Metropolitan, the leading independent district energy and multi-utility infrastructure provider, today welcomed the UK Government’s support for district energy and confirmed the company’s plans to grow its substantial involvement in the UK heat market. As the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) launches the main scheme of the
Targeted support for vulnerable customers is right, says trade body – “The energy industry stands ready to work with the next government to help deliver an energy system that works for everyone,” Energy UK’s chef executive has claimed. Responding to the publication of the Conservative manifesto last week, Lawrence Slade
Last year, the UK government mandated that all centrally-funded work must be undertaken using BIM by 2016. First and foremost, the process of implementing BIM is about change management. To do this successfully, the process must be carried out methodically. The best way is to make a ‘BIM implementation plan’.
Metropolitan, the leading independent district energy and multi-utility infrastructure provider, today welcomed the UK Government’s support for district energy and confirmed the company’s plans to grow its substantial involvement in the UK heat market. As the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) launches the main scheme of the Heat Networks Investment Program (HNIP), making £320M available to fund sector investment in district energy, Metropolitan is reaffirming its confidence in the UK heat network market and is delighted with this recognition of the important and growing contribution that district energy can make to achieving low-carbon, sustainable development. Metropolitan has a strong track record in this field having, for example, delivered low-carbon heat networks for the landmark urban regeneration at King’s Cross in London and at Greenwich Millennium Village. Focussing on district energy and building on its considerable expertise in this field, the company is planning to have more than 50,000 connected customers in ten years’ time. This growth is expected to result in the creation of hundreds of new jobs across the UK in the district energy sector and will be supported by £100M of capital expenditure over the same period. Metropolitan offers developers and housebuilders a unique multi-utility package, combining the provision of district energy networks with the full range of other utilities: gas, electricity, ultrafast fibre, water and wastewater; and thereby delivering time and cost-savings through the procurement and implementation phases of a development. The company is committed to the highest standards of quality, service and customer protection. It was one of the first to register a scheme with the Heat Trust, the industry-led, self-regulatory initiative which recognises best practice and supports the recent decision to introduce regulation to the heat network sector. “We are very excited at the prospects for the growth of district energy in the UK”, commented Jeremy Bungey, managing director of Metropolitan. “Today’s announcement means that the sector has an unprecedented opportunity to lead the way in low-carbon development. The availability of funding through the HNIP, backed by active Government commitment, means that developments will be able to incorporate the most energy-efficient heating systems for the benefit of whole communities. Such district energy systems not only deliver core services but also create jobs.” Claire Perry, Minister for Energy and Clean Growth, said: “The UK has led the world in cutting emissions whilst growing our economy – with clean growth driving incredible innovation and creating hundreds of thousands of high quality jobs. Ten years on from the Climate Change Act, the first ever Green GB week is a time to build on our successes and explain the huge opportunities for business and young people of a cleaner economy. I’m delighted to see how many more businesses and organisations such as BUUK are seizing this multi-billion-pound opportunity to energize their communities to tackle the very serious threat of climate change.” Metropolitan is part of the BUUK Infrastructure Group. BUUK Infrastructure is the leading independent provider of last-mile utility networks, constructing and operating essential utility assets in the UK. BUUK Infrastructure has a unique, integrated approach providing all the essential utilities; gas, electricity, water, wastewater, fibre-to-the-home and district heat networks. Visit www.met-i.co.uk
Targeted support for vulnerable customers is right, says trade body – “The energy industry stands ready to work with the next government to help deliver an energy system that works for everyone,” Energy UK’s chef executive has claimed. Responding to the publication of the Conservative manifesto last week, Lawrence Slade welcomed wording which suggests the party’s threatened energy price cap will be limited to specific customer groups. “Targeting support for vulnerable customers and making sure the market works fairly for everyone are the right priorities, and the industry is absolutely committed to working with government and the regulator to achieve this,” he said. Prior to the publication of its manifesto, senior Conservative had suggested that price regulation in the domestic energy market would extend to 17 million consumers and result in a £100 annual saving per household. The manifesto commitment was considerably softer however, pledging to “introduce a safeguard tariff cap that will extend the price protection currently in place for some vulnerable customers to more customers on the poorest value”. For other consumers, the Conservatives will “maintain the competitive element of the retail energy market by supporting initiatives to make the switching process easier and more reliable”. Energy UK’s relief at the toning down of threatened market interventions was reflected at many energy supply firms, though one big six executive told Utility Week they were concerned by the implications of plans to extend a price cap to microbusiness customers. With regards to other energy commitments in the manifesto Energy UK urged a Conservative government to be swift in carrying out a promised review of energy costs in order to “provide policy clarity to the investment community”. It also pleaded for “an honest debate around the costs of decarbonisation, tackling fuel poverty, how to target support for the vulnerable and deliver security of supply – and how these are to be paid for.” The trade body acknowledged a willingness in the manifesto to countenance onshore wind development in the Scottish isles, but said it would like to see a Conservative government look “wider and further” to open up onshore wind opportunities. Energy UK has previously lobbied for a change to Tory opposition of onshore wind development, pointing to its strong cost competitveness in comparison to other renewable technolgies.
Last year, the UK government mandated that all centrally-funded work must be undertaken using BIM by 2016. First and foremost, the process of implementing BIM is about change management. To do this successfully, the process must be carried out methodically. The best way is to make a ‘BIM implementation plan’. Announced at ICE BIM 2015 and reaffirmed at Digital Construction Week, the UK Government’s Building Information Modelling mandate officially came into effect on April 4, 2016. From this date, centrally procured public sector projects are now required to implement BIM at Level 2. Furthermore, centrally funded government departments will be required to provide “clear and complete” EIRs with all contracts. Also launched on April 4 was a new dedicated website (www.Level2BIM.org) filled with Level 2 guidance, documentation and materials to support the industry. The BIM Task Group will also carry on providing assistance to the construction industry. As well as the first timeframe, a further important date was announced. October 3, 2016 marked each government department’s capability to “electronically validate BIM information delivered from the supply chain”. The BIM Task Group’s Mark Bew offered further comment on the deadlines. He told Infrastructure Intelligence: “Because we have met the April date we now want to start to drive the quality of data up. It is all very well pushing data at each other but if that data is rubbish then what is the point? “The stretch target will be some kind of requirement around electronic validation capability a year from now. It is the future and linked to an research project where we started to understand how we can check data electronically. These tools are now available so we need to develop the techniques and pass them down into the supply chain.” Here are some industry views on the announcement from April 4 to October 3: Data validation by October 2016. But what data? How do we test before signing up to live projects? — Bond Bryan BIM (@bondbryanBIM) October 22, 2015 4 April is BIM mandate date.. Govt has handed the gauntlet to industry to meet it. Time for push is over. It’s time for #AEC to pull #ICEBIM — CONJECT (@conject) October 21, 2015 BIM – the journey is the destination. It is not all about key dates; they are only staging points on our digital voyage — David Philp (@ThePhilpster) October 23, 2015
