INTRODUCTION FROM THE EDITOR During October 2011 the world will reach a new benchmark, assuming there are no massive disasters on the horizon. Around 31st October the global human population will reach 7 billion, that’s 7,000,000,000 individual human beings. The sad thing is that the birth of that 7 billionth child will most probably be just another birth somewhere in Africa or India to a mother who is one of the billion people who are malnourished or without access to clean water. There won’t be a fanfare or fireworks to celebrate the birth of her child and success of our species, just the sound of a small baby crying, testing its lungs for the first time, with a high statistical probability of being one of the 30 thousand people who die of starvation every day. Since realising that we as a species will shortly crash through the 7 billion barrier I have become almost obsessed by statistics. For example: 6% of all the people that have ever lived are alive today. That means that around 100 billion people will have died before baby 7 billion is born. What is more intriguing is that baby 7 billion has 62% chance of being Asian, but only an 8% chance of speaking English as a first language, he/she (50/50) also has a 31% chance of being a Christian but only a 16% chance of not believing in God at all. Considering we are in the 21st Century a more sobering thought is that baby 7 billion will have only a 1% chance of getting a college education but conversely a 1% chance of dying of starvation. It puts equal opportunities in perspective - of every 100 people on the planet one is dying of starvation and one is getting a college education. Out of that same 100 people 18 are even not able to read or write! This amounts to 1.3 billion people. And in this age of technological enlightenment only 1% of people own a computer and only 50% will ever make or receive a phone call. The other issue this highlights is the amazing capacity the world has to deal with the way we treat it. As the human race reaches plague proportions across the planet the fact we are not waist deep in the rubbish, detritus and destruction we produce every day is a phenomenal example of global recycling. Considering how badly we have treated the environment in our 52,000 year custody of it (an estimation of what would be considered modern civilisation) there are very few physical scars showing even now. Unfortunately the pace and intensity of our environmental abuse has increased along with our population and it is evident that we are at a global breaking point. The statistics relating to our impact on the planet are equally scary, for example we consume/use 5 quadrillion litres of water every year (5,000,000,000,000,000l) that would
require emptying lake Windermere 16,666 times or 1.6 Lake Superiors a year. Whilst consuming this mass of water we are also affecting the land as well. Every 10 seconds we destroy a hectare of forest roughly the area of rugby pitch and a similar area is becoming desert every 3 seconds. Surprisingly though a large proportion of people seem to deny or take no notice of the impending scientifically forecast catastrophe either through ignorance and laziness or selfishness and greed, and without a significant and swift change in our attitude and practices things can only get worse. The scariest thing this Halloween will be when our population creeps over the 7 billion mark and it should be a wakeup call for everyone. As a final note that whilst you were reading this introduction around 893 people were born and 378 people died, 21 hectares of forest was destroyed and 70 hectares of land became desert, and globally we invested £2,725,331 in the military and further destruction. If on the 31st October a link to this magazine was sent with every e-mail in the world it would be delivered 294 billion times that would mean if baby 7 billion has an e-mail account set up he/she could potentially receive this 42 times on the day of its birth.
Alex Stacey Managing Editor
ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE |1|
CONTENTS NEWS: PAGE 4 - 39
WATER: PAGE 74 - 92 Page 76 - 80 Flood Protection and Prevention, Mary Dhonau, CEO, Know Your Flood Risk
Page 4-38 News Page 39 Steve Grant Column
Page 81 - 84 Flood Protection, John Alexander, MD Revetment
FOCUS: PAGE 40 - 61
Page 85 - 86 Defra Flood Forum, Charles Tucker, Chair, National Flood Forum
PAINT AND COATINGS
Page 88 - 89 Transfer of Private Sewers, Pamela Taylor, CEO, Water UK
Page 44 - 46 Sustainability - Charlotte Yates & Brian Widdop, Crown Paints,
Page 90 - 92 Sustainable Water, Neal Landsberg, Chair, SWIG
Page 48 - 52 Defining Eco Paints - Bryan Roe, Paint Manager, GreenShop Group
ENERGY: PAGE 94-109
Page 53 Innovation in Paint - Brenda Peters, President, OCCA Page 54 -56 Not Easy Being Green - Peter Davys, Orrest
Page 96 - 97 Rethinking Large Scale Heating, Andrew Crown, Daikin Page 99- 100 Renewable UK 2011 Show Preview
Page 58 - 61 Safe Use of Chemicals - Lisa Allen, REACHReady
Page 102 - 104 UK Wind Industry Leads The Way, Maria McCaffery, CEO, Renewable UK
WASTE MANAGEMENT: PAGE 62-73 Page 64 - 66 Investment in Waste Infrastructure Dr Alan Whitehead MP - APSRG
Page 105 - 106 Renewables: Past, Present, Future Ian Mays, MD, RES Group Page 107 - 108 Growing Renewables, Johnathan Scurlock, NFU, Renewables Chief Advisor
Page 68 - 70 Investment in Waste Infrastructure Andrew Willshear, APSRG Page 72 - 73 Waste Technology for the Future, Norman Thoday, CEO, Dennis Eagle
EnviroMedia Limited, 254a Bury New Road, Whitefield, Manchester, M45 8QN
Alex Stacey Tel: 0161 3410158 Fax: 0161 7668997 Email: alex@enviromedia.ltd.uk
Environment Industry Magazine is proud to be the official media partner for the UK Sustainable Development Association. Every effort is made to verify all information published, but Environment Industry Magazine cannot accept responsibility for any errors or omissions or for any losses that may arise as a result. Opinions expressed in articles do not necessarily reflect those of EnviroMedia Ltd. Environment Industry Magazine welcomes contributions for publication. Submissions are accepted on the basis of full assignment of copyright to EnviroMedia Ltd unless otherwise agreed in advance and in writing. We reserve the right to edit items for reasons of space, clarity or legality. |2| ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE
STNETNOC CONTENTS
GREEN BUILDING: PAGE 110 - 119
Page 111 - 113 Achieving Sustainability, Brian Andreas, Head of Sustainability, Saint Goban Page 114 - 116 Go For the Simple Life, Guy Thompson, Head of Sustainability, Conrete Centre Page 117 - 118 Installing Renewables, Graham Perrior, Head of Standards & Technical, NHBC
TIMBER: PAGE 120 - 129 Page 122 - 124 Future Challenges, Sheam Satkura-Granzella, MTC Page 126 - 129 Forestry Certification, Karen Brandt, VP, Market Affairs, SFI Inc.
LAND MANAGEMENT: PAGE 130 - 141 Page 131 - 135
Stabilisation and Solidification of Contaminated Soil and Waste Part 4: Treatment of Organic Contaminants - Dr Colin Hills, Director, Centre for Contaminated Land Remediation, University of Greenwich
Page 136 - 139 Supporting Brownfield Development, Michael Lunn, Director of Policy, EIC
LABS AND TESTING: PAGE 142-151
Page 143 - 144 Benefits of GHG Measurements, Richard Laverick, Director of Sustainabilty, ADAS Page 145 - 151 MCERTS - An Overview, Adam Garner, SIRA Certification
TRANSPORT: PAGE 152-164 Page 153 - 155 Sustainable Transport, Prof John Whitelegg, University of York Page 158 - 159 Low Carbon Logistics, Mike Penning MP, Secretary of State for Transport Page 160 - 162 Electric Highway, Dale Vince, CEO, Ecotricity Page 163 - 164 Catrina Perkins, Campaign for Better Tyres
CONSERVATION: PAGE 165 - 171 Page 166 - 169 Approach to Natures Recovery, Paul Wilkinson, Wildlife Trust Page 170 - 171 Waging War on Non-Native Wildlife, Trevor Renals, Environment Agency
Page 140 - 141 Asbestos in Soil, Hazel Davidson, Alcontrol Laboratories
MISCELLANY: PAGE 172 - 200 Page 173 Environment Prosecutions Page 174 - 175 The Red Tape Challenge, Adrian Wilkes, Chair, EIC Page 176 - 178 Page 179
Mapping - Jonathan Coleman, FINDMaps
Book Reviews
Page 180 - 182 MCS Training, Libby Jones, Easy MCS Page 184 - 186 Product Guide Page 187 - 198 Case Studies Page 199 - 200 Famous Last Words - Jason Drew, Author, The Protein Crunch
ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE |3|
Timber Expo hailed as outstanding success Exhibitors and visitors have hailed Timber Expo 2011 as an outstanding success, showcasing a sector which has embraced new technologies, new products and new ways of bringing solutions to market efficiently and cost-effectively. The creativity of exhibitors was particularly noted, demonstrating timber’s structural and design potential. Singled out was the TRADA stand, featuring Price & Myers’ Hy-Pavilion, More than 4,000 visitors, including architects, engineers, contractors and local authorities, attended Timber Expo. The two-day programmes of seminars and tutorials in the Frame Wise Timber Talk theatre, the SIP Talk theatre sponsored by the UK SIP Association and the BM TRADA Group forum attracted hundreds of delegates, and around 200 guests attended the Wood Awards 2011 winners’ ceremony on the opening day of the show. A feature unique to Timber Expo was the Timber Buyers Forum, which linked exhibitors with major contractors, developers and clients. According to Martin Chambers, Director of Shaylor Group plc, his visit to Timber Expo was an ‘excellent use of a day’. He added, ‘The fact that the show was purely about timber is what made it special for me. There is so much knowledge here as well as for me an “Aladdin’s cave” of new products.’ Marketing Manager of TRADA Technology, Rupert Scott, said: ‘This was the right time to seize the day and to give timber its own show in the UK. Designed to provide a unique opportunity for dialogue, networking and forging new business links, Timber Expo has more than fulfilled its potential and our expectations as organisers.’ Summing up on Twitter, James Southern of M H Southern, said being part of Timber Expo 2011 was ‘a great time showcasing the world’s greatest renewable resource’. Timber Expo 2012 is already 40% booked – a show which will be 50% bigger than this year’s and will take place at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry on 25th & 26th September - visit www.timber-expo.co.uk
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Devon Children’s Centre move into their bespoke log building Lodgico Ltd, have recently completed a unique project to provide a log building for a Children’s Centre run by Barnardo’s. Lodgico, who are the official agents for Honka log homes from Finland, are known not only for building log homes but also designing bespoke buildings used for schools, Zoos and holiday lodges. The log building for the Children’s Centre in Tiverton was modified from the Devon County Council architect’s plans and features a glazed entrance lobby, staff offices, toilet and baby changing facilities and large play area with kitchenette and two sets of bi-folding doors that open out to the enclosed outdoor play space. The internal lobby features a stunning double height ceiling with glass atrium. The building was constructed from a multilaminated rectangular log at 182mm wide, one of a range of laminated logs that are favoured for the UK climate. Honka provide all the wooden components that go in to every building.
Are we approaching the ‘final frontier’ of plastic recycling? The findings from a series of trials funded by WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme) show it could soon be possible to recycle almost all plastic packaging waste from the home. Despite more than 300,000 tonnes of plastic packaging being collected for recycling each year, more than a million tonnes still ends up going to landfill because of the difficulty of collecting and recycling films, the difficulty in detecting and sorting black plastics and the lack of high value markets for non-bottle plastics. A series of trials, funded by WRAP, have for the first time identified methods of recycling black plastics, complex laminated plastics, plastic films, and polypropylene (PP) that would typically be destined for landfill. For example, by using non-carbon pigments in the manufacture of black plastics, it is possible to create a material that is almost identical in colour, but can be identified by the optical sorting equipment used by many MRFs. This could lead to the widespread recycling of the most common plastic used in packaging. Feedback from retailers has been encouraging, and the plastic trays could be recycled into high value single-polymer materials. Complex laminated packaging, the material used in toothpaste and cosmetics tubes, contains a layer of aluminium sandwiched between plastic, and a second trial has identified a way to extract this high value aluminium. WRAP estimates that there is around 140,000 tonnes of this laminated packaging in the UK waste stream with an aluminium content of around 13,500 tonnes. A third study has seen the development of a technique that could recycle post-consumer PP back in to material suitable for food-grade applications. More work is still needed, but WRAP believes this could help to grow high value markets |8| ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE
for recycled PP, following a similar path to that developed by rHDPE and rPET. It could also deliver higher environmental benefits as retailers and brands start to use it in their packaging. And work done by The Co-operative Group and Sainsbury’s, with WRAP, has identified a variety of uses for plastic films recycled in-store by customers and staff. These applications include bags for life, instore signage and external cladding. A system has also been developed that cleans and recycles contaminated film, producing a pellet with a sales value of £400 to £500 per tonne. With the cost of sending this material to landfill currently £80 per tonne (WRAP Gate Fees report 2011), the advantages are clear. Marcus Gover, Director of Closed Loop Economy at WRAP, said: “When we first looked at recycling nonbottle plastic packaging back in 2007, we carried out detailed studies to make sure it would be technically and economical viable. “We also carried out a thorough life-cycle assessment to make sure it was the best environmental option. We’re now seeing this recycling becoming a reality, creating jobs and reinvigorating the manufacturing industry in the UK reducing our reliance on exports. “There have been, and there are still, barriers to overcome and WRAP will continue to work closely with the industry to develop these new methods and technologies so that, in the future, local authorities can offer their residents a way of recycling even more of their plastic packaging.”
METALS RECYCLING TOUR FOR LOCAL MP Llanelli MP and shadow business minister, Nia Griffith, has been on a fact-finding trip to metals and electronics recycler Sims Metal Management in Newport Ms Griffith, who chairs the all-party parliamentary steel and metal group, visited Sims Metal Management and sister company Sims Recycling Solutions in Newport, to learn more about the metals and electronics recycling industry. The visit was hosted by Ken Mackenzie of the British Metals Recycling Association (BMRA), of which Sims is a member.
Waste and renewable Derek Campbell of Sims Metal Management said: energy company picked out as one to “It was a pleasure to welcome Ms Griffith to the site here in Newport to explain about the metals recycling watch by the Sunday times industry and to show how metals are recycled, New earth solutions, provider of waste management services including Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment to local authorities and innovator in renewable energy recovery (WEEE) and fridges. Metals recycling in the UK has been picked out in the Sunday Times tech track 100 of fastplays a vital role in helping the country to reduce its growing companies. The tech track ranks Britain’s 100 private reliance on landfill, recycle more and reduce CO2 tech companies with the fastest-growing sales over the latest emissions.” three years. Ms Griffith said: “Metals recycling is very important to South Wales and the UK economy and I found it extremely valuable to get an insight into the business. Metals and electronics recycling in the UK is a globally competitive and environmentally important industry and one we should be proud of. Companies like Sims are contributing to our key environmental objectives – reducing waste and cutting carbon emissions – by preventing waste metal and other valuable commodities being disposed of in landfill sites and transforming it into a useful resource.” Ken Mackenzie of the British Metals Recycling Association, said: “We are very pleased Ms Griffith came to visit Sims in Newport. It was a very productive visit which allowed us to discuss some of the key issues facing UK metals recyclers today. The BMRA is committed to working with government to improve understanding of how the metals recycling industry operates, the economic and environmental benefits it can deliver, and the nature of the industry’s needs.” |10| ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE
New earth has five operational waste treatment sites across the country - in Dorset, Kent, Leicestershire, Gloucestershire and Bristol – and others in development as the company becomes a national infrastructure developer and supplier of services. The company has grown on average by 45% per annum over the last three years which placed it in 69th position in the 2011 tech track 100. New earth manages residual waste using mechanical biological treatment. Waste is given a ‘second-chance’ to be recycled and diverted away from landfill on behalf of local authorities across the country. The company is also investing in the development of innovative thermal treatment technologies to recover renewable energy from biomass-rich fuels. The company employs around 120 in total across the UK. New earth’s managing director, Chris Cox: “We are very pleased that New earth has entered this prestigious growth league table. It reflects a lot of hard work over the last few years and highlights the major progress the company has made from its initial origins. We should feature again next year as well because, with our contracted sales growth, we already know that our turnover will more than double this year, to about £24 million in 2011/12.”
We Have The Technology To Slash Global Emissions, Say Engineers The technology needed to cut the world’s greenhouse gas emissions by 85% by 2050 already exists, according to a joint statement by eleven of the world’s largest engineering organisations. The statement was presented to the South African Deputy High Commissioner ahead of December’s COP17 climate change talks in Durban. The statement says that generating electricity from wind, waves and the sun, growing biofuels sustainably, zero emissions transport, low carbon buildings and energy efficiency technologies have all been demonstrated. However they are not being developed for wide-scale use fast enough and there is a desperate need for financial and legislative support from governments around the world if they are to fulfil their potential. Dr Colin Brown, Director of Engineering at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers – one of the eleven organisations supporting the statement – said: “While the world’s politicians have been locked in talks with no output, engineers across the globe have been busy developing technologies that can bring down emissions and help create a more stable future for the planet. We are now overdue for government commitment, with ambitious, concrete emissions targets that give the right signals to industry, so they can be rolled out on a global scale.” The statement calls for: • A global commitment at Durban to a peak in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020, followed by substantial reductions by 2050; • Governments to ensure that green policies do not unfairly and unintentionally act to the detriment of one particular industry or country; • Intensive effort to train and retrain workforces to ensure we have the right skills for the new industries that will spring up around green technologies; • A heavier emphasis to be placed on boosting energy efficiency, which is the best available measure to bring down emissions in the short and medium term. The eleven organisations include the Danish Society of Engineers (IDA), India’s Institution of Engineers (IEI), Germany’s Association of Engineers (VDI), Australia’s Association of Professional Engineers, Scientists and Managers (APESMA) and the UK’s Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE). Collectively they represent over 1.2 million engineers spanning four continents. The joint statement is the product of a landmark biennial conference held at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. |12| ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE
Professional Bodies Unite In Concern Over Proposed Planning Reforms Six bodies representing a range of environmental professions have united in a joint letter to planning Minister, Greg Clarke MP, expressing their concern over the current planning reform proposals from Government. In the latest of a wave of expressions of concern, the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management, Royal Meteorological Society, Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management, Institution of Environmental Sciences, Arboricultural Association and Institute of Fisheries Management challenged the proposals under the draft National Planning Policy Framework as they currently stand. The signatories urged the Government to exercise due caution in rushing out the reforms and in particular to re-examine its use of the term 'Sustainable Development', which they consider to be a "gross misrepresentation" of the principle. They also questioned the "draconian" rationalisation of planning guidance, which sweeps aside many safeguards established over generations, arguing that its removal will leave the planning system ill-equipped to consider a range of strategic-level threats facing society, including Climate Change. The group considers that the Government's proposals represent a capitulation to a powerful commercial lobby group and will result in a "builders' charter" to develop at the cost of wider local and environmental interests as opposed to considering economic, social and environmental factors in a balanced manner which respects the principles and recognised definitions of Sustainable Development, and the best interests of all in society. A copy of the letter can be found via the following link: http://www.ciwem.org/policy-and-international/ parliamentary-work/planning_reform.aspx.
Consumers: food industry “only playing at being green” More than half of consumers believe the food and drink industry is only paying lip-service to being green, according to new research, with almost 80% demanding that more supermarkets and food producers commit to tackling climate change. Some 56% of consumers believe the major food retailers are “only playing at being green”, with almost the same amount again (50%) levelling the same accusation at food producers. Similarly, 50% don’t believe what the big food brands say about their green credentials, according to the study, carried out for food and drink sustainability experts AB Sustain. Men are more suspicious of the food industry’s green credentials than women, the poll revealed, with more than 64% of male respondents believing that both food retailers and food producers are “playing at being green”, against 48% and 44% of women accusing retailers and producers respectively. But the research, commissioned by AB Sustain to assess perceptions of greenwashing in the food industry, also suggested it’s not all doom and gloom – more than 70% of those questioned said they were concerned about the issues of climate change and greenhouse gas emissions, despite the rising impact of financial worries over the last few years. And 68% of respondents would like to see the entire food supply chain, including farmers and growers, manufacturers and supermarkets, put more effort as an industry into tackling climate change and protecting the earth’s natural resources.
Savortex Announce the First Eco Smart Hand Dryer That Recovers Energy in Use
The Vortex 550 Smart dryer comes highly recommended for its Sustainable design and energy saving technology. With a 10 second drying time, using only 550 W of power, the Vortex has been tested to 1 million hand dries and requires little or no maintenance and comes with a 5-year no quibble warranty. It is sustainable drying and significantly reduces costs. An exciting and dynamic company making its mark with innovative "Smart Drying" products that are sustainable and best in quality, incorporating energy efficient technology without compromising on performance. Syed Ahmed, the driving force behind SAVortex, added “Our Smart dryer brings a new dimension to looking at eliminating hidden costs and reducing the total cost of ownership and energy saving which are simply not available with other leading dryers. They are cost effective to install, with easy retro-fitting and has no new wiring requirements, and most importantly – it dry’s your hands!” Customers replacing existing competitor’s hand dryers with the SAVortex dryer can enjoy energy reduction of up to 94% and payback period of 6 months to one year depending on the usage. Against paper towels payback can be as little as 2 months; here the savings are compelling at around 95% of the cost.
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NEW NGO ‘SAVE THE FROGS! GHANA’ FORMED TO PROTECT GHANA’S DISAPPEARING FROGS
An international collaboration to save Ghana’s disappearing amphibian populations is now underway, and is expected to make great strides towards protecting Ghana’s remaining wilderness areas. SAVE THE FROGS! Ghana (www.savethefrogs.com/ghana) has been officially formed as West Africa›s first nonprofit organization dedicated exclusively to amphibian conservation. The group is the first international branch of USA-based non-profit SAVE THE FROGS! Based in Kumasi, Ghana, the mission of SAVE THE FROGS! Ghana is to protect Ghana›s amphibian populations and to promote a society that respects and appreciates nature and wildlife. The group is being led by Gilbert Adum and Caleb Ofori, Ghana’s only two amphibian biologists. Amphibian populations worldwide have been declining at unprecedented rates, and nearly one-third of the world›s amphibian species are threatened with extinction. Up to 200 species have completely disappeared in recent years. Ghana’s frogs and toads have been especially hard hit, as over 80% of Ghana’s primary rainforest has been cleared in the last century, mainly due to large-scale logging by multi-national companies and illegal clearing by villagers. Mining for gold, diamonds and bauxite has also contributed to the degradation of Ghana’s rainforests. The West African Giant Squeaker Frog, which lives in the Krokosua Forest Reserve is so endangered that only 12 individuals are known to exist. “SAVE THE FROGS! Ghana is the best thing that has ever happened to conservation in Ghana”, says the group’s Executive Director Gilbert Adum. SAVE THE FROGS! Ghana has created an eight-point plan for protecting Ghana’s remaining amphibian populations. Some of
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the group’s primary goals are educating the public, the governmental bodies and the timber and mining companies about the importance of amphibians, and instituting crucial legislation such as an Endangered Species Act, which Ghana currently lacks. The group will also be working with local and international scientists and NGO’s to create Ghana’s sixth national park by turning the unprotected Atewa Forest Range Reserve into the Atewa Hills National Park. The reserve has exceptionally high amphibian biodiversity and is home to an array of other wildlife species, but is constantly under threat from mountaintop removal bauxite mines and unsustainable logging. The reserve is also home to the critically endangered Togo Slippery Frog, which is commonly eaten by locals. The slippery frogs are close relatives to the Goliath Frog, the world’s largest frog. To reduce the demand for frog legs and illegal logging, SAVE THE FROGS! Ghana will be training villagers in beekeeping, mushroom farming and other activities that provide alternative income and food sources. “SAVE THE FROGS! Founder Dr. Kerry Kriger is in Ghana for the month of September assisting with the creation of SAVE THE FROGS! Ghana and giving presentations on frog conservation at schools, universities and government agencies, including the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science & Technology and the Forestry Research Institute of Ghana. “There are few countries in the world whose people and wildlife are so desperately in need of assistance as Ghana. Fortunately, we have an exceptionally talented young conservationists Gilbert Adum, leading SAVE THE FROGS! Ghana”, says Dr. Kriger. “I’ve been amazed at the positive reception we’ve received from the Ghanaian people. They’re poised to help; the difference between success and failure in saving Ghana’s frogs will come down to how much support the outside world provides”.
PRINCE CHARLES ANNOUNCED AS NEW PRESIDENT OF WWF-UK His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, announced that he will become the new President of WWF-UK.
Enter a new realm of energy efficiency...
