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The perfect match: Euramax Solutions ensures best outcome for modular manufacturer

Thanks to a flourishing partnership with modular home manufacturer ilke Homes, Euramax Solutions has proven itself to be the ideal supplier for the modular market. Managing Director Nick Cowley explains…

With the potential to be completed up to 50% faster and 30% cheaper, while producing 90% less waste, modular methods of construction offer many benefits when compared to traditional building methods.
Firstly, the factory-controlled production environment eliminates factors that can often impede construction projects, such as disruption from weather conditions. Secondly, increased control improves quality, and with stringent quality checks in place at various stages along the production line, components are much more likely to reach their assembly site without any defects.
The ideal supplier – Working from a state-of-the-art 205,000 square foot manufacturing facility, Euramax Solutions manufactures high-quality uPVC and aluminium windows and doors that are the perfect fit for modular buildings.
With stylish, high-quality products matched with outstanding quality control and a seamless delivery process, it’s no surprise that the Barnsley-based company has been chosen as a main supplier of modular home manufacturer ilke Homes.
Based in Knaresborough, North Yorkshire, ilke Homes manufactures up to 2,000 modular homes every year for local authorities, housing associations, developers and private investors, and can produce a home in just 15 days, with four modules coming off the production line each day.

“In order to increase our output, we needed to collaborate with like-minded suppliers, and for the past two years, Euramax has really understood our manufacturing processes,” comments ilke Homes Procurement Manager Rachel Kaye.
“In addition to supplying us with high-quality products, Euramax provides an excellent, efficient delivery service, really allowing us to streamline and get the most out of our production processes.
“Communication between everyone in the modular supply chain is vital to success, and thanks to regular monthly meetings and consistent input from Euramax’s technical team, we’ve been able to continue successfully producing modular homes.
“Apart from being a reliable, trustworthy supplier, Euramax has allowed us to achieve the best possible outcome for our products.”
Ongoing partnership – As a business, ilke Homes prides itself on creating modern homes that merge effortlessly into local communities, and so the windows and doors they install need to reflect this.

As part of an ongoing partnership, Euramax supplies them with stylish products in classic white and anthracite grey, and even sourced a specific grey frame – called Moondust.
ilke Homes’ windows and doors also need to meet stringent quality and safety measures, and as such, Euramax works to meet the safety requirements for modular homes, which includes ensuring each room has a fire escape.
They also make certain that all window sizes and apertures, whether a top hung or drop window, remain the same.
Euramax also ensures its delivery process reflects ilke Homes’ requirements for quality control and carbon reduction by delivering all its products in stillages, which protect the products during transportation, minimising the risk of damage while also eliminating unnecessary plastic waste.
Module identification numbers (MINs) are also provided for each stillage – these are specific to the windows and doors for each house and module type, ensuring products can be installed without hassle.

Future relationship – Euramax Solutions Managing Director Nick Cowley comments: “Removing the complexity from supply chains, reducing production costs and increasing productivity is what we do every day for our clients in the modular construction sector, and since partnering with ilke Homes, we’ve been delighted to supply such a big name in this market with our products.
“We’re so pleased that the company is happy with both our products and our delivery service, something we are very proud of.
“It’s a real testament to our hard work and commitment to growing the modular construction market, and we look forward to working with ilke Homes for many years to come.”

 

www.euramaxuk.com

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First €200m Raised for Clean Hydrogen

The clean hydrogen fund Hy2gen AG, founded in 2017 by a number of European companies, said yesterday it had raised its first €200m for clean energy construction projects.

The investment round was led by German hydrogen infrastructure developer Hy24, which manages Hy2gen, with backers including French companies Technip Energies, Natixis Asset Management and banking group BPCE, as well as Canadian pension fund manager CDPQ.

Hy2gen said the investment is the largest private green hydrogen-focused capital fund raised to date.

The venture already has 880MW of projects in planning and another 12GW in development. Its first plants are earmarked for sites in France, Norway, Canada, Germany and the US.

Pierre-Etienne Franc, the chief executive of Hy24, said in a press statement: “The magic combination for success in hydrogen scale-up is sizeable projects in strategic basins, strong stakeholder support from off-take to project financing and execution, and the leadership of expert teams for development and steering. This is what Hy2gen has successfully gathered around the table.”

