Construct - Issue 50

Project

AN INITIATIVE THAT TACKLES EMISSIONS, INEFFICIENCIES AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT IN URBAN CONSTRUCTION BREAKING NEW GROUND

FM Conway and its partners have completed a pioneering trial of on-demand electric equipment charging. The initiative has the potential to be a blueprint for a cleaner, quieter and more sustainable way of delivering urban street works. The construction industry is electrifying. More projects are making the switch to zero-emission machinery in line with the Zero Diesel Sites Route Map, an initiative backed by government and the Construction Leadership Council to support the roll out of electric plant as well as other clean power sources such as hydrogen. The opportunity is huge. London alone has more than 5,000 diesel mini excavators at work however due to a regulatory loophole they currently sit outside the control of low emission zones, which means over one year they emit the same level of pollutants as 100,000 passenger cars. Switching to electric alternatives would mark a major step forward in construction’s push to deliver net zero. However, barriers remain to widespread take up of greener equipment, in particular how to charge it. Compact diesel machines, such as excavators and loaders, are especially tricky. Currently, the typical model is to charge them from fixed locations, causing downtime and making projects less efficient while also creating unnecessary

transport emissions. Alongside the lack of easy charging infrastructure, the speed of adoption has also been hobbled by range limitations. FM Conway and its partners sought to tackle these problems head-on at the Redcliffe Gardens project in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. “The project showed that electric kit can deliver levels of productivity and performance on a par with, or better than, traditional diesel equipment”

FACTS Contract Redcliffe Gardens Client Transport for London Divisions Major Projects Consultancy Sustainability Transport Surfacing Traffic Management Aggregates and Asphalt Street Lighting

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