Industry urged to redouble site safety efforts

The Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) has warned against safety complacency on construction sites during the new lockdown period.

It congratulated the sector on its efforts so far to keep everyone safe, but stressed the industry was now under even more intense public scrutiny and could not afford to relax.

“It will just take one or two bad sites to spoil things for everyone and put the government under pressure to lock the sector down,” said the Association’s CEO David Frise. “It is vital that employers and workers act responsibly including when they are travelling to and from sites.

“The safety measures that are already in place should be reviewed and strengthened where necessary,” he told the latest BESA webinar; adding that the Construction Leadership Council had updated its Site Operating Procedures in light of the new lockdown.

BESA has also been working with the Construction Industry Coronavirus (CICV) Forum to create a new face mask campaign that will further improve site safety. The bodies have launched an animation and downloadable infographic to remind workers of the importance of following health & safety rules and using an appropriate face covering in the right way.

Headlined Mask for Task: Cover for Covid, the initiative emphasises that workers should wear the appropriate respirator or mask for the specific job in hand and that a face covering of suitable material should be worn when moving around site.

 

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It also gives specific instructions on how to – and how not to – wear face coverings as well as instructions for taking care of personal protective equipment, such as storing masks in a sealable bag when not in use.

The material was developed by Rebecca Crosland, BESA’s Head of Health and Safety and chair of the Forum’s Health and Safety sub-group, in partnership with Iain McIlwee, chief executive of the Finishes and Interiors Sector, and Iain Mason, director of membership and communications at SELECT and chair of the Forum’s Communications sub-group.

“Since the CICV Forum was established, BESA has played a key role in creating engaging animations and infographics that have proved effective tools and helped deliver essential messaging to an extremely wide audience,” said Crosland.

“The new animation is designed to be shared on social media and the poster can be downloaded free of charge from the Forum website.  One of the best ways to stay safe is to use masks correctly. This new information is easy to follow and will help operatives protect themselves and their colleagues, customers, friends and family.”

The Forum has also reissued its suite of guidance that outlines safety during domestic projects, guidance on returning to work safely, the importance of physical distancing outside work and giving contractors space to carry out essential work.

“With essential construction work being allowed to continue during lockdown, it is incumbent on everyone working in the sector to ensure that they are operating safely, whatever their capacity,” added Crosland. “It is vital, that risk assessments are completed, and the site operating procedures adhered to.

“That is why we are also stepping up our full range of social media messaging about travel, social distancing and domestic work to ensure everyone is clear about exactly what behaviours are required at all times.”

The Forum was set up in March 2020 and has drawn on the collective expertise of the trade associations, private companies and professional bodies, who make up its membership, to maintain a steady supply of information and practical advice to the sector throughout the pandemic.

Watch the animation here 

 

 

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SINGAPORE – Foreign Workers, A Construction Boss’s Philosophy

Mr Nicholas Quek (right) believes building a sustainable business starts from treating migrant workers well.

 

 

While most work-permit holders in sectors such as construction are typically housed in cramped dormitories, entrepreneur Nicholas Quek houses all 10 of his migrant workers in condominiums or landed houses.

There, the Bangladeshi workers each have a room to themselves or share it with another worker.

This may not make sound business sense. After all, Mr Quek’s manpower costs are higher than those borne by companies of a similar size.

In housing costs alone, he racks up S$400 to S$700 a month per worker, including utilities fees.

But the 32-year-old who runs soundproofing company Noise Plaster believes that treating his workers well and ensuring they have a good quality of life are vital to building a sustainable business.

“(For) sustainable business, respecting the dignity of people is part of it, upholding social justice is part of it,” he said.

Mr Quek, who started the business in 2018, decided to strike out on his own after being an acoustics consultant in the home and professional audio-visual industry between 2011 and 2016.

That stint helped shape his vision for his soundproofing firm, where workers are trained in specific skills and paid competitively. His workers take home an average of S$2,000 to S$2,500 a month.

“If the company wants professional work done, the company should give professional treatment to the workers. A proper professional relationship has to be two-way,” he said.

Mr Quek believes that lower-skilled foreign workers come to Singapore for the same reason that highly skilled expatriates do.

“They just want to have a successful career. Just like anyone else going overseas for a job and leaving their family behind, they are hoping to get a correspondingly higher salary,” he said.

