Sustainability and environmental news in UK construction

Joint venture to deliver £1bn London heat network

Greg Pitcher — Wed, 06 Nov 2024 10:41:40 +0000

A £1bn low-carbon heat distribution system in central London will be delivered by a joint venture (JV) between power specialists Vital Energi and Hemiko. The pair, operating as the Swan Partnership, will fund, build and operate the South Westminster Area Network to capture waste heat…

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Are flawed social value measures holding back green progress?

Joshua Stein — Fri, 01 Nov 2024 10:25:09 +0000

Less than 1 per cent of social value created by construction firms comes via carbon reduction measures, figures shared with Construction News indicate. Data from construction software provider Compliance Chain shows that more than 98 per cent of the £6.8bn social value created through its…

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The untold environmental risk of UK’s electric grid rollout

Contributor — Mon, 21 Oct 2024 12:14:33 +0000

Tristan Hughes is business unit manager at water-services company OSSO There has been little discussion of how to manage the environmental risks posed by the unprecedented expansion of power grids envisaged in the UK. Long-distance, high-voltage transmission grids are set to connect cities to remotely…

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Reshaping residential: how viable are office conversions?

Contributor — Wed, 16 Oct 2024 08:42:49 +0000

Kieran Bradley is director of architecture at consultancy Pick Everard As a society, much is made of our ability to repurpose where possible. Buildings are no different, and in recent years we’ve come a long way in making our construction choices more net-zero ambitious. Now,…

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Tech-connected plant ‘could be worth £400bn to economy’

Joshua Stein — Tue, 15 Oct 2024 12:04:34 +0000

Greater use of technology in the construction sector could boost the UK economy by £417bn within two and a half decades, according to a study by Costain. The UK’s 16th biggest contractor found that extensive use of connected and autonomous plant (CAP) in the industry…

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London contractors alerted over ‘tightening’ of plant emission rules

Joshua Stein — Tue, 08 Oct 2024 09:00:05 +0000

Construction firms operating in London will need to meet a new “tightening” of machinery emission rules, a plant equipment firm has warned. Rules around the emissions from generators and air compressors are changing in the coming months, which Aggreko says requires rapid change by contractors…

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Balfour Beatty and Costain back ‘groundbreaking’ carbon capture plans

Joshua Stein — Mon, 07 Oct 2024 11:07:55 +0000

Construction firms have begun jostling for position to win the jobs to build two carbon capture and storage (CCS) sites that were backed by the prime minister last week. Balfour Beatty and Costain said they had the tools and skills to deliver the “mega” projects…

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CLC flags retrofit recruitment ‘challenge’

Joshua Stein — Fri, 04 Oct 2024 08:00:03 +0000

A lack of training in heat pumps and other low-carbon heating systems is holding back progress on meeting net-zero targets, according to the Construction Leadership Council (CLC). Scaling up the construction industry’s ability to deliver retrofit low-carbon heat solutions in older buildings “continues to prove…

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How contractors can realise the value of soil

Contributor — Thu, 03 Oct 2024 09:11:13 +0000

Marc Perry (pictured above left) is principal geoenvironmental engineer and Tom Henman is sustainability director at RSK Geosciences Soil is an undervalued and finite resource. At government level, its importance is somewhat understood and recognised alongside the benefits of carbon reduction, waste reduction and the…

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Space odyssey: the risks and rewards of retrofit

Charlotte Banks — Mon, 09 Sep 2024 11:30:40 +0000

Retrofit might not be new, but it’s going through a purple patch due to net zero concerns. CN asks how contractors are mitigating the risks on cut-and-carve projects It’s a bright summer’s day and Bam Construction is busy installing period furniture at a striking 1960s…

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