The transaction marks the inaugural investment by Hy24’s Clean H2 Infra Fund. This was founded in October 2021 with an initial pledge of €800m and an eventual target of €1.5bn. Among the subscribers were Vinci Construction, gas suppliers Air Liquide and TotalEnergies, each of which committed €100m to the project (see further reading).

Xavier Huillard, Vinci’s chief executive, said at the time: “Vinci is taking concrete action to support the development of clean energy by mobilising all its divisions in concessions, construction and energy, with the aim of actively combating climate change and decarbonising mobility in particular.”

Hy24 is a joint venture formed by Ardian, Europe’s largest private investment house, and FiveT Hydrogen, an investment manager that specialises in clean hydrogen.

 

Source: Global Construction Review

 

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Bespoke Housing for Homeless Charity Centrepoint

M-AR breaks new ground with brand-new and bespoke housing for homeless charity Centrepoint

 

Offsite contractor, M-AR, is working in partnership with the UK’s leading youth homelessness charity, Centrepoint, to create new, bespoke single occupancy homes for young people experiencing homelessness in the London Borough of Southwark.

The project is part of the charity’s bold new Independent Living Programme to pair over 300 young people with a job and a home across London and Manchester within the next three years. This will tackle head-on the shortage of quality affordable accommodation, free up hostel beds Centrepoint currently provides for those in dire need, and give young people a real future of independence.

Centrepoint currently provides housing and support for over 14,000 homeless young people every year in London, Manchester, Yorkshire and the North East.

This Southwark development with M-AR is the beginning of a five-year build for Centrepoint’s Independent Living Programme. It marks the first time the charity has built brand-new accommodation as it has previously relied on refurbished accommodation.

M-AR is currently manufacturing 33 homes in its factory for Centrepoint, with the whole turnkey delivered project due to complete on site by late April 2022. Each 21m2 home has a small yet functional kitchen, dining area and a bathroom as well as space to sleep and relax, making the units a comfortable home for young people to live independently. The homes will be delivered to site fully fitted with the kitchen and bathroom, with all electrics and plumbing installed as well as being fully decorated throughout, enabling Centrepoint to start using the homes much quicker than with a traditional build, as offsite construction offers greater programme efficiency.

 

Ryan Geldard, Operations Director at M-AR commented: “It’s a privilege for us to be able to do our bit to help Centrepoint in its mission to end youth homelessness by delivering these new safe and secure independent living homes. We’re working on a turnkey basis on this project so we’re taking care of every aspect of the build programme to make the whole process as smooth as possible for Centrepoint. We can’t wait to see how the units look once they’re on site and ready to become homes.”

Sally Orlopp, Director of Centrepoint’s Independent Living Programme, said: “The new homes that M-AR has delivered for are everything we could have hoped for. These comfortable, stylish, efficient and cost effective homes tackle head-on the shortage of quality affordable accommodation, free up much-needed hostel beds, and offer our young people a real step towards independence. It has been a real privilege to work with such an excellent building partner.”

 

M-AR has also named Centrepoint its Charity of the Year for 2022, meaning that the company will be supporting the charity over the course of the next 12 months through various fundraising activities, kick-started by a donation organised by the directors. M-AR will also be raising awareness of Centrepoint’s work and getting its supply chain involved in fundraising for the charity.

 

For more information call 01482 635 08, email buildingrelationships@m-ar.co.uk or visit www.m-ar.co.uk.

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Adopting New Sustainable Ways of Working

 

 

By Stewart Dalgarno, project director at the Advanced Industrialised Methods for the Construction of Homes (AIMCH) project

THE end of the UN’s climate change conference COP26 marked the beginning of the hard work required to prevent global warming rising above 1.5C. For the UK to play its part in lowering emissions, the construction sector, which accounts for 47% of the country’s total carbon emissions, must accelerate the adoption of new sustainable ways of working across the built environment sector.

The Advanced Industrialised Methods for the Construction of Homes (AIMCH) project is one I believe offers the housebuilding industry a way to continue to  improve the sector’s environmental performance.

The challenges faced by AIMCH are not insurmountable, but we must acknowledge that it is concluding at a time when demand for high quality, energy efficient and affordable housing continues to grow. What excites me most about it though, is that the project could offer solutions to skills shortages, the ageing workforce and poor productivity – challenges not limited to the housing sector, while also responding to requirements to use sustainable materials and panellised MMC systems.