The Presidency was announced at a WWF event, held at St James’ Palace in London, to mark the 20th anniversary of the Global Forest Trade Network (GFTN). The GFTN is an initiative established by WWF to improve the management of the world›s forests. In response to the announcement, David Nussbaum, chief executive of WWF-UK, said: “We are absolutely delighted that Prince Charles has chosen to become our President in this, our 50th anniversary year. “He has long been an advocate of environmental issues, working with a variety of organisations including WWF, to help protect and preserve some of our planet’s most fragile ecosystems and iconic species. “Our shared belief in the importance of safeguarding the environment for the future is a key reason why we believe that the Prince of Wales is the ideal President to help lead WWF-UK into the next fifty years of our conservation work.” In a speech at the event, HRH, the Prince of Wales, said: «There is an urgent need for all of us to concentrate our efforts on sustaining, nurturing and protecting the Earth›s natural capital and, moreover, reshaping our economic systems so that Nature sits at the very heart of our thinking. This is the mission of WWF-UK, and it is my mission as well. I am delighted and touched to be asked to become your new president» HRH, the Prince of Wales, succeeds his cousin, Princess Alexandra, the Honourable Lady Ogilvy as president, and follows in the footsteps of his father Prince Phillip, who became the first president of WWF-UK back in 1961 and holds the position of President Emeritus at WWFInternational.
Daikin City launches online Daikin UK has launched a new interactive virtual environment, Daikin City, to indicate the unparalleled energy savings available using its integrated heating, cooling, refrigeration, ventilation and hot water solutions. Daikin City launched online at www.daikincity.co.uk and is the first phase in the development of an ambitious new virtual environment that Daikin UK is creating to communicate the concept of its total solutions for indoor climate management and control. Helping users to explore new horizons in carbon reduction, Daikin City offers a series of interactive buildings where visitors can compare the dramatic energy savings that might be achieved by harnessing the latest innovations in heat recovery to provide low-cost heating, refrigeration, ventilation and hot water. It demonstrates the significant impact of smart solutions such as self-cleaning indoor units, intelligent controls and remote monitoring services – all of which can deliver major energy savings. Already the City includes a major hotel, bank, school and office buildings, retail and convenience stores, all of which visitors can zoom into to try out different options and see what impact each has on the energy calculator, which displays the potential energy savings that could be achieved as part of an overall solution. Visit Daikin City and see what energy savings are possible at www.daikincity.co.uk
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Green Tech for y m o n o c E n o b r a c w o aL
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More than $52 Million in Commitments to Yasuní National Park Announced at High Level UN Meeting Hosted by UN Secretary General and President of Ecuador US$ 52.9 million in public and private sector donations in support of Ecuador's unique Yasuní-ITT conservation project were announced at the United Nations in front of an audience that included international dignitaries, business leaders, environmentalists, and members of Ecuador's indigenous Huaorani tribe. The high-level meeting was co-hosted by United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa, and was chaired by His Excellency Ambassador Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser, Permanent Representative of the State of Qatar to the United Nations and President of the 66th Session of the United Nations General Assembly. With only three months remaining to meet an end of year goal to raise $100 million, Ecuador is gathering worldwide support from civil society and foreign governments for its environmental campaign to keep oil underground in Yasuní National Park, one of the world's most bio diverse ecological wonders. Ivonne Baki, Plenipotentiary Representative of Ecuador to the YasuníITT Commission and former Ecuadorian Ambassador to the United States, commented, "It is inspiring to see citizens of the world come together to support this important environmental initiative. It is clear that both world leaders and private citizens care equally about the future of our planet's most beautiful and diverse - and sometimes most vulnerable - places. As more support pours in from the international community and its representatives at the UN, we can hope for continued success in our efforts to preserve this amazing forest and the life found within." During the meeting, the Yasuní-ITT Fund, established in August 2010 and managed by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on behalf of the Ecuadorian government, received commitments of approximately US$ 52.9 million from the countries of Italy (US$ 50.8 million), Turkey, Australia, Colombia, and Peru, the Belgian region of Wallonia, and the French department of Meurthe-et-Moselle. Additionally, private donations to the "Donate to Yasuní" online mechanism have poured in from around the world, from citizens in dozens of countries as varied as the United States, Argentina, Poland, Singapore, India, Germany, Barbados, Malaysia, and Switzerland, among many others. One individual even donated an entire year's income to Yasuní. "Oil spills in the forests have filled rivers with toxic wastes. It is the local people and animals who pay the price: their land unfit for farming, their children poisoned. Their suffering is not priced into how much we pay at the gas pump. This is why individuals in the developed world have a personal responsibility to help the developing world in its |22| ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE
conservation efforts" said Yue (Nina) Chen, Vice President at the Royal Bank of Canada, who visited Yasuní last month and, with the support of her husband Kirat Singh, committed her salary this year to the Yasuní Trust Fund. Ecuador's Yasuní-ITT Initiative has also led to the establishment of Yasuní Support groups in Japan, France, Germany and Belgium, among others. The Yasuní-ITT Initiative seeks to channel global support to save a unique piece of land that could hold the key to untold medical and scientific discoveries. Nearly one billion barrels of oil lie in Yasuní's Ishpingo Tambococha Tiputini (ITT) oil fields in the Amazon Rainforest. The oil fields contain 20% of Ecuador's proven oil reserves, and oil has become Ecuador's economic lifeline, providing more than half of its annual export revenue. The people and government of Ecuador, however, prefer not to drill. Proposing a bold plan in 2007, Ecuador chose to forego half of the estimated $7.2 billion in revenue that drilling for oil in the ITT fields would bring in, and is instead appealing to the international community, in the spirit of co-responsibility, to contribute the other half of its forgone potential income. Agreeing with the plan and partnering with Ecuador in 2010, the United Nations Development Programme established a trust fund through which it will administer, fundraise, and disburse the funds for approved programs. The funds will be invested in alternative energy, the objective being a complete overhaul of the country's energy matrix away from oil dependence and deforestation, as well as towards social programs and the building of key infrastructure such as hospitals and schools in Ecuador. The plan is appealing to environmentally-conscious supporters across the globe who recognize the importance of saving the amazing biodiversity of Yasuní, protecting the rights of the indigenous tribes living in voluntary isolation, and preventing further ozone depletion by increased greenhouse gas emissions. Drilling for oil in Yasuní would release 400 million metric tons of carbon dioxide, and the associated deforestation would release another 800 million metric tons. Keeping the oil underground will contribute positively to the critical efforts to prevent permanent climate change. Meeting the fundraising goal of $100 million by the end of the year will be an important factor for Ecuador when deciding whether or not the project is viable and if the international community is vested enough in preserving this untouched ecosystem. Originally appealing to governments and international corporations only, the project is now accepting donations of all sizes in an effort to reach as many contributors as possible. Visit http://www.yasunisupport.org for more information and to contribute.
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Good practice crucial to prevent further spread of bee disease, says SAC expert A bee expert from SAC (Scottish Agricultural College) is warning bee keepers to remain vigilant to prevent the further spread of the bee disease Nosema ceranae, after confirmation of Scotland’s first ever cases was announced. Following the news from Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture (SASA) of the three confirmed cases, SAC Bee Advisory Officer Graeme Sharpe says beekeepers should ensure they recognise the signs of Nosema ceranae so it can be treated promptly. The key sign to look out for is soiling inside and on the front of a hive. Graeme also echoes SASA’s advice that good husbandry practices, such as sterilising or replacing the comb are vital in preventing the further spread of the disease.
Survey reveals only 1 in 250 fly-tipping offences are successfully prosecuted
Graeme said: “It was really inevitable that Nosema ceranae would be confirmed in Scotland sooner or later, given that many cases have already been recorded in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. “While the disease does not pose a risk to human health or to honey quality or safety, it is vital that it is prevented from spreading if we are to avoid the further decline of the honeybee. The disease shortens bees’ lifespan by affecting their digestion. There is a seasonal trend to infection, with low levels during summer, a small peak during autumn and a slow rise in infection in winter. In the early spring, levels of infection increase rapidly when brood-rearing starts and flight is limited due to low temperatures.” Any bee keeper who suspects their colony is affected by Nosema ceranae can contact Graeme for advice at SAC’s Ayr Disease Surveillance Centre on 01292 520318, or speak to SASA.
There needs to be an urgent review of the process for prosecuting fly-tipping offenders, according to Jason Mohr, MD and founder of AnyJunk, Britain’s largest rubbish clearance company, which has just released its 2011 Fly-tipping Report. Mr Mohr said their analysis – which is the result of a survey across England’s local council areas and London boroughs – found that whilst fly-tipping instances fell an encouraging 15% last year, they still cost the country £36m in clear-up costs and only a mere 0.4% were successfully prosecuted. “Less than 2,500 successful prosecutions out of 650,000 fly tipping incidents is such a low hit rate that it cannot be acting as a major deterrent to fly tippers. The laws and processes available to councils to prosecute fly tippers need to be reviewed urgently, because the current system isn’t working,” commented Mr Mohr. The Government’s recent Waste Policy Review 2011 includes an intention to introduce powers to seize vehicles of fly tippers and to review the penalties available, including offenders clearing up items they’ve dumped. “Although I’m glad to see fly tipping mentioned in the Review”, says Mr Mohr, “surely the first thing to improve is the prosecution process itself rather than the penalties following a prosecution - because so few cases are actually getting to the penalty stage? Relying on the criminal justice system to deal with fly tipping imposes a much higher burden of proof, is slow and expensive, and evidently isn’t delivering an appropriate success rate. Perhaps a better solution would be to enable councils to prosecute directly through civil actions (similar to the fixed penalty structure used for parking offences). Fly tipping is a pretty straightforward crime – dumping waste somewhere that’s not licensed to receive it. We need a system of policing it that is just as simple,” recommends Mr Mohr, a qualified solicitor. |24| ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE
Goodbye cold corners. Hello Hot. Dyson Hot™ fan heater warms up every part of the room – fast
Conventional heaters have some limitations as they can’t always heat a whole room quickly. Central heating can sometimes be inefficient as energy is wasted heating the whole house. The Dyson Hot™ fan is engineered to heat the room quickly and evenly; it can be set between 1 and 37 degrees Celsius to heat a room. When the desired temperature is reached it monitors the room temperature by measuring the surrounding air. If a drop is detected, the heater turns back on to maintain the set temperature.
Industry seal of approval for Solarlec
Lancashire solar energy company Solarlec James Dyson says: “Other fan heaters rely on inefficient motors or got the thumbs up from the Microgeneration dust friendly grills. As the heat rises you’re left with a partially heated Certification Scheme in their annual review this room and a worrying burning smell. Dyson engineers have developed week. a heater that produces no smell and heats the whole room”. It took a team of 22 engineers - including experts in thermo dynamics and fluid mechanics - over three years researching, developing and testing Dyson’s patented Air Multiplier™ technology for its application in a heater. Using patented Air Multiplier™ technology, air is drawn in through a mixed flow impeller, a combination of the technologies used in turbochargers and jet engines. It is then accelerated through a 2.5mm aperture (the thickness of a £2 coin) set within the loop amplifier. This creates a jet of hot air which passes over an airfoilshaped ramp channelling its direction. Surrounding air is drawn into the airflow, amplifying it 6 times in a process known as inducement and entrainment. Finally, unlike conventional heaters it has a dualmode function as a cooling fan saving the cost of 2 appliances. |26| ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE
The ELECSA carried out a full assessment at Solarlec’s premises on behalf of the MCS and confirmed the company’s status as an official provider of solar PV panel systems for another 12 months. Customers must make sure solar panel companies have official MCS certification to qualify for feed-in tariff payments from their energy supplier through the government’s clean energy cashback scheme. Director Ged Rowbottom said: “Being MCSapproved is crucial for any legitimate solar panel company and we’re delighted to have passed with flying colours for another year. Our entire team has worked tirelessly over the past 12 months and this review is proof of our dedication and commitment. We look forward to another fantastic year of providing excellent service to many more satisfied customers across the country.” A spokesman for MCS said: “A good standard of work was seen at the Solarlec office and an equally high standard at a ‘difficult’ installation. Solarlec has embraced the MCS methodology and high standards of professionalism.” Solarlec, winner of Burnley Small Business of the Year 2011, installs more than 1,000 panels every month across the UK.
The Plastics Industry Welcomes The Eu Resource Efficiency Roadmap And Take This Opportunity To Request Once Again Appropriate Policies To Achieve Zero Landfill For Plastic Waste In 2020 PlasticsEurope, the trade association representing the European plastics manufacturers, welcomes the Roadmap to resource efficiency published by the European Commission and particularly the focus on the environmental impact of products and services over their life-cycle and on treating waste as a valuable resource. PlasticsEurope also welcomes the emphasis in the Roadmap on developing a common methodology to assess the impact of products and materials over their life cycle. The plastics industry was one of the first sectors to focus in detail on lifecycle assessments of its products and has a long standing tradition in providing eco-profiles and environmental product declaration for its materials. “The plastics industry is committed to contributing to Europe’s resource efficiency by promoting the use of plastics in insulation, packaging, and transport; by developing innovative sustainable applications for its products and by promoting best practice in recycling and energy recovery” said Wilfried Haensel, PlasticsEurope Executive Director. PlasticsEurope also fully supports the goal of the EU to eliminating landfill in Europe by 2020 as one of the most effective means of improving resource efficiency in Europe, in particular for plastics. As such, PlasticsEurope would welcome better enforcement of existing European legislation in this area. The experience in several EU countries has demonstrated the environmental and economic value of moving away from landfill and treating waste as a resource. The onus is on other EU Member States to follow their lead and to stimulate demand for recycled materials through economic incentives.
Smurfit Kappa Recycling, And Its Parent Organisation Smurfit Kappa Paper Uk, Have Gained The Highly Acclaimed Carbon Trust Standard For Their National Paper Recycling And Manufacturing Operations. The Carbon Trust Standard is the world’s first carbon award that requires an organisation to measure, manage and reduce its carbon footprint and make real reductions year-on-year. Unlike other award schemes, organisations are rewarded for actions they have taken to cut carbon across their own operations and improve the environment. To gain Carbon Trust Standard, Smurfit Kappa Paper showed a 12.9% reduction of tCO2e/£mn (Tonnes of CO2 equivalent, the standard measurement for describing how much global warming a given type and amount of greenhouse gas may cause). Over the two-year period of assessment, Smurfit Kappa Recycling reduced its consumption of electricity, gas and oil. The integration of the company’s transport fleets has also significantly improved transport efficiencies. By sharing information the organisation has been able to maximise vehicle capacity and minimise trips with more multi-point collections and greater use of back hauling to recover material for recycling. Other improvements at the UK paper division included improvements to stock preparation and pulpers to reduce energy consumption and the installation of a water treatment plant at the Smurfit Kappa SSK paper mill in Nechells, Birmingham. The new water treatment plant generates Biogas to be used at the mill to create heat. The award, coupled with Smurfit Kappa’s commitment to engaging with the local communities it works alongside, identifies it as a leader in the field of corporate and social responsibility and one of the UK’s key environmental innovators. Smurfit Kappa’s gaining the Carbon Trust Standard follows a number of other sustainability landmarks achieved by the company including the award of Coca-Cola Enterprises’ 2010 Supplier Award for ‘Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability Supplier’ and Unilever Partner to Win, 2011 supplier awards in the ‘Winning through Sustainability’ category.
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CHILDREN TEACHING GROWN-UPS A LESSON OR TWO ABOUT GREEN ISSUES New report shows that parents “could do better” Children are resorting to “green pester power”, pushing their parents to act more sustainably – and their efforts are paying off, according to a new report published this week by The Co-operative. Half of parents say they struggle to answer their children’s questions about green issues – more than half for instance, incorrectly put the blame for climate change on carbon monoxide. But six in ten say their children are persuading them to be greener, with recycling, conserving water and leaving the car at home among the things their offspring are asking them to do most often…and when they’re pressured, 95 per cent of them change their behaviour as a result. The study has been published by The Co-operative, to mark the official launch of its Green Schools Revolution (GSR) educational programme, which forms part of its groundbreaking Ethical Plan. The programme will meet the needs of information-hungry children, who rate green issues a close third in terms of learning priorities just behind Maths and English. More than four in five parents believe their children learn more about the environment at school than they did – two in five say they were taught nothing about the issues at all. The Co-operative Group says it has been “overwhelmed” by the pre-registration demand for the programme’s range of teaching materials from more than 2,500 primary and secondary schools across the UK, caring for over one million children.
Jimmy Doherty with the help of school pupils and twin sisters Freya and Molly Bland launch The Co-operative's Green Schools Revolution
Paul Monaghan, Head of Sustainability at the Cooperative Group said: “We are lucky that our youngsters have such a tremendous appetite to learn more about green issues and make a difference. Through our Green Schools Revolution programme, we hope to do our bit to help the thousands of switched on teachers who want to ensure the next generation are better equipped for the challenge of building a more sustainable world. However, parents aren’t off the hook – clearly they need extra homework and the programme will put children in a good position to teach them.” Farmer and television presenter, Jimmy Doherty helped to launch the programme with the help of schoolchildren at a London primary school. He said: “As a parent, a farmer, and an enthusiastic advocate of sustainable living, I think it is vitally important to educate our children about green issues from an early age. I’ve been passionate about the environment since I was a teenager, but back then there was little information around to inspire others to change, so I’m delighted to see that The Co-operative is launching its Green Schools Revolution programme, which offers so much to encourage children to consider their environmental impact as second nature.” All GSR schools across the country now have access to a wide range of free cross-curricular classroom resources and activities through www.greenschools.coop, giving young people and teachers the tools to inspire change in their schools, homes and local communities. ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE |29|
LARK ENERGY INSTALLS PV PANELS ON COUNCIL OFFICE ROOF
property and assets, said: “We are delighted that the panels have been installed. This is a win-win situation in terms of reducing our carbon emissions and for the council and residents of South Holland where we generate our own electricity.” Lark Energy focuses on developing and installing PV systems for commercial applications. This year alone the company has been responsible for the installation of over 30,000 PV panels on roof top and land projects.
Lark Energy has installed a 29 kWp solar photovoltaic (PV) system on the roof of South Holland District Council’s offices to help the local authority cut its carbon footprint.
Heddle is a multi-disciplined and family-owned group, providing a wide variety of construction, civil engineering, agricultural and materials handling services and is the only crane hire company on Orkney. Heddle will be celebrating their 40th anniversary next year.
Lark Energy installed a total of 126 photovoltaic panels on the roof of the council headquarters in Spalding, Lincolnshire which will produce approximately 24.87MWh of electricity over the course of a year. This will enable the council to save a substantial amount from its electricity bills and significantly reduce its carbon emissions. The council will also generate income from selling the surplus electricity produced by the PV panels to the National Grid as part of the government’s Feed In Tariff scheme.
A growing need for higher, longer reach and heavier lifting capabilities has prompted heddle to make this investment, once again turning to Liebherr for their requirements. The LTM 1220-5.2 is equipped with a 60 metres main telescoping boom and a 12.20-22 metres swing-away fly-jib with a 0º, 22.5º and 45º degree off-set. Heddle’s new crane provides lift heights, working radii and heavylift capacities that are more than capable of fulfilling the current workload and future lifting tasks, as heddle gains increasing contracts in the marine support and renewable energy markets. Commenting on their new acquisition, director Derek Heddle said “We are very much planning for the future in buying this crane and it has already been proving its worth in precision lifts at both height and radius. We’ve been running 40 and 60 tonnes capacity Liebherr mobiles in our fleet for many years and this new acquisition is very much our flagship, adding an extra dimension to our capabilities.”
Lark Energy managed the project and oversaw the installation which took only three weeks to complete. Most of the PV panels were installed on south facing areas on the newest parts of the office building and will provide much of its electricity needs. South Holland District Councillor Howard Johnson, portfolio holder for the council’s
HEDDLE CONSTRUCTION ADDS ANOTHER LIEBHERR MOBILE CRANE TO THE HIRE FLEET Orkney’s well-known heddle construction has been a Liebherr mobile crane owner for over 20 years and, in a recent major investment, has added a 220 tonnes capacity LTM 12205.2 mobile crane to their hire fleet. Not only is heddle’s crane hire fleet exclusively comprised of Liebherr models but this is now the largest mobile crane available for work on Orkney. |30| ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE
Six new 'pylons for the future' are currently on display at the V&A museum in London, after energy and climate change minister, Chris Huhne, unveiled them to the public. The scale models showcase the work of the six finalists in a national competition that invited entrants to imagine what Britain’s new electricity pylons could look like. The aim was to find a design that would balance future energy needs with visual impact. There are more than 88,000 pylons in the UK and the competition was launched by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) and National Grid, to find a potential replacement for the classic steel lattice designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield in the 1920s. The search for a new design is part of a larger review by National Grid into the best ways to distribute electricity from a new generation of low-carbon power sources such as wind farms, to businesses, factories and homes.
Call for Entries for 2012 Environment and Energy Awards The Environment and Energy Awards 2012 are now open for entries. Time again to shout about your achievements! Did you develop a new innovative product that helps companies reduce their energy usage? Have you recently worked on a project that helped implement new environmental policies or improved your company’s environmental footprint? Then you should enter the Environment and Energy Awards now! http://www.sustainabilitylive.com/enternow Entry deadline: Friday 13th January 2012
The chosen designer will receive a £10,000 prize and be given 'serious consideration' for future use by National Grid. Mr Huhne commented: "Britain will see the equivalent of 20 new power stations constructed by 2020… We must make sure that we take into account the visual impact on the landscape and also the view of the public, and this is what the pylon design competition is all about." National Grid has been under pressure to lay electricity cables underground rather than build new pylons in picturesque landscapes, but the company estimates that undergrounding would cost between £18 million and £22 million per kilometre, compared to £1.6 million to £1.8 million for overhead cables. This means that a range of methods is likely to be used. Nick Winser, National Grid's UK executive director said: "Connecting Britain's new power stations to our homes and businesses will be one of the great infrastructure challenges of the next decade and beyond. Through the use of new technology, pylon design, extensive consultation and undergrounding where appropriate, our new approach will ensure we consider very seriously the visual impact of new transmission lines." ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE |31|
New Technology Holds The Key To Reducing Food Waste. Recently announced guidance for food labelling may well remove consumer confusion over date coding systems for food and it should ultimately reduce the amount of food being unnecessarily thrown away prematurely.
‘Call to Action’ for the consumer which will positively encourage timely food consumption and reduce the tendency for products to be neglected and kept beyond their use by dates.
In an attempt to tackle the annual £12bn of food waste, the government has suggested that simplification is the answer. Caroline Spelman, Secretary of State for the Environment said: “We want to simplify this so that you can see when a food should be ‘used by’ for food safety reasons, if it’s perishable. Then we want ‘best before’ as an alternative for foods that simply deteriorate in quality.” The removal of ‘sell by’ and ‘display until’ dates, may well reduce confusion for consumers but will it make them any more likely to check when the food they have bought is about to go off?
Oli-Tec™ is both time and temperature sensitive, and can therefore present accurate Best Before and Use By dates that account for actual storage conditions. This highly sophisticated labelling solution is set to revolutionise the industry and help remove waste from the economy. The Oli-Tec™ label will be available in a variety of shapes and sizes to suit a range of applications. Originally developed for fresh products it can now also be used with a delayed activation for Jars, Bottles and Packets. The label can be activated at the first point of opening and colour changes triggered by the ‘open life’ of the product. A spokesman for Oli-Tec said: “This label solution combines state of the art technology with simple visual display that everyone can understand. Millions of tonnes of unnecessary waste will be avoided through the use of intelligent labels that match the life of products”, adding “Retailers and manufacturers have relied on simple date codes for far too long, because there was no alternative. Now a solution exists that can only help consumers to use more of the food they buy”.
The date codes on food packaging only work if the consumer regularly checks what food is in date and what is about to go out of date, and presume that the consumer has stored the product in the correct environment. Aside from the challenges of having multiple products with various date descriptions, the reality of modern life is that we just don’t check food until it’s too late. A technology has been developed over the last 8 years that may well provide the answer to the problem of food waste. Oli-Tec™ is a patent protected Time and Temperature Indicator Label (TTi), planned for release to the food retail market early 2012. It will provide the consumer with userfriendly ‘Best Before’ and ‘Use By’ dates, presented in a clear and easy to understand way. The Oli-Tec™ labelling system uses a traffic light display to show the freshness of food. The three colours change to reflect the actual condition of the product to which the label is applied. The label is ‘Green’ when the product is ‘Good to Consume’, it turns ‘Amber’ when the ‘Best Before’ date has been passed, and ‘Red’ when the ‘Use By’ date has arrived. Simple and easy to recognise visual indicators that help consumers to quickly identify what needs to be used and when. The Amber ‘Best Before’ indicator phase is key to the process, as it is a |32| ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE
Interest in the Oli-Tec™ label has been understandably high, with retailers and brands keen to explore the possibilities of using the technology on their products and in the supply chain. The international consortium responsible for the development of Oli-Tec™ includes investors, machinery manufacturers, label producers and retail experts. Together they have created the World’s first truly accurate food freshness indicator label.
