UK firms rally to highlight hydrogen’s role in becoming a net zero nation

Leaders from some of the UK’s most pioneering organisations have joined forces to explore the role of hydrogen in decarbonising the country’s industry, transport, and domestic heating sectors – which amount to 40% of the UK’s emissions, and the equivalent of 180 million tonnes of CO2.

As part of a UK-wide roadshow on the approach to the much-publicised UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, the 10-stop tour visited ground-breaking projects across the country. This included Northern Gas Networks’ Hydrogen House – the UK’s first homes to feature 100% hydrogen gas appliances – Thames Estuary, Equinor’s Hydrogen-to-Humber (H2H) Saltend project, Fuel Cell Systems, Johnson Matthey, DNV, and the Shell Learning Zone at the Aberdeen Science Centre.

As part of the roadshow, Pilkington UK – together with HyNet and HyDeploy – shared the news that its Greengate site in St Helens has recently undertaken two pioneering demonstrations of using hydrogen to replace natural gas in powering the furnace.

Each day during the trial, two tonnes of hydrogen were consumed – which could have provided an equivalent hydrogen blend to approximately 30,000 average-sized homes.

Elsewhere, Welsh Water – which announced its net zero by 2040 target earlier this year – shared details of its feasibility work to produce up to 2,000 kg per day of renewable bio-hydrogen at the site – enough to support a fleet of 100 hydrogen buses.

DGA chair Chris Barron, and director of gas networks at Costain, said: “Hydrogen – like many other decarbonised gases – can help us meet the UK’s ever-pressing need for net zero climate emissions, at low cost, with minimal disruption, and while creating thousands of sustainable jobs across the country.

“It has a particularly valuable role to play in the notoriously hard to decarbonise sectors – heavy transport, industry, and heat. As a nation, we rely heavily on these industries, but they account for over 40% of UK greenhouse gases. They’re therefore the elephant in the room if we don’t work together to create a deliverable pathway to a net zero energy infrastructure.”

Now complete, the tour explored the need for a regional focus, as part of the Government’s roadmap and Ten Point Plan, and the impact that the public could have if they were better informed and engaged with the subject.

Each stop was handpicked to help drive the conversation on hydrogen and the role it plays in the country’s energy transition strategy – with chosen locations showcasing their own perspective on the hydrogen agenda, to not only raise awareness at policy level but among regional communities too.

Matt Buckley, UK managing director of Pilkington UK, part of the NSG Group, explained: “We are proud to sit at the forefront of hydrogen innovation in the glass industry. Our team’s collaborations with HyNet and HyDeploy are enabling huge steps forward to be taken, as we work towards the decarbonisation of our activities.

“Both trials have successfully demonstrated that it is possible to use hydrogen to safely and effectively fire a float glass plant. We now look forward to HyNet being fully up and running from 2025 in order to turn these demonstrations into reality.”

Ben Burggraaf, head of energy at Welsh Water added: “Producing bio-methane or even bio-hydrogen is an important step towards meeting our ambition to reach net zero by 2040 and achieving a 90% reduction in emissions by 2030.

“Using the biogas to produce renewable fuels could have up to 10 times larger decarbonisation impact than using it to produce renewable electricity, in particular when combined with Carbon Capture Utilisation and Storage technology – for example, producing food grade CO2.”

Andy Cornell, CEO at ABSL added: “The UK produces 30 million tonnes of waste a year which could generate up to 20 % of our energy needs. Sustainable production of biomethane and biohydrogen is critical for energy security.”

Iain Morley, hydrogen transformation manager at Wales and West Utilities, commented: “Bio substitute natural gas which Wales and West Utilities inject into the network can play a big role in reducing carbon emissions going forward. The HSE exemption of up to 1% hydrogen into the natural gas system delivers up to 5,000 tonnes of CO2 reduction which is the equivalent of 2.5k homes in the local area from the ABSL facility.”

Dr Phil Ingram, senior business development manager, low carbon hydrogen at Johnson Matthey, said: “Johnson Matthey was delighted to welcome the Decarbonised Gas Alliance roadshow to our sites in Teesside.

This is where our scientists and engineers created and continue to develop our award-winning low carbon hydrogen technology, which reduces CO2 emissions by over 95%. Manufacturing blue hydrogen at scale is a critical early step in decarbonisation, enabling us all to achieve net zero emissions targets and limit global temperature rises.”

