The Need For Speed (The Following is a Promoted Article) Virgin Media has been at the forefront of UK broadband infrastructure for a number of years. However, its ambitious endeavours show no sign of slowing. Indeed, the accelerator pedal has been floored once again with the announcement earlier this year
A Considerate Constructor (The Following is a Promoted Article) The completion of the Chelmsford Effluent Pipeline Works by Roadbridge was met with the glowing commendation that is expected by this award winning company. As one of Ireland’s most prominent and well-respected civil engineering businesses, Roadbridge has enjoyed significant growth over
Strength In Depth Capable of design, build, installation and refurbishment, Briton Fabricators has emerged as one of the UK’s most respected steelwork solution providers (The Following is a Promoted Article) Now boasting turnover in excess of £14m, Briton Fabricators Ltd has emerged as one of the UK’s most respected steelwork
The complete timetable for delivering four stations in London and Birmingham has recently been released by HS2, providing optimism and a sense of anticipation for the works to begin in the coming years. It is expected that the contracts for the construction of the stations will go out to tender
Teapots are the nickname for independent oil refineries in China, the oil refineries are causing an increase in market share, and the slowing economy is rewarding the refineries who have more flexible and adaptable business models, it piles further pressure onto margins for the country’s oil majors who have found
Offering consulting engineers with the opportunity to provide clean and safe water to local communities, a new loyalty programme, Waterdrop, has been announced by Xylem to provide a “once in a lifetime” opportunity for those with a responsible mindset. As has recently been reported by water.org, there are a staggering
The construction industry continues to be defined by collaboration; the length of the supply chain often proves critical when it comes to contractors’ ability to carry our quality workmanship, and in a safe and conscientious manner. Adept in design, construction, installation and maintenance, appropriate across industries, Alliance Group Solutions quickly
A thousand solar panels have now successfully been integrated at a water treatment works in the service of Edinburgh and areas within West Lothian by Scottish Water. As a result, 25% of Marchbank Water Treatment Works’ energy is now sourced from solar panels and the associated energy., which supports the
It has been recently announced that Irish power organisation, Viridian, is set to be purchased by I Squared Capital, a US-based owner of considerable assets in the renewables industries of India and the US.. The move by I Squared Capital is one which is expected to act as a way
A recent piece of construction news; Lagan Construction International has been announced as successful in winning a multi-million-pound contract for large infrastructure works at London’s only airport runway, at London City Airport. Works, however, are not expected to disrupt the day-to-day operations of the airport much, if at all, with
The Need For Speed (The Following is a Promoted Article) Virgin Media has been at the forefront of UK broadband infrastructure for a number of years. However, its ambitious endeavours show no sign of slowing. Indeed, the accelerator pedal has been floored once again with the announcement earlier this year of Project Lightning. In the single largest investment in UK broadband for a decade, Virgin Media is investing £3bn to extend its ultrafast capability to an additional four million premises, taking its reach up to 17 million by 2020. As the world’s most internet-based major economy, broadband infrastructure and the opportunities it offers, is increasingly central to the country’s growth over the coming years. Virgin Media is already central to this growth but it recognises that it cannot stand still. The £3bn of additional private investment it is making is essential for individuals and businesses to thrive in the global digital economy, currently providing speeds up to 200Mbps with 300Mbps announced for 2016. Significantly, the investment also has the potential to create thousands of new jobs in what will be a multi-billion pound boost to the national economy. Certainly, Virgin Media Business has the potential to make a huge impact in future. It already provides products and services to a wide community of businesses and public sector organisations with most of its 40,000 clients being small and medium-sized enterprises. In a groundbreaking report issued recently, it found the economy could receive a £92bn boost if firms fully develop their digital potential. It also found that in the last 12 months, digital capabilities generated £123bn in business revenues, equivalent to 3.4% of total GDP. It is therefore fundamental for both the growth of business and the UK economy, that businesses of all sizes have access to cheaper, faster, more reliable broadband in order to fulfil this potential digital opportunity. Critically, Virgin Media Business works