OFWAT LAUNCHES £4m INNOVATION COMPETITION

Ofwat’s Innovation Fund launches £4m open competition to reward innovators working in the construction industry with bold solutions for the water sector

  • Ofwat today launches the Water Discovery Challenge, a new £4m competition for innovators outside of the water sector with bold ideas that can help solve some of its biggest challenges.
  • Ofwat is calling on innovators working in the construction industry to apply their ingenuity and skills to deliver breakthrough solutions to be used by the water sector.
  • Water companies provide drinking water and sewage services to over 50 million households in England and Wales, with a sewage network that could wrap around the world 13 times – yet the sector faces significant challenges due to increasing demand and climate change.
  • The Water Discovery Challenge, the latest competition from Ofwat’s £200 million Innovation Fund, will fund innovation from sectors meeting similar challenges.

Today, England and Wales’ water regulator Ofwat launches the Water Discovery Challenge, a £4m competition for innovators working in the construction industry with bold and ingenious ideas that can solve the biggest challenges facing the water sector today and in the future.

The competition is the latest from Ofwat’s £200 million Innovation Fund, which seeks to generate new ideas to tackle issues including managing leaks, preventing pollution, improving water efficiency, reducing emissions, boosting flood and drought resilience, prioritising sustainable practices, and supporting vulnerable customers.

Where previous Ofwat Innovation Fund competitions have focused on innovations from, and led by, those within the sector, the new Water Discovery Challenge is incentivising ideas from, and led by, those outside of the water sector – including in construction.

It is seeking solutions from industries dealing with similar challenges to those faced by the water sector, or implementing solutions that could benefit water and wastewater services in England and Wales – with no requirement for entrants to partner with a water company. The goal is to open the sector to new ground-breaking insights and thinking that benefit consumers and the environment.

Up to 20 teams of the most promising innovators will be awarded up to £50,000 to develop their ideas, with expert support and mentoring from water companies. Up to 10 will go on to win up to £450,000 to turn ideas into pilots.

 

David Black, Chief Executive of Ofwat said: “It’s no secret that the water sector has faced challenges in the last year. As a regulator we’re constantly pushing the sector to overcome these. Water affects everyone, and it’s time we see what the water sector can learn from astronauts, farmers, data specialists, architects and planners. This is about preparing the water sector for the future, and I look forward to the ideas that come out of it.”

 

John Russell, Senior Director at Ofwat, said: “Our £200m Innovation Fund has already supported projects that detect and fix leaks, capture carbon emissions from water processing plants to convert them into fuel, and remove fertilisers from waterways to be re-used in our food system. Now, we’re broadening the opportunity to innovators in any industry that can make a difference to improving the water system for all of us.”

 

Ofwat is looking for bold and innovative entrants from outside the water sector. It has identified five sectors where it believes there is particularly high potential for innovative crossovers: construction, energy, cities and transport, agriculture and farming, and digital, data and internet of things.

To deliver the competition, Ofwat is working with innovation prize experts Challenge Works, alongside global engineering, sustainability and water sector experts Arup, and Isle Utilities. In addition to financial incentives, successful teams will benefit from expert mentoring and capacity-building support, including access to insights and mentoring from water companies and support for scaling solutions for the extensive water network in England and Wales.

 

Holly Jamieson, Director at Challenge Works, said: “Our experience of nurturing and rewarding innovators across multiple challenge prizes has shown us that it is often the least likely suspects that can provide the solution with the greatest impact. And with the support of Arup and Isle Utilities, we can work closely with innovators from outside the water sector to turn great ideas into real-world solutions.”

 

Previous examples of Ofwat Innovation Fund winners that showcase the value of cross-sector collaboration with the construction sector include:

  • Enabling Water Smart Communities – Designing new housing and urban environments to absorb excess water like a sponge during heavy rain events and cope with sustained drought by recycling “greywater”.
  • Designer Liner – Aiming to line older pipes from the inside to prevent leaks and increase the lifespan of mains pipes.
  • Community-Centric Rainwater Management – Asking communities to test new water butts called Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) that will help manage the flow of rainwater and reduce risk of flooding in paved urban areas.

The Water Discovery Challenge is open to entries from today at 1200 (GMT)

and closes on 5 April 2023.