Through innovation, collaboration, and greater public awareness throughout the regions, hydrogen can play a role in safely, quickly, and cost-effectively decarbonising UK infrastructure – providing the country with a stable pathway to net zero emissions.

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NANOTECHNOLOGY, VITAL TO DRIVING DOWN CARBON

Nanosensor and Digital Twin technologies come together at COP26 to help deliver a circular economy as part of the race to zero

 

Deploying billions of highly accurate and secure nanosensors interconnected to a global Digital Twin network can enable real-time monitorisation of emissions within urban and agricultural environments.

Nanosensors and Digital Twins are forecast to be pivotal to discussions between international nations and bodies at COP26 in Glasgow, the UK, from October 31st until November 12th and predicted to have a significant impact on the future of carbon tracking.

This technology collaboration will enable global organisations to reward organisations and people globally for tracking and managing emissions to reverse Climate Change while holding to account countries and industries that don’t.

Sensors can be positioned in every urban and rural space, including major rainforests and polluting cities, allowing global carbon emission tracking with unprecedented real-time accuracy.

Digital Twin technology will calculate the carbon emission data gathered by nanosensors, providing a globally sharable, highly accurate representation of how countries, companies, households, and individuals manage emissions in a way that supports the creation of a circular economy – a key sustainability strategy for the world as well as industry leaders to fight climate change.

This particular model for a circular economy is still evolving in terms of data and metrics, but indicators suggest this approach and enabling technologies such as Nanotechnology, and Digital Twins are vital to holding people to account while rewarding industry, governments, and the public for their work in driving down carbon emissions to net-zero.

Former Brazilian ambassador and diplomat and a Harvard scholar, Arnildo Schildt, has been developing a project based on this new model and will be presenting this at the COP26 summit in Glasgow, UK (October 31st to November 12th) – an event being billed as a catalyst for action and tech adoption in the Climate Change battle.

This project will use nanosensors to track deforestation and pollution to help accurately manage carbon credits and offsets, enabling the reduction of emissions and highly accurate tracking of data on deforestation.

Schildt said: “We have been working tirelessly now for two years developing a model with governments, the UN, international banks, academics and industry partners as well as investors to harness the power of Digital Twin and nanosensor technology to solve two massive challenges for our environment simultaneously.

“We have a delegation going to COP26 and will follow this with other partnership meetings in the UK, Canada and the US straight after the Glasgow event to make this a reality.”

Schildt’s initiative in vital rural areas mirrors the urban and agricultural work conducted by US-based Cityzenith, which uses Digital Twin technology to decarbonise the built environment, tracking, managing, and reducing emissions in buildings across metropolitan areas and major international cities as well as linking this to carbon rewards, credits, and other global incentive programs for sustainability.

Cityzenith was referenced by an independent global research group report from ABI research on the 28th of October, naming the company one of three, including The Ellen MacArthur Foundation and Vodafone, that can deliver the infrastructure required for a functional circular economy.

Currently, cities generate 70% of world emissions. Cityzenith’s international Clean Cities – Clean Future initiative has major world cities joining the program, using its Digital Twin platform SmartWorldOS to reduce carbon emissions in buildings by 50-100%, operating costs by 35% and increase productivity by 20%, another independent report by Ernst and Young report on Digital Twins aligns with this.

Las Vegas and New York were the first two cities to sign up, with projects in Phoenix and others expected to follow over the next few months.

Cityzenith CEO Michael Jansen said: “We are confident that the Clean Cities – Clean Future initiative will demonstrate the combined power of Digital Twin and IoT technology to transform mobility, walkability, and emissions/air pollution, while linking all of this to carbon rewards and other carbon related incentives via one interconnected Digital Twin platform.

“And COP26 can play a huge role in bringing the climate crisis into the public spotlight, by acknowledging and backing technologies such as Digital Twins and nanotechnology to make a difference in the fight to protect the planet.”

The UK will also bring a national Digital Twin program to the summit through Anglian Water, BT, and UK Power Networks, which have partnered to foster better outcomes for the built environment.

The project aims to deliver an Information Management Framework which can ensure secure, resilient data sharing and effective information management. At the same time, the program identifies a range of benefits to society, business, the environment, and the broader economy.