Before his foreign employees become full-time workers, they undergo a one-month traineeship, during which Mr Quek assesses their suitability for long-term employment.

Besides providing the technical skills needed for soundproofing projects, he said that much of the training centres on helping the workers adjust to the culture and demands of Singapore customers.

These cultural adjustments could be as simple as using a fresh plastic sheet to cover the furniture at a customer’s home while they install a soundproof window.

If he does not build a professional work culture, Mr Quek said workers might not be willing to cooperate and meet the standards expected of them.

As they get better at their job, these workers also get salary increments.

Aside from the tangible benefits, workers who stay with the firm are also given skill upgrades. Some of them work independent of Mr Quek’s supervision and are even given the responsibility of working with clients, such as interior designers.

“Once they are given the chance to be authoritative and have bigger responsibilities, I believe that they feel more independent and have greater job satisfaction.”

He stressed, though, that it takes two to tango: “The benefits are given not without condition. We expect professional work with the correspondingly higher salaries as well as welfare.”

Asked if he has seen positive results from building a professional work culture, Mr Quek said that his efforts have borne fruit because he has noticed that customers are willing to pay more for better service.

Mr Quek’s philosophy, however, appears to be an anomaly in the construction sector, which is at times bedevilled by stories of exploitation and deplorable working conditions.

Even so, he believes that treating migrant workers well should be the norm, rather than the exception.

The starting point for young entrepreneurs, he said, is to recognise that there are customers who appreciate higher-quality service and are willing to pay for it.

“Although these workers are foreign and from developing countries, it doesn’t mean we should accept lower standards of service. We should accept higher standards and train them to deliver those standards we want,” he said.

“All good things have to start somewhere and… that begins with bosses and owners.”

 

Source: Today

 

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40 NEW HOSPITALS BY 2030 COMMITMENT GETS A BOOST

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The government’s commitment to build 40 new hospitals by 2030 has been boosted today by the appointment of Natalie Forrest to oversee the building programme.

Forrest has worked in the NHS for over 30 years and is a registered nurse. She most recently led the construction and operationalisation of NHS Nightingale London in response to the pandemic. Alongside this role, she was also Chase Farm Hospital’s Chief Executive in North London, where she successfully led operational and clinical teams to design an innovative and groundbreaking new hospital, delivered to time, on budget and without interrupting services.

In total, 48 hospitals will be built by 2030, with £3.7 billion committed so far. In the North East, one of these schemes has just received final approval to upgrade mental health facilities in the region. Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust’s new £72.6 million facilities – which will be finalised by 2023 – will improve the quality of mental health and learning disability services in the regions by combining innovative design with a holistic approach to patient care and safety.

Final approval has also been secured on Salford Royal’s £67.4 million new hospital building, and construction work will begin soon. This will be home to a major trauma centre treating patients who have experienced life-changing or life-threatening injuries – for example, after a serious road traffic accident or fall.

Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock said:

I’m delighted to appoint Natalie into this role. She not only brings unrivalled experience in health management and nursing, but also the construction and project management knowledge that helped turn the Excel conference centre into a Nightingale Hospital in just 9 days, as well as overseeing the rebuild of Chase Farm Hospital at pace.

The New Hospital Programme – as part of our Health Infrastructure Plan – will transform the delivery of NHS healthcare infrastructure to build back better and will ensure our country has world-class healthcare facilities right across the country for decades to come.

Senior Responsible Officer of the New Hospital Programme Natalie Forrest said:

I am determined to build trust in our national capability in planning and delivering hospitals, not just with health and construction stakeholders but with the staff and patients who will benefit from them on a daily basis.

My goal will be to deliver these new hospitals cost-effectively and at speed, and to foster an ecosystem that owns, learns from and improves healthcare design.

With over 12 years spent in NHS senior leadership roles, Forrest has extensive experience working with key clinical, board-level and other NHS stakeholders.

Starting this month, she will oversee a delivery board across the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England and Improvement, which will work closely with a network of NHS trusts.

Overall, the New Hospital Programme within the government’s long-term health infrastructure plan will help develop new sustainability standards, planning capabilities and care and workforce models. It will also implement cutting-edge digital technologies across the NHS, and will support an integrated approach to building new healthcare infrastructure using modern methods of construction.