closely with key government departments including the DCMS to remain at the forefront of developments. This has included assistance to enhance commercial opportunities through the internet. For example, recently it launched a free small business broadband installation scheme to help them get online. This came as the Government’s Super Connected Cities (SCC) voucher programme closed in October. Following high levels of demand for the vouchers and the support the scheme provided to thousands of small businesses, Virgin Media Business committed to cover up to £1,000 of installation costs for new business customers in the same cities covered by the SCC. This is being trialled until the end of the year. Elsewhere, in September, Virgin announced it was bringing ultrafast broadband to Manchester’s Tech Quarter, giving a boost to the local economy and business productivity in the area. Through a package that has been specially designed to support the connectivity needs of businesses located in multi-tenanted buildings, 3,000 businesses co-located in 300 buildings will now have access to the fastest, cheapest and most reliable internet connections. This followed a similar launch in London’s Tech City earlier this year where more than 450 London businesses located in 70 buildings are being connected to Virgin Media Business’s dedicated connections. Delivery of its ambitious plans isn’t a straight forward task but these are challenges Virgin Media Business is confident it can tackle. When rolling out broadband there are numerous things that can get in the way – wayleaves, business rates and even things like parking restrictions – so it is vital that a close working relationship with local authorities is established. Innovative ways of deploying fibre cables such as narrow trenching are assisting the process through increased efficiency and speed of installation. Moreover, narrow trenching reduces the width of the trench used to lay fibre cables from around 40cm to just 10cm and enables engineers to cover up to 100m in a day, twice as fast as current methods. Crucially, Virgin Media is the only widely available provider to use DOCSIS 3 technology to provide broadband from the cabinet to people’s homes. It is the use of this coaxial cable which enables it to support faster speeds without deterioration over distance and is what allows for ultrafast speeds of 200Mbps and beyond. Yet, the advantages of this are only possible through support at a local level. It’s important local authorities work with Virgin Media to cut red tape and remove barriers to broadband rollout. Plans are now in motion with over 250,000 premises already earmarked for build in Manchester, Nottingham and Leeds with more locations to be announced this year.
A Considerate Constructor (The Following is a Promoted Article) The completion of the Chelmsford Effluent Pipeline Works by Roadbridge was met with the glowing commendation that is expected by this award winning company. As one of Ireland’s most prominent and well-respected civil engineering businesses, Roadbridge has enjoyed significant growth over the last few years, now boasting activity across the United Kingdom as well as further afield with projects completed in Poland, the South Pacific and the Middle East. Since its formation in 1967, Roadbridge has continued to develop around the family traditions on which its foundations have been built upon. This has seen it develop enduring relationships with clients, successfully delivering projects across a variety of sectors for customers serving the transport, renewables and energy, utilities, commercial, industrial, waste management and leisure industries. A key component of its ethos is consideration for the client’s needs, the community in which its endeavours may impact upon, and the wider environment in terms of sustainable, long-term value. Roadbridge – acting as principal contractor was responsible for the design and build of an 8km effluent pipeline between the Chelmsford Sewage Treatment Works in Essex to an existing outfall on the River Blackwater – brought it the attention of the Considerate Constructors Scheme (CCS). It came as little surprise to Quality and Environmental Manager Peter Byrne who said Roadbridge had exhibited the qualities of a “considerate constructor” since its inception; it is part of the company’s defining approach. Recognised by the CCS for its work on the Chelmsford Effluent Pipeline with the award of Bronze, the accolade joins others achieved by Roadbridge including Silver for a road improvement scheme in Wales. The Executive Summary recorded by CCS representatives following inspection of the site scored the company highly across all categories with the appearance of the site achieving particularly high marks. The report said Roadbridge clearly approached “everything in a very professional manner” and that this is “evident immediately when arriving on site”. The CCS award was a chance for the company to celebrate its work ethic – combining the elements that make a “considerate constructor” with sound implementation of civils expertise. Indeed, as Byrne notes, it was a fitting endorsement of the