Co-Founder of the World Nano Foundation, Paul Sheedy, said:

“Nanotechnologies such as nanosensors and quantum dots can track and monitor anything, holding and transmitting infinite amounts of secure data around the world.

“Combining nanotechnology with advanced Digital Twin platforms is game-changing for the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and ESG investors that support such impact investing.”

Nanotechnology and Digital Twins were both named in 2021 as the top 5 tech growth sectors forecast to quadruple over the next five years; each sector is predicted to enjoy a combined growth of more than 400% in that time.

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Augmented Reality product – The Atom

 XYZ Reality, the transformational construction technology company behind Holosite,

has announced it will unveil the most powerful Engineering-Grade Augmented Reality tool,

The Atom at Digital Construction Week (DCW), London 2021.

Watch the video

The Atom has been developed specifically to meet the needs of construction professionals; a game-changer set to transform the way the industry works, making construction smarter, more accurate and more efficient than ever before. The release of this flagship AR product is part of XYZ Reality’s Commercial Launch.

The augmented reality company is a Gold Sponsor at the must attend ConTech event and will have a major presence at the show taking stands E66 and F80 with its hospitality and Construction Playground areas. XYZ Reality’s team will also feature along with construction partners on the main stage and ancillary stages highlighting the tangible benefits that Engineering-Grade Augmented Reality has been delivering for construction teams.

For the first time ever, XYZ Reality will welcome visitors of Digital Construction Week to experience The Atom’s pioneering, innovative technology for themselves and see its state-of-the-art capabilities. Attendees will view and position holograms of BIM to discover the power, precision, and transformation that The Atom is bringing to construction sites.

Commenting on the launch and the event, XYZ Reality Founder and CEO, David Mitchell says, “DCW is one of the biggest and most prestigious events in the global ConTech calendar, so it was a natural choice as the setting for our commercial launch. The release of The Atom demonstrates our exponential growth over the last four years, and since securing our Series A funding in June 2021, our teams have been hard at work preparing for our commercial launch. We cannot wait to engage with delegates, showcasing The Atom’s powerful capabilities and showing how everything we do as a business is always driven by the specific needs of the construction industry.”

Ollie Hughes, Co-Founder of Digital Construction Week adds, “We’re delighted to have XYZ Reality as a Gold Sponsor partner, and that they’re choosing DCW 2021 to announce their commercial launch. David and the team are incredible ambassadors for the ConTech industry and are actively demonstrating through incredible innovation how digital technology is improving every single process within the construction journey, leading to a safer, smarter and a higher quality built environment.”

Recognising the significance of DCW 2021, and the importance of its delegates and key decision makers, XYZ Reality will be running an introductory offer for The Atom. Find out more at XYZ Reality’s stand at DCW. Book a live experience of the new technology at DCW 2021 here:  www.xyzreality.com/dcw

www.xyzreality.com

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CURING INNOVATION FOR CONCRETE

INNOVATION FROM ARAMCO – One of the world’s largest integrated energy and chemicals companies, part of the global effort toward building a low carbon economy.

 

 

After water, concrete is the most widely used material on earth. Approximately 4 billion tons were produced in 2019, and that amount is set to rise over the coming years. However, creating the principle ingredient – cement – is also responsible for around 7% of annual global CO2 emissions.

While there is a clear desire to reduce CO2 emissions across the whole concrete industry, our focus has been on the usage rather than the production of cement. We are innovating the way concrete is manufactured to utilize CO2 as part of the curing process.

 

The basic building blocks

In its simplest form, cement is combined with sand, water, and aggregate to produce concrete. When the cement and water are mixed, it causes a chemical reaction called hydration, which starts to set and harden the overall mixture.

This process can be affected by a number of factors, from the outside temperature to the amount of cement in the mixture. What is crucial though, is that the concrete retains the right amount of moisture and is kept at the right temperature over a period of time (normally 28 days) to attain its full strength. If it dries out too quickly, the concrete will be significantly weakened – and that’s where curing comes in.

 

Curing is crucial

The curing process not only increases the strength of the concrete, it also makes it more durable, less permeable to water, and more resistant to cracking, freezing, and thawing.

There are many different curing methods available, from using steam or spraying the surface with a fog mist, through to covering it with moisture-retaining fabric or plastic sheets to prevent moisture loss. We saw the opportunity to innovate a new way of curing concrete using waste CO2.