TERBERG TECHNOLOGY PROVIDES VIRIDOR WITH TRIPLE WASTE STREAM COLLECTION VEHICLE WITH WEIGHING
Terberg Matec’s technology has been brought to the fore to help provide one of the UK’s most advanced recycling vehicle solutions as part of Terberg’s continuing partnership with Viridor. The innovative vehicle will enable Viridor to provide a groundbreaking recycling service as part of their contract with MediaCityUK in Manchester. The MediaCityUK community includes such high profile clients as the BBC, ITV, Coronation Street, SIS and the University of Salford. The triple stream recycling vehicle is the first of its kind in the UK and makes it possible to weigh, identify and collect three waste streams in one pass with complete segregation and without cross-contamination of each of the streams. Viridor, one of the UK’s leading recycling, waste management and renewable energy companies, has invested £250,000 in the unique vehicle as part of their continued partnership with Terberg Matec.
MediaCityUK. To be involved in such a high profile and technologically advanced project speaks volumes about our products. We have always believed our solutions provide the only true one-stop shop solution for lifting, weighing, identification and data collation. This vehicle is testament to that belief. We are confident that the solution chosen by Viridor will deliver the results required and further cement the successful working partnership between our two companies.”
Mark Mansfield, Manager at Viridor’s Trafford Park facility said; “This new vehicle is the first of its kind in the country and is also the first multi-collection vehicle that Viridor has invested in. Each of the vehicle’s three compartments is fitted with Terberg’s advanced bin weighing and container recognition systems. This advanced system will provide real-time information for our customers about how much they are recycling and help them to do more”. Rob Colby, Commercial Director for Terberg Matec, commented: “We are delighted to have been chosen to partner Viridor on this project. In addition to Terberg bin lift equipment they have also selected our weighing, identification and telematics solutions to support their contract with ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE |33|
Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), the USAbased green building rating system. The development’s mosques and a number of residential buildings throughout the project will also achieve certification under the Qatar Sustainability Assessment System. Designed by Allies & Morrison, John McAslan + Partners, Adjaye Associates and Mossessian and Partners, Msheireb Downtown is expected to be completed in 2016 following an investment in excess of £3bn. The project will support Qatar’s Vision 2030 initiative, which aims to transform Qatar into a sustainable country by improving four key areas: human, social, environmental and economic development. Three vertical chutes for organic waste, dry waste and mixed recyclables will be installed in every residential building with three waste inlets located on each floor.
ENVAC TO REPLICATE WEMBLEY CITY SUCCESS IN DOWNTOWN DOHA
Similar to Quintain Estates & Development plc’s Wembley City development, once waste is in the pipe network it will be sucked up to speeds of 70kph through distances as long as 2km to a central waste station. Diverting valves will ensure that each waste stream does not mix and is channelled into its correct container to be taken away by the development’s waste management partner.
The UK’s only underground vacuum waste management system, Envac, has been appointed waste management partner for the • MCERTS, air pollution and odour control prestigious Msheireb Downtown project – a 31-hectare urban • Spill control, including oil spills mixed-use regeneration project in Doha, Qatar. • Waste as a resource, waste to energy Envac will manage the waste for almost 100 buildings and their • Zero waste • New technologies public spaces. The buildings include offices, residential and civic developments, retail outlets, three hotels, three mosques, • Green transport a school and commercial property spanning the entire site. The • Recycling • Alternative fuels decision to partner with Envac will help Msheireb Properties achieve their goal of securing Gold rating with Leadership in
Faversham House Announces That The Call For Papers For et 2012 is Now Open. The 2012 programme will be more driven by research and market desires than in previous years and will focus on the areas of sustainability that are most relevant. Although interested in hearing about other topics, the Environmental Technology team would particularly like to receive papers based on the following:
At the centre of ET 2012 is its unique conference programme which is free to attend and is one of the most popular elements of the show. It will offer you the opportunity to voice your opinions or expertise on leading industry topics, increasing your presence in the market place. For entry into the 2012 seminar programme, papers should be submitted by Friday November 4, 2011 via www.sustainabilitylive.com/ETcallforpaper/. Or for more information contact Antonia Webster, Marketing Executive, on 020 8651 7069 or at antonia. webster@fav-house.com.
• Commercial and industrial waste management • Electric vehicles • Legislation ET, the UK’s leading environmental technologies • Managing different types of waste, including WEEE, hazardous exhibition, is part of Sustainabilitylive! which takes waste and packaging place on 22 – 24 May 2012 at the NEC Birmingham. • Managing quality of waste |34| ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE
HUHNE: MORE TEETH FOR OFGEM, MORE RIGHTS FOR ENERGY CONSUMERS Energy Secretary Chris Huhne has put forward key measures to give energy consumers more protection and beef up the powers of energy regulator Ofgem, with implementation of the EU Third Package on energy and additional work on consumer redress and collective energy purchasing: • Companies will no longer to be able block action by energy regulator Ofgem by forcing it to seek a second opinion from the Competition Commission – a process that can take a year. Instead Ofgem will be able to go ahead with its decisions and there will be a right of appeal which will also be open to small energy companies and Consumer Focus (or its successor body). This change is due to come into force by the end of the year, subject to Parliamentary approval of regulations implementing the EU Third Energy Package. • The Government is also considering giving Ofgem new powers to require energy companies to provide consumer redress when consumers have lost out as a result of a company breaching a licence condition. Redress would include refunding customers directly or requiring the company to pay into funds that benefit consumers. This would be in addition to Ofgem’s current powers to fine companies up to 10% of their annual turnover, and would be unlimited. • Energy Secretary Chris Huhne is calling on Ofgem to assess whether competition is being hindered by some energy companies who have high energy prices for millions of their consumers, and yet offer much cheaper online deals that make it difficult for small suppliers to compete. • Customers who wish to change energy supplier will have the right to be switched within three weeks once their cooling-off period has elapsed. Energy suppliers will be under a new obligation to speed up their switching processes. Ofgem will oversee this process. New rules will also mean that energy suppliers will have to give customers guidance, known as the ‘Consumer Checklist’, which the Government has asked consumer watchdog Consumer Focus to compile and update. This will tell customers what their rights are and help them understand what they should expect from their energy supplier. These measures also form part of implementation of the EU Third Energy Package. • The Government and energy suppliers have agreed in principle to ensure consumers know if their supplier has cheaper tariffs. Suppliers have agreed in principle to signpost consumers to cheaper deals information this
winter, and we intend that by next year more bespoke information will be displayed on the bill itself. • A working group on collective purchasing and switching in energy will be established to examine the potential for collective purchasing and switching in the energy market and review any barriers to helping consumers come together and get a better deal. In addition, the Secretary of State has announced that up to £35 million has been earmarked for innovations to drive down the costs of saving energy and reducing carbon emissions in homes and businesses. The Spending Review of November 2010 announced funding of over £200 million for low carbon technologies over four financial years, from April 2011. This includes up to £60 million for the development of offshore wind manufacturing at port sites. The remaining Capital funding will support innovation in low carbon technologies and systems. Up to £30m of that budget has been earmarked for an innovation programme to reduce the costs of off-shore wind and up to £20m for a programme of support for marine energy. A further allocation of up £35m has now been earmarked to support the development and demonstration of innovative technologies and systems that can reduce carbon emissions from buildings. This funding will help drive down the costs of saving and generating energy in domestic and non-domestic buildings and increase the number of properties that can benefit from savings on their energy bills. Commitment of the earmarked funding remains subject to further value for money assessments. These programmes will be further developed, in consultation with industry and developers, over the coming months and more details will be announced before the end of this financial year. Details of the allocation of the remaining budget to support innovation in other low carbon technologies will follow later in the year. The new Energy Efficiency Deployment Office will be established within DECC to provide a wider energy efficiency strategy based on evidence and analysis, strong programme management and a joined up view of the offer to the customer. Establishment of the Office, with its own chairman and director, follows the model in DECC for renewable energy deployment, carbon capture and storage, and nuclear development, and reflects the priority the Government places on energy efficiency in delivering its energy and climate change policies. ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE |35|
TALES FROM THE NETWORK RAIL APPOINTS NEW ROLE OF FREIGHT DIRECTOR Network Rail has announced the appointment of Tim Robinson to a new role as director of freight. Mr Robinson is currently managing director of infrastructure investor, GIS and interim commercial director at GB Railfreight. Reporting to Network Rail’s managing director, network operations, Robin Gisby, Mr Robinson will be responsible for developing the network for freight and managing key customer relationships with freight operators. He will also work with Network Rail’s strategy team on strategy and development of the network.
Accsys Technologies Wins Market Development Award 2011 Accsys Technologies enjoyed a successful day at the Timber Trade Journal Awards as they picked up the Market Development Award 2011, The Award, sponsored by TRADA Technology and Timber Expo, honoured the remarkable expansion of Accsys Technologies’ Accoya wood over the past twelve months. Accsys were also shortlisted for the Website of the Year, and Excellence in Marketing Awards. Paul Clegg, CEO of Accsys Technologies said “We are really proud to have won this Award; a lot of hard work has been undertaken within the business for us to achieve this. These are extremely exciting times for Accsys Technologies; Accoya wood continues to go from strength to strength
Tim Bessex joins as Sales Director for Rotork Controls Ltd
Rotork, the global specialist in flow control, is pleased to announce the appointment of a new Sales Director, Tim Bessex. Tim will be based at Rotork’s head office in Bath and will be responsible for global sales for Rotork Controls, the electric valve actuation division. He will be building on the success of Rotork’s current sales position by creating a sales strategy for his team to adopt as well as working closely with the other divisions within Rotork. Tim takes over from Carlos Elvira who has moved to his new position as Group Sales Director. With over 17 years of sales experience with a motion and fluid control technology company, Tim brings a wealth of knowledge to the business.
Former Sustain editor joins Chelgate Former editor of Sustain Magazine, Jim McClelland, has joined Chelgate, as a senior consultant. With over 20 years’ experience in magazine publishing, the majority of that time spent editing journals for the built environment and sustainability sectors, Jim will contribute to Chelgate’s specialist environment, renewable energy and built environment teams. As well as founding and editing Sustain Magazine, Jim’s portfolio ranges from local newspapers, through regional and national periodicals and on to yearbooks and in-depth special reports. Freelance work has included articles authored specifically for blue-chip global organisations, or international markets via the Foreign & Commonwealth Office. Jim recently had work featured in supplements for The Times, and has contributed to features in The Sunday Times, The Guardian and The Daily Telegraph. He has also been interviewed on TV and radio.
BRITAIN’S OLDEST JCB DIGGER DRIVER VOWS TO WORK TO 100 Experienced hydrologist joins SLR Consulting Leading environmental firm SLR Consulting has expanded its hydrology expertise with the appointment of Associate Gregor Muirhead. With over seven years post graduate consultancy experience, he specialises in providing solutions in highly flood sensitive and drainage constrained environments while maximising developable land, providing the necessary statutory/planning requirements. Gregor is experienced in all stages of the planning and design process from initial feasibility studies and conceptual master planning through to the detailed design, consent process, construction supervision and project completion sign off stage. He is tasked at SLR with managing a range of hydrology related projects providing flood risk and drainage professional advice to both private and public sector clients. |36| ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE
Evergreen handyman George Evans has become Britain’s oldest digger driver after investing in a brand new JCB excavator - at the grand old age of 92. Having already built his own house single-handedly, the WWII veteran is taking his non-stop DIY exploits to a new level by landscaping his back garden in Frankley, Birmingham and has bought a JCB 8008 micro excavator to carry out the work. Grandfather-of-two George, who was injured twice during his war service, said: “Hard work and staying active is the secret of my good health. The JCB machine is my Godsend. With its help I aim to be still working on the garden at the age of 100.” JCB’s UK and Ireland Sales Director Yvette Henshall-Bell said: “George is without doubt JCB’s oldest customer and the oldest driver of a JCB excavator in the UK. We are delighted he has once again invested in a brand new JCB machine and look forward to him placing a further order in the future.”
WATERCOOLER.... Four New Graduates Receive Top Forestry Award Four forestry and arboriculture degree graduates have got their new careers off to a flying start, winning Best Student awards from the Institute of Chartered Foresters (ICF). The ICF’s prestigious Best Student Award recognises the brightest students graduating with forestry and arboriculture degrees across the UK. Winners receive a cheque from the ICF together with a Best Student Award certificate presented by ICF chartered members, who are leading professionals in forestry and arboriculture. The four graduate winners were: James Shallcross from The National School of Forestry in Cumbria, Gavin Ruckledge from Myerscough College, Scott Jackson from The University of Bangor, and Niall Duncan from The University of Aberdeen.
HotRot Organic Solutions expands its operations team with a new Project Manager HotRot Organic Solutions has expanded its operations team by appointing a new Project Manager to help deliver the organisation’s ambitious growth plans. Alberto Sansone joins the experienced HotRot UK team as the organisation completes the commissioning phases for an in-vessel composting facility in Norfolk and specialised waste water ‘grit and screenings’ plant in Kent. Alberto’s career history fits perfectly with HotRot’s services. As a qualified engineer, Alberto has previously led research studies in Malta which tackle the growing solid waste problem, together with projects to protect vital ground water supplies on the Mediterranean island. Alberto also completed his Masters course in Advanced Energy and Environmental Studies earlier this year.
AECOM appoints Dr Ruth Golombok as Technical Director, Environment AECOM has appointed Dr Ruth Golombok as Technical Director within Environment based in Cambridge, with specific responsibility to design and undertake Environmental and Social Impact Assessments (ESIAs) on international development projects and a focus on Africa and CIS. Ruth has over 20 years industry experience and is a recognised leading expert in ESIAs, with particular expertise in the mining, oil, water and transport sectors. She has undertaken such studies in over 20 countries in accordance with requirements of national governments, industry associations and various funding agencies, including all major International Financial Institutions. A Member of the Chartered Institute of Water and Environmental Management Ruth joined WS Atkins in 2005 as an Associate Director and previously worked at Scott Wilson and the United National Environment Programme.
EXPERIENCED FLEET PROFESSIONAL JOINS FLEET OPERATIONS TO OVERSEE MAJOR UK AND EUROPEAN EXPANSION Fleet Operations, has moved up another gear with the appointment of experienced fleet professional Mike Roe. Mr Roe, with 25 years fleet industry experience, has been appointed Managing Director of Fleet Operations and the organisation’s sister business, EuroFleeting, with responsibility for dayto-day business management and growth. Meanwhile, company founder and previous managing director Ross Jackson moves to the new position of Chief Executive and will take a more strategic approach to business expansion both in the UK and across Europe.
Smurfit Kappa Recycling and Birmingham City Council win prestigious Euro-recycling award Birmingham City Council and paper recycler Smurfit Kappa Recycling have scooped a prestigious European award in recognition of the impact of a recent campaign to encourage more of the public and businesses to take part in paper and cardboard recycling. The Be Part of Birmingham’s Paper Chain campaign, a joint initiative between the Council, Smurfit Kappa Recycling and WRAP, won the best information and education category at the 2011 European Recovered Paper Council Awards in Brussels. The award acknowledged the significant impact of a special campaign targeting over 93,000 homes in areas of the city where paper recycling rates are generally lower than elsewhere. The campaign not only encouraged people to recycle more, but also explained how paper is recycled locally at Smurfit Kappa’s paper mill in Nechells, and what the benefits of this are. Birmingham provides the feedstock for the paper mill and Smurfit Kappa contributes to the local economy providing employment for 130 people and many more in the city in ancillary roles. The mill provides a constant, reliable outlet for the City’s collected paper and its proximity ensures carbon emissions are kept to a minimum. ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE |37|
Material mis-use? Miracle going wrong? By Lucy Danger, Emerge Have a guess: What material is all around us, is used with abandon for multiple uses from the essential to the banal, whilst being conveniently forgotten to be from a finite resource? You know it, you use it constantly – that amazingly versatile, resilient and useful product which at one and the same time has associations with negatively impacting on the health of living organisms, it’s plastic! We used around 4.7 million tonnes of plastic in the UK in 2001 of which nearly 3 million tonnes was thrown away; 35% was for packaging purposes. Plastic makes up 7% of the average household bin – and for most of us, only the plastic bottle fraction can be recycled as these can be easily identified, collected and processed. The rest, mainly containers and packaging, goes to landfill or gets burnt in an incinerator. The stuff produced by households is typically more challenging to collect, sort and recycle due to the many different types, the contamination levels (partly due to the usages for plastic packaging, especially foodstuffs) and resale values, hence part of the reason why only 26% of councils formally offer mixed plastic collections for recycling and why there is currently only one dedicated plant recycling it in Redcar. Whilst the convenience factor is a compelling reason to continue to use plastics, surely it’s a false economy to fritter this by-product of oil away given that reserves are relatively limited in the medium term and the polluting impacts on the natural environment and arguably on human and animal life is highly questionable (check out phthalates and organochlorines for yourself). What would the alternatives really be though, and would they be truly viable? Reuseable tubs, bags, back to more paper/card based packaging as of old? Not impossible? Bio-plastics – packaging made from plants – could be another option, except that growing crops |38| ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE
for packaging purposes takes up valuable food growing space… It’s encouraging that Karolina Fras, of the EC’s Environment Directorate and responsible for overseeing compliance by member states with the revised Waste Framework Directive was recently reported in Resource magazine as having identified plastic as a high priority for waste prevention indicators and initiatives (alongside bio and hazardous wastes); also that here in Britannia, WRAP has established a Mixed Plastic Loan Fund to help expand reprocessing capacity. In sunny Manchester EMERGE 3Rs is busy engaging individuals to become ‘Zero Waste Champions’ – to identify what’s in the bin and help find ways to reduce our waste. Not surprisingly, plastic is a big issue and challenge for all of us. All this and more will be debated at our event entitled ‘The Future of Plastic Packaging?’ on November 24th at Brazennose House West, Brazennose Street in central Manchester 6-7pm following EMERGE’s AGM. Please call Nicola at EMERGE on 0161 223 8200 or volunteering@ emergemanchester.co.uk to book a place, sign up to be a Zero Waste Champion, become a supporter or volunteer.
OUR TEMPORARY WAY STATION It was one of those glorious days that - despite our national penchant for meteorological complaint – we have quite often in our green and pleasant land. This particular day was in late September. Country lanes in Kent, the colours of Autumn beginning to make themselves known, the warm sunshine dappling through the trees; I’m sure you get the picture. It struck me that there I was, in a paradise. All I needed was Elgar to have been drifting in the air perhaps from some distant radio, and I would have been in a very British rapture. It really was that powerful. It’s funny how things sometimes connect. A few days later I got embroiled in a discussion about religion. I know one is well advised to avoid such matters, but I simply couldn’t keep my trap shut when having innocently commented on the wonderful walk I had and the fantastic colours of Autumn. A fairly vociferous guy in our company said that we had God to thank for that, and if ever there was proof of God needed by Dawkins and his kind, he need only open his eyes ‘as you have done’. Quite how he’d got from a lovely walk in Kent to my having opened my eyes to the works of God quite escaped me. It was a Billy Connolly moment, and right then I wished dearly that he could have been there. Now the wise thing to do here is nod quietly and then deftly pick up the thread of another conversation. He would have taken the nods and lack of response as a quiet and powerful assent, and that would have been it. There were a good half dozen of us, so it wouldn’t have been difficult. However for whatever reason – I didn’t. “But I thought as far as you and ‘your kind’ were concerned, this is just a temporary way station to be used and abused until you get to heaven?” What ensued was a light and utterly pointless argument which ended on our agreeing to disagree. I consider him to be a closed and deluded mind, and he no doubt has me down as the spawn of some devil or other, but there we left it. This got me to thinking about the concept of Paradise. It seems to me that the Abrahamic religions have a consistent basis in that the life we are living now is some kind of test, where we will be observed and later judged. Those – and only those - who have accepted God or Allah will be transported to Paradise where, variously, the lion will lay down with the lamb or one will enjoy carnal
pleasures beyond anything possible here on Earth. For all eternity, mark you. There is to be a day of judgment, a final war, a day of rapture – and so on. The Jews have their views on this, the Muslims another, and the Christians have dozens depending on denomination. The Calvinists, for example, are certain that our fates are predetermined and only 144,000 of us are destined for heaven. So what of our sunshine-dappled Autumn leaves? What of the vast and wonderful diversity of species and eco-systems on this beautiful planet of ours? Well – that’s all there for us to use. It belongs to us, given by God, so we can eat, build, mine, extract, farm, catch, expand and so on. To use the biblical term, we have ‘dominion’ over it. This is what we have been brought up to believe. I cannot for the life of me grasp how any sentient being can possibly agree with any creed that inherently states that it is perfectly alright to destroy your habitat. No matter what is promised for the afterlife, no matter what heavenly state is to come, no matter how many virgins there are to tend to your carnal desires (what about the ladies?), what possible sense could it make to damage and destroy the place on which our descendants are to depend? I leave you with a passage by Donald G. Kaufman and Cecilia M. Franz from Biosphere 2000: Protecting Our Global Environment, 1996: Christianity, with its roots in Judaism, was a major factor in the development of the Western worldview.... A basic belief was that God gave humans dominion over creation, with the freedom to use the environment as they saw fit. Another important Judeo-Christian belief predicted that God would bring a cataclysmic end to the Earth sometime in the future. One interpretation of this belief is that the Earth is only a temporary way station on the soul’s journey to the afterlife. Because these beliefs tended to devalue the natural world, they fostered attitudes and behaviours that had a negative effect on the environment. steve@stephenmgrant.com
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FOCUS: PAINT & COATINGS Page 44 - 46 Sustainability - Charlotte Yates & Brian Widdop, Crown Paints, Page 48 - 52 Defining Eco Paints - Bryan Roe, Paint Manager, GreenShop Group Page 53
Innovation in Paint - Brenda Peters, President, OCCA
Page 54 -56 Not Easy Being Green - Peter Davys, Orrest Page 58 - 61 Safe Use of Chemicals - Lisa Allen, REACHReady
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Advertising Feature
Gemini Dispersions - a truly recognised global supplier of products and services to the colour industries........
As the company continues to head positively into the future, Gemini Dispersions combines integrated expertise and premium products for its markets. The company's commitment is to meet and exceed customers’ expectations in all aspects, while focussing on the long term shared benefits that relationship management with its clients bring.
is proud to say that it has not looked back since DCC's acquisition and, as it continues its growth strategy, is now confident in saying it is one of the world leading Pigment Dispersion Manufacturers.
Gemini promotes a “can do� philosophy, not only in supplying the market directly, but in terms of fulfilling the need internally as a manufacturer.
Gemini manufactures a wide range of high quality water based, solvent based and some plasticiser pigment dispersions for almost any market where colour is used. For its overall success, Gemini believes that the dedicated efforts of its close knit management and staff continue to play a major role in its drive forward into new technologies and markets. Managing Director, Jon Rymer, believes that the continued success of Gemini is attributed to its employees and their spirit of inclusion across all aspects of the business.
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Since the acquisition by DCC, Gemini Dispersions has pushed forward into new markets, both technically and geographically. This has been due, in part, to much more aggressive sales & marketing campaigns into new application areas and new geographies, supported by excellent technical service and product development. With 'Coatings' as its main market, Gemini is also able to supplement its core product ranges with more tailor-made products, formulated to meet specific customer needs. These are aimed to fulfil all necessary technical requirements as well as focussing on providing best value for money and fitness for purpose.
Advertising Feature
As part of this plan, Gemini has developed several new product lines to add to the already extensive and market leading ranges that are the staple diet of its colour users. The GemSperse EX surfactant range remains unsurpassed for colour choice, and is probably the longest established VOC and NPE free range, with well over 60 Colour Index numbers available. Only introduced fully perhaps 3 years ago, its equivalent high end range GemSperse AX, has market focus, being based on an acrylic binder for diverse applications in inks, seed coatings, artist/children’s paints and many more. Additionally, Gemini has developed, TX for wood coating, UX for Solvent Based industrial and WX for Decorative Solvent based paints. Only recently, three complete new ranges have been added to Gemini’s already extensive portfolio, which now includes a range specifically designed for toys and other bespoke applications.
facility Gemini has small scale dispersion equipment that has been used for applications such as Digital inks, which has capability of producing some dispersions with particle size down as low as 85 Nanometres. Gemini has made real progress in recent years in meeting its strategic objective of being market driven, future focussed and dynamic, while consciously retaining and building on its reputation as a Global player in the field of Pigment Dispersions. With the backing of DCC, Gemini Dispersions is dedicated to dealing with customers as partners, which will ultimately determine its continued success in an increasingly challenging and demanding global market.