company’s abilities. “The Considerate Constructors award actually mirrors our ethos,” he says. “It gave us an opportunity to be externally recognised for our policies and procedures which we have always considered to be standard practice. “When we’re looking to stand out in a competitive market, awards such as the CCS Bronze gives us that edge. But, importantly, it is an endorsement of the successful systems we have in place – systems that have driven the business over the years, resulting in its success today.” The pipeline project, one of the biggest of its kind in the UK, saw Roadbridge install around 8km of concrete pipe alongside 2km of upgrades. The contract with Northumbrian Water involved the design, supply and installation of the underground gravity pipeline to run in parallel with the existing pipelines including numerous strategic crossings of roads and watercourses. The project was successfully completed on time, to budget and to the total satisfaction of the client in November 2014. The success of the project led it to being awarded Project of the Year Finalist at the Northumbrian Water Group Framework Awards for 2014 – 2015. One of the considerations when undertaking the contract was the close proximity it had to a caravan park. A popular destination for holidaymakers in the summer, Roadbridge liaised with the park owner in regards to working hours in order to mitigate noise, while measures were put in place to prevent potential pollution to nearby water courses from the site’s large areas of exposed soil. It was representative of the company’s overall approach. “When we leave an area we’ve worked in, we want only to have left a good impression. We will buy from local suppliers, we’ll help out with local interest groups in the area. We try to give back to the community meaning there’s a lot more value to our presence than merely the job at hand,” explains Byrne. This means mitigating disruption to daily life, communicating with local residents to keep them up to date with project works, caring about the wider environment and the health and safety of both the workforce and others who may visit or be affected by the site works. It all adds up to being an ideal “considerate constructor”. Byrne calls it the “non-adversarial approach”. He adds, “The very nature of civils work means we are inherently impacting on people’s day-to-day lives. We aim to be transparent and to work closely with the client as much as possible to limit the adverse effects of our work. Our ability to do this is paramount and it’s something that we’ve been able to highlight through the CCS awards.”
Strength In Depth Capable of design, build, installation and refurbishment, Briton Fabricators has emerged as one of the UK’s most respected steelwork solution providers (The Following is a Promoted Article) Now boasting turnover in excess of £14m, Briton Fabricators Ltd has emerged as one of the UK’s most respected steelwork solution providers. Capable of design, build, installation and refurbishment, the company is a specialist in the provision of sign and signal gantries, pedestrian footbridges, road and rail bridges, temporary works, station steelwork, access ramps and stairs. However, its diverse expertise does not stop there, allowing it to confidently tackle many other forms of steelwork. Indeed, more recently it has been involved in a number of projects for the provision of overhead line structures for electrification works. Established in 1973, Briton began fabricating steel for the oil refinery market out of a 200m² workshop in Kirkby-in-Ashfield before growth necessitated a move to bigger premises in 1978. This saw the production of the company’s first gantry which was installed on the M25 at junction 1. Further development saw Briton extend its capability, diversifying into other construction including stations steelwork, airport links and blast proof barriers. Exampling its development, Briton’s Plant 1 at Hucknall, Nottingham started with a 450m² bay before a second bay was added in 1980, increasing floor space to over 900m². By this time, the business was a market-leading provider of bridges and gantries allowing it to expand further, adding a third bay in the early nineties to increase floor space to 1600m². Demand has continued to increase. A new extension in 2007 was added for use as a prep shop, and in 2014 extensions were added to the main fabricating bays taking them from 32 metres to 56 metres in length. Today, Briton has one of the largest manufacturing facilities in the country dedicated to infrastructure engineering. Its plant in Nottingham provides over 2900m² of covered, fully serviced fabrication workshops and has access to 3600m² of specialist protective treatment facility. In addition, its CE Marking accreditation to Execution Class 4 allows it to tackle anything the infrastructure sector can throw at it, making Briton a vital asset to the industry. This is in addition to other vital accreditations such as RQSC for bridgeworks and LINK-UP for its work as a supplier to the UK rail network. It is also a full member of the British Constructional Steelwork Association. Indeed, over