Source: Gov.uk

 

 

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THE TRADE DEAL – IT’S IMPLICATIONS FOR CONSTRUCTION

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The historic Trade and Cooperation Agreement (Trade Deal) was reached between the European Union and the UK on 24 December 2020, just a week before the transition period came to an end. The key parts of the Agreement relating to the construction industry are highlighted here.

Goods and Standards

As members of the EU Single Market, UK businesses were able to move goods and materials between EU countries without charges, taxes, quotas or tariffs. The Trade Deal means no tariffs or quotas on goods exported to or imported from the EU as long as the goods meet the relevant rules of origin which set limits on the percentage of goods that can be made outside of the country of origin. However, the free movement of goods ended on 1 January 2021 and there will therefore be custom checks and controls at borders going forward.

When the UK was part of the EU, the quality of construction goods, materials and products was controlled by EU regulations, specifically the CE mark. CE marked products will still be allowed in the UK market until 1 January 2022 but the intention is to end recognition of the CE mark by then. A UK marking system will be introduced for products to be used in the UK market requiring conformity assessment by a UK-recognised approved body. It is hoped UK Conformity Assessed (UKCA) marking will align closely to the CE marking system so as to ensure goods pass the equivalent CE standard without the need to carry out further testing. However, without mutual recognition of standards, the industry will need to repeatedly seek certification for products for use in EU states.

The additional cost and delays involved in restrictions on product origin, double-certification and border checks will need to be factored into the pricing and programming of projects. This is also likely to have significant impact on ‘just-in-time’ procurement, which could slow down progression on construction projects and add to costs.

Labour

Freedom of movement between the UK and the EU ended on 1 January 2021. After this date anyone wishing to come to work in the UK will be subject to a points based application system. This is designed to attract ‘skilled workers’ with skill level thresholds of RQF 3-5 (A-level or equivalent). This will include architects, engineers and quantity surveyors, and also trades such as bricklayers or carpenters, but excludes several roles such as general labourers and some plant operators.

An applicant will need to produce evidence of a job offer at the required skill level that meets a new minimum salary threshold. There are obvious implications for the construction industry, as the majority of the labour force do not attract salaries at the required threshold. Even if the criteria is met, the ongoing sponsorship costs to bring workers to the UK will likely be prohibitive for some employers.

Importantly, there is no mutual recognition of professional qualifications under the Trade Deal. The Mutual Recognition of Professional Qualifications (MRPQ) Directive will no longer apply from 1 January 2021. Architects, engineers and others holding UK professional qualifications will not be able to use that qualification to work in an EU member state and likewise there is no automatic recognition of professional qualifications achieved outside the UK.

Architects with EEA or Swiss qualifications wanting to work in the UK who have not already had their qualification recognised by the ARB will be required to make an application for recognition under the third country route to recognition which will involve taking prescribed exams. Individuals with UK qualifications seeking recognition to offer services in the EEA or Switzerland will need to check the host state national policies.

Whilst not achieved by 1 January 2021 the intention is for the UK and the EU to agree mutual recognition arrangements for the recognition of professional qualifications covering the UK and all 27 EU Member States – much like what we had in place pre-Brexit.

Whilst visas will not be required for most business travel across the EU for short stays of up to 90 days in a 180-day period, work visas will be required for those intending to work for a longer period of time. Rules will differ by state so the entry requirements should be checked prior to entry to any EU country for business reasons

Public Procurement

The UK will maintain a separate and independent procurement regime. After 1 January 2021 contracting authorities will no longer be obliged to publish notices in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU). A new UK e-notification system, ‘Find a Tender’ will be used.

The Trade Deal provides for a framework of rules for trade in public procurement based on the WTO Government Procurement Agreement (GPA). The GPA commits members to open up their public procurement markets to contractors from other member countries. As a result, UK businesses will still be able to compete for public contracts across the EU although on a more limited basis than before. UK businesses will also still be able to tender for public contracts in other GPA member countries, such as the USA, Canada, Japan and South Korea, in accordance with GPA rules.

The UK and EU have also agreed an extension of market access coverage beyond the GPA, which includes: the gas and heat distribution sector; private utilities that act as a monopoly; and a range of additional services in the hospitality, telecoms, real estate, education and other business sectors. This will provide UK businesses with additional opportunities and will equally mean more competition for UK public sector contracts.