A win-win scenario

Technologies like mobile carbon capture and carbon capture at industrial plants have proven successful at stopping emissions from reaching the atmosphere. But the question remains, what do you do with all the waste CO2 you’ve captured?Options include sequestering it deep underground, transforming it into new products through technologies such as Converge® , or, as in this case, developing a way to recycle it.Reusing waste CO2 is one of the four “Rs” (alongside reducing, removing, and recycling), contributing to the circular carbon economy. We believe this idea has the power to reduce global emissions while ensuring consistent economic growth. And our carbon curing innovation is a perfect example of this in action.

 

Precast was the way forward

The two most common methods of laying concrete are ready-mix and precast. They can both contain the same ingredients, but are produced in very different ways.

Ready-mix is manufactured in a plant and then transferred in cement mixers to the building sites where it can be poured into place. This can have a significant impact on the surrounding environment through increased dust, noise, and transport emissions.

We decided to focus on precast, which utilizes reusable molds to prepare, cast, and cure the concrete in a controlled environment — all in one location, all off-site. The finished products can then be transported to the construction site to be laid in place.

The use of molds reduces any potential errors, and makes it quicker and more efficient to produce large amounts of identical components, such as wall panels, staircases, pipes, and tunnels, which often sit alongside structural steel frames and concrete produced on site.

As well as being able to control the curing environment, precast concrete has several advantages, including lower labor and transport costs, and is a growing industry, valued at around $116 billion in 2019.

Stronger concrete. Produced faster

Following our successful lab test, we put our technology to work in a local precast concrete plant.

The most important test that our carbon-cured concrete had to pass was measuring its mechanical strength. The industry standard is 35 megapascals (MPa), and if a batch of concrete fails to reach it, it will be rejected completely.

We found that our technology not only exceeded the benchmark – it did it in a quarter of the time. Just 3 days instead of 28.

And what’s more, our concrete was also more durable than traditional concrete, showing lower water permeability and greater chlorine and sulfate resistance, all of which are crucial in construction offshore or in in places with high humidity.

 

Building for the future

Having achieved 20% CO2 uptake in a lab setting, the potential for our technology is huge once it is commercialized.

In fact, if the global precast concrete industry switched to our carbon curing innovation, we could recycle up to 246  million tons of CO2 a year – equivalent to removing emissions from 53 million cars.

Our next goal is to increase the amount of CO2 that can be absorbed into the concrete, as well as further reducing the time it takes to cure it. In addition, there is the opportunity to rethink where the waste CO2 is sourced from.

Imagine if we used the CO2 created by the cement production process itself? Then we would be able to reduce the environmental impact of the industry as a whole, and help it transition to a lower-carbon future.

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IG Masonry Support supplies Brick Slip Lintels on Bridges Family Practice development

Medical practices are at the heart of communities across the world. IG Masonry Support was proud to play an important part in the stunning redevelopment of the Bridges Family Practice, formerly known as Bryson Street Surgery.

 

The family practice has been a staple of Protestant and Catholic communities for more than a century, and its new moniker is a reflection of the bridging of these two groups. Thanks to significant funding from Landmark East, The Northern Ireland Executive’s Social Investment Fund, this vital community asset has been transformed into a state-of-the-art-facility that will continue to serve its people for years to come.

In its new glory, the practice boasts extensive amenities including interview and treatment rooms, children’s play and waiting area, facilities and access for wheelchair users and minor surgery capabilities.

 

The Challenge

East Belfast residents will recognise the new building has retained one feature – its unique, curved wall with a projecting soffit at its entrance. In order to maximise the visual impact of the wall, funding was secured through the Northern Ireland Executive’s Urban Villages Initiative to commission a piece of art for this iconic exterior.

IG Masonry Support, a company which continually meets customers’ high expectations in terms of quality, was tasked with crafting a bespoke Brick Slip Lintel that curved with this shape of the building’s entrance.

The Solution

IG Masonry Support’s teams utilised their skill, craft and expertise to create a Brick Slip Lintel that accentuated this architectural finish and fitted seamlessly with the constructed brickwork. IG Masonry Support also produced Brick Slip Lintels above each of the windows, which required a brick soffit.