To find out more about the competition and enter,

visit waterinnovation.challenges.org

 

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1 DAY INSTALLATION OF MODULAR APARTMENT BLOCK

In just one day, timber frame and modular construction specialist, SO Modular, has installed the first block of apartments on phase two of Tai Tarian’s state-of-the-art project to build 55 new homes, and refurbish 72 existing flats, in Sandfields, Aberavon.

The scheme will eventually provide 127 carbon-neutral homes for social housing provider, Tai Tarian, delivered across three phases, over three years.

SO Modular is working alongside J.G. Hale Construction to deliver the project on behalf of Tai Tarian, utilising modern methods of construction (MMC), including construction of the homes off-site at SO Modular’s factory in Neath.

The development, which began in October 2021, has just commenced phase two. This phase started with the installation of the site’s only panelised block, consisting of 20 homes in a fully insulated closed panelised system, with windows and doors fitted offsite. It will also include the retrofitting of two blocks of flats and six new volumetric homes.

The use of SO Modular’s timber volumetric construction system has enabled the three-story block to be erected in just one day. In total, the scheme will eventually see 44 homes made from 90 modular pods.

The project is funded by the Innovative Housing Programme (IHP) – a Welsh Government programme to encourage and test innovative approaches to constructing social and affordable housing in Wales.

It will achieve carbon neutrality via a range of in-house green and sustainable initiatives, as well as the low-carbon manufacture of the homes and the fuel-saving speed with which the buildings are being completed.

 

Andrew Carey, Director of Assets, Tai Tarian, said: “The modular approach taken is innovative and the first of its kind for a social housing provider in this area. It will make use of natural, eco-friendly forms of insulation that includes Welsh sheep’s wool from a local farm, mycelium – the vegetative filament root structure of mushrooms, and a wood-fibre insulation developed in-house at SO Modular’s manufacturing facility. We’re very proud to have partnered with them on this landmark project helping us realise our sustainability ambitions.”

 

The pioneering construction methods, developed by SO Modular on the scheme, are providing a pilot study for the viability of their use in the wider construction industry.

As well as reducing the building project’s overall carbon footprint, the use of green materials and technologies also aims to reduce fuel poverty for the development’s tenants, by ensuring all homes are built with the top EPC rating of A.

SO Modular is recognised for being dedicated to innovative, eco-friendly design, quality materials and finishes, and sustainable building practices. The company is committed to using local sub-contractors and suppliers, with all suppliers and sub-contractors for the Sandfields project sourced from within Wales, with 95% residing within the Neath and Swansea areas.

 

Charlotte Hale, Operations Director, SO Modular, said: “We’re very proud to be working on this project for social housing provider Tai Tarian in Sandfields, Aberavon. As can be seen from the start of the project, the use of our modular and panelised construction techniques is highly efficient. This means that the entire frame for the dwellings can be erected very quickly – leading to far less fuel usage on-site and reducing the project’s overall carbon footprint. Along with the ground-breaking, eco-friendly insulation materials we are using, this will hopefully set the standard for similar, future developments across the UK and around the globe.”

“As a company, SO Modular has a firm commitment to using local sub-contractors and training local people. This will, undoubtedly, improve the skills, knowledge, and opportunities for those in the Swansea and Neath areas, ultimately making the region the go-to place for expertise on these new sustainable materials and methods.”

Source: Swansea Bay News

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M-AR strengthens its board of directors with double appointment

Mark Fox, Operations Director and Paul Cunniffe 

 

Offsite modular manufacturer, M-AR, has strengthened its leadership team by promoting Paul Cunniffe and Mark Fox to sit on the board as directors, signalling the company’s intention to continue its successful journey as part of an ambitious five-year growth plan.

Paul and Mark have both built their experience in a variety of roles at M-AR over the last few years, during which time the company has grown and evolved and a rapid pace. Together with the other board members, Paul and Mark will help to shape the future of M-AR as it continues its projected growth over the next five years with a focus on serving the residential, education and commercial sectors.

Paul Cunniffe, M-AR’s new preconstruction director, is responsible for overseeing all projects prior to works starting on site, seeing them successfully through the tender process and on to site. He will act as custodian of this process, smoothing the way and making sure clients are kept informed throughout while continuing to build the foundations to support M-AR’s future growth trajectory.