Data Protection

The EU and UK have agreed a six-month transitional agreement to allow the continued free flow of personal data from the EU and EEA EFTA States. Consultants and contractors will be reassured that until 1 July 2021 transfers of personal data from the EU to the UK will be permitted and not treated as transfers of data from the EU to a third country. This bridging solution effectively extends the transition period, subject to the UK not making material changes to its existing data protection laws. In addition, the UK has, on a transitional basis, deemed EU member states to be adequate for data flows from the UK.

The EU and UK are working on making findings of adequacy in relation to each other’s data protection regimes. This should be straightforward from the UK’s perspective in relation to the EU, but the EU has said that the Trade and Cooperation Agreement does not guarantee a finding of adequacy. It remains a unilateral decision of the EU and is not subject to negotiation.

An adequacy decision is a finding of the European Commission under Article 45 of the GDPR that a third country has an adequate level of data protection. The effect of an adequacy decision is that personal data can be sent from a member state to a third country without any further safeguards being necessary.

Dispute resolution

The UK had planned to accede to the Lugano Convention 2007, the preferred regime for government questions of jurisdiction and the enforcement of judgments with EU countries after the end on the transition period. Jurisdiction and enforcement will now be determined by common law and The Hague Convention 2005. The Hague Convention requires the court designated in an exclusive jurisdiction clause to hear the case and prevents courts of other contracting states hearing parallel proceedings. It will also provide some level of protection as regards enforcement, as it generally requires any judgment granted by the court specified in an exclusive jurisdiction clause to be recognised and enforced in other member states. As a result, parties may wish to consider the inclusion of exclusive jurisdiction clauses in their contracts.

Legal advice should be obtained as regards dispute resolution clauses in new contracts with EU entities or concerning projects in the EU. Local law advice may be needed on issues such as ease of enforcing UK judgments in another country where the other party’s assets are located. This is also the case with regard to yet to be enforced judgments that contractors may have against parties in EU member states.

Those with concerns about enforcement post-1 January 2021 may wish to consider contractual arbitration clauses. Enforceability of arbitral awards under the New York Convention is unaffected by Brexit and this may therefore represent a relatively low-risk option.

Conclusion

Undoubtedly there is change ahead for the industry as it grapples with a whole host of new rules and regulations affecting almost every aspect of the procurement and delivery of projects in the UK and across the EU.

 

Source: Lexology

 

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Joined up policy framework, the key to achieving net zero

Before the festive period got underway, the government set out its new NDC target, setting the pathway to net-zero for the UK by 2050.

A 68% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by the end of the decade, compared to 1990 levels, is no doubt ambitious. It sets the UK apart from other major economies, and this paired with Boris Johnson’s 10-Point Plan is a strong commitment.

But while it’s positive to see momentum building – and to see the UK helping to host December’s Climate Action Summit – to meet these ambitious targets we are going to have to get serious, quickly, about turning ambition into delivery. The Government must follow up with a detailed policy and implementation framework, which includes a coherent plan for every sector, including the built environment, where progress has undoubtably been too slow.

One of the biggest challenges to overcome is how to retrofit housing stock for net zero. According to the UK Green Building Council, 80% of buildings that will be around in 2050 already exist today. Retrofitting them for energy and carbon efficiency, as well as climate resilience, will be a mammoth task – one that will require a huge amount of collaboration, innovation and technological advances.

This will require a huge investment, but also a wholesale transformation of the construction sector. Just imagine how many disparate services are needed to refurbish a home right now – from electricals, through to plumbing, roofing or rendering. In order to achieve transformation at scale, the construction sector will need to provide net zero retrofits as a quick-fix integrated offering.

Transforming the UK’s residential building stock must also be recognised for the significant opportunity that it presents. The transformation will provide new, highly skilled jobs to people across the nation. According to the Climate Change Committee’s Sixth Carbon Budget, the proposed programme to retrofit the UK’s buildings will require over 200,000 extra full-time workers in that sector from 2030 to 2050.

Even with the right innovation, skills and solutions, the question remains – how do we incentivise people to retrofit their homes? More finance needs to be made available through green mortgages, green loans and fiscal incentives. We must also consider the logistical challenge of how to retrofit a home without the disruption of the resident having to move out for the duration of the works.