IG Masonry Support’s Brick Slip Lintels can be used over small openings to eliminate the need for additional masonry support. Supplied in stainless steel or galvanised steel, IG Masonry Support’s Brick Slip Lintels have the same profile as a standard lintel and are delivered to site as a one-piece unit, complete with brick slips attached, eliminating the need for specialist installation onsite. These solutions are produced off-site in a factory-controlled environment which ensures that the bonding process occurs in optimum controlled conditions free from wet weather, extreme temperature variations and excessive dust.

With thousands of installations completed over the past decade, IG Masonry Support’s Brick Slip system is a proven and reliable solution which provides maximum BBA-certified adhesion of the brick slips.

The utilisation of IG Masonry Support’s Brick Slip Lintels will ensure the iconic curved wall of the Bridges Family Practice’s entrance looks good and performs well into its bright future.

 

CLICK HERE TO VISIT IG MASONRY SUPPORT

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CITIES – THE CARBON BATTLEFIELD

Digital Twins to play a key role in COP26 and the built environment through international and national programs

Experts and industry leaders want Digital Twin technology to be top of the agenda for this year’s pivotal COP26 event in the UK from October 31st until November 12th.

Digital Twins are being named as a potential aid towards preventing the world’s current climate crisis, and many want the technology to be discussed and accelerated when global leaders meet in Glasgow, UK at the end of the month.

COP26’s biggest challenge is to ensure the planet is net-zero by mid-century and to keep a global temperature of 1.5 degrees within reach. Leading nations have been asked to bring ambitious 2030 emissions reduction targets to Scotland to align with these goals.

To reach net-zero, countries need to phase out the use of coal, curtail deforestation, speed up the electric vehicle switch, decarbonise our urban environments and increase investment in renewable energy. Progress is being made, but science shows that much more must be done.

Experts have already identified cities and urban areas as the key emissions battlefield; buildings within cities worldwide are currently responsible for 70% of world carbon emissions.

This combined with an acceleration of deforestation could be transformed using a global Digital Twin network or platform that measured, mapped, tracked, and rewarded sustainable actions.

Arnildo Schildt, former Brazilian ambassador and diplomat as well as a Harvard scholar, has been developing a new model for protecting the rainforests using carbon credits and offsets linked to an international Digital Twin platform.

Arnildo said: “We have been working tirelessly now for two years developing a model with governments, the UN, international banks, academics and industry partners as well as investors to harness the power of Digital Twin technology to simultaneously solve two massive challenges for our environment.

We have a delegation going to COP26 and will follow this with other partnership meetings in the UK, Canada and the US straight after the Glasgow event to make this a reality.”

According to a recent report from Ernst & Young, Digital Twins are forecast to reduce carbon emissions by 50-100% within buildings, reduce operating costs by 35% and boost productivity by 20%.

Due to this, some major cities are adopting Digital Twin technology. Chicago-based, with offices in the UK and India, Digital Twin provider Cityzenith recently launched a ‘Clean Cities – Clean Future’ international initiative, where it offers its SmartWorldOS Digital Twin platform to major polluting cities for free to track, manage, and reduce emissions.

New York and Las Vegas have recently signed up, with other major international cities expected to follow in the next few months.

“The use of Digital Twins to track, manage and reduce emissions within the built environment is unparalleled,” said Cityzenith CEO and founder Michael Jansen “And our ‘Clean Cities – Clean Future’ initiative will demonstrate how building owners and cities can dramatically reduce operating costs and emissions for little or no investment.”

“We have our Digital Twin platform so that it can work seamlessly with cities and building asset owners to drive down emissions and efficiencies as we build back better, but crucially we are able to link this to protecting our forestry and agriculture using carbon offsets or trades.”

Jansen is one of many that are pleased that Digital Twins will be a topic of conversation at this year’s COP26:

This event can play a huge role in bringing the climate crisis into the public spotlight – COP26 must give technologies such as Digital Twins the opportunity to make a difference in the fight to protect the planet.”

America’s climate envoy John Kerry, who earlier this year switched US government efforts back towards fighting Climate Change, believes COP26 is the last best hope for the world in protecting the planet:

“The truth is emissions are going up around the world, not down in enough countries, and key countries are pursuing policies that border on being very dangerous for everybody.”

Kerry also said that if greenhouse gas emissions were not reduced enough over the next nine years, there was no chance of meeting long-term targets.

Another Digital Twin program is being run at COP26 for a national Digital Twin program with the UK, which includes Anglian Water, BT, and UK Power Networks to foster better outcomes for the built environment.