Under wraps at the moment, a significant programme of work is underway to develop a product series that will be used for the water-based Industrial sector and an entirely new range of universal dispersions. To meet the increasing demand on Dispersions, Gemini has at one end of the spectrum invested in large variable capacity twin shaft mixers. These new mixers will not only provide the opportunity to increase overall capacity significantly, but will assure even higher quality consistent premixes and hopefully will reduce the impact on the Environment by utilising lower energy levels in production. At the other end of the scale, investment has been made in a clean room facility that can cater for “speciality dispersions”, from low flash solvents through to more technically demanding water-based products. In this
Gemini Dispersions Limited Holt Mill Road, Waterfoot, Rossendale, Lancashire BB4 7JB England Tel: +44 (0) 1706 214751 Fax: +44 (0) 1706 218152
www.geminidispersions.com E-mail: sales@geminidispersions.com
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Sustainability Within The Coatings Industry. By Charlotte Yates, Sustainability Technology Officer, Crown Paints and Brian Widdop, Technical Director, Crown Paints
Sustainability and ‘eco’ or ‘green’ coatings are words that are commonly used with any new development in the coatings industry today. Every coatings company now has environmental policies, sustainability targets and specialist functions within their business. It is evident that larger coatings companies are particularly active in trying to establish themselves as industry leaders in environmental practices, to banish the confusion surrounding paints and to foster an understanding within our customers that we are responsible in our actions. But what do we actually mean? Since the 1980s sustainability has been used to refer to our human sustainability on Earth as quoted by the Brundtland Commission: “sustainable development is the development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”. It is widely recognized that to consume resources at the current rate is untenable. But when we talk about being ‘green’ there is a wealth of different understandings. When I think about ‘green’ I am reminded of the definition of Green Chemistry, a philosophy of chemical research and engineering that encourages the design of products and processes that minimize the use and generation of hazardous substances. This often gets confused and misinterpreted as ‘eco’ which simply refers to a more natural state. What exactly is a ‘Green’ paint? Every paint company has approached the concept of green paint in a different way; some have opted to increase content of renewable raw materials, some |44| ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE
transfer to water based systems and some, as Crown Paints has done, have committed to making carbon reductions across the entire product portfolio. In the growing number of claims how do we know who has the right approach? We can only say what we believe and comment on how we have approached our own sustainability initiatives. As understanding increases, and demand for evidence rises we are more and more confident that a holistic approach to the full lifecycle is necessary. To concentrate on only one aspect is to ignore the effect of the whole system. Of course, all harmful materials and processes should be avoided and renewable/ sustainable resources should be used wherever possible. The difficulty with some natural or sustainable products is that their total impact is sometimes greater than that of the synthetic alternative. Just because something is described as natural doesn’t necessarily mean that it has a low environmental burden. It’s noticeable, for example, that synthetic red oxides, used as pigments, have far less of an impact than natural red oxides. This is because synthetic red oxides are created as a by-product of another process whereas natural red oxides require a significant amount of energy to burn them before processing. So which do you choose? Our research into our own environmental performance has highlighted some interesting features. Aspects of our carbon footprint that we initially perceived to be high, such as transport and manufacture are surprisingly small in the scheme of things comprising typically less than 20% of a products carbon footprint. The other 80% is mainly generated in raw material production and occurs before the materials reach our plants. Of this
80% one of the main issues surrounds TiO2. TiO2 is essential to provide opacity. All paints, including those branded as natural or eco, contain TiO2 and there is currently no alternative that can provide the same level of performance. For this reason we have set ourselves ambitious carbon reduction targets, 10% by 2015 and 25% by 2020 and will only be achieved if we help our customers to make the right purchasing decisions based on environmental impact, product quality and durability and if we assist our suppliers to deliver lower impact products that maximise efficiency. The least environmental product is one that doesn’t work One of the key areas in assessing the environmental burden of a paint is its performance. The effectiveness of a product is just as important as the way it is made. A simple way to reduce the environmental impact is to reduce the levels of TiO2 in the formulation. This will undoubtedly lower the carbon footprint of a tin of paint, however the danger then is that the paint doesn’t perform as required and 4 or 5 coats are applied compared to the original 2 coats. Any improvements in the tin are totally negated in application. Any environmental claims should be supported by evidence and practical tests. In our opinion, functionality or performance is the essential starting criteria, and environmental impact, human health and substrate protection are given different values according to the application. For example, a paint on the outside of a building that has excellent performance would justify a higher environmental burden than an ordinary emulsion for use inside a house. Added functionality The idea that coatings companies are new to improving their environmental performance is a misconception. For many years coatings companies have been striving to develop their paints in a responsible way. It is right that all harmful materials and processes should be avoided and true that most coatings companies are working to remove those aspects of their processes well before legislation makes it compulsory. The recent changes in VOC legislation would suggest that VOC reduction was something enforced on the coatings industry, when in reality Breatheasy, our first zero added VOC paints was first introduced back in 2000.
Changing global demand has led to the adoption of an entirely new attitude within the UK Coatings Industry. Tony Mash, CEO, Sustainability Committee for the British Coatings Federation Back in 1996, the Coatings Care © indicators of manufacturing performance were created to encourage and track improvements in manufacturing performance. The Coatings Care© Programme was based on a chain of detailed standards for those working in the coatings industry to measure their performance. Since the programme was launched, the indicators have shown that energy used per tonne of product has more than halved; the percentage of waste sent to landfill has been reduced by 55 percent, and over the last decade there has been a steady decline in the volume of solvents purchased per tonne of production. But the BCF has pushed for further improvements in the UK and launched its own Sustainable Development Policy, which details members’ commitment to the principles of Sustainability in term of economic and social responsibility and economic viability. Last year, the BCF awarded their first ever Sustainable Innovation Award which recognises the efforts made by manufacturers to produce products that have a lower impact on the environment. The first recipient was NewLife Paint, a company specifically designed to breathe new life into leftover and unused paint. The process that founder Keith Harris uses is unique within Europe. As an experienced paint chemist, he can alter the characteristics such as gloss level by adding natural minerals to the existing waste stream, offering a greater control over the end product and increasing the saleability of the recycled paints when they go back out to market. The BCF will continue to review its own Sustainable Development Policy as well as play a key role in monitoring the Coatings Care © Indicators of Performance. The BCF is now working on a programme to help its members calculate the carbon footprints of coatings formulations in a consistent and easyto-use manner. The BCF recognises that the path to Sustainability is a lifelong journey and one which will continually evolve and adapt to changing global needs.
There is a whole range of new ideas and technologies born out of the desire to eliminate waste, remove hazardous processes and reduce environmental impact; water based alkyds, polyurethanes from recycled plastics and calcium carbonates from recycled paper to name just a few. These technologies are new and still under development, but it is easy to see that the coatings industry is pioneering some of the most exciting advances in sustainable materials. ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE |45|
It’s not just the raw materials that are breaking new ground. With new coatings that kill germs, resist flames or reflect heat, the benefits of advanced systems will begin to balance the environmental impact. Beyond the actual paint As manufacturers we are also heavily focused on minimizing waste and recycling wherever possible. Post consumer waste is a big issue and as an industry we are committed to finding ways of reducing the burden, whether that be through Can Back schemes, recycled paint initiatives or community regeneration projects. Our responsibility as manufacturers extends beyond the production of a tin of paint. It is our duty to develop paints and varnishes to achieve a level of protection and durability that extends the life of the substrate and removes the need to reapply unnecessarily. Our customers also depend on us to provide them with the best information to make the most appropriate choices. Conclusion Just about everyone these days has a green product, however with no industry-wide definition of what green paints actually are and the ability to modify the definition to support a particular message or point of view, it’s no wonder the consumer is confused by the wealth of information out there. By providing a level of transparency and tackling all aspects of a product lifecycle we aim to demystify those claims and provide real information on our environmental performance.
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Bryan Roe, Paint Manager, The Greenshop Group Please also see Dr Fischer’s speech from 2008 at the end of this article In this day and age, many companies are jumping on the green bandwagon and you can't move for new paints claiming they are eco. We believe a line should be drawn between eco and natural products. Many new eco paints, for example, use a minimal VOC (volatile organic compounds) acrylic binder, and are called eco because they are water based and have less smell in order to conform to 2010 EU regulations and the eco part seems to end here. All paint companies have to conform to the same regulations and whilst it is a step in the right direction it does not in my opinion go far enough. Mainstream paint companies are having to quickly react to these regulations whereas natural paint companies such as Auro have formulated and marketed products that conform (and more often surpass) the 2010 criteria and have done so for over a decade already. The products have been tried and tested in the market I believe Dulux gloss is now in its fourth incarnation over the last two years? If companies such as Crown, Johnsons and Dulux moved their entire paint production over to their 'eco' solutions I'd be more impressed, but of course they won't and will continue to churn out their more typical petro-chemical paint as the bigger part of their businesses. Other Eco paints disguise their paint descriptions in fancy rhetoric and use words like 'organic' and 'green' and vinegar ester as an ingredient (this sounds natural but is a petro chemical); very few fully declare their ingredients. Waterbased and minimal VOC does not, in our opinion, make their paints a wholly ecological product, especially if ecology is defined as incorporating sustainability which of course it should.
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All paint is organic in that it is made using organic chemistry. I feel some manufacturers play with this term without fully explaining its meaning There is no standardisation when it comes to eco paints which is perhaps the problem. Adopting the EU flower logo does meet certain criteria but is simply not strict enough - all paint companies that have adopted this tend to have a petro-chemical as the greater part of their binder, the flower logo does not infer 'natural' in any way. Again, if these companies adopted the flower logo throughout all their products I'd be more impressed and feel safer in the knowledge that they were trying to make a more genuine change. It would be interesting to see the difference in marketing and advertising budgets for paint companies . Eco Paints vs their more widely available standard paint products - how serious are they in trying to make a difference? We believe producing sustainable products based on natural, grown and ethically mined (wherever possible) materials is key in creating true ecological products and it is this that makes natural paints such as Auro, Biofa and Aglaia for instance stand out from the crowd. Auro paints are in fact 100% biodegradable and can be composted together with household waste. Based on natural and sustainable raw ingredients, over 30 years of research has gone into these unique formulations, assuring quality and time tested formulations. Yes they do take slightly longer to dry and cure but perhaps the expectations of customers need to change equally if a true step towards having ecological, sustainable products is desired.
Modification and Consistency - the sustainability factor of raw materials and products in eco paints By Dr Fischer, 2008 A patent on the creation of substances For millions of years, the patent on the creation of substances was owned by nature. All mineral or organic matter emerged without the initiative of the creatures that populated the world. Even the rising awareness of the self, several thousand years ago, did not change that. The early conscious human being’s ability to create new substances by way of chemical change was confined to very simple modifications, mainly by heating. Since then, the picture has changed. More and more, man has contested nature’s monopoly on the creation of substances. So revolutionizing were these newly won abilities to create substances that complete epochs were later named after the resulting materials, e.g. the Bronze Age that has its name from the copper-tin alloy that was discovered then. Still the most complex field of natural materials was mostly inaccessible to man, namely the realm of organic matter, i.e. basically carbon-based, complex matters like pigments, waxes, resins, oils, pharmaceutical agents etc. that mainly emerge in plants or through the metabolism of animals (like beeswax or milk protein). It was not before the middle of the 19th century that this central key patent of nature was also infringed. For the first time, chemists synthesised organic matters from an industrial waste-product, namely coal tar. First they produced dyes, then pharmaceuticals and other synthetic products that nearly completely replaced the unique natural materials originally used in these fields. In the course of the 20th century, tar was replaced by petroleum as the basis of synthetic chemistry. Petro chemistry was born and has been the main source for the organic chemicals in our everyday products ever since. Washing agents, textile fibres, a colourful paint variety most people are not aware of the fact that pure fossil raw materials are the basis of everyday chemistry. Sustainability problems of petro chemistry Petrochemicals are based on the non-renewable raw material petroleum. Therefore the focus of criticism is on the finiteness of this resource. The public discussion about the problems of fossil energy sources makes it |50| ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE
easy to understand that a basic material so limited in its availability cannot fulfil even the most basic requirements for sustainability. A less known fact is that, at the end of their life cycle, all petrochemical products basically have the same impact as the petroleum burnt to generate energy. In the end the carbon contained in petrochemicals becomes the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide that cannot re-enter the natural cycle and thus becomes a steadily increasing threat to the atmosphere. However, petro chemistry holds another sustainability problem that even many chemists are not aware of. The chemical components of petroleum, mostly so called hydrocarbons, are extremely inappropriate for use as a starting point for chemical processes. This seemingly paradoxical insight is mainly based on two facts: for one thing petrochemical hydrocarbons virtually have no usable chemical functionality; for another thing they are extremely slow to react and thus resist every simple chemical transformation into materials that dispose of such a usable functionality. These two facts lead to the fatal finding that petroleum can only be made chemically usable by means of enormous technical and energetical efforts. Modern chemistry’s methods to solve this problem strike the naïve observer as being rather rude. For a start, the petroleum molecules get nearly completely “cracked”, a process that needs a high energy input. The crack products, little hydrocarbon molecules of various grades, still lack usable chemical functionalities. Consequently, after having been arduously cracked, these products now have to be bound in bigger molecules to possibly produce “fine chemicals” with the desired function, e.g. colours, scents, cleaning, biocidal effect, fibres, foils, plastics etc. Unfortunately, the cracked molecules are still very slow to react and do not form the desired compounds spontaneously and on their own. On the contrary, another big amount of energy has to be used to make these cracked molecules into bigger ones again. For this process, chemists use extremely reactive and therefore highly aggressive chemicals like chlorine or ozone whose high energy content, by the way, also is not natural but a result from massive energy enrichment. Notwithstanding the scientific-technical ingeniousness involved, these
methods are rather rude and, unfortunately, have a lot of unwanted side effects. The high number of by- products and the immense amount of waste can only partly and with high expenditures be converted into something useful. This brief sketch of concomitant circumstances of today’s petro chemistry shows that petrochemicals are the result of a radical, profound encroachment on the molecular identity and integrity of the original matters contained in the petroleum, a process accompanied by high energy consumption. Therefore, modern organic chemistry is characterised by an extreme “denaturation” of the petroleum that originally is a natural raw material but is lacking the crucial sustainability characteristic: it is not renewable. To sum up, we can say that the central problem of petroleum as chemical raw material is its insufficient aptitude for this purpose; a more than strange fact given the predominance of petro chemistry. The matters contained in petroleum can only be brought into a form usable for everyday chemistry by radical chemical treatment, with a high energy input and a resulting strong molecular modification. Among the consequences of this strong modification are high energy consumption, vast amounts of waste, and also the formation of materials alien to nature with hardly foreseeable, negative longterm effects on ecosystems. The rediscovery of natural raw materials In recent years, the problems with petro chemistry mentioned above, as well as a growing awareness for sustainability in chemistry, have led to a brilliant rediscovery of natural raw materials, especially renewable ones, a basis for a sustainable, future-oriented supply of everyday chemical products. This subject is neither ideologically motivated nor nostalgic or just fashionable. It is rather a fundamental new alignment of the use of materials, and the committed research and educational work of AURO and its founders has contributed a lot. After an initial phase of ignorance and direct hostilities, a chemistry based on renewable raw materials has become a central subject in sustainability research and the number of such products is steadily growing. Natural materials of vegetable origin as the basis of chemistry solve a whole raft of the problems that are connected to petro chemistry: - Natural materials are renewable and thus allow the use without limitations in time. - They emerge and decay in a perfect circle of materials and thus do not lead to waste or persistence problems. - Their synthesis within the plant is powered by the sun and does not use up fossil or nuclear energy. - The decentralised origin of natural materials in all parts of the world avoids the negative local concentrations the traditionally very centralized conventional chemical
plants are known for. - No dangerous co-reactants are needed for their synthesis, no dangerous or hardly degradable waste remains. - In the wake of biodiversity with its abundance of chemical forms there follows the formation of a vast variety of basic materials of vegetal origin. Photosynthesis already cares for a very high energetic and structural level of basic materials of vegetable origin. - Finally, these materials have a rich and diverse chemical functionality which, combined with the diversity of materials available, renders them usable immediately or after only little modification. Many of these advantages are also valid for mineral basic materials of a modern chemistry. They are not per se renewable but many of them can also be used in everyday products without profound chemical change. Natural materials and the conflicting priorities of refinement and denaturation One of the key factors for the role chemical materials of plant origin will play in the future lies in the vast variety of the global flora. Other than the rather uniform petroleum, plant materials offer chemists and technicians a complete cosmos of chemical attributes and functions to be specifically used in everyday products but also in downright “bio high-tech products”, e.g. high strength, lightweight materials with vegetable fibre reinforcement. This maximum choice of materials also largely allows the abandoning of profound changes in the chemical structure of the vegetable base materials. As a rule, a base material with the attributes needed for a desired function can be found among the countless plant materials and be used directly after preparatory processes like separation, distillation or extraction. However, this theoretically endless supply is sometimes limited by the real availability or the price of a plantbased material. The ideal material may be available but in momentarily very small quantities and, as a result, at prices that would render any finished product nonmarketable. In cases like these it can make sense to use a natural raw material with a better availability and gently modify its chemical basic structure in a way that guarantees the required attributes and, at the same time, a reasonable price. Of course, for modifications like these, a fundamental imperative of minimization has to apply. The principles of “gentle chemistry” demand that the level of interference, the energy input, the toxicity of chemicals used, as well as resulting byproducts and waste are all held at the lowest possible level. Moreover, there has to be a favourable relation between the degree of modification and the sustainability effect. Ecologically, it can make sense to use a small amount of a strongly modified natural material if this leads to a big ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE |51|
advantage with regard to sustainability (e.g. the complete abandonment of solvents) or if this enables, in the first place, the use of big amounts of plant materials not modified at all or only slightly modified (e.g. small amounts of mineral drying agents in paints based on plant oils). Therefore, a choice of raw materials in compliance with sustainability factors does not follow black and white schemes but thoroughly balances all ecological and technological circumstances in order to optimise sustainability effects. The AURO Wood stain No. 160 is a particularly good example for the efficiency of this process of optimisation. Here we have a product with an unmatched technological quality (Test winner), solvent-free and produced on the basis of pure vegetable binders. Below you will find a tabular survey showing the different levels of gradual modification (or denaturation). The food comparison was chosen for a better understanding of this graduation. Levels of denaturation of paint raw materials, compared to food materials
Levels of denaturation from 1(pure/ natural) to 8 (completely alien to nature)
Examples from the field of paints
Similar denaturation level in the field of foods
1
Pure natural product, unchanged by man
Spring water
Wild Fruit
2
Pure natural product, harvested by man
Dammar resin
Corn
3
Natural product, only physically processed
Colophony resin
Wheat Flour
4
Chemically modified natural product with a largely preserved molecular structure
Soap from vegetable oil
Baked Bread
5
Chemically modified natural product with a significantly changed molecular structure
Alkyd resins
Polyglycerol ester (food emulsifier)
6
Synthetic material with a molecular structure “identical to nature”
Synthetic alizarin (dye)
“nature identical” flavourings
7
Synthetic material with a molecular structure similar to nature
Permethrin (wood preservative)
PHB ester (food preservative)
8
Synthetic material with a molecular structure extremely alien to nature
Isoaliphates (synthesized solvents on hydrocarbon base)
Saccharine (sweetener)
In the production of food, as well as in paint manufacture, the “pyramid effect” should apply: daily food, just like everyday chemical products like paint, should have a broad base of natural materials that are only slightly modified or, even better, not changed at all. Materials with a higher degree of modification should play a minor role. Preferably, materials heavily modified should not be used at all. So the choice of materials does not follow an “all or nothing” scheme but demands a balanced judgement and use of the given graduations. A classification of the sustainability value of food as well as everyday chemical products can be defined along the lines of their “degree of modification”. Every modification, i.e. the physical and, particularly, the chemical change, of the natural state of materials leads to a “denaturation” that aggravates the reintegration of the material into the natural cycle. Within this gradation, a mere physical process (grinding, extraction) constitutes a minor effect. The degree of denaturation rises with advancing physical processes, continuing with simple chemical processes, and up to materials completely alien to nature that can only be produced by extensive chemical manipulations and numerous successive steps of synthesis. The result shows no chemical resemblance to the original material. |52| ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE
Natural materials, and especially plant materials, are well-provided with a high chemical functionality and usability and thus can often be used without radical encroachment on their chemical identity. The enormous abundance of plants and minerals with completely different material characteristics allows a choice of material perfectly adapted to its particular purpose and thus avoid radical modifications. AURO’s main principle of material use is to encroach as little as possible on the molecular integrity of raw materials, e.g. cold pressing of linseed oil, tapping of dammar resin, distillation of orange oil. If a chemical modification is necessary to adjust the function of a material, its molecular structure will be maintained as far as possible, e.g. soaps made of plant oils or beeswax, glycerol resin ester boiling from oils and resins, burning of earth colours. Stronger modifications will only be allowed where little amounts of modified natural materials ensure an immense amelioration of overall sustainability factors (e.g. plant oil emulsifiers as amino soaps for completely solvent-free paints and stains) or where big amounts of little or not at all modified natural materials become usable in the first place, e.g. cobalt octoate as dryer for the hundredfold amount of linseed oil instead of acrylic binders made of 100% petrochemicals.
Innovation in Paint Technology, for a Brighter Greener Future By Brenda Peters, MICorr FTSC FIMF, President of Oil and Colour Chemist’s Association
Innovation in paint technology has been driven over the past decade by the pressures of increasing cost, scarcity of raw materials and environmental concerns. The trend towards water based paints began over twenty years ago when hospital wards and sheltered housing needed to be closed for redecorating due to the smell and fumes resulting in the disruption and relocation of the occupants. The trend was helped by the fashion for flat matt paintwork, as a truly glossy water based paint was proving very difficult to formulate. European legislation for a reduction in VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) levels, has also driven innovation into producing paints containing less solvent and cleaner low odour solvent. Currently water based paint still has a small amount of solvent in it to help with film formation although some do claim to be solvent free. But, is water based paint as environmentally friendly as people think? Because the brushes can be washed out in water, the paint finishes up in the sewers and treatment plants where it creates problems with the bio-digestion. Whereas with solvent based paints the brushes are cleaned with solvent. Human nature being what it is brushes are most often left standing in solvent which evaporates into the atmosphere and the resulting brushes and congealed paint end up in landfill. The other consideration is that water based paint is made from polymers which are derived from petroleum based materials. Solvent based paints are made from renewable plant based oils like linseed, tung oil (made from the crushed seeds of the Chinese Tung tree) and wood rosin. A paint has been developed in America which uses Soya bean oil and recycled plastic bottles to produce an acrylic alkyd resin which is water dispersible. The result is a glossy paint with very low VOC levels. The main thrust of the research was to save oil rather than to reuse recyclable material, but, the bonus is it is less polluting to the atmosphere. There has been research into using corn starch or sugar to produce cellulose for use in paint. The down side of using renewable plant based materials is that it takes up land which could be better used for producing food.