the last few years, the business has enjoyed significant growth. In less than a decade it has turned over £100m worth of infrastructure work, almost tripling its own turnover since 2007. The workforce on the shop floor has risen by 20%, its onsite staff by 50%. This is in addition to its ongoing dedication to apprenticeship schemes where it currently has trainees in estimating and drawing with ambitions to increase this intake. This sees Briton currently employ around 85 people in total. The result of its success means the business is increasingly busy across the UK. For example, it’s currently working on a major project in the North West for Mersey link, fabricating and soon to be installing a 65-metre span arch pedestrian footbridge. Briton also remains active in sectors of key strength – rail station footbridges, motorway sign structures including portal and cantilever gantries, plate girder road bridges, rail decks and its increasing involvement in the construction of overhead line structures. Highlighting its expertise, the company won a BCIA award for its work in Derby for a swing bridge over the river Derwent which has the ability to swing shut in the event of a flood, protecting this asset from damage. Commercial Director Dean Morcom acknowledges Briton’s widespread expertise, experience and ability to work closely with clients as distinguishing factors of this family-owned business. However, he also highlights the company’s close involvement with major industry bodies such as the BCSA Bridgework Committee (currently chaired by Briton’s Operations Director Carl Powell) and Highways England (Briton represents the Gantry Community on the Collaboration Board) where, it can make a positive impact on sector development. Importantly, Briton therefore finds itself at the forefront of the sectors in which it operates. It makes it a key industry asset. “Clients are concerned at the moment that the industry isn’t going to be able to deliver Highways England and Network Rail’s increased spend profile,” says Morcom. “So we have Tier 1 contractors advising the need for expansion as they look for increased capability. “We have taken small strategic steps to ensure the business is in a good place to deliver an improved turnover to these people and in doing that we’ve managed to get ourselves on the Highways England framework to supply sign gantries, for instance. Elsewhere, for the CP5 spend, our work is spread out working for Tier 1 contractors such as VolkerFitzpatrick, Costain and others on frameworks such as Kent and Anglia. We’re also actively tendering for work in the other CP5 regions.” It means Briton is ideally placed to enjoy further growth in future. “We want to steadily take the business forward with a view to diversifying into other markets; it’s important we don’t stand still. We’ve witnessed some markets dwindle over the years so we must ensure we’re in a position to capitalise on areas of growth. “For example, we forecast spend in certain sectors is going to reduce in the coming years thanks to a shift in technology and the new plans for squeezing the most out of the current motorways as an asset. To counterbalance this we’re positioning the business to be ready to capitalise on alternative markets where we see an increase in spend/investment. We’re constantly evaluating the industry to see what areas we need to look at in order to continue our success as a company.”
The complete timetable for delivering four stations in London and Birmingham has recently been released by HS2, providing optimism and a sense of anticipation for the works to begin in the coming years. It is expected that the contracts for the construction of the stations will go out to tender during Q1 of 2018, with preferred bidders set to then be announced in the early stages of 2019. Works across the stations will incorporate the development of the Euston station, in addition to the building of a new station in West London, as well as two in the city of Birmingham. The works have a predicted costing of greater than £6bn in total, with the schedule for completion on the three new stations to be built pencilled in for 2026 – a date we can be sure to view with much anticipation, yet also at a date with more than enough opportunity for further development or changes in the meantime. Not everything is scheduled to be completed by 2026 however, with HS2 highlighting just over half of the eleven platforms at Euston to be finished by the same date, with five more to follow in the times coming up to 2033. Of course, it’s great to see HS2 getting the ball rolling regardless, and it is expected that HS2 will be looking to start its procurement process for the phase one stations by this Christmas, with Simon Kirby, Chief Executive of HS2 hoping for a procurement strategy to be ready for announcement by the end of this year for all four areas. As such, HS2 is expected to begin communication with prospective partners for both the desgn and build at supplier events coming over the course of the year. In fact, it is expected that the design packages for the aforementioned stations is to be sent out to tender further into 2016.