As we work to retrofit our existing stock, we will continue to construct new homes. There are established plans in place that allow for over a million new UK homes to be built and it’s critical that these are built with net zero in mind.  The Government can do a lot to incentivise a better effort in this area. Solutions could include tax incentives for sustainable construction, accreditation schemes for net-zero enabled buildings, or even a government-led offsetting fund where funds can be re-invested into retrofitting older properties, similar in intent to many of the local schemes that have been trialled over the last decade, but where performance seems patchy, at best.

Finally, we must also consider the challenge of residual gas demands. Even if homes are retrofitted or built to be net-zero ready, they will still have energy demands, and this energy will need to be renewable.  We see positive advances from hydrogen home pilots, but when we look at the amount of new offshore wind capacity needed to generate enough green hydrogen to power hydrogen homes, it throws into focus how interconnected the UK’s net-zero challenge is. It also raises questions about scalability, priorities and phasing. We must also ensure that increased costs are not passed on to consumers.

The challenges I’ve outlined above are widely known in the construction sector, as are many of the solutions. What we need now is to come together – Government, the industry, and consumers – to agree a plan that we can get behind. Without a clear and coherent strategy for this and every other sector, meeting our new NDC target, as well as the Sixth Carbon Budget, will be difficult.

By Ben Smith, Energy, Cities and Climate Change Director at Arup

Source: New Civil Engineer

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6,000 CONSTRUCTION JOBS FOR UK’s £3.5b DISNEY WORLD

Developers of the highly-anticipated London Resort, dubbed the UK’s answer to Disney World, have released a new photo revealing more of what’s in store.

Plans have now officially been submitted for the attraction, with work set to begin in 2022 if they’re approved with the possibility of a 2024 opening date.

The huge theme park is earmarked for a largely brownfield former industrial site on the Swanscombe Peninsula in Kent – and is tipped to be the size of 136 football stadiums.

New images from developers unveil more of what’s in store for visitors, with plans revealed for more rides, attractions and hotels at the site – along with creating 48,000 jobs and a further 6,000 construction jobs.

An artist’s impression of the vast £3.5 billion theme park was provided to the Daily Star, revealing what looks like at least six planned roller coasters, a set of artificial mountains and a Union Jack-branded rotunda.

And if developers get the go-ahead the resort will have the rides and attractions spread across two sites on the banks of the River Thames.

The London Resort will be the first development of its kind in Europe to be built from scratch since the opening of Disneyland Paris in 1992.

It’s set to have six islands, or lands, each with their own dedicated theme – with 70% of the attractions under cover.

More than 3,500 hotel rooms would be created and two ferry terminals – one each side of the River Thames – along with back-of-house facilities, a visitor centre and a new road from the A2.

The London Resort, a £3.5 billion theme park dubbed ‘UK Disneyworld’ (Image: The London Resort)

And it looks like most of the materials required to construct the resort will be delivered by river.

The London Resort also aims to be the first operationally carbon neutral theme park in the world.

The eco-friendly site will deliver a “net biodiversity gain” and create a green network of amenity areas and parkland to include areas of environmental enhancement and wildlife habitat creation beside the River Thames to benefit both resort guests and local residents.

London Resort’s application also contains independent research which predicts the development will generate £50 billion in gross economic activity (GVA) over an initial 25-year period.

The Government now has 28 days to consult local authorities and carry out an evaluation of the development proposal before accepting or rejecting it.

The names of the six lands being created, as well as a High Street, are Starport, The Jungle, The Isles, The Kingdom, The Woods and The Studio.

The latest imagery reveals what looks like castle turrets – fuelling more speculation that the resort will be the UK’s answer to Disneyland.

Last year it was revealed that £70 million has already been spent on the park prior to any work starting.

The massive project is expected to rival that of Disneyland in Paris in terms of sheer scale,

but also with a number of well-known hotel brands – including Raddison Blu who signed up

in August last year.

Creators are currently remaining tight-lipped about exactly what attractions will be on offer, but last year the resort signed a deal with Paramount Pictures, so a Hollywood theme could be in the works.