AIMCH’s ambition is to use industrialisation to transform how we build our homes in the UK, leading to more homes that can be built quickly, viable and sustainably. If we get it right, I believe the AIMCH project will accelerate the delivery of the 120,000 new homes the UK needs each year, for an acceptable cost, compared to masonry built homes and with at least 30% reduction in build times.

An integral part of the project has been the completion of a Whole Life Carbon Assessment of current building regulations over a 60 year design life, assessing four typical homes across masonry, open and closed panel timber MMC build methods. The report’s findings indicate five tonnes of embodied carbon saving, per four bed home, when using timber construction compared to masonry, equivalent to 16,500 road mile emissions. The report also finds that aerated masonry blocks have half a tonne less carbon emissions at end of life than timber frame construction methods. The carbon sequestration benefits of timber have been used in the research, benefiting all construction methods, where elements of the build use timber, such as internal non load bearing walls, floors and roofs.

Many of our partners are working on exciting developments, using proven, reliable and viable panellised timber based MMC systems, which will soon transform how the house building sector operates. As part of AIMCH, Barratt Developments PLC has created a Z House – a zero carbon concept house that applied 50 different solutions to understand how we will deliver the “sustainable home of the future”. It is located on the University of Salford’s campus with their scientists tasked with measuring its energy efficiency to provide hard data on the home’s design versus actual performance.

The home’s clever design feature’s high performing energy efficient building fabric, using Barratt Developments’ internal timber framer Oregon’s advanced panellised timber MMC systems at its core. The home incorporates PV solar panels and battery storage to generate and store power, electric car charging points and an air source heat pump that transfers heat from the outside to water for home heating and hot water use. Inside, underfloor heating, innovative infrared panels and skirting heating systems provide instant zero carbon heat, a fridge controls humidity levels to reduce food wastage by 60% and atomising showers  that could cut water usage by 80%.

As research continues into sustainable housebuilding, developers and housebuilders can use AIMCH findings as a starter for assessing how they can lower embodied carbon emissions of materials used in construction and their impact on lower whole life carbon emissions.

Such is the environmental benefits of building houses with timber components or build methods, the UK Climate Change Committee reports that the UK can triple the amount of carbon captured in homes by building 270,000 timber frame homes each year.

Where houses are built is changing too. Increasingly more homes today are manufactured off site and assembled at the development. New MMC factories developed by AIMCH, are being designed to include PV electric power generation to run machinery, electric forklift fleets and EV car charging for employees, such that they produce more power than they use, with any surplus recycled back into the national grid, making the transition to net zero carbon manufacturing a supply chain reality.

In the long term, battery storage systems could be used in these factories to store power 24/7 for continuous manufacturing needs. In addition, zero factory waste goes to landfill and 100% of waste is either repurposed, reused or converted to energy through large-scale waste to energy plants.

The UK needs more homes. At the same time, we must play our part in limiting the dangerous impacts of the climate crisis and transition to net zero carbon homes and businesses.

Continuing with the status quo in the housing sector will likely see the UK fail on both fronts. However, I am confident that projects like AIMCH will catalyse industry to accelerate near to market, reliable, viable and sustainable MMC solutions that transform how homes are built. Additionally, this will increase housing output, while helping the UK meet its environmental obligations to limit climate change to 1.5C.

 

Source: Project Scotland

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THE MIDAS COLLAPSE AND THE BOSSES POCKETS

The commencement of work at the Maudlin Farm site in Liskeard, Cornwall,

just one of the sites with a question mark hanging over it’s completion

Despite calls upon the government to intervene and, later, attempts to sell the business, the South West construction firm Midas collapsed into administration last week.

The collapse of the business has led to over 300 redundancies, though it is understood that a section of the business (Mi-Space) has been sold, saving over 50 jobs. Concerns have also been raised about the knock-on effort on sub-contractors and connected businesses, many of whom have been left out of pocket through unfulfilled contracts and unpaid invoices.

The collapse of any business is always disappointing to read about and in this case is consistent with the latest insolvency statistics relating to the construction industry. The statistics, released by the Insolvency Service for Q4 of 2021, evidence a significant increase in insolvencies for the sector as compared with 2020.