Teapots are the nickname for independent oil refineries in China, the oil refineries are causing an increase in market share, and the slowing economy is rewarding the refineries who have more flexible and adaptable business models, it piles further pressure onto margins for the country’s oil majors who have found themselves to be inflexible and undependable to meet the needs of cheaper alternative oils. Now accounting for 20% of China’s capacity in oil refining, the teapots are responsible for the growth in imports after Beijing had allowed them new import quotas at the end of last year. Their competitors are running at higher operating costs and rates and the teapots contribute to a new wave of exports in China’s diesel exports and fuel demands. The success of the teapots comes as a surprise to many after years of attempts by Beijing government limiting the independent refinery companies to crude supplies and restricting their access to bank loans. The economy slowed and the teapots’ lower costs in operating allows China to stay supplied with alternatives to expensive fuels, cushioning a lot of the impact to the economic growth in the industry and relating industries. Russian crude has been routinely and regularly purchased by teapot companies that the Chinese border had to undertake an upgrade to accommodate them. The oil industry is undertaking some major changes with some teapot refineries, sixteen of the teapot refineries such as Dongming have formed an oil coalition for importing oil, making purchases of spot crude from places in the Americas and Middle East. Dongming is potentially going one step further than its competitors by looking at singing an annual agreement with industry giant BP. With growing cash flow and confidence many teapots have announced plans to refineries in other areas in Asia later this year including Malaysia and the Indian Ocean coast.
Offering consulting engineers with the opportunity to provide clean and safe water to local communities, a new loyalty programme, Waterdrop, has been announced by Xylem to provide a “once in a lifetime” opportunity for those with a responsible mindset. As has recently been reported by water.org, there are a staggering number of individuals who die each year as a result of diseases attributed to drinking water and poor levels of sanitation sits – 842,000 per year, in fact (circa 2,300 each day). In support of resolving this concerning issue, Waterdrop has been brought to the market as a means by which consulting engineers can contribute to bringing clean water to local communities, simply through their traditional daily work. This, most specifically, is done through the collection of “water drops” which are rewarded through the leaning, selection and specifying of Xylem services and products in CBS applications. These drops are then translated into contributions made by Xylem into the construction of new water towers, thus providing access to those without the proper water provisions. In total, each “water drop” constitutes an investment of $1 into this. And although this may seem somewhat like a drop in the ocean, the opportunity for consulting engineers to make a difference together, and act on a moral and ethical high-ground is there, with Waterdrop. Most recently, Xylem also undertook its very first volunteer trip for Waterdrop, with the company taking fourteen volunteers from Germany, France and the UK over to the Philippines for the construction of water towers at elementary schools, serving just shy of 1,000 young people, families and the wider community. While the work undertaken in building the towers was expectedly difficult, the opportunity to make a difference is one difficult to avoid, and volunteers also worked to educate children on the importance of the supply of clean water.