In his previous role of preconstruction manager at M-AR, he steered the department as it grew, taking on several dedicated bid teams. This, together with his extensive experience in the traditional contracting sector, puts Paul in an excellent position to lead the preconstruction team as M-AR continues to grow and develop. His focus will be on creating robust new roadmaps for M-AR to make sure it can continue to deliver the same great service as it scales up operations, without losing sight of what makes M-AR unique.

Mark Fox, having recently been appointed to the role of operations director, is responsible for all operations both in the factory and on site with a major focus on quality and safety – a vital role for M-AR which describes itself as a contractor with a factory. Mark is well-versed in the particular issues affecting the MMC sector and his attention to detail will be invaluable as he keeps projects running to schedule and budget while making sure that any challenges are dealt with swiftly.

In the two and a half years Mark has been at M-AR, where he was head of operations and most recently manufacturing director, he has overseen the move to its new larger factory to meet increased demand. He’s also implemented new procedures which ensure that the factory is always operating at maximum efficiency, manufacturing high quality modules and therefore minimising snagging on site post completion.

 

Ryan Geldard, director at M-AR said: “We pride ourselves on being a forward-looking, innovative and dynamic company. The fact that our board of directors all share the same passion for the fantastic work we do for our clients helps us to constantly look at different ways of working to get the best possible outcome for our clients. I’m proud to have Paul and Mark on the board – they’re both key assets and great people.”

 

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

 

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Applications open for new £1.2bn framework

Applications open for new £1.2bn framework for Modern Methods of Construction of public sector homes

Specialist contractors can now apply to join a new £1.2bn framework to deliver offsite- constructed homes that will provide thousands of homes to benefit communities across the UK.

 

The new NH3 (Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) of New Homes) framework from public sector construction framework provider LHC will operate across England, Scotland and Wales, delivered through LHC London and South East (LSE),  Scottish Procurement Alliance (SPA), South West Procurement Alliance (SWPA), Consortium Procurement Construction (CPC) and Welsh Procurement Alliance (WPA).

 

The framework, which replaces NH2, will address some of the new housing challenges within the public sector at a time of high demand and increasing emphasis on the need for sustainable methods of construction and a greater supply of housing stock that is environmentally fit for the future.

 

Aiding the construction of a range of different housing types, NH3 covers low-rise and medium/high-rise dwellings through to specialist accommodation such as care homes. It will support public sector procurers to increase the use of modern methods of construction in their contracts and help to deliver low and net zero carbon homes with high levels of pre-manufactured value.

 

The framework will also create the opportunity for procurement teams to access a wider range of MMC solutions and suppliers, encouraging greater collaboration between suppliers and clients.

 

Dean Fazackerley, head of technical procurement at LHC, said:

 

“The NH3 framework will build on the success of NH2, which has so far enabled £93.5m-worth of projects with a total forecast value of £277m. It has contributed to the number of low-carbon, modern apartments and homes for housing associations and local authorities across the country, using modern methods of construction and offsite techniques to produce cheaper-to-heat homes for the communities they serve.”

 

Developments so far procured or delivered through NH2 include 400 units, currently being built across a four-year period by modular offsite construction specialists Rollalong, for Magna Housing Association and Wiltshire Council in the South West. In the London Borough of Bromley, the framework has also been used to deliver 25 one and two bedroom affordable apartments, as part of the ‘Bromley Homes for Bromley People’ programme. Among the environmental features incorporated in the build from Module-AR are PV panels and herb gardens.

 

Finally, NH2 has also delivered the award-winning Hope Rise scheme in Bristol, where 11 affordable, low-carbon apartments from Zed PODS have been installed as permanent living spaces for young workers and vulnerable households.

 

Dean Fazackerley added:

 

“NH3 will initially cover a range of MMC categories and features four distinct workstreams we hope will encourage both manufacturers and those that can deliver main contractor services for MMC to apply. We also hope SMEs will apply and take advantage of the opportunities available to them through this new framework.”