The goal of this project is to deliver an Information Management Framework which can ensure secure, resilient data sharing and effective information management, while the program identifies a range of benefits to society, business, the environment, and the broader economy.

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PREMIER MODULAR EXPANDS TEAM OF OFFSITE SPECIALISTS IN SCOTLAND

Left Paul Kyle and right Steven Ballantyne

Premier Modular, one of the UK’s leading offsite construction specialists, has made two new appointments to increase its presence in Scotland.

 

Based in Renfrew, Paul Kyle has more than 30 years’ experience in the offsite sector gained from holding senior roles for a number of modular building specialists. He re-joins Premier to provide local support for offsite projects throughout Scotland, having worked for the business for more than eight years in the 1990s.

As Senior Business Development Manager for Scotland, Paul is now Premier’s contact for its bespoke offsite construction solutions for NHS trusts, local authorities, universities, social housing providers, developers, and contractors across Scotland.

Steven Ballantyne has been appointed Area Sales Manager for Premier’s Hire Division in Scotland and brings a decade of experience in the modular hire space to his new role.

Working from Dundee, Steven will be assisting clients with modular building projects for short and long-term hire in the construction, infrastructure, healthcare, and education sectors – from high quality project offices and welfare facilities to decant classrooms and temporary hospital facilities to meet surges in demand.

According to Dan Allison, Director of Premier Modular, “The demand for offsite construction continues to increase in every sector as more construction clients recognise the benefits of enhanced quality, shorter programme times, affordability, and significantly reduced impact on the environment. Our modular solutions are precision engineered for high levels of energy efficiency and are manufactured with zero waste to landfill. And we are very keen to bring those benefits to our growing customer base in Scotland for both temporary and permanent building projects.”

“Paul and Steven bring some tremendous experience in offsite construction to the business which will definitely add value to customers in Scotland who are considering a modular solution. They both have invaluable local knowledge so we can offer the highest level of service, meeting individual project requirements across Scotland with a flexible approach that is unparalleled in the offsite sector.”

Established in 1956, Premier Modular is one of the most financially robust businesses in the dynamic offsite sector. It provides both temporary and bespoke offsite building solutions across a diverse range of sectors including education, healthcare, infrastructure, and construction.

In the residential market, Premier specialises in apartments and studios for multi-occupancy buildings – from hotels and student accommodation to build-to-rent and social housing schemes.

 

For further information, visit www.premiermodular.co.uk, call 0800 316 0888 or email info@premiermodular.co.uk.

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World First for Electric Power

Junttan Oy Unveils World’s First Electric Pile Driving Rig
Junttan Oy is helping to ensure a sustainable future with the unveiling of the PMx2e, the world’s first fully battery-powered electric pile driving rig. The rig’s hydraulic system is controlled by a modern electric motor that generates power from a battery pack, which has replaced the counterweight.

 

The PMx2e has been designed to mimic the use of a diesel engine rig as closely as possible, even in challenging working conditions. Junttan was intentional in its quest to replicate the efficiency and power of a diesel rig. The PMx2e offers the same robust structure and usability as the PMx22, but consumes less energy per pile, reduces noise, and delivers more power and instant torque.

Junttan’s PMx2e is equipped with two detachable 396 kWh battery packs to allow for 8 to 13 hours of continuous pile driving.  An external quick charging unit allows the batteries to be fully charged overnight or during the day if needed.

This new, electric pile driving rig demonstrates Junttan’s commitment to helping our customers build a more sustainable future around the world, says Junttan Oy CEO Pasi Poranen. “After four years of research and development, we are bringing the future replacement of a diesel engine deep foundation machine to the market. PMx2e, will empower our clients by massively reducing their CO2 emissions and environmental footprint.”

The world’s first electric pile driving rig was commissioned in Sweden in late October 2021 by one of Europe’s premier contracting firms, Per Aarsleff, A/S and its Swedish subsidiary Aarsleff Ground Engineering AB.

Understanding the power of an alliance between manufacturer and end-user, Junttan and Aarsleff formed an alliance from day one known as “Junttan X Aarsleff.” Both had a shared vision of the future of driven piling.

For the first time ever in the history of driven piling, Junttan and Aarsleff saw an opportunity to write a new chapter in the playbook on sustainability. The companies’ combined their respective strengths and 119 years of combined expertise to improve sustainability without restrictions in performance or application.