Increases in insolvencies were seen across the majority of industries in 2021 compared to 2020. However, construction was one of a number of sectors showed increases above the overall annual increase of 11%, at 25%. Furthermore, as standalone figures, construction was the industry which experienced the highest number of insolvencies (2,579). By way of comparison, wholesale and retail trade and repair of vehicles experienced 1,722 insolvencies, and accommodation and food services activities experienced 1,673 insolvencies.

It is understood that blame is being placed on the pandemic, shortages of materials and labour and a significant rise in costs caused by inflation. These could all have a significant impact on the cost and programme for construction projects, and the allocation of this risk should be carefully considered by parties when negotiating the building contract terms. We may also see parties re-negotiating building contracts for distressed projects, if the contractor’s insolvency would ultimately lead to higher costs and delays than allowing short-term financial relief.

There may be some hope on the material shortage front as this seems to have been easing since the end of 2021. However the reprieve may be short-lived as soaring energy costs could lead to a higher cost of some energy heavy materials, such as concrete and steel. The next year will bring a lot of uncertainty for the construction industry, with many companies likely to have a stronger focus on efficiency. As a result we may see significant growth in areas such as off-site manufacturing and sustainable construction.

Source: Lexology

The collapse leaves unfinished housing projects that will now become part of the administration of the Midas Group, leaving questions about who will complete the work and when.

However bosses at the failed firm seem to have faired better.  It seems one was paid more than half a million pounds while the company was making huge losses.

Accounts for the stricken firm, show the highest-paid director trousered £504,000 in the 18 months to the end of October 2020.

This sum does not include pension contributions so it is likely the director benefited further.

The payment was made in the same 18 months when the company made an after-tax loss of more than £2m.

The highest paid director also pocketed £443,000 in 2019, the group’s annual report and financial statements reveal.

In total, directors were paid £1,869,000 during the 18 months to the end of October 2020, with £53,000 paid in pension contributions.

At the time the directors were chairman Steve Hindley, chief executive Alan Hope, Mike Hocking, and chief commercial officer Scott Poulter, plus finance director Duncan Rogerson, who resigned in July 2019 and was replaced by Michael Ready.

Mr Ready left the company in March 2021 to move to Australia and was replaced by Peter Skoulding.

 

 

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FACTORY BUILT AND AFFORDABLE

40 ‘prefab’ modular homes to be lifted into place on popular Milton Keynes estate, The government scheme will eventually see160 new homes on the estate

 

40 factory-built and cut-price modular homes are set to be craned into place on Tattenhoe.

The Tattenhoe Park development is being delivered as part of a wider scheme by Homes England that will consist of 160 rapid build homes with steel and timber frames.

Homes England is the government’s housing accelerator that strives to release more land to developers to build better homes faster.

Bellway is due to start work on the site next month and have selected specialists ilke homes to deliver the 40 modular units, which will all be built off site in a factory and precision-engineered to focus on quality, sustainability and energy efficiency.

There will be a mix of two, three and four bedroom homes for both affordable and open market tenures.

The developers will use the project to assess the benefits of modern methods of construction after a government report said MMC (modern methods of construction) will be vital in speeding up the delivery of housing across the UK.

Work will start on the site in March and the first modular homes will be ready for occupation in as little as five months’ time.

Tom Heathcote from ilke Homes, said: “It’s great to partner with Bellway Homes at Tattenhoe Park, a truly innovative, Homes England-backed scheme that is aiming to demonstrate the benefits of MMC by collecting granular data on the performance of our own precision-engineered homes.

Paul Smits, managing director at Bellway Northern Home Counties, told the trade press this week: “Bellway is pleased to confirm this partnership with ilke Homes to deliver our first modular homes at Tattenhoe Park.

“We have developed our plans with ilke’s input throughout, and their expertise has accelerated our learning around their products and processes.

“Now contracts are signed, we look forward to seeing these new homes being manufactured by ilke Homes and preparing to install the units at Tattenhoe Park.”

The remaining 120 new homes at Tattenhoe Park will also be built using a speedier methods – with timber frames and panels in place of traditional breeze blocks. This will enable them to be delivered at a faster pace than properties built using more traditional techniques.

Plans for the new development were approved by Milton Keynes Council last October.

A mix of one small apartments, maisonettes and two to four-bedroom houses, 112 of the homes are earmarked for private ownership and 48 will be classed as affordable, for rent or shared ownership.

There will be public open space and new pedestrian and cycle links included.