 

The four workstreams covered by the NH3 framework are:

 

  • Workstream 1 – Three-dimensional (3d) modular systems – category 1
  • Workstream 2 – Two-dimensional (2d) panelised systems – category 2
  • Workstream 3 – Main contractors delivering MMC solutions
  • Workstream 4 – Groundworks and site preparation for MMC housing projects

The deadline for applications to join the framework is 14 October 2022

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO APPLY

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NEW SCORE & SNAP TILE BACKER BOARD FROM EUROFORM – video

A new, lightweight, ‘score & snap’ tile backer board has been launched by construction materials supplier Euroform.  Named ‘Easyboard®’, the fibre cement board is designed for use in areas of high moisture, such as kitchens and bathrooms, and has secured an A1 non-combustible rating.

 

Easyboard®‘s ‘score & snap’ nature is an innovative development for a tile backer board – it is scored easily with a traditional utility knife and snapped to size without the use of specialist cutting equipment.  In addition, its relative lightweight (approx. 13 Kg per 800mm x 1200mm sheet) means that it can be lifted and fitted by a single installer or DIY user.

 

 

Easyboard® has been classified A1 “non-combustible” according to (BS) EN 13501-1.

 

Manufacture is via a unique process, combining Ordinary Portland Cement with a reinforcing matrix, that enhances workability and handling over traditional fibre cement boards.

 

Available in 12.5mm thickness Easyboard® is inorganic, making it very dimensionally stable compared with traditional wood-based boards.

 

Commenting on the new product, Mark Atkinson, Euroform’s national commercial manager, said, “Easyboard® is lightweight and a handy size for a single person to install.  Its workability, with its ease of cutting, is a significant improvement over traditional tile backer boards.  Competitive pricing is also going to make it an attractive new alternative.”

 

Easyboard® is only available from Euroform.

CLICK BELOW to view a video which deonstrates the the ease with which Easyboard®

can be cut via the ‘score & snap’ method

Euroform recommends Easyboard® is installed in brick bond fashion with a flexible adhesive used when placing tiles.  It can be used as a wall tile or floor tile substrate.

 

CLICK HERE For technical data visit

 

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MMC: redressing the balance through construction innovation

Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) is increasingly recognised as a key solution to solving the UK’s housing crisis. Clive Feeney, LHC’s Interim Group Director, explains why.

In recent years MMC has carved a place in government policy, with Homes England placing it at the forefront of future housing development.
Dwellings built using these methods have great powers to expedite the levelling up agenda, thanks to speedy construction, use of low carbon building materials and methods, and the energy efficient, cheaper-to-heat homes produced.
The Homes England Affordable Homes programme mandates that 25% of new homes will be constructed using MMC, while the MMC taskforce, set up in early 2021, was allocated £10m funding to accelerate the adoption of offsite methods. This recognition of the value of MMC in homebuilding projects, coupled with investment to accelerate the adoption of offsite methods, is extremely welcome.

Fulfilling demand

Quality housing should be attainable for all UK citizens. But with more than one million people on social housing waiting lists, it is more important than ever to speed up the delivery of new homes to meet this demand.
A major benefit of using MMC is that not only is it possible to create better quality homes for people, but to build them more quickly than would be possible using traditional construction methods.
As is well-known, MMC-built homes are assembled in factory environments, allowing for more rigorous quality control. They are more energy efficient than traditional brick builds, with better insulation and designs created with sustainability and efficiency integral to them. Not only is this good for the environment and vital to helping us all reduce carbon emissions, but it is also significant in managing household utility spending – a crucial element in levelling up and in lessening the blow of rocketing energy bills.
One of the barriers to MMC being used in greater numbers has so far been the inability to scale up developments. But there may now be the catalyst, thanks to increasing routes to procure MMC through construction frameworks, together with July’s announcement from 2021-formed trade body, Make Modular, that it could reach 15,000 homes a year by 2024. This is in part due to a £500m investment in factory facilities since 2016 from its members, which include Ilke Homes, TopHat, Laing O’Rourke and Legal & General Modular Homes.