More exiting innovations are paints which bring additional bonuses – paints that can clean the air, coatings that can clean glass, paints that can produce electricity, paints that kill germs, paints that prevent mould growth and anti fouling paints. It has always been known that titanium dioxide –the brilliant white pigment that goes into paint, protected the paint from UV degradation. As far back as 1965 it was discovered that it was a photocatalyst, with the data published in 1972. It wasn’t until 1995 when it was discovered, that when exposed to UV light it became super hydrophilic and self cleaning paint was developed. Nanoparticles of titanium dioxide are translucent so can be used as a self cleaning coating for glass, and in cosmetics as sunscreen. In its anatase form it is photovoltaic. When it is exposed to sunlight it becomes charged up and attracts particulate matter from the atmosphere. These are then washed away by the rain due to its super hydrophilicity. When a large motorway intersection just outside Milan was painted with paint containing anatase titanium dioxide, air pollution monitors installed at the intersection showed a drop in atmospheric pollutants. It can also be incorporated into ceramic tiles and cementitious building materials as a self cleaning agent and air pollutant remover. Titanium isn’t the only metal with “magic properties”, nanoparticles of metallic silver incorporated into paint produce antibacterial coatings. Metallic copper incorporated into paint kills algae and can be used as antifouling for boats without the use of water pollutant chemicals. The search for renewable resources to replace fossil oil derived products with plant based material does have it’s down side in that land which could be utilised for food production to feed the increasing population of the planet is being taken up to produce alternatives for oil. Cutting atmospheric pollutants by replacing solvents with water puts extra stain on the effluent treatment plants and increases the pollution of the water courses. Whilst innovation is always a good thing, the benefits need to be weighed against the disadvantages. Most innovation in paint technology has been driven by the need to increase manufacturing efficiency and cut costs rather than environmental concerns. Recent legislation has forced manufacturers to decrease pollutants and formulate more environmentally friendly products. During this process it became clear that known properties of some ingredients could be utilised for positive benefit to the environment. ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE |53|
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e s U e f a S g n i H C A RE of Chemicals , Technical Manager
By Lisa Allen, REACHReady Understanding REACH
tion and Authorisation of The Registration, Evalua tion has been in force Chemicals (REACH) regula aim is to improve since 2007. Its overarching n health protection from environmental and huma is important that all the risks of chemicals. It rs and downstream users manufacturers, importe are of the impact that of chemicals are fully aw has on their business. this European Regulation
tion to supply is not enough substance illegal. If disrup compliance, then the to encourage companies into and up to two years in threat of an unlimited fine desired result. prison may just provoke the
stances known to For the vast majority of sub panies declared their the European market, com e 2008– a process known intentions to register in lat e 143,000 substances as “pre-registration.” Som r 65,000 legal entities – were pre-registered by ove e task ahead for full figures that reflected the hug den, registration is changing the shape of registration. To ease the bur REACH is fundamentally 2010, 2013 and 2018. A Europe. It is not limited phased in with deadlines in every supply chain within dline depends on both ionally regarded as company’s registration dea to business sectors tradit it manufactures or and it touches almost the nature of the substance “the chemical industry,” nage. Risk is dependent ean market as far as imports and its annual ton every product on the Europ s of a substance and the ods such as clothing and on both the intrinsic hazard high street consumer go environment, workers us on what happens potential for exposure to the electronics. Even if we foc hest risk substances ean industry and on one or the general public; the hig in just one part of Europ istered before those of re is still a huge variety must be assessed and reg product sector or type, the nage. are used and around the lower hazard or annual ton in how those chemicals tor sec ints and coatings risks they pose. In the pa ers have registered over rything from high-end Manufacturers and import for instance, there is eve s since registration automotive, aerospace 4,000 individual substance precision coatings for the commodity solvents the use of paints and began on 1 June 2008, from and defence sectors, to . and xylene, to public in the home such as methyl, ethyl, ketone varnishes by the general ials such as inorganic more specialist raw mater coatings. At least as pigments for anti-corrosion Registration obligations 2013, but more are many will be registered in s nie als in innovative tact many compa likely to be speciality chemic Registration is the first con aning more bespoke gistration is an industry applications, inevitably me will have with REACH. Re rate a dossier of assessments of risk. managed process to gene s, rtie pe pro sic rin int ty, information on identi k management ment and risk Top-down approach to ris identified uses, risk assess s ances those companie management for the subst the chemical plies to substances Viable registration relies on introduce to Europe. It ap re mo scrutinising the or ers d at one tonne manufacturers and import manufactured or importe ny ma y introduce to th hazardous and lifecycle of the chemicals the per year, and it affects bo ety throughout the ls. Europe, assessing their saf non-hazardous chemica nding measures to supply chain, and recomme put of this difficult meet their registration manage risk. The initial out For anyone who fails to of submission of market” provision and often costly work is the duties, the “no data, no the European ture and import of the a dossier of information to REACH makes manufac
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n of REACH.
tio ible for the administra
is the body respons HA) in Helsinki. ECHA
Chemicals Agency (EC
ral public and to ks to workers, the gene ris g gin na ma on e vic ad depends on good s more comprehensive iable risk assessment rel , ed lis rea be For customers, it mean n ca ch work , how, where, how mu fore the benefits of the bstance do not change su l the environment, but be ica em ch a of nt. es me rti viron the intrinsic prope man health and the en communication. While risks it poses to both hu the t ec aff lly ua us ll wi and how often it is used customers need not ask how their ain ch ly pp su the of at the top rstand their customers’ work of REACH, those rly, it is vital they unde pe Within the legal frame pro ks ris se tho ss to give enough and t in order to asse y, is on the supply chain nit rtu use their products, bu po op the d an , r and supplier is ns. So here, the onus tion between custome ica un mm co processes and conditio od go , ge given their supplier. At this sta proval for safe use in a relevant information to ered: effectively an ap ist reg d an ed ss se as re the use is important to help ensu application.
Assessing the risks
orters must provide All manufacturers and imp ir customers based on guidance on safe use to the ough registration. This risk the information gathered thr part of any registration. assessment is an inherent r, a detailed at 10 tonnes or more per yea red iste reg nce sta sub a For nt, is required a Chemical Safety Assessme risk assessment, known as potential to the stance is hazardous or has for registration. If that sub perhaps with toxic and build up in body tissue, persist in the environment much more detailed Assessment must consider ety Saf l ica em Ch the , cts effe patterns of exposure.
osure to nce is a point of potential exp sta sub the of use or s ces as Each step of a pro as a secondary effect such humans, either directly or to /or and – ent le nm cyc iro life env ’s the the substance ply. Thus for each stage of sup ter wa or in en cha (wh d foo ste in the or its disposal as wa orporation into an article, from its synthesis to its inc – safe use needs to be ive takes over from REACH) the Waste Framework Direct demonstrated.
Understanding uses in the
supply chain
H registrant. A supplier help the beleaguered REAC to lot a do can in cha ply The sup assessment, usually s in the early stage of risk use er tom cus wn kno se will code tho also commonly known as scriptor System” which is in line with ECHA’s “Use De egories of the process cribed by means of the cat “Chapter R12”. A use is des tor of use (SU). ental Release (ERC) and sec nm viro En ), (PC t duc pro ), (PROC
Describing a use with Chapter R12
human exposure is rior by brushing or rolling: inte ice off an of ng nti pai or direct skin Professional example evaporation rate) (for ties per pro nce sta sub d mainly driven by the (where solvents are emitte osure will result from drying exp al ent nm and t viro En dus t. of tac tion con waste). Forma ration (waste water and/or to air) and the clean-up ope aerosols is unlikely. PROC 10: PC 9a: ERC 8a or 8c: SU 22:
h as rolling, brushing Low energy spreading suc rs, paint removers Coatings and paints, thinne use Wide dispersive professional ion, ain (administration, educat dom lic Professional uses: pub ftsmen) entertainment, services, cra ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE |59|
Chapter R12 offers a good starting point for generic exposure assessment. In some cases it might be enough to demonstrate safe use, particularly where the use is common in the sector. However, where the risk is greater or more difficult to calculate, more detailed information may be required. For example: how often does the process take place? What is its duration? What existing measures are used to minimise worker exposure? How is any release to air controlled? How is waste water treated on site before release? In all but the most confidential and novel applications, chemical users will be able to share enough information for the supplier to prepare a more specific exposure assessment or to tell the user how to apply an existing exposure assessment. The balance to strike is between providing too much or too little detail. Too much and the supplier may suffer information overload. Too little and the recommended controls may be inappropriate or safe use is not demonstrable. Three key words should help any supply chain with its risk assessments: cooperation, communication and iteration.
Improved information in the supply chain To the chemical user, the output of the entire registration process should be better information on managing chemical risks. Everyone handling hazardous chemicals will already be familiar with the Safety Data Sheet (SDS); however, under REACH, the requirements for SDS have changed significantly, both in terms of the amount and quality of information presented and in its format. Also working alongside REACH is the European Union’s Classification, Labelling and Packaging (CLP) Regulation. CLP changes the way we classify and label hazardous chemicals to align with the United Nations’ Globally Harmonised System (GHS). Perhaps the two most important aspects to the new SDS are content and communication. A wealth of reliable information on substance properties is generated through the REACH registration process. This information should be used by all those supplying a given substance to promote safe use of chemicals regardless of whether they are required to register under REACH. To facilitate this widespread sharing of knowledge, ECHA publishes information on registered substances via their Dissemination Portal (http://apps.echa. europa.eu/registered/registered-sub.aspx). Where a manufacturer or importer of a hazardous substance such as white spirit has registered it at 10 tonnes or more per year, the new SDS must also include summaries of those detailed exposure assessments carried out for the Chemical Safety Assessment. Such “Exposure Scenarios” will usually be found in an annex to the SDS and should complement the information in the 16 main sections of the SDS. An Exposure Scenario sets out the conditions of use and measures to control risk to ensure a process is safe. A good Exposure Scenario will be relevant to the customer and easy to understand and apply.
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Finally, with the change to the way chemicals are classified and labelled under CLP new terminology, new labelling elements and new rules on how to classify chemicals are being phased in. Over the next four years, the familiar Risk Phrases, Safety Phrases and the orange and black symbols we know under the UK’s CHIP regulations will disappear, being replaced by Hazard Statements, Precautionary Statements and Hazard Pictograms taken from the UN GHS.
Wider regulatory impact of REACH As more companies receive new and updated Safety Data Sheets, the vast consequential impact of REACH at site level will become apparent. REACH applies without prejudice to other pieces of European legislation such as the Chemical Agents Directive (implemented as COSHH in the UK) and the SEVESO Directive (COMAH in the UK). Obligations under many such laws are triggered by the classification of the substance in question. The wealth of information generated by REACH will highlight previously unknown hazards of substances on the European market, meaning many companies may find themselves affected by additional laws. For example, a substance not previously classified as hazardous to the environment may now fall into scope of COMAH based on the information generated by REACH. Cases in point may be few and far between in the wake of the first registration deadline, but expect this situation to change in 2013.
About the Author Lisa Allen, REACHReady’s Technical Manager, is a chemist with many years commercial experience and has a background in product development and project management. Lisa is also a key member of the team that provides REACH and CLP related training through a programme of workshops and seminars. She is an experienced speaker on REACH both within the UK and internationally and has also had a number of articles published. REACHReady is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Chemical Industries Association (CIA) and was set up to assist companies worldwide with their understanding and implementation of REACH and CLP.
As well as meeting its duties for worker protection under COSHH, companies must ensure their site processes are safe according to REACH. With the Precautionary Principle at its heart, risk assessment under REACH can be much more stringent than that under COSHH. In many cases, implementing the risk management measures recommended under REACH will afford compliance with COSHH – but making that assumption is not enough: COSHH assessments must be reviewed in light of REACH.
Realising the benefits Think back, now, to the key aim of REACH which is to improve human health and environmental protection. Europe is still coping with the impact of environmental contamination of highly hazardous chemicals longsince regulated. One case in point was the high rates of deformity and mortality in herons in the 1990s, linked to polychlorinated biphenyls. Moreover, in 2003 the World Health Organisation and the International Agency for Research into Cancer, estimated some 3% of cancers are caused by pollution and chemicals in the environment, costing upwards of £120 million per year to the UK’s healthcare system alone. Whilst meeting its aims may not be instantaneous, the benefits of REACH have certainly been a long time coming.
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WASTE MANAGEMENT Page 64 - 66 Investment in Waste Infrastructure, Dr Alan Whitehead MP - APSRG Page 68 - 70
Investment in Waste Infrastructure, Andrew Willshear, APSRG
Page 72 - 73 Waste Technology for the Future, Norman Thoday, CEO, Dennis Eagle
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The need for investment in the UK’s waste infrastructure
By Dr Alan Whitehead MP, Co-Chair of the Associate Parliamentary Sustainable Resource Group The European Union (EU) Landfill Directive imposes stringent targets upon the UK regarding how we manage our waste. These targets aim to reduce the amount of biodegradable municipal waste (BMW) sent to landfill by 35%, 50% and 65% (compared to 1995 levels) in 2010, 2013 and 2020 respectively. Although we comfortably met the 2010 target, the revised definitions of BMW and MSW (municipal solid waste) both now incorporate more commercial and industrial waste, meaning that the Landfill Directive targets will be harder to achieve. Moreover, the revised Waste Framework Directive has set a 50% household waste recycling target for 2020, while Defra aspires to a 60% recycling rate for commercial and industrial waste by the same year. Concurrently, the principal policy driver for diverting waste from landfill, the landfill tax, will reach £80 per tonne by 2014 with a floor price of the same amount. But if we are to succeed in diverting such volumes of waste from landfill, we will need a range of new facilities to deal with what still needs to be disposed of, recycled or reused. Without the finance to develop new facilities, they simply will not be built, and we will, inevitably have to fall back on burying our waste once again. We need new waste management facilities across the UK and fast, if we are to keep on track for targets to be reached, and we need to secure the finance to underpin them. With the prospect of material specific landfill bans coming into force during the lifetime of this Parliament, it makes even more financial and economic sense to ensure that investment is secured in the UK’s waste infrastructure. Specifically, we need £8 billion by 2020 to deliver 19.3 million tonnes of capacity in a range of waste infrastructure. The logic for the UK to make this investment is strengthened when we consider the contribution that our waste can make to generating energy from renewable sources; in particular the 15% target set for 2020 by the EU. According to the Government’s recent Renewable Energy Roadmap, waste as a component of
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biomass electricity and biomass heat could contribute up to 100 terawatt hours (TWh) of the 234 TWh that will be required for us to meet the 2020 target. This is not to mention the potential of waste to carbon avoidance and resource security. However, £8 billion is not readily available. For seven months I chaired the Associate Parliamentary Sustainable Resource Group’s inquiry and subsequent report ‘Rubbish to Resource: Financing New Waste Infrastructure’, in which we examined numerous barriers that must be overcome to encourage an investment of this magnitude. Following the 2010 Comprehensive Spending Review there has been a substantial reduction in public sector spending, leaving Defra with a 29% real terms reduction in its departmental budget for 2011-15. In addition, Defra cancelled Private Finance Initiative credit support for seven waste infrastructure projects and the Government ceased funding for the Treasury Infrastructure Finance Unit as the lender of last resort. As a result, the Government’s National Infrastructure Plan suggests that 70% of investment must come from the private sector. This would be a somewhat easier task if it were not for specific barriers which currently inhibit the provision of private finance. The 2008 economic crisis has lead to a fall in bank lending, both in the number of banks willing to lend and the amount they are willing to lend. For those that are willing to lend, the overall cost of bank debt has increased to around 2033% compared to pre-2008 levels. Furthermore, Basel III regulations, which will be implemented from 2013-19, mean that banks will have to hold increasing amounts of capital to protect themselves against further financial shocks which will inhibit their ability to lend as freely as they would otherwise. Finally, investment in waste infrastructure has been stymied by inherent risks of technology, planning, construction, off-take, input tonnage and policy and regulatory uncertainty. Waste infrastructure projects which use less established technologies or rely on merchant and short-term contractual commercial and industrial waste are unable to guarantee a reliable income stream to service their debt. In addition to the protracted planning process and the instability and lack of coordination in waste policy, the combination of these risks ensure that finance is only available with a considerable risk premium attached. Quite clearly there are substantial barriers to overcome to secure investment in waste infrastructure. But the Associate Parliamentary Sustainable Resource Group’s report, ‘Rubbish to Resource: |66| ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE
Financing New Waste Infrastructure’ provides practical recommendations which I believe will be able to overcome these barriers. These recommendations are premised on policy and investor certainty and risk mitigation, with the aim of targeting government, local authorities, the finance community and the waste sector. The first part of the report aims to provide a policy framework that encourages investment through a coordinating committee originating in the Cabinet Office. This would provide stability, coordination and certainty in waste policy and to the planning process. In addition, for energy incentives which play an important role in government policy to encourage investment, it is imperative that they provide certainty to developers and financiers. The second part of the report aims to provide a solution to de-risk merchant waste capacity and future local authority waste projects. The former is presented through a Green Investment Bank guarantee and the latter in the guise of local authorities exploring the potential for taking on more off-take risk. The third part of the report presents a range of finance options to improve the deliverability of waste infrastructure projects in an attempt to move away from traditional project finance. These options aim to provide the waste industry with cheaper forms of capital through greater links with the real estate sector, to allow the deleveraging of senior debt and to encourage greater equity investment. I hope that such recommendations will be taken into serious consideration by those targeted by this report to ensure that the necessary investment in our waste infrastructure can be achieved and the potential of a more comprehensive approach to waste and resource management can be realised.
Encouraging investment in waste infrastructure
By Andrew Willshear Research Coordinator, Associate Parliamentary Sustainable Resource Group
The UK needs to invest £8 billion in its waste infrastructure by 2020. Such investment will achieve European targets for reducing the amount of biodegradable municipal waste sent to landfill, whilst ensuring that waste contributes fully to renewable energy, carbon avoidance and resource security. But securing such investment will not be easy. Barriers to Investment The barriers to investment are numerous. Firstly, there has been a significant reduction in public sector spending as a result of the Comprehensive Spending Review. Secondly, the economic crisis has resulted in a significant fall in bank lending. Thirdly, inherent waste infrastructure project risks such as technology selection, planning, construction, off-take and input tonnage as well as policy and regulatory uncertainty have reduced the number of investors willing to provide finance. In exploring how to overcome these barriers, the Associate Parliamentary Sustainable Resource Group conducted a seven month parliamentary inquiry, the end result of which is “Rubbish to Resource: Financing New Waste Infrastructure”; a report providing practical recommendations as to how the UK can increase policy and investor certainty and risk mitigation, and therefore increase investment. Coordination and stability in policy and planning Investors, developers and operators face a complex framework of government departments whose policy remits encompass waste and its associated policy areas. The protracted and uncertain planning process leads to un-budgeted costs. Recent publications, such as the Review of Waste Policies, Localism Bill and the Draft National Planning Policy Framework have failed to mitigate this uncertainty. So to provide stability and coordination to planning and waste policy for investors, the report suggests a coordinating committee, rooted in the Cabinet Office. Moreover, a range of incentives, such as the Renewables Obligation, the Feed-in Tariff and the Renewable Heat Incentive exist to encourage the development of energy recovery from waste infrastructure. These incentives supposedly allow operators to produce an off-take to service the senior debt of their project. But incentives have been undermined by
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constant reviews and consultations. To maximise the potential for these incentives to encourage waste infrastructure development, three principles must be followed. Firstly the incentives must provide sufficient financial support to projects, secondly projects must become eligible for this support at financial close and thirdly, projects must be assured of such financial support for their lifetime. De-risking merchant capacity There is also currently a prominent risk of feedstock supply affecting investment in waste infrastructure. Despite the Government’s recent analysis that there will be enough Public Private Partnership/Private Finance Initiative deals combined with merchant waste capacity to meet EU targets, the lack of guaranteed feedstock supply makes the building of sufficient commercial and industrial and merchant waste capacity highly unlikely. To overcome this supply risk, a Green Investment Bank (GIB) guarantee could be used alongside a local authority anchor contract to develop a hybrid facility. This would allow the Government to control a pipeline of commercial and industrial and merchant waste capacity. Alistair Perkins, Director, Energy & Infrastructure, Dexia Project Finance UK:
‘A Government guarantee around this (C&I and merchant waste) would be helpful to underpin the C&I assumptions and enable the banks to put their money behind this.’ Furthermore, the inquiry’s findings confirm that there has been an increase in third party income as a percentage of total project income in local authority waste projects. Power off-take income represents the majority of this third party income. However, the risk-averse environment means banks price this power off-take income conservatively which undervalues the business case for waste projects. To increase the deliverability of hybrid facilities and future local authority waste projects, local authorities should explore taking on more off-take risk. Alternative finance options The report also suggests that alternative financing options to traditional project finance should be explored, considering the risk aversion surrounding merchant facilities and facilities using less established technologies. Three options have been provided to increase their deliverability through lower cost forms of capital, deleveraging senior debt and providing greater equity contributions. Greater relations with the real estate sector can provide an opportunity for the waste sector to benefit from lower cost forms of capital. Through the sale and leaseback model, a waste management company would enter into a long-term lease agreement over the land it sells to a |70| ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE
property investor. The capital generated from the sale of the land could provide a substantial contribution to the waste infrastructure development and the rent paid through the lease agreement would result in a lower cost of capital than bank debt. Both mezzanine debt and pari-passu equity have been outlined by the Green Investment Bank in its early years to increase the deliverability of waste infrastructure projects. Mezzanine debt is placed between the senior debt and equity of a project, to deleverage the senior debt and to ensure that the project sponsors are able to service the senior debt. This would increase the likelihood of attracting private finance to a project. Ashish Anand, Director, Infrastructure & Project Finance, Barclays Corporate:
‘The more sub-ordinate capital injected into a project the better...mezzanine financing allows further deleveraging from the senior debt perspective...which can improve the overall deliverability of the project.’ The pari-passu equity product would allow the GIB to act as a supporting equity partner and thereby demonstrate the Government’s commitment to waste infrastructure projects. As a consequence, it would help to provide comfort to institutional funds and pension funds to commit finance, despite their time scale and geographical limitations and rate of return requirements. Nigel Aitchison, Industrial Partner, Foresight Group: ‘Current risk aversion from debt providers means future financing is likely to be dependent on higher levels of equity input than perhaps was seen in the past, therefore sector focused institutional funds are a great way to bring in equity investment to drive this.’ In conclusion, despite multiple barriers to the UK securing investment in its waste infrastructure, the Associate Parliamentary Sustainable Resource Group’s report shows that these barriers are not insurmountable. If followed, the report’s recommendations would result in the UK benefitting from a more comprehensive approach to its waste, with waste contributing fully to the low carbon economy and green growth.
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By Norman Thoday - CEO of Dennis Eagle Increasing landfill taxes, rising fuel costs and tightening operational budgets, along with the Government’s proposals to make Britain one of the ‘greenest’ countries in the world, are all contributing to a growing pressure to change the way we collect waste, but how is the industry going to meet these demands? Norman Thoday, managing director of Dennis Eagle, discusses the latest innovations and developments that the waste industry is working on and what is important to this vital industry. 100 years ago, the waste industry was just finding its feet, recycling hadn’t entered people’s minds and there were very few health and safety precautions. Refuse collection had only just begun to include businesses and local authorities, and households were just starting to see regular waste collections. Today the industry is vastly changed. Not only do we have weekly waste and refuse collections for households, local authorities and businesses, but the way we collect waste is far more economical, safer and efficient. However, with the new ‘green’ credentials the UK is trying to achieve, there is mounting pressure to revolutionise the way we collect our rubbish. At Dennis Eagle, we have a strong history of innovation and pride ourselves on being at the forefront of new |72| ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE
technology. Due to the niche market in which we operate, it’s vital that we listen to our customers and take into account their needs, are aware of the pressures they are under and legislation requirements they have to work within, and develop new products to meet those needs. The manner in which we collect waste in the UK has been evolving over the years and the current drivers are strongly linked to recent budget cuts as well as the rising cost of fuel and the need for vehicles to be more fuel efficient and omit less carbon dioxide. The UK market is demanding vehicles that use alternative fuel sources or less fuel to do the same job. To help meet the current and future demands of our customers we entered into a strategic alliance with BAE Systems earlier this year, to develop a new heavy duty hybrid electric propulsion system that can be fitted into our low entry cabs. The system, named HybriDrive™, is a really exciting project and one which will bring significant savings to customers who adopt the vehicle when it is released next year. Based on parallel hybrid technology for heavy duty vocational application, it has an on-board electrical system, which works in conjunction with a selfpropelled diesel hybrid engine. It has the same power as a standard 26 tonne refuse collection vehicle but because
of the electric mode it is a lot quieter which is a real advantage in inner city areas where night time collections take place. Further to this, the vehicle will also have new advanced fuel-efficient technologies and therefore lower operating costs, an important consideration in light of the fact that fuel prices are continuing to rise. At the moment it’s difficult to be specific in terms of expected emission reductions. However, we’re hoping the new system will save up to 20 per cent and when you consider a refuse vehicle can use up to £20,000 of fuel a year, this adds up to considerable savings over time – up to £100,000 annually for a fleet of 25 trucks. Currently we are preparing to begin field trials later this year, at a location near our Warwick headquarters. We are planning to monitor the trials as closely as possible to get a good idea of how well the vehicle is working. We will compare it to a normal Euro 5 refuse vehicle and to make the trial as fair as possible we will be using the same crew, same body and both trials will be carried out on the same route. Another interesting system we’ve been involved with is the demountable side loading system, the HS Speedliner. This is a new innovative approach and a great example of Dennis Eagle working hard to combat future challenges facing the waste management industry. The HS Speedliner provides operators and local authorities with significant savings, reductions in environmental impact and improved operator safety. This revolutionary system allows bodies to be demounted when full and replaced with new ones while out on collection. This means up to two bodies can be transported at one time to the refuse site, saving
time and road miles while also reducing collection delays. Because of the hands off nature of the vehicle, a maximum of two operators are needed per vehicle and this can be reduced to just one operator when they have been fully trained. This is because the system uses a side loading arm that reduces the amount of contact operators have with the lifting and packing mechanism, minimising the risk of accidents. Since we introduced the system at Horsham Borough Council over a year ago, there have been significant savings and benefits to both the operators and the local community. This includes a 20 per cent reduction in mileage, a 67 per cent reduction in slips, trips and falls and a 28 per cent reduction in musculoskeletal injuries. They have also seen recycling rates increase by 56 per cent, a figure that continues to rise. The partnership with Horsham Borough Council has been widely recognised and recently won the ‘Partnership Award’ at the Plant and Waste Recycling Awards 2011. This was a great achievement and was followed soon after with our win at the National Recycling Awards, where we won ‘Vehicle, Plant of Equipment Supplier of the Year’. Both of these awards demonstrate our ability to be at the forefront of the industry and provide solutions that meet the demands of the industry. The future of the recycling and waste industry is very exciting but we must continue to constantly work toward developing new technologies and systems that are going to meet demands of our customers and also ensure the impact on the environment is reduced. Fuel prices will continue to rise so it’s important that manufacturers like Dennis Eagle offer solutions which reduce consumption and assist the waste industry to continue to serve the communities who greatly rely on them.