Paul Smits, managing director of Bellway Northern Home Counties, said this week: “This is a hugely significant development not only for Bellway and Milton Keynes, but also for housebuilding in this country. Phase four at Tattenhoe Park is the first Bellway development to include modular homes. It will deliver much-needed new housing for the town, and it is one of a select group of developments chosen by Homes England for its pilot scheme.

“The modern methods of construction we are using at Tattenhoe Park have the potential to transform the way new homes are delivered in this country. We are pleased to be working with Homes England on this exciting project to help accelerate the supply of new homes in high-demand areas.”

 

Source: M K Citizen

 

 

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McAvoy delivering £40million education contracts

The McAvoy Group is currently delivering three new educational facilities valued at £40million on behalf of the
Department for Education (DfE). The latest projects are The Cavendish School in Cambridgeshire, Merstham Park
Secondary School near Reigate, and Laureate Academy in Hemel Hempstead.

 

The Cavendish School will provide a much-needed specialist school for children with autism, the world’s first International Baccalaureate (IB) special autism school, with a range of new facilities including multi-functional learning areas, calm and sensory spaces, and a horticultural room. Merstham Park School will see long-standing temporary facilities replaced by a brand-new building, designed to be one of the DfE’s first pioneering low-carbon pathfinder projects. At Laureate Academy an outdated teaching block has been demolished, and a new building created, along with a new multi-use games area.

Progress on delivering these projects follows a productive 12 months for the offsite manufacturing specialists, which, despite the challenges of Covid 19, has seen the business invest heavily in strengthening its senior management team and building for the future.

Ron Clarke, CEO of The McAvoy Group, said: “Our primary objective at The McAvoy Group is to deliver an exceptional experience for every customer through the quality of service we provide. We’re delighted to have been entrusted with the delivery of these latest contracts by the DfE. Given the huge disruption to education during the pandemic, it’s more important than ever for new school buildings to be delivered quickly and efficiently on programme and to the highest standard.

“We look forward to working with the DfE, local councils and other partners to deliver these new school places in well-designed, high-quality buildings that are fit for the future.”

The announcement comes as the business retained a place on the latest iteration of the DfE’s £7bn four-year Construction Framework for the delivery of school buildings in England.

The McAvoy Group is one of the leading offsite manufacturing and MMC specialists in the UK and Ireland. It offers a full range of design, manufacturing, fit out and construction services for the purchase and hire of high quality, affordable and sustainable modular buildings in the health, education, commercial and infrastructure sectors. Renowned for innovation, it is a key player in the pioneering Seismic Consortium, an R&D project launched to revolutionise the construction of school buildings. The Seismic II project is also now underway, which will see its learnings applied to other sectors, including healthcare and commercial.

 

www.mcavoygroup.com

 

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CONSTRUCTION IN COLD REGIONS, WITH ROBOTS

The robotic arm is a technology that is used in multiple industries. A paper published in the journal Sustainability has explored the use of this technology in constructing modular buildings in colder regions, where building projects may be limited by the constraints of daylight hours and low temperatures due to the needs of human operators.

 

Robotic Arms in Construction

Meeting the demands of modern society has driven technological innovation in multiple industrial sectors. Consequently, technological progress has prompted individuals to demand more from their living environment in terms of aesthetics and functionality, leading to building designs that provide a safer, more convenient, and comfortable environment for inhabitants. An increasingly fast pace of life and population growth facilitates increased construction efficiency.

Robotic operation route. Image Credit: Sun, X et al., Sustainability

Robotic arms are high precision, multi-input and output, nonlinear, and coupled complex systems. Their operational flexibility means they are used in a variety of hazardous environments, industrial assembly processes, and other fields. Contemporary trends in the construction industry, such as standardized design, rapid construction, and refined construction, have facilitated the adoption of innovative technologies.

Robotic arms have significant potential as a breakthrough technology in the construction sector. They can replace human operators in harmful environments, perform heavy manual labor, improve the safety of construction projects, and accurately complete repetitive motions. The development of a standardized process from design to construction will aid the application, adoption, and promotion of robotic arm technology in building projects across the world.

Modular Design

Originating from industrial design, modular design is a concept that is conducive to the standardization, generalization, serialization, and combination of industrial production. The overall product is deconstructed into modular units. The concept has been applied in numerous industrial fields such as aerospace, automobiles, electrical appliances, and construction.