Reluctance to adopt

One of the key stumbling blocks is a hesitancy on the part of the social housing sector to adopt MMC until it becomes a tried and tested approach. Many registered providers would rather let the big commercial players make the mistakes from which smaller providers can learn, but can’t afford to make. This is an understandable but unfortunate impediment to progress which will no doubt be overcome in time as evidence of its benefits becomes clearer and it is recognised as a safe, progressive and cost-effective approach to housebuilding.
There is also an educational component to encouraging the adoption of MMC as standard. Requiring a significant shift in the way our homes are designed, procured and delivered, MMC is arguably the single biggest change to housing construction in many decades. The case is clear, but there’s much work to do to improve confidence in the sector and begin to see a wholehearted acceptance of MMC as the norm.

A brighter future

LHC has already supported the creation of more than 5,300 MMC-built social homes and with extra support provided by government, it is likely we will see more widespread uptake for the delivery of affordable homes built using MMC in the short term.
What will certainly help to drive the use of MMC is an aggregation of projects from housing providers across the country to allow greater standardisation in the supply chain. This means delivery can be quicker and cheaper, while facilitating the production of buildings of a higher quality.
At LHC we have already started on this journey and are connecting social housing providers across the UK and encouraging a constructive culture of collaboration. We are focused on identifying areas in which providers can aggregate and seek to approach their projects using MMC together, while sharing the burden of risk.
This approach has the potential to help scale the MMC market more quickly, enabling us to help UK residents reap the many benefits that a comfortable, safe home brings. It is also a vital ingredient in supporting the government’s levelling up agenda and addressing the inequality that has long surrounded our housing sector.

 

 

 

Article by Clive Feeney,

Interim Group Director at LHC Group

 

 

 

www.lhc.gov.uk

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Driving design efficiency in Offsite – Vertex BD

Prefab construction utilizes off-site manufacturing — a method that is far faster than the equivalent of the on-site building process.

This is due to the enclosed and controlled factory environment, the ability to coordinate and repeat activities, and an increasing level of automation. Also, while the building elements are being manufactured at the factory, foundation and prep work can take place simultaneously on-site, allowing progress to be made much more quickly than on a traditional building site.

Efficiencies in the manufacturing process need to be matched by efficiencies in the design process, this is where Vertex BD comes in.

Vertex BD uses a high level of automation to rapidly reduce the time spent in the design phase, whilst giving its users the flexibility to build the way they need.

Vertex BD is a BIM (Building Information Modeling) software which is your complete source of information for prefab and modular projects.

Vertex BD specialises in cold-formed steel and timber framing and we aim to offer our clients all the benefits from Vertex BD whilst fitting in with how they are currently operating.

Design time can be vastly reduced, accuracy increased and costly errors avoided.

Vertex BD uses digital automation to seamlessly translate information about a project across all disciplines within a project, so all the plans, schedules, material reports, shop drawings, and manufacturing data can be automatically generated and saved within the BIM model.

 

For more information, CLICK HERE

 

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Climate Change, The Cost-of-Living Crisis and Water

In the UK water conservation has been almost treated with derision.  Excepting the summer of 1976, water restrictions are limited to occasional hose pipe bans.  However, the wider impact of excessive water usage is now becoming recognised.

“Water is the primary medium through which we will feel the effects of climate change.”1
United Nations, Water Facts

Even in our ‘green and pleasant land’ the change in weather patterns due to global climate change have resulted erratic rainfall patterns, leading to (mostly) short term supply issues, which can impact on our green spaces and countryside.  In addition to these ‘direct impacts’, the process of cleaning, processing, and heating water accounts for 6% of CO2 emissions in the UK.2

To date few people have made the link between the water coming out the tap to local environment.  However, the connections between water, the environment and energy costs are being highlighted by organisations as diverse as the United Nations through to local conservation groups.

‘The energy used to heat water for devices and appliances emits an average of 875kg of CO2 per household per year. This is equivalent to the CO2 emissions from driving more than 1,700 miles in an average family car.’ 3, 4
Energy Saving Trust

At the 2022 Waterwise conference, Prof Liz Sharp, University of Sheffield, explained that research had shown that the water efficiency message in itself had little impact on behaviour.  The relative cost of water is low, so monetary savings in not a good incentive.  Conversely, links with wider issues of interest to a particular community could.