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WATER Page 76 - 80 Flood Protection and Prevention, Mary Dhonau, CEO, Know Your Flood Risk Page 81 - 84 Flood Protection, John Alexander, MD, Revetment Page 85 - 86 Defra Flood Forum, Charles Tucker, Chair, National Flood Forum Page 88 - 89 Transfer of Private Sewers, Pamela Taylor, CEO, Water UK Page 90 - 92 Sustainable Water, Neal Landsberg, Chair, SWIG
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Flood Protection & Prevention By Mary Dhonau, Chief Executive of the ‘Know Your Flood Risk’ Campaign Over the past few years the UK has seen unprecedented levels of rainfall and subsequent flooding. Since the flooding in Carlisle in 2005, many parts of the country have been destroyed by flooding. Who can forget the summer of 2007 which saw much of the country devastated by flood? In 2009, flooding hit Cumbria again with not only hundreds of homes and businesses affected, but as a result of which, two people lost their lives. In part due to climate change, the number of devastating floods in the UK is on the increase. Flooding throughout the country has dominated the news agenda on many occasions yet, in spite of individual’s stories, dramatic rescues and the exceptionally high costs of repairing the damage being highlighted in the press, many people remain unaware of the risk of flood and the utter upheaval that it can cause. There currently exists a ‘Statement of Principles’ (SoP) between the insurance industry and the government, whereby the insurance industry is committed to continuing to make flood insurance for domestic properties and small businesses available as a feature of standard insurance policies, providing that the government continues to invest in reducing the risk of flooding for such properties. With
cuts in flood defence spending and the SoP coming to an end on 30 June 2013, home and business owners are now left with a very uncertain future on the availability of insurance if their property is exposed by future flood risk. The question now being raised is: if getting flood insurance in future is going to be difficult, if not impossible, what can business and homeowners do to prevent flooding and protect their home or business? Well, there’s actually good news on that front. Home and business owners can find out in advance if their property is at risk of flooding; you don’t have to wait until water starts seeping under your door before you realise your property is in the danger zone. Furthermore, there are many ways in which you can protect your home and prevent flooding. People will only do this however, once they recognise that flood is a very real threat and commit to protecting themselves, their home and their business.
The public’s perception In spite of the fact that the country has seen increasing levels of rainfall and flooding in the past few years, a high percentage of the British public remain unaware of the dangers. They are not, therefore, putting measures in place to protect their homes or businesses, including checking that their insurance policy covers flood. • 1 in 4 British homes are at risk of flood yet 83% of homeowners do not consider themselves to be at risk* • 65% of Britons believe the UK is more at risk of flooding than it was 10 years ago** • 68% of homeowners have put no measures in place to minimise risk to their home in the event of flooding** • 95% of homeowners have contents insurance but 45% do not know if it covers flooding**
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A recent survey has revealed that, despite the fact that one in four homes are at risk of flooding, 83% of homeowners do not believe their homes are at risk. Furthermore, although 65% of those surveyed believe the UK to be at greater risk of flood than it was ten years ago, 68% of homeowners have still put no measures in place to minimise risk to their home and belongings in the event of flooding. The average cost of repairing a flooded home is £30,000*** whilst the average cost of repairing a flooded business stands at £60,000 yet, of the 95% of those surveyed who have contents insurance, 45% do not know whether or not their policy covers flooding. The results from the survey are extremely concerning. Despite the extensive damage that flooding has caused in recent years, many people just do not think it will happen to them. A staggering 83% of people simply do not believe they are at risk of flood, with many stating that, because they live on a hill, there is no need to investigate their flood risk. While this may be true in the case of burst river banks for example, it does not hold true for surface water flooding caused by heavy rainfall – which was behind the extensive flooding that the entire country suffered from in 2007. Surface water flooding has become far more prevalent in recent years and this can affect almost every home and business, regardless of their location. Far more people are at risk than they think. • • •
Over 5 million people in England and Wales live and work in properties that are at risk of flood**** 43% of British homeowners have not investigated the risk of flood to their current home** 48% of homeowners are unsure if they will find out if a home they buy in future is under threat of flood**
The survey also revealed that 43% of British homeowners have not investigated the risk of flood to their current home. Furthermore, a mere 5% of those surveyed stated that they plan to find out if they are at risk, while 48% remain unsure if they will find out if a home they buy in future is at risk of flooding. Those surveyed who had investigated their flood risk found out from a wide variety of sources, indicating that people are unsure where they can find out such information. It also suggests that people are not necessarily aware that this sort of information exists and is easily accessible. Resistance & Resilience The first port of call for home and business owners is to sign up to the Environment Agency’s flood warning system. Sign up to their free flood warning service by simply calling their Floodline on 0845 988 1188. If your area, or a particular type of flooding, is not covered by a flood warning, invest in a ‘flood alarm’ or a telemetry system. There are quite a few types on the market varying in their level of sophistication. The Environment Agency has tested some flood protection products for reliability, which have been given a ‘kite mark’. Details of these products can be found on the Environment Agency’s website, www.environmentagency.gov.uk. The Flood Protection Association, www. floodprotectionassociation.co.uk, also has a list of reputable flood protection firms and a number of case studies. Furthermore, the National Flood Forum, www. floodforum.org.uk, has a list of flood protection products available and The Blue Pages directory provides a comprehensive list of products available. There are numerous products on the market that enable home and business owners to protect their properties. Protecting airbricks One of the main ways in which flood water enters properties is through airbricks. This type of flooding is easily preventable. There are quite a few different varieties of airbrick protection. • An ‘elastoplast’ type - one use only stick-on variety (good to have for peace of mind if you live in a low risk flood area) • Airbrick covers that can be screwed in place • Permanent wall fixtures with a protection cover that can be fixed in place once you receive a flood warning • Relatively new on the market is a ‘fit and forget’ airbrick replacement, which is self-activating and gives the homeowner peace of mind that water will not enter the airbrick should a flood occur when they are away from their home Protecting doorways Floodwater can often enter a home via the doorway, ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE |77|
sometimes entering through the front door and leaving via the back door destroying everything en route. This type of flooding could well be prevented, or at the very least reduced, by fitting doorway flood protection. Other types of resistance products Flood water can enter a property in a number of different ways, not just through the front door and airbricks. Often the first sign that alerts people to flooding is when their carpets become saturated. In this situation, a pump in a sump under the floor could help keep the water level down. It is sensible to get the advice of an expert qualified in flood risk to help make informed decisions before selecting such products. Anti-backflow valves are very useful to stop sewage flooding into your home via the toilet. These valves can be purchased quite cheaply and can easily be fitted to stop the flood water entering your property via the toilet. Floodwater will find the easiest point of entry, even via your washing machine or similar outlets.
Property searches can reveal if your property is at risk One way in which home and business owners can avoid being flooded is to check if their property, or a property they are considering buying, is at risk of flooding. Information is available on the Environment Agency’s website, www.environment-agency.gov.uk. There are many flood risk reports on the market and for just a few pounds they will detail the various forms of flood risk that may affect your property. If you already own a home or business deemed at risk of being flooded, apart from selling and buying a new property, your only alternative is to plan and prepare for the threat of being flooded.
‘Know Flood Risk Week 2011’ 7th – 13th November 2011 sees the second annual ‘Know Your Flood Risk Week’. The week is dedicated to raising people’s awareness of the very real risk of flood, to advise them to investigate their flood risk and put measures in place to protect their properties against flooding. For more information, visit www.knowyourfloodrisk.co.uk. As part of the ‘Know Your Flood Risk Week’, the Know Your Flood Risk campaign has launched two new flood guides for councils and homeowners and for businesses. The guides help property owners either choose the right flood protection product for their homes or businesses or advise if it is more practical to adapt properties to make them resilient to floods. For more information visit www. knowyourfloodrisk.co.uk.
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For those in high flood risk areas, it may be worth installing more extensive measures; some changes would cost little more than putting it back to how it was before. Examples include moving the plug sockets, boilers and service meters higher up the walls - above previous flood levels - installing tiled floors on a concrete floor, fitting either plastic skirting boards or using wood such as oak that is more resilient to floodwater. Kitchen units can be replaced with stainless steel or plastic carcasses (on which ‘normal doors’ can be fitted and removed before a flood) or solid wood rather than MDF or chipboard units (as these disintegrate with the effects of flood water). Also, keep items of sentimental value upstairs where the flood water can’t get them. For more details, see ‘How to restore your home following a flood’ - a publication written by the Association of British Insurers, which is available on their website www.abi.org.uk. Please note that before attempting to undertake any of the above, it is sensible to contact a surveyor qualified to undertake flood risk assessments. Visit the Flood Protection Association’s website for further details. Statistics show that more properties are at risk of being flooded than are at risk of fire or being burgled, yet people are prepared to protect themselves from burglary or fire while very few actually take steps to minimise the effect that flooding will have on their homes and businesses and the devastation it brings to their lives. However, with the threat of increased flooding and the lack of ability to get flood insurance (or the extortionate premiums that we will have to face), we will soon be faced with no alternative! Having been a victim of flooding myself on many occasions, I know better than anyone the absolute trauma and mental anguish it can cause. Almost every year there is a devastating flood that is given high profile coverage in the press and it shocks me that people still do not recognise that their home or business could be at risk. Property owners really do need to investigate their flood risk. The lives of flood victims can be disrupted for months, if not years. The 2007 floods in Hull for example, resulted |80| ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE
in approximately 17,000***** homes affected and 30,000 people rendered homeless. Three years on, around 70 people were still not back in their homes******. Yet despite this, many people still do not have flood on their radar. It really isn’t difficult to protect your property and reduce, if not remove, the damage that flooding can cause. For more information on the Know Your Flood Risk campaign, visit www.knowyourfloodrisk.co.uk.
*The calculation of 1 in 4 British homes at flood risk is based on the number of residential homes within the 2008 RMS 1,000-year Inland Flood risk zones compared to the total number of homes in Britain. The flood risk map identifies areas at risk from all sources of precipitationdriven flooding including flooding from major and minor rivers and surface water flow. The 1,000-year flood risk map identifies areas that would be at risk under very extreme rainfall and flooding **YouGov survey, October 2010. Total sample size was 2378 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 13th- 15th October 2010. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all GB adults (aged 18+). ***http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8464717.stm **** Environment Agency *****http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-466540/ Flood-victims-able-return-home-18-months--all.html ******http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1230894/ Couple-forced-spend-Christmas-caravan-floods.html
By John Alexander - Managing Director at Revetment
Many statistics exist for the cost of the damage caused by the floods of 2007 when the insurance bill soared to £3.2Bn and much has been made of the number of homes affected and the devastation this caused to home life, with many people out of their homes for months or even years. This can, of course, also have an effect on work life with the emotional turmoil disrupting work and attendance. Within these figures lie the costs to the business world with over 9,000 businesses affected and 35,000 insurance claims. The cost of these claims averaged between £75,000 and £112,000. Many politicians and other professionals unwisely referred to this event in the media and elsewhere as a “once-in-a-lifetime disaster” in that it was a 1 in a 1,000 year event. Meaning it only had a 0.1% chance of happening each year. It may be deemed to be unfortunate then that we had another 1 in 1,000 year event in 2008, another in 2009 and yet another in 2010. All in different parts of the country admittedly, but a worrying pattern nevertheless. Herein lays a key part of the issue in getting people to take responsibility for protecting their own property. The way we express flood events currently is not compelling enough. The environment agency describes the likelihood or probability of flooding as; • Significant: the chance of flooding in any year is greater than 1.3% (1 in 75)
• •
Moderate: the chance of flooding in any year is 1.3% (1 in 75) or less, but greater than 0.5% (1 in 200) Low: the chance of flooding in any year is 0.5% (1 in 200) or less
If I was a betting man I would take my chances with these odds and characteristically most businesses and home owners do too. How about if we express it in terms that are more readily understood though? • Businesses are more likely to be flooded than burnt down. • The cost of fire damage was on average four times less than the cost of flood damage. • The average losses overall from a flood are £28,000 compared to £1,000 for a burglary. • A house in a 100-year flood area has a one in four chance of getting flooded in the life of a standard 30-year mortgage. Interesting then that property owners spend millions of pounds annually protecting themselves from fire and theft but nothing on flood protection! All of these major flooding events over the past four years were caused by exceptional localised rainfall leading to overflowing water courses, sewers & drains leading to inundations of streets and properties. Many of these properties had never flooded before and many more were nowhere near a river course.
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This is the problem that all property owners need to recognise and address. Weather patterns are changing in this country, whether as a result of man-made climate change or as a cycle in Mother Nature’s life. More and more rainfall in urbanised areas will lead to more and more flash flooding that cannot be dealt with by traditional flood defences. Rain will, inevitably, fall behind river banks and bunds and flow into exposed properties!
I do hope you weren’t planning on having your scheme completed soon!
Property-level flood protection is not the answer to all flooding solutions though as it does surrender the high street or other open ground to flood waters but if we focus for the moment on flash flooding caused by torrential localised rainfall it is the only practical solution available today. Sustainable urban drainage schemes (Suds) are a possible answer to solving the wide-area flooding issues but the costs, planning times and installation upheaval in retrofitting existing housing developments and high streets make this a long term, costly exercise.
The new scheme is entitled “Flood and Coastal Resilience Partnership Funding” and its aim is to allow more schemes to go ahead and to give the community more of a say in what is done to protect them. “Instead of meeting the full costs of just a limited number of projects, the new approach could make Government money available towards any worthwhile scheme over time. Funding levels for each scheme will relate directly to the number of households protected, the damages being prevented, plus the other benefits a scheme would deliver.”
Even before the current cuts in government spending at the Environment Agency (EA) we have long advocated that they (the EA) should concentrate on high level flood events caused by coastal and river overtopping and the companies in the flood defence industry should concentrate on flood depths up to 900mm. This would give a far better return on the EA budget and protect a higher number of properties each year even with a reduced spend, as property-level flood protection is much more cost effective compared to large capital spend schemes.
Basically the tax payer will contribute some money (20% to 45% depending on level of deprivation in an area) and local homeowners and businesses will be required to fund the difference. It’s complicated but a good overview can be found at http://archive.defra.gov.uk/environment/ flooding/funding/documents/flood-coastal-resilienceintro-guide.pdf
The EA have been doing a sterling job though and since 2008 they have completed 300 flood defence schemes across the country protecting a further 182,000 households in England. Consider though that there are 5.2 million properties at risk of flooding in the UK with 560,000 of those considered to be at high risk; a figure that is forecast to grow to 900,000 by 2035 according to the Environment Agency. If this work continues at the current rate it will take the EA the best part of 86 years to finish the job. However the latest Spending Review period for 2011/12 to 2014/15 does not show specific figures although a commitment by the Agency to protect a further 145,000 households does exist. This new total however falls short of the previous period by 40%.
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The way future flood defence schemes will be funded by the EA will change from 2012 onwards in recognition of their budget reduction and as part of the coalition government’s desire to put more decision making into the local community.
This scheme has good and bad aspects but in our opinion it will drive more communities to property-level solutions and will hopefully mean that indeed more schemes and properties can be protected. Small grants up to a total of £2.5m per annum have been available for a number of years now through local councils who apply for funds, for residential properties only and they have proven to be a great success. It is hoped that more of the EA’s annual £250m budget will now be focused on broadening the availability of funds to more councils though the above scheme which will also mean local small businesses can benefit also. Property-level products have been available for over eight years now and a BSI Kitemark exists for such products (up to 900mm). Choice amongst suppliers is growing each year and the Flood Protection Agency (FPA) http://www. floodprotectionassoc.co.uk/flood_protection_association. php which is an organisation of manufacturers currently means all BSI accredited products can be sourced from
FPA members. This group has recently appointed Mary Dhonau OBE as its chairperson (past National Flood Forum CEO) and her expansion plans will see additional companies in other fields such as surveying and installation services joining to provide consumers with a one stop shop of reliable and reputable organisations. The applicable BSI standard to look out for is called PAS1188 and it applies to all building products whether “on-wall” or “off-wall” up to a height of 900mm. The standard allows for a leakage rate of up to 1 litre of water per hour per metre of protection. Many products achieve a much better leakage rate than this but you should ask your supplier to state this as, well as the width of the barrier that is covered by the Kitemark. Not covered by PAS1188 but an essential part of the overall solution to prevent internal flooding of properties is a device known as a non-return valve (NRV). This device fits into the external sewer system of each property and prevents the backflow of sewerage from overflowing downstairs toilets and showers. A device we are very pleased to promote is called the Flusher. As well as acting as a standard NRV the flusher function has the effect of reducing the build-up of fats, oils and greases (FOG) in sewer systems which is known to be the cause of over 75% of today’s sewer blockages. This and an education system that encourages us not to put FOG down the drain in the first place will help the water companies achieve their goals a lot easier! Other equally important solutions not covered by PAS1188 relate to waterproofing of walls to deal with standing flood water and internal/external tanking of properties below ground that address the issues of ground water. A subject and solution set that could take up an entire editorial on its own. Suffice to say when deciding on your own flood protection measures firstly understand what the issues are. Are you dealing with flash flooding, standing water, coastal flooding, ground water flooding or a combination of all or some of these? Do you know what your flood risk is? Check out the Environment Agency’s web site and if you are shown to be in a flood zone commission your own flood risk assessment. A simple desktop report will show the extent to which you may be subject to flooding and costs as little as £99 for residences and £155 for commercial properties. Then shop around for solutions remembering that most insurers will want to see BSI Kitemarked products used wherever possible, and ask for a survey so the experts can advise you on all possible water ingress routes into your building. Your solutions may need to come from a variety of providers/manufacturers as most only supply their own products and they may include both on and off-wall solutions.
“On-wall” products refer to door, window and air brick covers, including automatic air bricks. The 900mm height limit is a restriction endorsed by a DCLG/ Environment Agency project ‘Flood Resilience and Resistant Construction – Guidance for New Build’ and also in the CIRIA Guide, ‘Standards for the repair of buildings following flooding’. This 900mm level is considered the maximum height at which a building can be protected from flood waters without causing structural damage to the property. “Off-wall” products refer to building skirt systems or temporary and demountable products, an example of which is Rapidam. This is a PVC coated fabric that rolls flat when not in use. A 100m section can be stored and deployed from a handling unit in under 40 minutes and offers wide-area flood protection at heights up to 1.2 metres. Other solutions include pallet barriers or popup barriers that are hidden from view in the pavement until required. Permanent solutions are also available that are made from “flood glass” which can look aesthetically pleasing outside buildings or along river banks. Most of these systems though require some degree of human intervention so the next generation of solutions that are being developed through schemes such as SMARTeST will look at automated and passive solutions to address this. SMARTeST is a European-wide funded scheme to look at how technology and common test standards can help to provide better, more reliable and less intrusive solutions to property-level flood protection. Some of these technologies are already arriving in the UK marketplace and more are earmarked for early 2012. As mentioned some of these newer technologies will involve a degree of automation whilst others will offer passive non-intervention solutions. It is this issue of automation and non-intervention solutions that, we believe, is inhibiting the insurance sector from promoting the current solutions which require the property owner to be present to install them. The insurance sector supported by ABI (Association of British Insurers) has an agreement with the government which is called the Statement of Principles that is due to expire in 2013. This agreement has been in place for a number of years and was a promise by the ABI that its members would continue to provide access to affordable flood insurance as long as the government committed to a long term strategy of flood defence building. Even before it expires in June 2013 the ABI has recognised that the statement has distorted the market place in that it offers little or no incentive for individuals to protect their own properties, among other things.
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New build property in flood zones has already been excluded from this statement for the past 18 months and already people trying to reinsure their properties are seeing excesses and premiums soaring to reflect the true cost of providing flood cover. In essence the statement will cease to be effective from June 2012 as insurers will not want to underwrite business past the end date in 2013. This means that insurance excesses and premiums are likely to rise even further and in some cases people may be refused any flood cover. Excesses greater than ÂŁ1,000 are deemed by a number of mortgage companies to invalidate the terms of the loan and if cover cannot be gained then the asset value of the property will be severely reduced or the property may become un-mortgageable and un-saleable. This will also affect commercial properties as a lack of flood cover may breach the terms of the loan, it will again reduce asset value and if it is a tenanted building it may not be possible to lease or sell the property. Here is a comment from a recently published study by The College of Estate Management: “Reliance cannot be placed wholly on the insurance industry or publicly funded flood defences. While large corporate organisations have not so far experienced the restrictions on flood risk insurance felt by households and small businesses, in future their insurers are likely to be more proactive in promoting flood resilience, adaptation to buildings and emergency flood recovery plans by occupiers, as a means to continuing insurance at a reasonable cost.â€? All of this in our opinion suggests that property-level flood protection is the way forward for property owners, of all sorts, as well as for local councils and the Environment Agency. Demand will produce even more innovative solutions that we feel sure will appeal to the property owner and insurers alike. |84| ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE
Defra’s Flood Summit By Charles Tucker, Chairman, National Flood Forum The National Flood Forum has been very pleased to take part in the Working Groups established from the Flood Summit of September 2010. I welcome this initiative by Defra and the Treasury and value the hard work of the teams leading the discussions in the Working Groups – and particularly James Dowling, Jenny Maresh and Claire Wilding. We believe that the Community perspective has enormously improved the deliberations and outputs of the Working Groups. The Summit Update will rightly announce significant improvements in how the institutions work together and how we welcome these improvements. Education and signposting, greater clarity in data, the importance of resilient repair, to mention but a few. Three core issues remain unresolved, which I’d like to address. 1. No structure has been agreed to replace the Statement of Principles covering re-insurance of flooded properties. This is to us the key element that is yet to be delivered. 2. We have not developed any mechanism that will control the increase in costs of flood insurance – of premiums and of claims. 3. No account has been taken of the increasing incidence of first-time surface water flooding in the totality of flood claims – yet claims for flash flooding by surface water make up 80% of the total. The worst outcome from a community perspective is simply a continuation of the present process, unless it has a clear goal, with definable outputs and timescales. Just continuing is not good enough. The process now needs some urgency and a clearer sense of government commitment to make things happen. As the voice of the “community of the flooded”, we call on government to take the lead to ensure flood insurance is available and affordable beyond 2013. There now needs to be firm commitments to decision-making, with timescales. Why is a replacement for the Statement of Principles so important? It’s clear that there is a consensus that while insurance will continue to be widely available post 2013, it will not be affordable for many on lower incomes. Without a framework to moderate the cost of flood insurance, • Prices are likely to rise to fully reflect flood risk within
•
a few years, pricing families on low income out of the market Increasing numbers of households will exit the market when they are flooded, faced with re- insurance premiums of £500 p.a. or more.