The construction industry continues to be defined by collaboration; the length of the supply chain often proves critical when it comes to contractors’ ability to carry our quality workmanship, and in a safe and conscientious manner. Adept in design, construction, installation and maintenance, appropriate across industries, Alliance Group Solutions quickly puts to rest the age-old dilemma and, by maximising its construction capabilities, offers clients minimal risk. With three specialist strands dedicated to contracting, flood defence and consultancy, the Kirkby-in-Ashfield based company is well-versed in the interdisciplinary approach and, defined by its plurality, can effectively carry a project from inception to sign-off. With an array of services, Alliance Group Solutions is capable of a great many feats and perhaps adds the most value as an end-to-end service provider. It’s with the interaction and collaboration between each of its distinct, subsidiary businesses that the company is able to deliver on quality as well as cost. With quality and cost the principal deciding factors for any client, Alliance Group Solutions continues to attract a great variety of customers in both the public and private sector, on a one-off and long-term framework agreement basis. For clients looking for flexibility and cost competitiveness, there is little to rival the company’s spectrum of services and, it’s with that, Alliance Group Solutions secures contracts with major, blue chip organisations and high profile clients. A recent project saw the company work with a client working on behalf of the Ministry of Defence (MoD), its raft of services adding significant weight to its initial contract. John Mattinson, Marketing and Development Director at Alliance Group Solutions details further: “What began as a contract centred on a vehicle wash facility subsequently became a showcase of just what we’re capable of. In the first instance, we had to meet a number of challenging criteria to win the contract, and were charged to ensure the site was serviced to the highest degree. The contract also incorporated major water and drainage construction and saw us conduct lighting installation work, install interceptors on the vehicle wash, a waste water treatment plant and create a large, vehicle manoeuvring facility to provide better access and mobility for the client’s heavy-duty vehicles. Worth £750k, the job also allowed us to flex our consultancy muscles and make use of the new surveying technologies we’ve recently developed.” Indeed, over the last six months, Alliance Group Solutions has developed in-house surveying services and, with the aid of pioneering software, is now equipped to carry out land, property-level, flood, topographical and ground-penetrating radar (GPR) surveys. This latest addition comes alongside the company’s prolonged investment in highway design and terrain modelling software as well as hydraulic modelling software, developments which have seen Alliance Group Solutions go from strength to strength and the company now boasts a breadth of consultancy services, including: project management, procurement and technical reporting, cementing its lead in project delivery. Committed to minimising partnership with sub-contractors from the very beginning, Alliance Group Solutions has only solidified its identity as a one-stop-shop further which provides both competitive edge and significant advantage to clients: “Our ability to deliver a total project without recourse to third parties allows us to control quality as well as ensure our strict codes of practice are being adhered to. For us, health and safety will always come first. One accident, serious or worse, can spell the end of a company as well as being totally unacceptable from a people point of view. By taking on a whole job, we prevent the risks associated with interfacing and operating to multiple standards, and require significantly less operatives on site therefore reduce the opportunity for accidents to happen.” In rare cases where the company works alongside others (during projects that require specialist services that Alliance Group Solutions is unable to support), partners are fully-briefed from the outset, undergo induction, are provided daily instruction, and are audited by the group’s site management team. Also vetted at a procurement stage, third parties are considered against Alliance Group Solutions’ health and safety and environmental standards, alongside proposed costs. Despite undergoing major investment, diversification and expansion over the years, Alliance Group Solutions’ dedication to safe contracting has remained and the company has retained OHSAS 18001 accreditation and membership with CHAS. Though, by and large, expressing its will to do better by its operatives, membership with the leading health and safety association has, too, rapidly sped up the tendering process and bestowed the company nationally-recognised esteem. “The robust framework and criteria you have to meet make it a badge of honour for contractors like ourselves”. “With the support of accreditation, we’re able to come into our own during bidding. All our investment is geared toward penetrating the marketplace and membership with CHAS is very much a part of that drive.” With a holistic approach to service delivery, Alliance Group Solutions continues to demonstrate its understanding of the market and regularly outstrips rival companies on account of its all-encompassing capacity, each stage imbued with quality and transparency. Enjoying organic growth, the company is looking to widen its customer base and, as it does so, will look to increase its expertise. John Mattinson states “We are a growing company working up and down the country across a great range of projects”. “There are a number of opportunities to come and join us for people at all stages of their careers, particularly new trainees, apprentices, graduates and experienced site operatives. People are our biggest asset and, for anyone as excited about the industry as we are, the message is very much to come and talk to us.”