To many, the more immediate issue is energy prices, approximately 17% of energy used in the home is to heat water.5 Whilst water efficient appliances, i.e. dishwashers and washing machines, can reduce domestic water and energy usage, much of this hot water used in ‘time critical’ usage e.g. taking a shower or running the tap to rinse dishes.

Future proof properties

Water Metering is the future.  Utility companies have not been slow in recognising the benefits of a ‘Smart Buildings’.  The ability to interrogate and manage energy usage at any given time of day or night has been recognised as an effective way for organisations to reduce usage and manage costs.

Gas and electricity meters located on external building walls has enabled easy upgrades and introduction of countrywide ‘Smart Meter’ programme.  However, the traditional location of a water meter in a metal-covered hole in the public highway is not conducive to this new way of thinking. A ‘Smart Water Meter’ located in such a situation is exceedingly poor in transmitting a signal even to a local pick up.

 

The best location for a ‘Smart Water Meter’ is on an external property wall – co-located with other utility meters. With Groundbreaker water management system, properties are future proofed to allow for easy installation of ‘Smart Water Meter’ technology as it is introduced across the UK.

Recent field trials of Groundbreaker have proven that the range of such meters can be over 3Km (2 miles).  The impact on data collection is massive.  The improved data transmission range could allow for single point data capture in towns the size of Norwich or Coventry.

This ability to link into ‘Smart’ Building Management systems also allows for organisations to monitor for exceptional usage and potential identify maintenance issues or leaks.

 

 

Design out leak paths:

Comply with Water & Construction Industry Guidelines comply with “Water Safe” initiatives
Another benefit of the unique location of the Groundbreaker water management system is that it allows for an unjointed water supply, minimising the risk of developing future leaks.  Installation of Groundbreaker meets the best recommendations of Water UK and the Home Builders Federation6 and in some water company areas, such as Portsmouth Water, are now the standard required for all new properties.

Bringing Water Supply into the 21st century

If you are looking for a way to bring water services into the 21st century, Groundbreaker’s range of water supply management products can be the way forward for time and cost-efficient installation and replacement of water supply and allow for future site redevelopment with minimal environmental cost.

Steve Leigh FIWater, Managing Director Groundbreaker Systems

Groundbreaker Systems won the HBF’s ‘Utility of the Year’ in 2018. 

www.groundbreaker.co.uk

1.  LINK

2.  Environment Agency (2008): Greenhouse gas emissions of water supply and demand management options, Science Report – SC070010

3.  Ref: An average passenger car (any fuel) emits 0.311 kgCO2 per mile. Source: 2012 Guidelines to Defra/ DECC’s GHG Conversion Factors for Company Reporting.

4.  LINK

5.  LINK

6.  For further information, check the Home Builders Federation Guidance. LINK

 

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Offsite solution with Bathroom & Kitchens Pods a growing market

Offsite construction is a continually growing sector with manufacturing technologies such as PODs being used to help minimise the wastage inefficiencies and delays that are known to affect the more traditionally used methods of construction. It enables production to be undertaken at the same time as site preparation, therefore speeding up the construction process and reducing disruption.

The bathroom and kitchen PODs industry, which, like many others that fell in value and output during 2020 managed to bounce back in 2021 with around 11% value growth. Going forward this market continues to offer significant growth potential as an offsite building solution.

Abdul Tantouch, Head of Content at AMA Research, and Editor of the Kitchen & Bathroom Pods report surmises that: “It is now recognised that offsite building methods and the use of PODs is key to accelerating the development of new housing in the UK, specifically the construction of build-to-rent and build-to-sale apartments. Bathroom and kitchen PODs are also commonly used in student accommodation and in hotel projects. Factors that are driving POD market growth include the urgent need to increase affordable housing supply, the considerable shortage of skilled construction trades, a rise in UK POD manufacturing capacity and an increase in the number of practical POD solutions to suit many end-use sectors and price-points.”

As most student accommodation, hotels and high-rise apartments are built in urban areas where space is tight and access restricted, there is often very little room for storing building materials and for large numbers of workers onsite. The use of offsite building methods has been one of the main approaches to overcoming these barriers.

Looking into the market breakdown for this sector, residential new housing accounts for around 34% of the PODs market in 2021. Purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) has a further 32% share by volume. Other notable end-use applications include hotels and care homes.