Faced with an increase in flood premium from £50 to £500 p.a. or more, how many people will just say no and take the risk of not being insured? But we need not just to prevent extreme rises in premiums assessed on purely risk-based principles. We need to contain the general rise in the cost of claims that drive these premium increases. We need to invest in Resistance and Resilience, working with people, helping them, not punishing them financially if they don’t install R&R measures. Surface water flooding the elephant in the room. The majority of homes flooded now are from surface water flash flooding. Norwich Union (as it was then) told me that the 2007 floods produced six times as many claims from surface water flooding as from river flooding. In Cornwall last November it was three to one. With the growing incidence of extreme rainfall due to climate change, most homes flooded in the next 20 years will be flooded by surface water - and most of these will be flooded for the first time. The risk profile of surface water flooding is essentially very different from river flooding – river flooding is the “known unknown” while surface water flooding is the “unknown unknown”! We can and should plan for river flooding, but flash flooding from surface water can hit anywhere. First time surface water Flooding is nearer to an “Act of God” than to river flooding. Insurance pricing should reflect this. But too often, these properties are assessed as having a continued High Risk of flooding and the householder is penalised in perpetuity for a once-off event. This is technically unsupportable. What are the consequences of free market, risk-based pricing? We fear that the numbers taking up flood insurance will steadily decrease. Price is the primary driver of insurance take-up. There is an acknowledged link between flooding and deprivation – and the greatest impact of rising costs is on those with lowest incomes. Individual households and whole flooded communities are likely to be pushed into poverty. I can’t emphasise enough the corrosive effect on whole communities of the fear of flooding. ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE |85|
Purchasers may not be able to get affordable flood insurance. With a Free Market, no insurance company will be obliged to offer flood insurance, so potential purchasers will be quickly deterred from buying when they encounter difficulty getting insurance. Insurance terms may affect mortgage offers. An insurance excess >£1000 may deter a mortgage offer. In Morpeth, 37% of flooded properties now have excesses >£1000 and 20% >£2500. No mortgage = no purchase. This is something that the Working Groups must look at more closely. Both individuals and communities will be hit. People become effectively trapped, unable to move to a new job, unable to upsize as a family grows, unable to downsize when they want to retire. The consequence for communities is Blight and a downward Spiral of desperation and deprivation. This is not just a human problem – it is a potential economic problem for UK plc. The housing market is crucial to our Economy. There are 5.5M householders in England at flood risk (pluvial and fluvial). The value of these properties is some £800 Billion. If, as a result of increasing insurance costs, just 1% of householders (55,000) cease to take up flood insurance, there is less financial security for properties worth £8 Billion – and greater risk for the mortgages secured on these properties. If at the same time the free market in flood insurance dictates excesses over £1000, then mortgages may be less available to new purchasers, rendering the property already less saleable due to flooding – even less saleable. In Morpeth, few properties have sold since 2008 and most of those have been to Buy-to-Let
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landlords at discounted prices. Falling prices of flooded properties threaten to push people into negative equity, risking defaults and collapse of local housing markets. At what point does the threat to local housing markets become a threat to the whole UK housing market? The government must take responsibility to: 1. Deliver a framework to replace the Statement of Principles, keeping flood insurance affordable. 2.. Investigate the escalating costs of insurance claims from flooding and take steps to control them. 3. Drive the development of valid flood risk profiles for households at high risk of surface water flooding. There are several positive actions that can be taken – by government and the industry: • • • • •
Record the numbers of houses flooded each year, including type of flooding. Place a responsibility on LLFAs to do this and report centrally. Survey and record numbers of householders taking up flood insurance. Monitor insurance costs and report on the variations found. Monitor mortgage offers and refusals. Survey and record property transfers in flooded areas, compared to non-flooded.
The NFF is very pleased to be a part of the process now underway. We are committed to working with government and the industry to achieve a fair and affordable system of flood insurance. As the voice of the “community of the flooded”, the National Flood Forum calls on government to take the lead to ensure flood insurance is available and affordable beyond 2013.This has been a good start. There now needs to be firm commitments to decision-making, with timescales.
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Transfer Of Private Sewers
Image by SXC AMA90
By Pamela Taylor, Chief Executive, Water UK What happened on October 1st? On October 1st 2011, ownership and responsibility for private sewers in England and Wales transferred from householders to water and sewerage companies. Companies have been working closely with insurers, local authorities, housing associations and drainage contractors amongst others to ensure that this transfer is as smooth as possible for customers. This change had been a long time coming, spanning two political administrations - the original consultation took place back in 2003. In December 2008, Rt Hon Hilary Benn MP, the then Labour Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, announced that the transfer of approximately 200,000km of privately owned sewers and lateral drains would take place from 2011. A consultation on the details took place in August 2010, driven now by the Coalition Government, and the regulations came into effect on 1 July 2011.The transfer itself took place on 1 October this year. Generally, the pipes that have been transferred are those shared by two or more properties which drain to the public sewer network and also those draining single properties that lie outside the property’s boundaries (the latter are known as “lateral drains”). Shared drainage built before 1937 was not affected by the transfer as water and sewerage companies already maintained these pipes. The same is true for lots of modern developments. The only wastewater pipes that most people now remain responsible for are those within their property boundary |88| ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE
that serve only their property. Householders will want to take good care of their sewerage pipes and avoid disposing of fats, oils and solid products via the sink or toilet. Until the transfer, around half of properties in England and Wales were connected to a private sewer in one form or another and most of the rest were responsible for a lateral drain. What effect will the transfer of private sewers have? Above all, the transfer gives customers peace of mind. Until now, householders often faced a nasty surprise when they found that they had to pay for repairs to pipes running beyond their property’s boundary - pipes for which they didn’t, perhaps, even know they were responsible. Often this involved unpleasant negotiations with neighbours to meet costs which could be in the order of thousands of pounds. A neighbour might – for example – share the householder’s drainage pipes and be expected to share the cost but might be unaffected by a problem and reluctant to pay up! The transfer makes things simpler. It makes the responsibility for looking after drains and sewers much clearer and should result in better management of the sewerage system.
It will also improve the quality of the network over the longer term. The sewers that have been taken over may not have been built to the standards of the water and sewerage companies and the companies will be looking gradually to bring the newly transferred assets up to these standards. This is essential for tackling sewer flooding, reducing river pollution and minimising risks to public health.
The Government estimates that, because water and sewerage companies have taken on responsibility for thousands of kilometres of pipes, in some cases involving pipe replacement, repair and on-going maintenance, the average domestic customer’s bill could rise between £3 and £14 a year. This needs to be set against the potential cost of thousands of pounds to a customer if a serious problem were to arise.
Finally the transfer will lead to a fairer situation as it will spread the cost of repairing sewers across all bill payers regardless of when their sewers were built.
Companies have been involved in a huge communications, planning, procurement and operational task as they prepared for the transfer, steered by the informal guidance that Defra has published.
Challenges for the water industry The transfer involves water and sewerage companies taking on a huge responsibility. In Thames Water’s case, for example, an estimated 40,000km of lateral drains and sewers were added overnight to its existing 67,000km sewerage network across London and Thames Valley – a 60% increase. In the North West, United Utilities took on an additional 32,000 km of pipes and the total length of its network will increase to 72,000km. Private sewers are not currently mapped so companies did not know in advance exactly what assets they were taking on, what condition they are in, and what maintenance or repair or renewal they might require. Integrating these new assets and dealing with any problems will take time.
They have not been working in isolation. Water and sewerage companies have also been talking to insurers, local authorities, housing associations, large land owners and drainage contractors amongst others to ensure that this transfer is as seamless as possible. While no-one is expecting any overnight miracles, both the industry and householders should be pleased that after many years of discussion, sensible arrangements have been put in place to deal with an essential element of the nation’s infrastructure. Company websites provide further information, as does Water UK’s website www.water.org.uk. where a short film, and detailed diagrams, explain the transfer.
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SWIG: The Voice of Sustainable Water By Neal Landsberg - Chair of SWIG Deaf Ears Syndrome
So what is at risk?
Water is ubiquitous yet invisible, and it seems that issues around sustainable water often fall on deaf ears. In the past Sustainable Water has been too easily overlooked or trimmed from budgets. Where is the Voice of Sustainable Water at those critical points? As we have progressed through a sequence of environmental realisations and issues - notably carbon, energy, landfill, waste- we inevitably reach Sustainable Water somewhere down the line. The default position has frequently been to respond largely to ‘the stick’ i.e. legislation and planning requirements alone. What about ‘the carrot’? - to avoid i.e. delivering projects using water sustainably that also make commercial and environmental sense. How often does solving a problem on one site create a new problem for someone else rather than jointly solving a common problem with common benefits? Water has its own way of being very difficult to manage as an afterthought, yet some upfront planning can yield real benefits for all parties. Some of these might look soft initially but carry hard benefits more subtly. The message may be starting to get through as evidenced by the quality of nominations for this year’s SWIG Awards (about which more later), and the ‘Official launch’ of Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) in the UK by master planning consultancy AECOM.
Well, millions of citizens live in the flood zone of the Thames. So is a chunk of London’s underground transport together with globally important businesses including London’s Financial and banking hub. Whilst most people are aware of ‘The Weather’ with its confusing variability, the professional community is watching ‘The Climate’. Whilst the Weather is spoiling BBQ’s, for some home heating is needed, it’s raining again, the grass looks green - all familiar stuff. And some believe – fingers crossed - maybe this will all pass over as a blip on the statistical history of our weather. But climate watchers are well aware of deeper disturbing truths. We have recorded a huge and sustained increase of severe weather events in recent decades. Flooding and overloading of storm water systems are definitely an issue. Even the capacity of our amazing Thames Barrier is hovering around the point of its design maximum.
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Have we Passed ‘Peak Water’ in the Southeast England? It sounds funnier than it is. Uncertainties in the Climate and weather are both acting together to give the message that we simply cannot rely on rising demand being balanced by ever increasing sources of supply.
You may have seen a map of world water availability. What is striking is not so much the sub-Saharan belt showing red for areas of water stress as one might expect. Rather the little red blob standing out over the SE of England which is certainly in a real state of water stress. A lot of us live in that red patch. Some Londoners actually drive past our very own desalination plant. Built - just in case - at some cost it does emphasise that we cannot continue to ignore using Water Sustainably. It is something to think about when our rivers, reservoirs and aquifers are struggling too.
Water used sustainably in all buildings and spaces. The Sustainable Water Industry Group (SWIG) has a Vision: To see water being used sustainably in all buildings and spaces. Its Mission is to implement sustainable water management wherever possible. The approach used is interdisciplinary and based on ‘whole system’ thinking. Whilst it is true to say there are professional, governmental and other organisations who resonate with these ideas, the arguable difference is that SWIG is water- centric.
‘Just Do it’? Not exactly. SWIG participants see the relevance of a group that pulls rather than pushes, with crucial roles for those who turn strategies into practical realities. Participants include installers, engineers, planners, consultants, architects, designers, academics, manufacturers, strategic and governmental organisations and others from across industry. All opinions are welcome and make a difference.
‘Green Business is Good Business’ Some of the ideas in the spotlight for SWIG are exemplified by projects using Sustainable Water that make good commercial sense with excellent returns on investment in surprisingly short timescales. Recently no less an operator than Marks and Spencer has received accolades for its projects incorporating genuinely sustainable and eco sensitive elements. Some of them address urban psychology and bio diversity involving green roofs and green walls amongst other measures. M&S senior management have stated publically that this makes financial sense for them, too. Another idea that works well is the concept that Green Infrastructure is often cheaper and works better than ‘Grey Cement infrastructure’ when viewed in a broader sustainability context and provides valuable green space elements.
Providing a platform and Key Outcomes SWIG is a vehicle that provides a platform to focus on delivering Sustainable Water use whilst itself being an active party in the whole system thinking which it advocates. There are four Key Outcomes.
1. Robustly building sustainability into project specifications from the
outset. Some projects fail to incorporate achievable gains for numerous reasons. So here SWIG encourages joined up thinking and helps to focus on sustainable water issues at an early stage.
2. Best Practice. Participating in SWIG allows real cross fertilisation
of ideas, developing workable guidelines, disseminating knowledge about practical ways of integrating grey water, rainwater harvesting, biodiversity issues, dispelling myths, and encouraging thinking that allows using mains water responsibly.
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3. Cross-professional platform. The SWIG platform
enables working groups to focus on important issues, to report in plenum session and develop consensus and recommendations. For example, a current hot topic is Water Sustainable Urban Design, (WSUD) which is an approach currently achieving remarkable results in other parts of the world with great potential for the UK. WSUD is an approach with interdisciplinary working at its heart.
4.
Influencing Policies. As an independent group SWIG is able to speak up for Sustainable Water, helping to create critical mass and credibility and engaging in informed debate. Seeking to ensure that good policy produces good legislation that works practically. ‘Biting the hand that feeds you’ is a great silencer, and one of those sadder facts of life. When it comes to commenting on political policy proposals, the consensus opinion of SWIG makes its valuable contribution reflecting participants’ expert views free from any anxiety of suppression. Our response to White Papers also incorporates dissenting comments when they are present to provide a balanced view.
Expert speakers, regular meetings and events. SWIG has a programme of lunchtime mini seminars, and special events attended by a wide range of participants with expert speakers on subjects that highlight cutting edge issues, solutions and show how we can take action ourselves. Doing a better job in this decade than we did last decade is a running theme in SWIG this year. We are modelling for ourselves getting our own planning and thinking in order right at the beginning. We need to see more of this happening with other projects in order to get better results overall. Integrated working is a challenge because much of our industry works in highly specialised silos so there is a need to find ways and formats for meshing ideas and collaborative working.
SWIG Awards- from Palaces to Patios These Awards have a clear purpose - to showcase, celebrate, promote and increase awareness of what can be achieved with a little imagination and creativity inspiring future projects and transformational change. There are a growing number of extraordinary commercial, private and public projects that combine the practical with the imaginative to deliver projects that
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incorporate sustainable water use. Smaller and micro projects are all eligible for SWIG Award nominations, and there is an easy, streamlined nomination process to ensure that it is not arduous to be in the running. It is very affordable to attend the Gala Breakfast Ceremony at City Hall on 2nd November 2011, and well worth the effort to see what amazing work has been done and how to benefit from it yourself. More information at www.sustainablewater.org.uk
SWIG Visionary Leadership Programme We are developing this to inspire and challenge the Industry’s top and developing “Doers”. Creating valuable networks with bright stars from across the sector and enhance their own contributions, creativity and potential. Top class contributors will inspire, challenge, surprise and invigorate. Our ambition is to maximise creativity, encourage imaginative projects, minimize risk-taking and drive compelling projects.
National Planning Policy Framework The current Draft National Planning Policy Framework: Consultation document describes itself as a key part of Government’s reforms to make the planning system less complex and more accessible, and to promote sustainable growth. As the Voice of Sustainable Water, SWIG will be making itself heard in order to play its part to achieve both of those objectives. We will all need to keep our ears open!
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ENERGY Page 96 - 97 Rethinking Large Scale Heating, Andrew Crown, Daikin Page 99- 100 Renewable UK 2011 Show Preview Page 102 - 104 UK Wind Industry Leads The Way, Maria McCaffery, CEO, Renewable UK Page 105 - 106 Renewables: Past, Present, Future, Ian Mays, MD, RES Group Page 107 - 108 Growing Renewables, Johnathan Scurlock, NFU, Renewables Chief Advisor
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The Government needs to rethink its approach to large scale heating By Andrew Crown, Daikin The Government is continually pushing the building industry to come up with new ways to reduce the amount of carbon produced from buildings. Increasingly stringent regulations and standards demand more energy efficient buildings. Andrew Crown, Commercial Manager, Heating and Renewables for Daikin UK, argues that financial incentives such as the RHPP for domestic are simply a drop in the ocean if the country is going to meet its legally binding targets. With the recent announcement of the fourth carbon budget, requiring the UK to cut its carbon emissions by 50% on 1990 levels by 2027, there is a real need to look at innovative ways to increase energy efficiency. Already, as a country, we need to cut our carbon emissions by 20% by 2020. When we consider rapidly rising oil prices too, it is clear that we need to adopt a radical change in the way we heat buildings. Community or district heating, using renewable energy has long been a major topic for discussion when debating how best to reduce the carbon emissions from domestic dwellings. It is particularly relevant when we consider that in the UK the shortage of land available for house building has resulted in almost half of all recent new-build accommodation being flats or apartments. This statistic, coupled with the fact that more than a quarter of the UK’s population lives in terraced housing, means that a huge proportion of our housing stock is situated in high density locations. These factors stack the odds towards the use of community heating as a way of providing renewable heat technologies to the nations homes – especially when we consider that one fifth of all social housing stock is located in off gas areas and now one in five households are experiencing fuel poverty. So what is preventing community heating from becoming a reality? Traditionally, community heating has been limited to large scale Combined Heat and Power (CHP) schemes, resulting in the need to find a convenient location for the infrastructure within a housing development. This often proves extremely difficult, not least because developers, understandably, want to use every inch of space for providing homes. This drawback, combined with the “not in my back yard” attitude from many communities has meant that CHP solutions for domestic heating have often stalled before they have even got off the ground. The problem is not limited to domestic properties. In the UK |96| ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE
commercial buildings contribute more than 2.2 million tonnes of CO2 per year, so there is a real need to look at how we heat these properties as well. A continual stream of increasingly stringent regulations has been introduced to encourage businesses to help meet carbon reduction targets. These include DEC’s, EPC’s changes to BREEAM and, since October 2010, new building regulations have required property developers to achieve a 25% reduction in carbon emissions with new buildings. These changes are part of the Government’s wider objective of achieving zero carbon emissions from all new non-domestic buildings by 2027. But even small changes in energy performance and building usage could affect energy costs, carbon emissions and our effectiveness in dealing with climate change. For property developers, companies and residents alike, the ability to reduce carbon emissions and cut primary energy usage provides a win-win situation. Very often by achieving stringent targets, we can make buildings more attractive to end users as they become cheaper to heat. By designing to meet these targets from the outset, developers can ensure that the running costs are kept to a minimum. So, one of the challenges facing the Government is how to establish a framework for community heating programmes using renewable technology that overcomes traditional barriers to the implementation, such as space limitations or how to retrofit a system in existing properties.
One way might be to use air-to-water heat pump technology as a large scale renewable heating system. Until now heat pumps have been limited in the scale and range of their application. However, advances in technology mean that high output air-to-water heat pumps can be used in commercial buildings, as well as high density and apartment buildings, to provide heating from renewable energy without the need for fuel storage or deliveries and with a small footprint resulting in a far more efficient use of space. Indeed the Government’s Pathways to 2050 report published in May this year* identifies the increased use of heat pumps as playing a major factor in the UK’s potential to meet its carbon reduction targets Technologies such as the Daikin Altherma Flex Type air-to-water heat pump which provides a scalable, highly energy efficient renewable heating system and is suitable for a diverse range of commercial buildings such as university accommodation, schools, hotels, leisure environments and businesses, as well as apartments and high density housing are set to play a key part in realising these targets. A high temperature system - with heating flow temperatures up to 80ºC – such as the Daikin Altherma Flex Type, is ideal for refurbishment projects as well as new build applications as it can be used with existing radiator systems. Hot water temperatures of up to 75°C for bathrooms and kitchens are also possible without the need for any supplementary back-up heaters. As the indoor units can be configured in a centralised or de-centralised arrangement, the system offers complete flexibility to integrate air-water heat pump technology on a much greater scale than is typically feasible using an individual heat pump system. In a decentralised system, the hydroboxes (or indoor units) can be located in individual dwellings or apartments, classrooms or offices. Each indoor unit can be operated independently, providing each area with individual control of heating, hot water and billing if required. Alternatively, the indoor units can be located together in one central plant room, to create a centralised system suitable for a wide range of large domestic and light commercial applications.
*Pathways to 2050 – Key Results MARKAL Model Review and Scenarios for DECC’s 4th Carbon Budget Evidence Base Final Report, 11th May 2011
It is clear that if the UK is going to meet its carbon reduction targets we need to see a seismic shift towards renewable technologies and systems such as scalable, modular heat pumps could well provide the answer. ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE |97|
RenewableUK 2011
Annual Conference and Exhibition
RenewableUK’s Annual Conference The UK’s premier renewable energy event, RenewableUK 2011, is taking place in Manchester from 25th -27th October. More than five thousand people will be attending the wind and marine energy trade association’s 33rd annual conference and exhibition at the MCCC (Manchester Central Convention Complex). Three hundred companies will be exhibiting, and representatives from many more will be sharing ideas and networking. "This is our biggest event of the year - and every year we're seeing an increase in the number of companies exhibiting”, said the association's Head of Brand and Marketing, Simon Becker. “Our conferences are seen as must-attend events by anyone interested in the wind, wave and tidal sectors. We've had to extend the exhibition into an extra hall to accommodate the demand for more space. This year, we have two new technology pavilions - one for Small Wind Systems, and the other for Wave & Tidal Energy. Overall, it's a great opportunity for manufacturers, developers, suppliers, financiers and research institutes to find out about the latest developments in these fast-growing industries". The keynote speaker is the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, Chris Huhne. He will address the conference on Weds 26th October. Among the many other highlights, the conference will open with a keynote speech from our core sponsor, Siemens. The Managing Director of Siemens Energy Sector UK, Matthew Chinn, will highlight how industry is responding to the Renewable Energy Roadmap published
by the Department of Energy and Climate Change. His speech will examine what needs to be done to ensure that the renewable energy industry can drive down generation costs, particularly for offshore wind. In one of the most eagerly-awaited sessions, chaired by RenewableUK’s Director of Policy Gordon Edge, a number of leading industry figures will examine the impact of the proposals set out in the Government’s Energy White Paper – the most radical reform of the electricity market for decades. Day 2 features a dedicated Wave and Tidal event held in conjunction with the European Ocean Energy Agency (EU-OEA). This session will aim to define the global opportunities offered by this sector, outlining national government activity within Europe and from further afield. On Day 3, the exhibition and Careers Fair is open to the public free of charge. This includes free sessions for anyone interested in a career in the renewable energy sector. In one of these sessions, entitled “Farming Wind Energy”, RenewableUK will bring together farming experts and industry representatives to introduce wind energy to the agricultural community, farmers and landowners. The session will assess different types of technologies available on the market and provide valuable information on the benefits of wind energy. The onshore wind industry has cause for celebration at this year’s conference. In early September, after five years of hard work on the issue, RenewableUK welcomed ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE |99|
the publication of the new rules governing the installation of small wind turbines. The changes will introduce permitted development rights for small wind systems, which will make it much easier and quicker for domestic users to install them. The new rights will come into effect in December.
Onshore and offshore wind have continued to generate increasing amounts of electricity in the last few weeks. RenewableUK was pleased to receive statistics from the National Grid which show that a record-breaking amount of electricity was generated by wind turbines on Tues 6th Sept.
To earn money under the Government's Feed-in-Tariff for renewable energy generation, people need to install small-scale wind turbines which have been approved under the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS). RenewableUK has been working with the Government to develop a new MCS Planning Standard which supports a General Permitted Development Order (GPDO) for small wind turbines. GPDO allows people to install small wind systems without the need to go through the long and cumbersome process of obtaining planning permission. Other forms of renewable energy, such as solar PV, already benefit from GPDO.
It's the first time the 3,000 megawatt milestone has been achieved by wind for the National Grid. At the peak moment of 11.58am on that date, wind power generation reached 3,021 MW. At that particular minute, wind power was supplying 7.2% of the total amount of electricity on the Grid. It breaks the previous record set on 15th January this year of 2,800 MW. The windy conditions were caused by the remnants of Hurricane Irene. The overall statistics for that record-breaking moment are even more impressive. National Grid says the actual amount of electricity generated in that minute was even higher - because a third of all wind turbine capacity in the UK (32%) is connected directly to local electricity networks, and not to the Grid. Once the extra 1,500 megawatts from this “embedded capacity” are taken into account, the amount of electricity being generated reached 4,500 MW, supplying more than 10% of the UK's electricity needs. In total, the UK currently has 5,739 MW of installed wind capacity – enough to supply 3,209,233 homes. RenewableUK's Chief Executive, Maria McCaffery, said: "These record-breaking figures show that wind energy is providing ever-increasing amounts of electricity to homes and businesses across the country. It makes a strong case for installing even greater capacity, so that we can make the most of the bountiful wind resource we have in Britain. The benefits are clear – we are generating clean energy, cutting down on expensive and insecure imports of fossil fuels and creating tens of thousands of jobs over the next decade".
Although that’s good news, there is also cause for concern in the onshore industry. The new planning standard also requires small turbines installed under GPDO to meet a noise emission limit of 42 decibels. The industry had advocated a limit of 45db. RenewableUK's Small Wind Systems Manager, Indre Vaizgelaite, said: "Britain leads the world in the manufacture of small wind turbines, and to expand this industry we need a growing market for our products. The government had a great opportunity to support that industry. In that context, a limit of 42db is disappointing – to achieve such a limit a small wind turbine will need to be a significant distance away from neighbouring houses, meaning that anyone erecting a small wind turbine will require a large expanse of land. We hope that the Government implements a higher decibel limit for the GPDO for non-domestic turbines, when this is considered later this year." |100| ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE
UK wind industry leads the way By Maria McCaffery MBE, Chief Executive, RenewableUK.