A thousand solar panels have now successfully been integrated at a water treatment works in the service of Edinburgh and areas within West Lothian by Scottish Water. As a result, 25% of Marchbank Water Treatment Works’ energy is now sourced from solar panels and the associated energy., which supports the treatment works’ ability to provide for some 68,000 properties. Capable of producing some 0.2GWh per year, the solar panels serve as progress in the environmental agenda, where the treatment works is looking to handle the balance of where it sources its energy from, effectively prioritising renewable sources of energy. And with the treatment works presently outputting some 40 mega-litres of water on a daily basis, the operations of the works of undeniable proportion, serving drinking water to some 17,000 properties in areas of West Lothian, and Southern and Western Edinburgh. The project is the latest of those developed by Scottish Water Horizons, the public utility’s subsidiary which essentially exists to promote the inauguration of a sustainable economy for Scotland itself. Nodding to the sheer amount of energy utilised around Scotland for Scottish Water’s operations, the organisation’s General Manager, Chris Toop, explained: “Every day, Scottish Water provides our customers with a massive 1.34 billion litres of drinking water and then treats over 840 million litres of waste water. This means we currently need 440GWh of electricity annually around Scotland.” And considering the scope of the company’s operations, electricity usage can prove to be quite expensive, which is why Scottish Water has, in turn been working hard to reduce the amount of energy purchased, which can be achieved through self-generating energy with solar panels. This, in effect, will then allow for Scottish Water to keep a hold down on customer charges, maintaining them below the UK average, yet also delivering a high standard of service, as explained by Chris Toop.
It has been recently announced that Irish power organisation, Viridian, is set to be purchased by I Squared Capital, a US-based owner of considerable assets in the renewables industries of India and the US.. The move by I Squared Capital is one which is expected to act as a way for the company to break into the UK’s energy sector, and, sitting at a total value of €1bn, will prove to be a sizeable investment into the UK-based assets, with Viridian’s present, considerable assets crossing both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. In total, Viridian presently provides some 20% of domestic energy in Ireland, which is generated through a combination of gas-fired and renewable, wind farms. As of I Squared Capital’s motives, an expression of consideration has been made as to whether buying into the market with Viridian will prove to be a foothold for breaking into it entirely, with Gautam Bhandari, Partner at I Squared Capital highlighting how the company has been weighing the potential of buying into the market, or pursuing a more organic approach to entering it. Of course, despite already being a highly competitive market, with a handful of operators presently dominating the UK energy sector, this, to Bautam Bhandari seems only to be perceived as a challenge, with him passing comment that: “There is a need for new contenders in the UK power-market, where customers are looking for solutions other than the Big Six.” Of course, this is seemingly only the first step in considerable international expansion plans for the company, with plans already nodded to for entering the European market more significantly. This, however is expected to come some time in the future, with the expectations being of about one year before the company would be comfortable with it’s UK-based market entry plans.
A recent piece of construction news; Lagan Construction International has been announced as successful in winning a multi-million-pound contract for large infrastructure works at London’s only airport runway, at London City Airport. Works, however, are not expected to disrupt the day-to-day operations of the airport much, if at all, with Lagan Construction working outside of normal hours of operation so that disruptions to flight schedules can be avoided. With an anticipated start date of May this year, the project will see Lagan Construction working to overlay the present runway with a grooved solution of Marshall Asphalt, as well as works to widen and reinforce some of the runway’s taxiways. In addition, works are also set to include the refurbishing of the present drainage network, as well as the addition of a brand new pit and duct network. Upgrades are also to be made to lighting fixtures, with the addition of LED lighting alongside the addition of a brand solution for new centre line lighting. Completion of the works is planned for November this year, with the works done on the runway regarded as a major project which will play a vital role in the future-proofing of the runway at London City Airport, and essentially the only runway presently in London itself, as explained by Darren Grover, Chief Operating Officer of London City Airport. Also nodding to the challenges of the project, he added: “The runway overlay is a major project, made more complex by the unique location of our runway surrounded by water on three sides.” Of course, with Lagan Construction having a tried-and-tested reputation for performing on airport infrastructure projects, Steve Turner, Director of International Operations at Lagan displayed confidence in the team to be able to deliver both air-side and ground-side support facilities, as result of the experience and skills of the team, backed up by the technology to support effective delivery of works.