Junttan’s introduction of the world’s first electric pile driving rig will support Aarsleff’s mission to reducing the carbon dioxide emissions that originate from fossil fuels. “The biggest challenge to finding alternatives to diesel-powered machines is the lack of large, powerful electric construction equipment, but machine manufacturers are working hard to solve this,” says Lars Dithmer, head of sustainability at Per Aarsleff A/S. “The future is beginning to look brighter for more environmentally friendly construction sites.”

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public sector sites can cut carbon emissions by 70%

Complex public sector sites – such as hospitals, prisons, and military barracks – could achieve a 70% reduction in carbon emissions by 2032 with an average capital cost of £12.6m per site, according to a two-year innovation pilot.

The Modern Energy Partners (MEP) innovation programme was tasked with exploring how to decarbonise the public sector estate, by developing repeatable methods that enable large campus-style sites to meet UK Government commitments on net zero.

MEP was driven and funded by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) through the £505 million Energy Innovation, and overseen alongside Cabinet Office, and other estate-owning departments, with Energy Systems Catapult providing programme delivery, analytical and technical support.

The MEP pilot used a test bed of 42 sites responsible for over 294,000 tCO2e carbon emissions – equating to 8% of Ministry of Defence (MOD), 17% of Ministry of Justice (MOJ) and 6% of NHS sites.

MEP found that on average for a campus-style to achieve 70% emissions reduction by 2032 the capital cost was £12.6m per site.

The MEP final report provides independent recommendations for stakeholders involved in public sector decarbonisation for campus or similarly challenging sites:

  • Strategic plans to help speed up and scale up action are important: An increase in the pace and scale of decarbonisation across the public sector estate is urgently needed to reach targets. Agreed-upon, organisation-wide and long-term decarbonisation strategies can help simplify processes and cut timelines. More broadly, a public sector-wide reporting framework alongside appropriate carbon valuation will incentivise action.
  • Tailored plans at site level are vital: A tailored and detailed approach is needed for each site. The design stage should consider all aspects of Departmental and site-level governance as well as the appetite for investment in low carbon technology. Working with multiple consultancies in the development of individual design plans can increase idea sharing and avoid technology bias.
  • Delivery capability must be considered: Appropriate resourcing, capacity-building and prioritisation is urgently needed. This includes the capacity building of roles focussed on coordinating the planning and delivery of decarbonisation strategies into existing asset life replacement programmes on site. Important responsibilities of this role will be to select the technology appropriate delivery route and ensure sign-off and access are obtained in a timely manner.

The programme focused on “learning by doing”, MEP tested out the practicalities of scalable decarbonisation through three primary activities:

1. Tested rapid deployment of data gathering technologies and analysis techniques to appraise future net zero progress across 36 of the 42 testbed sites.

2. Developed a systematic and repeatable appraisal approach for the decarbonisation of campus-style public sector sites at 24 of the sites, showing estate-wide programmed deployment can be planned.

3. Worked intensively with four “pathfinder” sites to test out different commercial deployment routes, seeking quality and value for money:

  • Sheppey Prison Cluster
  • HMS Collingwood
  • NHS Goole and District Hospital
  • Catterick Garrison

Energy Systems Catapult chief executive, Philip New, said: “The public sector only accounts for around 2% of total UK emissions. But by both reducing its own emissions and demonstrating an ambitious, systematic and scalable programme of work, it offers an opportunity to demonstrate that it is possible to decarbonise at scale. The potential to procure at scale is likely to drive value for money for the public purse, encourage innovation, support skills building, help levelling up across the country and push technology prices down benefiting the wider economy.

“The Modern Energy Partners programme demonstrated that it was possible to put individual sites on track to hit net zero targets through a sustained effort by people with a mix of skill-sets.

“While some action has already being taken towards reducing emissions within the public sector estate, MEP experienced multiple barriers to delivery which must be overcome to deliver decarbonisation at scale.

“Firstly, each Government department needs a deliverable net zero strategy, which captures the scale and pace required to meet national net zero commitments.

“Secondly, the cost of decarbonisation is a key barrier. To make decarbonisation scalable, funding must be available and deployed efficiently within a department.