The application, which was filed on December 31, is made up of more than 25,000 pages of reports, assessments and analysis, confirms the intent to develop two theme park gates, a waterpark, conference and convention centre and e-Sports facility.

 

Source: Manchester Evening News

 

 

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EUROBRICK FOR MODULAR SCHOOLS INNOVATION

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Leading brick slip cladding specialist, Eurobrick, has been supplying its systems to the education sector for 30 years and, more recently, with offsite construction specialist Reds10 to supply two new school projects in Reading; Green Park Village Primary Academy and Addington School.

Green Park Village Primary Academy is a new two-storey primary school that is situated within a new housing development of 1400 homes. Designed and built using a steel framed volumetric modular design, the 2,400m2 school project also benefits from SMART building technology to create an energy efficient space.

Eurobrick’s P-Clad system was chosen as part of a number of finishes for the exterior, with around 1200m2 installed with specially cut 22mm thick Vandersanden Corum brick slips and corners and Eurobrick’s specially formulated Europoint mortar in Light Sandstone.

The development was shortlisted for two categories at the Offsite Awards and one at the Building Awards 2020.

Addington School is for young people with special educational needs and disabilities. They needed to expand capacity due to an increase in applications, so Wokingham Borough Council embarked on a project to create a new space for Sixth Form pupils which would allow an additional 50 places at the school.

This 1000m2 steel framed volumetric modular design was created by HLM Architects and delivered by Reds10. Around 512m2 of P-Clad was installed with specially cut 22mm Olivier Karma White Grey stock brick slips and finished with Light Grey Europoint mortar. Whole bricks were also supplied for landscaping works.

The school won the School Procurement Awards and the Education Business Awards 2020.

P-Clad has proved very popular in the education sector with schools and universities alike. It is specially designed so that it can be fixed directly to steel frame structures as well as other batten or bracket systems, and is ideal for providing a brick finish rainscreen on prefabricated structures. As well as being extensively tested to achieve BBA certification, P-Clad is LABC registered and comes with Eurobrick’s own 25 year product guarantee.

These eye-catching buildings provide essential spaces for education that are sustainable and innovative in their design and delivery and show the quality and versatility that modular construction can offer.

 

You can find out more about Eurobrick’s systems and products at www.eurobrick.co.uk.

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Government to kick off talks over Sizewell C nuclear power plant

The UK government is set to begin discussions regarding the construction of a new £20bn nuclear power station in Sizewell, Suffolk.

The site, located near the coast, is already home to a pair of nuclear power stations: Sizewell A and Sizewell B. Sizewell B is still operational, under the management of EDF Energy.

The Sizewell C project – which has been proposed by EDF Energy and China General Nuclear Power Group – would build a 3.2GW power station with two EPR reactors. It will be almost identical to Hinkley Point C, which is being built by EDF in Somerset. Sizewell C would generate enough electricity to power six million homes, meeting seven per cent of the UK’s energy demand. According to EDF, this would avoid nine million tonnes of carbon emissions every year, compared to a gas-fired power station.

The government said that the discussions are part of its “options to enable investment in at least one nuclear power station by the end of this Parliament”. Any deal will be subject to a range of requirements, ranging from affordability to national security requirements.

“Today’s plan establishes a decisive and permanent shift away from our dependence on fossil fuels, towards cleaner energy sources that will put our country at the forefront of the global green industrial revolution,” said Alok Sharma, business and energy secretary.

“Through a major programme of investment and reform, we are determined to both decarbonise our economy in the most cost-effective way, while creating new sunrise industries and revitalising our industrial heartlands that will support new green jobs for generations to come.

“At every step of the way, we will place affordability and fairness at the heart of our reforms, unleashing a wave of competition so consumers get the best deals possible on their bills, while protecting the vulnerable and fuel-poor with additional financial support.”

EDF’s UK CEO Simon Rossi said: “We’re right behind net zero and by investing in renewables and nuclear at Hinkley Point C and Sizewell C, we’re supporting decarbonisation while creating jobs across the UK. We will continue to help our customers find affordable, low-carbon ways to travel and heat their homes and businesses.

“The time for action is now and we look forward to working with the government to implement its energy and climate policies, including the financing of new nuclear.”

Meanwhile, the government has published its Energy White Paper, which builds on the government’s ’10-point plan’ for decarbonisation. The paper emphasises keeping energy bills affordable and protecting jobs through the transition to net zero.