The largest share at present within the bathroom & kitchen pods market is shower room pods, taking an astonishing 48% by volume of this market. This sub-sector is influenced by the contractors and developers increased and ongoing demand for wetroom solutions for the consumers end use application.

Suppliers for this sector have undergone a large amount of consolidation in recent years. As it stands now, the top 5 suppliers account for a combined value share of over 70%. Bathroom and kitchen PODs are largely supplied direct to the building contractor or housebuilder from the bathroom and kitchen POD manufacturer. For example, leading suppliers will often have their own fleet of vehicles for the transportation of PODs, so that they remain in control of the whole process.

 

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Can H2 help conquer CO2?

Following on from his article about the energy crisis in the previous edition, Technical Journalist Bruce Meechan explains how a more reliable energy infrastructure might look.

When the Hindenburg crashed in May 1937 while trying to dock at its US base in New Jersey, the disaster claimed three dozen lives and effectively ended the travelling public’s love affair with the great airships of the era. What is more, not only did the eruption of fire from the hydrogen tanks – caught on newsreel footage – destroy the skeletal steel-frame structure in moments, it also branded the lighter-than-air gas for ever after as inherently dangerous.

As the RAF was soon to discover, the setback for air passenger travel did not deter German scientists’ developments in other branches of aviation, though the country’s politicians have at times shown a tendency to be risk averse regarding technology: most notably when Chancellor Angela Merkel reacted to the 2011 Fukushima tsunami by slamming the brakes on their nuclear power industry.

The outcome we’re witnessing is Europe’s industrial powerhouse being reliant on Russian gas supplies as well as demonised dirty coal. And while all the apocalyptic prophesies of the world’s elites at COP 26 were still reverberating around the media channels, a global supply crisis saw exponential rises in wholesale energy costs.

As I described in my previous article for this publication, wind and solar proved pitifully inadequate at meeting our needs during much of last year (2021) and can only ever be a bit-part player in satisfying the UK’s long term energy requirements. Hydrogen, ironically, is now moving from being dismissed as a “Fuel of the Future” to becoming a mainstream answer to keeping the lights on and traffic flowing.

In fact, it could be a crucial answer to the problem of storing the power produced by wind turbines, solar farms and even the off peak production of nuclear reactors.

As highlighted previously in Building Specifier, large scale battery storage of electricity has proved fraught with problems – including battery fires which are very difficult to extinguish – while creating more ‘pumped hydro’ water storage involves major civil and mechanical engineering projects which will inevitably suffer years of planning delays.

Hydrogen, while volatile, is already being successfully introduced into the UK’s mains gas supplies, with studies underway to determine whether the percentage concentration can be safely increased; and without the need to modify existing gas boilers. New generation boilers and dedicated distribution mains could allow natural gas to be phased out for domestic and other customers, while fuel cells present a technology which could transform the commercial transport industry.

Two of the Footsie’s biggest companies – Shell and BP – are permanently in the dross-hairs of environmental activists like Extinction Rebellion, when they can realistically claim to be doing proportionately more about decarbonising their activities than most nations and their politicians sermonising on the subject.

In fact BP recently announced plans to build a second major hydrogen focused production plant on Teeside, with the combined facility projected to account for some 30% of the UK’s total commitment by 2030.

HyGreen will be created alongside the already proposed H2Teeside and be capable of adding 60 MW/e of green hydrogen to the ‘blue’ output. The oil major is working closely with regional as well as national government and believes it is going to see the region become a key part of the UK’s hydrogen supply chain creating highly skilled jobs.

Shell, for its part, has recently begun to produce hydrogen at one of its plants in Germany using what is termed an ‘electrolyser’ supplied by ITM Power: a company that is also involved in a genuinely ground-breaking trial here in the UK, which promises to have a very real impact on cleaning up our domestic and industrial heat generation.

The pilot to replace 20% of natural gas consumed with green hydrogen is being carried out in conjunction with Keele University, which owns and operates its own gas grid supplying 100 homes and 30 faculty buildings.