“Thirdly, MEP found that capability was limited to centrally based sustainability teams and, rather than embedded throughout departmental estate management. Under current conditions, delivery that relies on these small central teams is time-consuming and not scalable.

“Finally, we found that in the future decarbonisation of campus-style sites, like prisons, military bases and hospitals could be possible and could be delivered at the scale and pace required, however it needed to follow a systematic, repeatable and scalable approach.”

 

 

DOWNLOAD HERE: Modern Energy Partners – Summary Report 

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Plastic Park Will Recycle 367,500 Tonnes of Plastic

Plans for the UK’s first £165m Plastic Park – designed to tackle a share of the UK’s 4.9 million tonnes of annual plastic waste – have moved a step closer.

Peel NRE, part of Peel L&P, has submitted a planning application for the Plastic Park to be developed at Protos, the company’s strategic energy and resource hub near Ellesmere Port, Cheshire. It will cluster together innovative processing and treatment technologies to get the most value from plastic waste.

Two facilities at the Plastic Park have already received planning consent – the UK’s first waste plastic to hydrogen facility using pioneering Powerhouse Energy technology and a PET (polyethylene terephthalate) recycling plant that will take food and beverage packaging, such as plastic bottles, and recycle them for use in making new packaging products.

Peel NRE is now seeking planning approval for several further facilities which would provide capacity for up to 367,500 tonnes of mixed recyclables and plastic and create 147 new jobs.

The application follows a public consultation where nearly 300 local people took part. An overwhelming majority of respondents agreed that more plastic recycling facilities are needed in the UK.

“As our pre-application consultation showed, the issue of plastic waste is high up the agenda. By clustering various treatment technologies together in one place, we can maximise the amount of plastic that can be recycled and create a circular economy in the North West. Over time, the flow of materials between the different facilities means vehicle movements will reduce and we will use any plastic that can’t be recycled to create hydrogen which can be used as a clean fuel for HGV’s, buses and cars,” Richard Barker, Development Director at Peel NRE, part of Peel L&P, said.

“This will not only create 147 jobs and address the urgent need to tackle plastic waste, it’ll also deliver significant carbon savings, helping the North West reach its ambition to be the first net zero region in the UK.”

It comes as the UK prepares to host the global climate summit, COP26, in Glasgow this November. Peel NRE’s innovative Plastic Park would contribute significantly to the North West of England becoming carbon neutral by 2040. As well as reducing the need for virgin plastic, the facilities would save over 190,000 tonnes of CO2 every year when compared to landfill.

The latest planning application features:

  • A Materials Recycling Facility (MRF): which will separate out dry mixed recyclable materials (such as glass, paper, cans, and card) into different waste streams and send them for recycling.
  • Plastics Recycling Facility One (PRF1): plastic from the MRF and mixed plastics arriving pre-sorted to the site will be separated into different plastic types. The separated plastic will either go to PRF2 or the PET recycling plant already consented at Protos.
  • Plastics Recycling Facility Two (PRF2): pre-sorted plastic from PRF1 will be washed and processed into flaked plastic which can be used to make new plastic products, such as food packaging or drinks bottles.
  • Polymer Laminate Recycling Facility: plastic (such as crisp packets and baby food pouches) will be heated, the plastic will break down into an oil for reuse in manufacturing new products with the aluminium recovered for recycling.
  • Hydrogen refuelling station: taking hydrogen from the consented plastic to hydrogen facility to supply up to 1000kg of hydrogen per day to vehicles, sufficient to fuel approximately 20 HGVs from outside Protos and a similar number of internal HGV movements that will be servicing operations within Protos.
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The application will now be considered by Cheshire West and Chester Council with a decision expected in early 2022.

Peel NRE, part of Peel L&P, is at the heart of the nation’s activity around clean growth and the circular economy – helping the UK achieve net zero by 2050 and supporting regions in their actions to achieve climate emergency targets. They reuse, repurpose, and re-energise natural resources to develop and maintain vital infrastructure across the UK and are experts in renewable energies, district heating, waste to value, water management, materials management and electric vehicle charging.

Their Protos Cheshire energy and resource hub leads the way in low carbon energy and waste management through innovative technologies including the UK’s first plastic-to-hydrogen facility, a 50MW windfarm, a 26MW biomass plant, a 49MW energy from waste plant in construction and a plastic park blueprint to revolutionise plastic recycling nationwide.

 

Source: Energy Industry Review

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