The plan includes:

  • Establishing a more ambitious emissions trading scheme from next year to replace the current EU scheme.
  • Exploring financial options for new nuclear power plants.
  • Delivering 40GW of offshore wind by 2030, including 1GW of floating wind.
  • Investing £1bn in carbon capture and storage.
  • Aiming for 5GW of hydrogen production by 2030.
  • Investing £1.3bn to accelerate the rollout of EV charging points.
  • Supporting the North Sea oil and gas transition for people and communities affected.

Emma Pinchbeck, CEO at Energy UK, commented: “Today’s White Paper reveals the scale and opportunity of the energy transition, with aims in it to at least double the amount of clean electricity produced today, start making our homes warmer and greener, and help the switch to electric vehicles.”

“The energy industry will do our bit to innovate, supporting our customers so that they benefit from the net zero transition and investing in the green infrastructure we need – but clear policies from government help us do that. This is what the White Paper – and other publications over the next year – should provide.”

Hugh McNeal, CEO at Renewable UK, said: “Today’s white paper provides greater clarity to the companies investing across the UK to deliver our net zero emissions target. Wind and renewable energy will be at the centre of our future energy system, providing the clean electricity and green hydrogen we need to decarbonise our economy.”

 

Source: Engineering & Technology

 

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Blyth selected for battery gigaplant

BRITISHVOLT SELECTS NORTH EAST SITE TO BUILD BRITAIN’S FIRST BATTERY GIGAPLANT

  • Britishvolt has selected Blyth, Northumberland as the site of its first battery gigaplant
  • £2.6bn total investment, one of the UK’s largest ever industrial investments and the largest in the North East of England since the arrival of Nissan in 1984
  • Gigaplant will provide 3000 highly skilled jobs and up to 5000 more in the wider supply chain
  • Britishvolt’s gigaplant is strategically important to the UK automotive industry and a key component in the drive to the UK achieving Net Zero by 2050
  • Blyth site chosen by Britishvolt for excellent transport links and access to clean, renewable energy – the gigaplant set to be operational by the end of 2023


Britishvolt, the UK’s foremost investor in battery technologies, has selected a site in the North East of England to build the UK’s first battery gigaplant.

The company has acquired exclusive rights to a site in Blyth Northumberland and intends to begin construction in Summer 2021. World-class lithium-ion batteries will be in production by the end of 2023.

Total investment for Britishvolt’s gigaplant is £2.6bn making it the largest industrial investment in the North East since Nissan’s arrival in 1984 and one of the largest-ever industrial investments in the UK. By the final phase of the project in 2027 it will be employing up to 3000 highly skilled people, producing over 300,000 lithium-ion batteries for the UK automotive industry. It will further provide up to 5000 jobs in the wider supply chain.

Britishvolt’s gigaplant is widely regarded as being strategically important for the UK automotive industry in order for it to maintain competitive advantage as we accelerate towards an increasingly electrified future. The building of a battery gigaplant is also one of the key pillars of the British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson’s, ten-point plan for the UK’s green recovery and an important step to a Net Zero economy by 2050.

Britishvolt CEO, Orral Nadjari “We are delighted to have secured this site in Blyth. This is a tremendous moment both for Britishvolt and UK industry. Now we can really start the hard work and begin producing lithium-ion batteries for future electrified vehicles in just three years. It is crucial for the UK automotive industry and for the entire economy that we are able to power the future. The sooner we start, the better.

“Blyth meets all of our exacting requirements and could be tailor made. It is on the doorstep of major transport links, easily accessible renewable energy and the opportunity for a co-located supply chain, meets our target to make our gigaplant the world’s cleanest and greenest battery facility.  We have had an extremely warm welcome from Ian Levy MP and Northumberland County Council and are looking forward to working with them closely on this project.”

Blyth Valley MP, Ian Levy “This is an incredibly exciting announcement that will have a massive impact in the constituency and the surrounding area for decades to come. I can’t think of anything comparable in the North East since Nissan invested in Sunderland more than 35 years ago.

“Since Britishvolt first made contact it has been my absolute priority to work in partnership with its leadership team to do everything possible to bring this scheme to Northumberland. Advance Northumberland has also a played a critical role in reaching this point so quickly.