The modular design method was adopted by Ford in 1913 for their production lines, and since then, architects have employed modular design to save costs and standardize buildings. Applied to architecture, modular design combines separate standardized modules with similar properties and sizes to create an entire building.

The module construction process. Image Credit: Sun, X et al., Sustainability

Modular design is economical, as units can be produced in a factory, saving cost, materials, and time. It enhances reproducibility as units are constructed to a standardized design, and units can be replaced and recycled. Finally, there are environmental benefits due to reductions in waste, the adoption of emergent design ideas, and the building area can be adjusted due to functional needs.

Modular building projects are based on the client’s functional needs, modules are designed by an architect, and the project is assembled on-site by construction teams. However, a building that is too standardized may not meet the differentiated needs of modern society. To meet these demands, digital manufacturing has become increasingly utilized in modern design.

Robotic arms are highly adaptable, and superior precision and rapid assembly can be realized by using this technology. Moreover, combining modular production with robotic arm technology can drive down traditional costs associated with construction. Computer-aided design facilitates the customizable design of modules.

Using Robotic Arms for Modular Design in Colder Regions

Large populations live in the colder regions of the world. The same as any population, individuals living in these areas require structures for domestic and commercial purposes. However, building projects in these regions face unique issues with daytime hours and frigid temperatures, especially in the winter months. The use of robotic arms in colder regions is the central focus of the new research paper published in Sustainability.

The environmental issues faced by construction projects in these areas become apparent when human workers are considered. Cold weather and limited daylight hours are major health and safety concerns for construction workers and project managers.

The main advantages of automation and robotic technologies for building projects in colder regions are obvious. Firstly, robotic arms can operate in extreme conditions and even in hours with reduced daylight. Secondly, they can perform tasks more accurately and repetitively than human workers. Thirdly, they can carry out more complex construction in a three-dimensional space.

Current literature has mostly concentrated on the applications of the technology for masonry processes using small bricks and blocks, with a lack of focus on the installation of complete modules. Thus, the new research in Sustainability has investigated the use of a robotic arm design for the assembly of overall models and integrating this concept into the entire design and construction process. A complete design method for robotic arm assembly of modular units in colder regions has been developed by the researchers. The researchers used a case study of the construction of a museum in Harbin, China. The design and construction process was entirely simulated, and design and application limitations were investigated and discussed.

The authors have proposed several design strategies and methods for modular construction utilizing robotic arm technology. Furthermore, they have identified current limitations which will inform future development and implementation of robotic arms, especially for construction in colder climates. Overall, this study is a preliminary exploration of the use of robotic arms for modular building projects in colder climates.

 

Source: Azo Materials

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INDUSTRIALISATION, AN OPPORTUNITY TO DIVERSIFY

By Luke Tap, Partner at Pinsent Masons

Industrialisation gives construction industry opportunity to diversify

The shift from a site-based industry heavily dependent on physical labour to one led by technology and innovation presents a unique opportunity to diversify the construction workforce.

Construction is a historically male-dominated sector, with UK gender pay gap reporting data showing one of the largest continuing gaps in the average earnings of male and female employees. While most of the businesses in this space have put in place strategies to address diversity and measure progress, progress is slow, and with many sectors now competing to attract a new breed of tech-savvy talent action is needed urgently.

For Madeleina Loughrey-Grant, group legal director at Laing O’Rourke, industrialisation will drive both decarbonisation of the construction industry and diversity, creating opportunities to better balance the profile of the workforce and bring in new talent who may have been put off by sector’s traditional image. Earlier this year, the company hired Vicky Bullivant, former head of sustainability at Drax, as group head of sustainability – a brand new role for Laing O’Rourke.

Reassessing reputation

In the same way as we can expect a ‘rush for talent’ at senior levels a more industrialised construction industry is likely to find itself competing for talent with other business sectors, in particular technology and innovation.

But attracting – and retaining – the right talent and skills will depend on construction significantly rehabilitating its reputation, particularly at apprentice and graduate level. ‘Generation Z’, those born between the late 1990s and early 2010s, no longer anticipate having a career for life, having grown up through two recessions. They are likely to prioritise fulfilling work that aligns with their values and, in the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic, an agile working environment, including flexible working hours and the ability to work from home.