Key to the sustainable credentials of the demonstration project is the use of ITM’s Proton Exchange Membrane technology to separate hydrogen from tap water with the use of renewable electricity from wind turbines and solar farms. Crucially the technology has the ability to respond rapidly when excess or off-peak power is available from such sources. And the hydrogen is produced at pressure and at a purity where a 20% blend can be used without adversely affecting any components in the distribution network or adapting existing gas boilers.

The £6.8 million trial titled HyDeploy is being funded by Ofgem and is led by Cadent and Northern Gas Networks; becoming operational early last year. The research required special permission from the HSE to vastly increase the proportion of hydrogen mixed with mains gas from the miniscule 0.01% currently circulated in our grid. If rolled out across the country the displacement would cut CO2 emissions by six million tonnes a year – the equivalent of taking 2.5 million cars off the road.

Dr Graham Cooley, CEO, ITM Power said: “I am delighted that this important pilot project is now operational. The increased use of hydrogen to decarbonise heat via the gas grid will perform a critical role in helping the UK to fulfil its ambitious climate change obligations. Indeed, the Committee for Climate Change has indicated that the UK will need between 6GW and 17GW of electrolysis in the next 30 years to store renewable power and provide renewable heat. Today’s announcement is a very significant step.”

Mark Horsley, Chief Executive, Northern Gas Networks, added: “Hydrogen is a key piece of the decarbonisation jigsaw, and this milestone allows us to take a huge leap forwards in terms of its use in meeting climate change targets.

“Customers are ready to embrace cleaner, greener solutions in their homes, and projects like HyDeploy give us the opportunity to start making a difference to emissions today. We’re very excited to be a part of it.”

While hydrogen also has great potential for fuelling motor vehicles, sales of electric cars are currently growing at a far faster rate and appear to have caught the public’s imagination as the way ahead. Where battery power falls down of course is on the critical issues of range, and the time it takes to recharge.

Far more likely then that we will see a growing number of hydrogen powered buses and lorries taking to our roads in the years ahead; not just keeping freight and public transport on the move, but ridding our urban areas of diesel fumes with their highly dangerous micro-particulates.

Another factor which is certain to boost hydrogen’s fortunes as a green means of storing electricity, is the recent realisation by the UK Government that nuclear power must play a part in our future energy strategy if we are to decarbonise the National Grid. While several new nuclear solutions have gained taxpayer backing, you simply cannot crank nuclear reactors up and down like a gas turbine; though the latest projects will be cheaper and more flexible than the late-running Hinkley Point, being built by our least reliable friends, the French.

In November UK engineering and aerospace giant, Rolls Royce, formally established its Small Modular Reactor business having raised £195 m funding in conjunction with BNF Resources UK and Exelon Generation Ltd; giving the group access to an additional £210 m UK Research & Innovation backing. Design assessment can now progress along with identification of suitable manufacturing sites.

Like BP’s hydrogen plant, the SMR programme is expected to be focused on the North of the country with some 80% of each reactor – capable of supplying power to a million homes – being prefabricated and coming from the UK supply chain. And as well as green hydrogen, the SMRs are expected to support the production of Sustainable Aviation Fuels and district heating.

Business and Energy Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said: “This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for the UK to deploy more low carbon energy than ever before and ensure greater energy independence. Small Modular Reactors offer exciting opportunities to cut costs and build more quickly, ensuring we can bring clean electricity to people’s homes and cut our already-dwindling use of volatile fossil fuels even further.”

Already proving to be a true advocate for British businesses, rather than another apologist for foreign takeovers, the Business Secretary was also patriotically flying the flag for a home grown fusion power project, which promises to be the first commercially viable manifestation of the elusive Holy Grail of clean generation.

The prototype Tokomak reactor in Oxfordshire has been built with Government funding and private investment, to bombard a cloud of superheated hydrogen particles – plasma – with a beam of subatomic particles; turning the innards of the six foot diameter metal sphere into the hottest place in the solar system. Crucially though, this is contained using unique low energy electromagnets requiring only a fraction of the power consumed by rival experiments.

Tokomak’s backers are talking about success within a decade, which would mean virtually limitless, safe clean energy that could be used for distribution or transport. And of course fusion power could be used to produce ever more hydrogen to fuel UK manufactured fuel cells whose only waste output is water vapour.

 

Now that really would be a virtuous circle.  

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