“There is still much to do but the prospect of the UK’s first gigaplant on the old Blyth Power Station site directly creating up to 8000 jobs is amazing. These jobs will not only return the area to the status of an industrial powerhouse but will help us retain our graduates and provide a huge boost to struggling high streets. I look forward to working with all involved and will provide the backing necessary to deliver a scheme that is a once in a generation opportunity.”

The Britishvolt gigaplant will be built on a 95-hectare site, formerly the site of the Blyth Power Station. It will use renewable energy, including the potential to use hydro-electric power generated in Norway and transmitted 447 miles under the North Sea via the world’s longest inter-connector from the North Sea Link project.

SOURCE Britishvolt

 

 

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US STUDY SHOWS CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY HAS HIGHEST COVID-19 INFECTION RATE

Study: Construction has the highest COVID-19 rate of nearly any industry

  • A new study tracking the results of more than 730,000 COVID-19 tests found that construction workers had the highest positivity rates for asymptomatic cases of any occupation, including healthcare staff, first responders, correctional personnel, elderly care workers, grocery store workers and food service employees.
  • The study, conducted in Los Angeles between August and October, paired positive test results with the answers to a questionnaire that asked about occupation. Construction workers had a positivity rate of 5.7% for individuals who were asymptomatic, and 10.1% for those with symptoms, according to the study, which was administered by testing firm Curative and has not been certified by peer review.
  • “In the construction industry, people may still be coming to work if they have symptoms because some have no paid sick leave,” wrote Dr. Jeffrey Klausner, a professor at UCLA’s School of Public Health, co-author of the study and Curative’s medical director, in an email to Construction Dive. “The findings are concerning, and warrant a better understanding of the measures put in place to control infection.”

 

The study encompasses one of the largest datasets yet of positive test results among construction workers and comes at a time when an advisory committee to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention weighs whether essential workers, including those in construction, should be second in line to receive the first available doses of approved vaccines in the United States.

The positivity rates among construction workers in the study were strikingly high when compared to other industries. For example, while construction had a 5.7% positivity rate for individuals who were asymptomatic, the next highest industry, food services, had just a 3.8% rate, or a third lower. For symptomatic cases, only correction workers had a higher positivity rate, at 12.5%, compared to construction’s 10.1%.

Construction industry advocates argue that the traditional use of personal protective equipment in construction during normal times has made compliance with its adoption during the pandemic easier than in other industries. Paired with staggered work shifts, regular site disinfecting and social distancing, they have argued, those steps have successfully mitigated COVID-19 spread on jobsites.

But there is no national clearinghouse that tracks COVID-19 infections by occupation, and data from studies like this one point to construction’s role in coronavirus spread. In addition, public health departments in Washington state, Michigan and Nashville, Tennessee, have found construction to be among the top three occupational settings where outbreaks occurred, while a CDC study in Utah found construction to have the second highest number of cases among all industries studied.

Another recent study from the University of Texas concluded that construction workers were five times more likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19 than workers in all other industries, including those who can work from home.

Brian Turmail, vice president of public affairs at the Associated General Contractors of America, acknowledged COVID-19 case numbers are increasing in the industry, but said there is still no definitive data that connects infection among construction workers to jobsite spread.

“Given the rising coronavirus case counts across the country, and its particularly high rates among the demographic groups that make up much of the industry’s workforce, we are definitely seeing more workers testing positive,” Turmail said. “The distinction is that the virus is not spreading occupationally — in other words, workers are not getting the virus from their jobsites — but instead is being transmitted via local communities and then workers are showing up, asymptomatic, and testing positive.”

He said the industry has been particularly challenged in the weeks following Thanksgiving, when workers may have gathered to celebrate with families. Overall, the study found that among all the subjects who tested positive, 42.3% were asymptomatic. That has been the biggest issue for construction companies now as well, according to Turmail.

“What firms are struggling with is how to get workers to not show up on the jobsite with coronavirus, when so many cases of coronavirus are asymptomatic,” Turmail said.

More testing on jobsites could also prove effective, Klausner said.

“Routine, twice weekly testing to identify those with infection to prevent the spread to others might help,” the UCLA professor said. “Many essential industries now do that.”

 

Source: Construction Dive

 

 

 

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