The construction sector tends to suffer a poor image among this age group, who may view it as dirty, old-fashioned, physically demanding and even dangerous. As construction businesses industrialise and the sectors begins to implement decarbonisation initiatives, there is an opportunity to re-set this reputation, as new types of work become available and the shift to industrialised methods drives up worker welfare and health and safety standards

Similarly, firms should also look again at existing diversity initiatives, including the work many are already doing to tackle the sector’s historic gender pay gap. Outreach programmes based on encouraging young people from diverse backgrounds to consider careers in the fields of science, engineering, technology and mathematics (STEM), embracing flexible and agile working in those roles where it is practical to do so, and creating mentoring, development and leadership opportunities for those from less represented backgrounds are among the options considered by employers.

Source: Pinsent Masons

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Midlands at the forefront of Hydrogen innovation

New programme puts the Midlands at the forefront of Hydrogen innovation

A new programme has been launched which is designed to support and foster and creation of a new hydrogen economy in the Midlands.

‘HyDEX’ brings together the university partners in the Energy Research Accelerator (ERA), with multinational businesses, SMEs and other partners, in order to accelerate innovation in hydrogen, build markets and the supply chain, and support the skills needed for the new hydrogen economy.

The aim of HyDEX is to address the challenge of building a thriving new business, industrial and manufacturing sector in hydrogen, where very little currently exists. The programme will allow businesses to accelerate the development and viability of new hydrogen products and associated intellectual property, while supporting the transition from declining industrial sectors and enabling the training and re-skilling required.

The £4.99 million, three-year programme, funded via the RED Fund scheme, run by Research England, which is part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), will see the ERA university partners making available their £111m worth of hydrogen facilities, large scale demonstration programmes, and research capabilities to regional businesses.

This will be supported by the expertise of leading industrial partners in transport, heating and manufacturing technologies, who are also involved in HyDEX, these include Worcester-Bosch and Cadent (hydrogen boilers and gas networks); Intelligent Energy (fuel cells); Toyota (hydrogen vehicles); FAUN Zoeller (heavy vehicles); Cenex, ENGIE (Hydrogen Networks); Progressive Energy, ITM Motive (hydrogen generation and transport respectively); Siemens and ENGIE (hydrogen production and storage).

The universities involved in the programme include Keele (project lead), Aston, Birmingham, Cranfield, Loughborough, Nottingham and Warwick.

Civic partners such as the Midlands Engine, LEPs, local government and local authorities, will also add their weight to support the creation of a market for low-carbon hydrogen solutions as part of the net-zero transition.

There is also an international dimension to HyDEX, which will facilitate links with growing international markets in countries such as China, Australia and South Korea, where ERA partners have strong connections, in order to build commercial opportunities that reach beyond the Midlands and the UK.

Speaking about HyDEX, Professor Mark Ormerod, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Provost of Keele University, which is leading the programme, said: “We are very excited to be launching the HyDEX programme and leading it from Keele University. At Keele we have been leading the way in researching the use of hydrogen in the domestic gas heating system and in smart energy systems. This experience and expertise, when combined with the wealth of knowledge in the ERA partnership and our collaborators will enable HyDEX to make a significant impact on the use of hydrogen in the future.”

 

Professor Martin Freer, Director of the Energy Research Accelerator, added: “The ERA universities have invested significantly in hydrogen infrastructure, creating an array of great facilities and demonstration projects. The HyDEX programme will see experts from our universities, working with Midlands’ businesses to use these facilities to develop new, innovative products.”

 

Dr Sharon George of Keele University, Principal Investigator for HyDEX, commented: “I am looking forward to leading the HyDEX programme. It will be a great challenge -we are

seeking to support the building of a hydrogen economy where one currently doesn’t exist. I am confident that with our academic, industrial and public sector partners, we will be able to demonstrate the commercial potential of hydrogen technologies, support businesses to create products, and build the skills base needed to support the transition to hydrogen.”

 

Wesley Tivnen, Decarbonisation Lead for Siemens Energy, (UK and Ireland) said: “For Siemens Energy and the other business partners involved in the programme, HyDEX

provides a unique opportunity for us to develop and test our technologies and prove the worth of hydrogen as a crucial green energy source for the UK and world, as we transition to

a net-zero society.”

 

 

There is an online engagement event about HyDEX for businesses and public sector organisations interested in hydrogen technologies. It is taking place on Friday 11th February from 10am to 11.30am.

More details about HyDEX and the event can be found at: www.era.ac.uk/hydex

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