottled water without sufficient communication from the supplier. Elderly residents have been particularly affected by the problem, with some of them having to walk a long way to pick up points. Thorne Moorends town councillors were at the club to pass messages from Yorkshire Water on to residents and try to keep people calm.

The proposed Moorside nuclear power station in Cumbria has retained the expertise of Amec Foster Wheeler with a continuation of its contract to provide environmental support by NuGeneration (NuGen). Amec Foster Wheeler is to undertake assessment and modelling work which will allow NuGen to submit an environmental impact assessment to support its development consent order application and environmental permit applications next year. Managing Director of Amec Foster Wheeler’s environment and infrastructure business in Europe, Rob Brown, commented: “Amec Foster Wheeler is the leading provider of environmental support to Moorside, this nationally significant infrastructure project. “We are delighted to be developing a long-term partnership with NuGen, providing quality, time-critical environmental deliverables, and enhancing our position as a leading player in the UK nuclear new build programme.” Meanwhile, NuGen Head of Environment, Paula Madill, said that the partnership between Amec Foster Wheeler and NuGen has been a success for a number of years and NuGen is delighted to be continuing the partnership as he environmental impact assessment and operation permits are prepared ahead of delivery early next year. NuGen is owned 40% by French firm Engie (formerly GDF Suez) and 60% by Japanese company Toshiba, while Westinghouse Electric Company will provide three AP1000 nuclear reactors for the 3.4GW plant. The end of last month saw the end of public consultation on the Moorside nuclear power station. According to NuGen, the station could provide enough electricity to power 7% of the UK, while also creating thousands of jobs and the promise of significant investment in local services and infrastructure. The plans have been approved in principle by Cumbria County Council and Copeland Borough Council. However, they say that is the plans were to go ahead, there would also need to be a significant deal of investment in infrastructure in West Cumbria, in particular in community services and roads.

The latest research published by the Solar Trade Association (STA) and PwC has found that a third of solar jobs have been lost over the last 12 months, while a further 30% of solar firms have forecast staff cuts over the next year. The study surveyed 238 solar industry businesses which employ 3,665 staff between them now compared with 5,362 at the same time last year, which is a 32% fall. The analysis shows that four in 10 companies are left with no alternative but to diversify into other markets or completely exit the solar market to keep their businesses going. The survey also found that the number of job losses over the last 12 months could exceed 12,500, which is about a third of previous total employment in the sector. In the next year, solar deployment is expected to fall from the 1GW average of the last five years to fewer than 300MW in the next 12 month period, which is a fall of 75%. For quite some time the STA has been concerned with the UK’s lack of industrial strategy for the solar industry despite global energy investments being dominated more and more by solar power. Now, the UK government is allocating just 1% of new renewable energy project expenditure to solar power under the Feed-in Tariff. Therefore, the new Department of Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy represents a much welcomed chance to adopt a strategic approach to a relatively cheap and winning technology, according to the association. STA’s Head of External Affairs, Leonie Greene, said that the survey shows that the British solar industry has suffered damage and the government should act promptly to resolve this. Greene added: “We urge new ministers, rather than increase the tax burden of going solar, please reward investment with sensible solar tax breaks consistent with action on climate change. International experience of tax breaks is solid, and the industry is clearly behind this.”

Civil engineering contractors believe that growth years are now over, according to the first national poll since the EU referendum. According to the Civil Engineering Contractors Association’s (CECA) most recent quarterly workload trends survey, the sector’s boom period seems to be coming to an end as major projects stall. In the second quarter of this year, six out of 10 civil engineering subsectors reported a fall in workloads. Compared with a balance of over 20% reported in the first quarter, workloads increased for a net balance of just 2 percentage points; the lowest growth balance in three years. Alasdair Reisner, Chief Executive of CECA, said that these results are bad news for the UK economy and need to serve as a warning sign for policy makers. He said: “We know that infrastructure investment is a driver of economic growth. Given the recent disappointing economic forecasts following the Brexit vote, our figures show that the market is slowing just as the country needs it to speed up. “The new government can’t afford to sit on its hands. There are existing committed programmes of work where we need to see the delivery of schemes – now – if this situation is to be reversed.” Reisner also believes that unless the government is able to kick on and ensure more work for the construction industry, then a dramatic slowdown in growth is inevitable, which will spell trouble for the 200,000 workers in the sector, as well as bad news for the country on the whole. Earlier in the month, CECA said that new Prime Minister Theresa May must commit to infrastructure at the start of her tenure. Reisner commented: “The government must provide certainty on other elements of the country’s infrastructure investment pipeline. After three weeks of uncertainty, the new government must hit the ground running, and commit to a bold infrastructure agenda.”

Council leaders from the North West are backing the £1 billion campaign for rail improvements throughout North Wales and Cheshire. Manchester City Council leader, Sir Richard Leese and Liverpool Mayor, Joe Anderson are among the senior figures who have called for the Government to back the Growth Track 360 campaign. Also behind the campaign are Merseytravel chair Cllr, Liam Robinson and Manchester Science Partnerships chairman, Chris Oglesby. Growth Track 360 is led by political leaders, the public sector and a cross-border alliance of businesses and, if successful, the campaign would provide a welcome boost for Wirral, Cheshire and North Wales economies, as they would be connected to the planned HS2 line and provide better links to Greater Manchester and Liverpool. Over a 20 year period, the £1 billion investment would lead to more than 70,000 jobs being created in the North West region. Leese said that the campaign is crucial as connectivity is imperative to the region’s development and strength. He believes that by improving transport links between Greater Manchester, Cheshire and North Wales will provide a much needed boost to business in the region and support the aspirations of the Northern Powerhouse. Leese added: “Opening up communities, increasing networks, and delivering access to employment opportunities across the regions is key to strengthening our local economies and creating a more effective, connected and ultimately, powerful whole and I am fully behind this much-needed campaign.” The campaign is being driven by the North Wales and Mersey Dee Rail Task Force (NW&MD) and has so far secured the backing of the eight local authorities in the area: the North Wales Economic Ambition Board, the North Wales Business Council, the Cheshire and Warrington Local Enterprise Partnership, the West Cheshire & North Wales Chamber of Commerce, as well as the Mersey Dee Alliance. The campaign wants the line between North Wales and Crewe to be electrified, which would allow the region to be more easily linked to HS2.