Britain is the windiest country in Europe – so much so that we could power our nation several times over using this abundant source of clean, green energy alone. Wind is big business. The global wind industry has an estimated annual turn over of £5.5. billion, 84% of which is based in Europe. The UK is proud to be the acknowledged world leader in offshore wind - and that role will grow significantly as more new projects come to fruition. The proposed capacity of the next round of offshore projects (Round 3) will generate an extra 32 gigawatts (GW), bringing the overall contribution of offshore wind to more than 47GW, which will amount to more than a third of the UK’s total electricity consumption. In the longer term, the total offshore wind capacity for the UK has been estimated at 116 GW. If developed, this would see the UK become a net electricity exporter, but to export successfully we need to upgrade the grid. Britain is facing an unprecedented challenge to connect large amounts of new, low-carbon generation to electricity networks. We require a new ‘smart grid’ network capable of supporting the development of a modern energy system. As the leading body representing the wind and marine energy industries, it is one of our priorities to ensure that this is built. The wind industry fully accepts the need to provide electricity in a cost-effective way. Onshore wind is already the cheapest form of renewable energy, and we are fully committed to driving down the costs of offshore
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wind. To do this, we are working in partnership with the Government in the newly-established Offshore Wind Cost Reduction Task Force which is taking action to deliver low-cost clean electricity in ever-increasing quantities. We are confident that we can reduce costs by up to a third over the next decade, based on the expectation that the market will be large enough to promote competition, generate economies of scale and drive innovation. Together with the government and other key stakeholders including The Crown Estate we are aiming to deliver 20GW of low-cost electricity from offshore wind by 2020. RenewableUK’s recent report, “Offshore Wind – Forecasts of Future Costs and Benefits”, compiled by independent consultants, BVG Associates, examines the most important measure for the offshore wind industry - the whole-life costs of projects due to be built from 2011 to 2022. The whole-life cost includes capital expenditure, operational costs and the energy yield from offshore wind farms. Under normal market conditions, the whole-life cost of energy from UK offshore wind projects is expected to be driven down by more than 15% in real terms over the same period. Under more favourable conditions, the decrease in costs would be as much as 33%. UK offshore wind capital expenditure (CAPEX) per MW of installed capacity will continue to increase in the next few years as projects are located further offshore and in deeper water. However, technological developments will
carbon energy which can be deployed within that time to generate sufficient electricity to meet our needs. As wind energy is free at the point of source, the more we use it, the less we will need to rely on more expensive forms of generating electricity, such as gas-fired power stations. This pushes down costs as it squeezes out less efficient generators, so that customers get the best value. This is known as the Merit Order Effect – already well documented in Germany, Denmark and Spain, where onshore wind is more widely deployed than the UK. offset the costs incurred by these conditions, so that costs will improve in the decade ahead. Operational expenditure (OPEX) per MW installed will decrease significantly over the lifetime of wind farms installed in the next decade, primarily because of the use of a smaller number of larger and more reliable turbines. After vigorous campaigning on behalf of the offshore sector we were delighted to welcome last October the Government’s decision to retain a £60m fund for port infrastructure upgrades. Round 3 projects are stimulating unprecedented growth in the supply chain with companies such as Siemens, Gamesa, Doosan, Mitsubishi and GE all announcing plans to invest in the UK based manufacturing facilities, mainly for turbines. If the UK does not invest in the wind industry, alternative sources of electricity will be even more expensive. Research carried out in 2009 and 2010 by the energy regulator Ofgem shows that if we fail to develop our abundant resources of renewable energy such as wind, consumer bills could rise by up to 52% by 2020. As Ofgem points out, the price of oil has quadrupled over the last ten years, and the price of coal and gas has more than doubled. We can no longer afford to remain hostage to expensive, insecure supplies of fossil fuels imported from abroad. Over the next decade, as old coal-fired and nuclear power stations reach the end of their natural lives and go offline, the UK is going to lose 25% its capacity to generate electricity. To keep the lights on, we have to find a way to bridge that gap. Wind is the only source of low-
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Another challenge we face is a shortage of skilled workers. RenewableUK recently produced a report which explains in detail how over 88,000 people will be working in the wind, wave and tidal energy industries by 2021. The study shows the enormous potential which exists within renewable energy industries to provide permanent, well-paid jobs for the engineers, scientists, technicians and economists of the future. We must also ensure that the right training is available to ensure that the workforce has the appropriate skills to serve the sector. Working closely with the National Skills Academy for Power we are taking practical steps to bridge that gap by ensuring that cost effective and quality assured training opportunities are created. Our vision of tens of thousands of “green collar” jobs will come to fruition in the decade ahead – that will be an achievement of which we can all be proud.
Renewables: Past, Present and Future By Dr Ian Mays MBE - Managing Director, Renewable Energy Systems Group Renewable energy currently provides around 16% of global final energy consumption. Of this 10% comes from traditional biomass, which is mainly used for heating, and 3.4% from hydroelectricity. Modern renewables (small hydro, modern biomass, wind, solar, geothermal, and biofuels) account for another 2.8% and are growing very rapidly. Wind power is growing at the rate of 30% annually, with worldwide installed capacity reaching 198 gigawatts (GW) in 2010 across Europe, Asia and the Americas. Climate change and energy security concerns have led to increasing government support for renewables, driving specific renewable energy legislation and incentives. For the UK, over the next ten years, around a quarter of the existing generating capacity will shut down as our coal and nuclear power stations reach the end of their useful life. More than £110bn in investment will be needed to build the equivalent of 20 larger power stations and upgrade the grid. In the longer term electricity demand is expected to increase dramatically as we shift more transport and heating electricity. The Government has committed to modernising and transforming the UK’s electricity system to ensure future supplies are secure, low carbon and affordable.
This means that the Government will expect to see a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions across the whole economy in line with their carbon budgets, with a view to achieving at least an 80% reduction by 2050.
What are the biggest challenges the industry has overcome? RES has been in the renewable energy business for over 30 years. In that time the biggest challenge has been in getting renewable energy onto the mainstream energy agenda, rather than the margins. Several factors have helped to inform and shape the debate, particularly the global issues of climate change and energy security. The economics of renewable energy has also presented a major challenge, and the industry has responded by continuous development of the technologies to improve their performance and reduce costs. What are the major challenges facing the industry in the future? The scale of the challenges faced by the industry is enormous. For example, meeting the Government renewables targets set for 2020 is expected to require another 38 GW of onshore and offshore wind capacity to be installed. This, for wind alone, is likely to require over ÂŁ100bn of new capital expenditure. Given the number of Government policy changes or reviews currently underway (such as Electricity Market Reform, introduction of a capacity mechanism and changes to planning legislation) the industry needs to ensure that these have outcomes that do not undermine the delivery of the capacity required
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to meet the targets, and that sufficient momentum is established to achieve even more ambitious longer term targets. The current poor and uncertain economic climate can be expected to add significant further challenges. RES, as one of the leading organisations in the industry, has been working hard to ensure that outcomes are focused on what matters - the reduction in CO2 and securing a clean and affordable continuous supply of energy. Success will depend on attracting the funding required (both equity and debt) to deliver the targets. This will increasingly come from non-traditional sources such as pension funds and insurance companies. The industry will also need to continue developing the technologies involved, delivering better performance and lower overall costs. This brings us on to the additional challenge of building the skilled workforce that will be required across the whole of the industry, from engineering through construction and onto operational services and maintenance. RES has identified that there is a skills gap and is working with schools, universities and other industry players to ensure that the gap is narrowed or closed entirely. What is the biggest area of growth/development so far in the UK? So far the biggest area of growth and development has been wind power where over the last 20 years we have seen almost 6GW of capacity installed in the UK to date. The first 1GW was completed in 2005 so it is clear that the rate of installation has dramatically accelerated. The addition of offshore wind farms has contributed much of the recent growth and is set to continue major growth. Over the same period wind power technology has also changed. The earliest wind farms used turbines typically of 300 to 500kW size. Today’s machines are an order of magnitude larger and are more efficient at producing electricity from a given area, even at lower wind speeds. Are there any industry shaping events we should reference? The partial meltdown and significant release of radiation that occurred at Fukushima following the earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan earlier this year caused Germany and Switzerland to commit to phasing out nuclear power. So far it has not dented the UK Government’s determination to push forward with replacing our ageing fleet of reactors, but concerns are increasingly being aired about the true costs, and the ability of the private sector to finance and insure new projects.
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Perhaps the most critical recent event affecting the industry has been the global banking crisis of 2008 and the ongoing and indeed worsening economic problems that have resulted. As governments focus on budget deficit reduction there is increasing pressure on support mechanisms for renewable energy and other low carbon technologies. The perceived high costs of tackling climate change and energy security, when the public are faced with poor economic conditions, make this fertile ground for the climate change sceptics and the fossil fuel lobby. It is important that the industry continues to ensure that both the governments and the public are made aware of the real threats that climate change and energy security pose to society. What are the key milestones? Key milestones have a habit of changing over time dependent on a number of factors, often associated with economic conditions and outlook. At the moment, the focus for the industry is very much Government set renewable targets for 2020 and the longer term goal of an 80% reduction in CO2 by 2050. There is also the danger of looking at targets and performance indicators as ends in themselves, whereas the key driver is to achieve sustainable, clean and economical supplies of energy. To achieve this we need to keep national and global strategies under constant review and amend targets and areas for investment accordingly. What are the key things the industry should be pushing for? • A clear and consistent energy policy framework with better cross party and public support. • Sufficiently strong and durable incentive schemes to drive the necessary investment and to establish a stronger UK renewable industry (including manufacturing). • Continuous improvement in the key renewable technologies to drive down life cycle costs and make renewable energy more competitive. How would you sum up the industry currently and in which direction should we be going? The UK has established a vibrant and thriving renewables industry that is up for the challenge of delivering the large scale implementation required to achieve the Government’s targets. What has been your proudest moment to date? In 2001 RES completed the 214 turbine, 278MW, King Mountain wind farm in Texas. At that time and for several years subsequently, it was the biggest wind farm in the world.
Growing the renewables opportunity: how British farmers are diversifying into energy production, despite poor policy-making By John Scurlock - NFU’s chief advisor on renewable energy
Climate change is driving national and international policy on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, resulting in challenging ambitions for renewable energy. Of course, as a specialist adviser, I am delighted that my subject area is hardly ever out of the news these days - but it is nevertheless worrying that we are seeing examples of increasingly extreme weather conditions around the globe, while international climate mitigation negotiations are locked in a perpetual go-slow crisis, and British politicians continue to claim world leadership while doing remarkably little to create a low-carbon economy at home. Both the EU and the UK have set demanding emissions reduction goals and stretching targets for renewable energy, but it looks like the Germans (as usual) are doing far more than us Brits on virtually all counts. Even Belgium has outshone the UK recently with its two-mile-long solar-roofed rail tunnel. Humiliated by the Belgians. Would you believe it? We realise now that British agriculture, horticulture and land management will all be impacted by climate change, and that our sector needs to respond to possible future regulation of greenhouse gas emissions. On balance, the NFU believes that these policy drivers offer more of an opportunity than a threat. There are ample prospects for farmers and growers to benefit from a wide range of renewable energy incentive schemes - there is something to suit every type and every size of farm, from small dairy producers to large grain-growers. Support for large-scale renewable electricity (the Renewables Obligation) dates back to before 2002, and since 2010 we have had Feed-In Tariffs for smaller-scale generators. Renewable transport fuels have produced a lot of public debate but also new markets for suppliers of bioenergy
crops, and a promising-looking Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) scheme is being introduced this Autumn. Last year, the incoming Secretary of State at the Department for Energy and Climate Change, Chris Huhne, seemed positively ashamed of Britain’s ‘bottom of the class’ position in the European renewable energy stakes - and vowed to make us Europe›s ‘fastest-improving pupil’. But don’t hold your breath for those end-of-term reports - investor confidence, and international interest in Britain as a place to do renewable energy business, has been ebbing away lately, as one policy measure after another is delayed or fumbled, and clean energy entrepreneurs remain tangled in red tape. At the time of writing, farmers are still waiting for the RHI to commence and for the promised uplift to small-scale biogas tariffs to come into effect. The government has even stalled its scheduled review of the Renewables Obligation, causing major biomass power projects to hold back from construction. Agriculture and the broader land-based sector have substantial potential to deploy renewables and help to drive the low-carbon economy. Large-roofed grain and vegetable stores, and livestock sheds of all kinds, are ideal for mounting solar PV (photovoltaic) modules. Small-to-medium scale wind power is popular, enabling farmers to own their renewable energy assets rather than just renting out their land to developers. Fuels such as straw, poultry litter or perennial energy crops like miscanthus can be combusted for heat and power, while biogas digesters using crop feedstocks can help unlock the nutrient potential of manures and slurries. In other EU member states such as Austria, farmers have diversified into the provision of bulk heat from large biomass-fired boiler-houses. They supply heat from wood fuels and agricultural residues such as ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE |107|
straw to warm local businesses and communities through district heating networks. The NFU would like to see such new opportunities for bulk heating supply actively encouraged in rural areas. But farmers calls for stronger policy direction seem to have fallen on deaf ears. The land-based renewables sector is held back by problems familiar to many clean energy entrepreneurs - electricity grid connections which are neither fair, fast or cheap; a lack of clarity on both permitted development and planning guidance; slow progress on environmental permitting of combustion facilities; government nervousness about land use for energy crops; and a failure so far to adequately incentivise farm-scale biogas. However, what Ernst & Young called the ‘highly damaging’ move to cut Feed-In Tariff rates for solar PV from August this year, after many farmers and other investors had already sunk money into new projects, has probably sent out the most confusing signal of all. At the time, I described this as a ‘ghastly strategic mistake’, a sentiment echoed by the Renewable Energy Association, which noted that Germany is expecting 50% of their daytime electricity to come from solar energy by 2020. But there is also a dramatic success story to tell here, of farmers and developers struggling to create green growth in the face of government mismanagement. At least 75 megawatts of solar power was added this year, mostly constructed in the space of 6-8 frantic weeks in June and July, as solar farms and large roof installations were hastily installed before the tariffs were reduced. If you include brownfield sites, the total is probably over 100 MW - a doubling of UK solar power capacity, mainly in the agricultural sector, from planning to generating in the course of one year. The majority of this is found in the hard-pressed southwest region, especially around Newquay and Wadebridge in sunny Cornwall. This is unprecedented in the electricity generation sector, better known for its delays and bloated budgets - even wind farms cannot be built that fast! And the best thing is that this kind of diversification into renewable energy is underpinning profitable agriculture. Bringing the worldwide solar industry to Britain as part of the low-carbon economy should have been a no-brainer for the government, and it should be a no-brainer for farmers to make sensible use of their rooftops. The NFU is astonished that after receiving more than 500 consultation responses, ministers made no changes to this summer›s ‘fast-track’ review, and in the latter part of 2011 they have been effectively rationing solar power by making everything over 50 kilowatts uneconomic. The government›s preference for domestic-scale microgeneration over a more balanced portfolio of small-to-medium sized renewables projects is badly misplaced, and leaves a yawning gap in support for low-carbon energy developments costing typically £1m to £15m.
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Green Building Page 111 - 113 Achieving Sustainability, Brian Andreas, Head of Sustainability, Saint Goban Page 114 - 116 Go For the Simple Life, Guy Thompson, Head of Sustainability, Conrete Centre Page 117 - 118 Installing Renewables, Graham Perrior, Head of Standards & Technical, NHBC
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By Brian Andreas Head of sustainability-Saint Goban
By Brian Andreas Head of Sustainability - Saint Goban Next year the Government’s Green Deal comes into effect, but with the threat of a double dip recession and uncertainty around the specific details of the Deal, does the construction industry believe the Green Deal can achieve its long-term objectives and deliver the benefits promised. Saint-Gobain UK & Ireland’s sustainability leader, Brian Andreas believes it can through education, teamwork and easily accessible and affordable solutions.
example increasing the insulation in cavity walls or lofts – repaying the costs through savings on their energy bills. “However the key principle, or Golden Rule, for gaining Green Deal finance is that the work being done to improve the home’s efficiency should not exceed the expected savings and that the payback period is not longer
“Under the Climate Change Act 2008, the UK has committed to achieving a 34 per cent reduction in its CO2 emissions by 2020, relative to 1990 levels and at least 80 per cent reduction by 2050. In order to achieve the 2020 target nearly seven million homes need improving to meet modern low carbon standards, but to reach the 2050 target, the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has estimated this will require the upgrade of 11,000 homes per week for the next 40 years. “In response to these daunting targets, the Government’ has developed its flagship energy saving plan, The Green Deal, a ‘revolutionary programme’ that aims to transform the UK’s homes from draughty, energy hungry buildings to warmer, cheaper to run homes. But the task in hand is not a small one and has been referred to as ‘the biggest home improvement programme since the Second World War’ by Climate Change Minister, Greg Barker. “Since its launch earlier this year, response to the Green Deal has been mixed with many homeowners unsure of how it will work and how it will financially benefit them. From next year, people will be able to access funding to pay for energy efficiency work on their homes - for ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE |111|
than the expected lifespan of the solution. All solutions used must also be accredited and the claimed savings must be approved through the accreditation. “For the fuel poor and hard to treat properties where the Golden Rule will not work there will be additional financial support available via the Energy Company Obligation (ECO). Though the exact size is uncertain this could be in excess of £1.4billion per year. “For homeowners the main concern is how the money they borrow against their property will be repaid and how it will be calculated. These details are still being agreed but the basic principle is that payments will be made in instalments based on the savings on energy bills and the bill payer is only responsible for Green Deal payments while paying energy bills at the property.
contributing credits towards the Code for Sustainable Homes, as well as External Wall Insulation (EWI) and Internal Wall Insulation (IWI) systems, both of which have excellent thermal properties improving the energy efficiency of buildings. “Another relatively simple solution and one which surprisingly many people haven’t considered is replacing their windows. They think the double glazing they have already does the job, but by introducing new windows energy consumption can be reduced by as much as 28 per cent.
“Even though there are still components of the Green Deal to be confirmed, it is an idea that Saint-Gobain strongly supports. As the world’s leading manufacturer, designer and distributor of construction materials, SaintGobain can provide a range of solutions that will make the Green Deal feasible and appealing to homeowners.
“At Saint-Gobain, we strongly advocate the fabric-first approach to improving the efficiency and sustainability of buildings. Adding renewables such as solar panels to your roof could turn surplus energy into cash under the Feed-In-Tariff scheme, but there’s not much point if all the energy you’re generating is leaking out of the walls, windows and roof - it’s all about getting things done in logical order. The other benefit is these solutions and systems are already available and are relatively simple to install, thus reducing the amount of installer training required.
“We invest £350-million globally each year in R&D and offer a range of systems and solutions that achieve thermal performance in existing properties through our brands Weber, leading manufacturer of easy to apply construction mortar, facades and flooring system, glass wool insulation manufacturer Isover, Saint-Gobain Glass, Solaglas and plaster and plasterboard manufacturer British Gypsum.
“This doesn’t mean training isn’t important, in fact it is vital to the success of the Green Deal. A similar scheme ran in Australia between 2000 and 2010, but failed due to poor workmanship and quality standards. When the Green Deal launches here next year, all assessors and installers will need to be approved and members of a Green Deal accredited certification body with the aim of reducing the chances of poor workmanship.
“Solutions include cavity wall and loft insulation which is made from 86 per cent recycled glass, has a Euroclass A1 fire rating and excellent environment credentials
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“Saint-Gobain is working hard to help construction industry professionals mitigate this potential issue by launching a network of Technical Academies across the UK.
These dedicated facilities bring together expertise from across our manufacturing businesses providing attendees with up-to-the-minute information and training on a wide range of products and systems. This training will ensure that all our systems and solutions will be installed correctly and perform properly, future proofing the improvements. “However, despite increasing awareness around energy efficient housing, more support is needed in order to cut national emissions. Existing Government schemes such as the Community Energy Saving Programme (CESP), which has seen over 2.6million homes having the loft and cavity wall insulation installed by local authorities, and the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT) are making an impact but we would like to see the Government working more closely with insulation manufacturers and energy suppliers to take even further steps towards zero carbon construction. “The Committee on Climate Change (CCC) has recommended to Parliament that programmes, such as the Green Deal and the Energy Company Obligation, be used to ensure that all lofts and cavity walls in the UK have been insulated within four years. The CCC also recommended that eight million lofts, six million cavity walls and 2.3 million solid walls must be insulated by 2022 in order to meet obligations under the third carbon budget period which ends in 2022. “Ironically, despite the recent media attention surrounding energy price rises, homeowners do not appear to be fully aware of how much money can be saved through investment in effective insulation. Yet according to the Energy Saving Trust, annual savings for an average three bedroom home could be around £110 for cavity wall insulation, £385 for external wall insulation and £145 for adding 270mm insulation to an un-insulated loft, helping to combat rising fuel costs while enhancing living comfort. “With prices set to increase further, payback times for investments in such measures will decrease. Over 4.5-million households are currently living in fuel poverty and this is set to rise so urgent action is required. “In our view, increasing consumer awareness regarding the availability and benefits of energy saving measures will be as important as introducing more financial incentives for the consumer via the Green Deal. However, due to the voluntary nature of the Green Deal and the concerns surrounding it, the task of converting awareness into action is still a huge one, but one that can be achieved if all parties– energy companies, retailers, Government departments, campaigners and construction industry professionals – collectively spread one message about the benefits of fabric-first energy savings measures and the positive outcomes taking this approach can bring.” For more information please visit www.saint-gobain. co.uk. ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE |113|
Speculative Offices Go for the Simple Life By Guy Thompson, head of architecture and sustainability at MPA The Concrete Centre
Speculative offices are shredding their over-designed, energy guzzling air conditioning for a simpler, more sustainable approach. The operation of commercial buildings in the UK accounts for some 27% of the total UK CO2 emissions. A significant proportion of this is due to air-conditioning. This makes the application of full air-conditioning systems harder to justify, especially when companies are seeking to reduce both their carbon emissions and energy bills. In addition, the tougher performance requirements for air conditioning set out in the 2010 edition of Part L2 make passive cooling a more attractive option. The net |114| ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE
effect is that energy-guzzling air-conditioned offices are increasingly being viewed as an anachronism. Designers of commercial buildings are realising the potential of thermal mass which, when used in combination with night time ventilation, can provide a sustainable method of cooling that reduces or even avoids the need for air-conditioning. Often referred to as Fabric Energy Storage (FES), the basic approach is to expose the soffit of concrete floor slabs which can then absorb heat gains on warm days and so reduce the internal temperature. The introduction of night air ventilates and cools the soffits in readiness for the
following day. The UK variation in diurnal temperature rarely drops below 5oC, ensuring that night cooling is relatively effective. As an alternative, or in addition to night-time ventilation, water cooling may be used which can offer improved flexibility and control of the slab temperature. The demand for low carbon buildings has been led by owner-occupiers. This has led to the belief that sustainable buildings need to be bespoke and, therefore, come at additional cost. However, increasingly speculative developers are finding that this need not be the case as FES design solutions for low carbon buildings
become more widespread and understood. The use of FES offers a good deal of design flexibility ranging from simple, naturally ventilated systems to more sophisticated mechanically ventilated or watercooled systems that are suitable for projects with high cooling loads. Initially, FES was used for prestigious bespoke office buildings, however a turning point in the market has now been reached. Driven by higher costs, greater sustainability awareness and increased regulation, more and more speculative office projects are adopting a high thermal mass FES approach as the clients and tenants demand lower operating costs, longENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE |115|
term usability and sustainability plus a good return on investment. Thermal mass can be provided by all structural elements but the bulk of it is provided by concrete floor slabs. This is not only because of the larger surface area available for heat transfer but also because the soffit can be exposed for radiant heat transfer. There is a common misconception that there is no additional thermal mass benefit beyond 100mm concrete thickness, but this fails to take account of weather patterns when hot periods require additional thickness for heat absorption long after the 100mm has become saturated. It also fails to take account of the ability of designers to utilise underfloor ventilation to provide thermal linking on the topside of the slab, thereby significantly increasing the effective thickness that can be exploited. In addition, the middle of the slabs can be linked through the use of active water or air-based systems. The use of concrete construction often raises questions concerning the level of embodied CO2 when compared to other structural materials. Some passively cooled concrete office buildings may have a higher embodied CO2 that is, however, quickly offset by the reductions in ongoing operational CO2. Some design teams have already reported an offset period of less than a year whilst even the most pessimistic comparisons have demonstrated an offset period of only 6 years. The benefits of using concrete’s innate thermal mass as part of sustainable construction for speculative offices are not only altruistic. They have an economic focus too. Research from surveyors Lambert Smith Hampton confirms this. In their survey Corporate Real Estate Matters, they found that 35% of respondents acknowledged the long-term economic and sustainability benefits of low carbon buildings and would pay up to 5% more in rent for a sustainable/BREEAM rated building, while a further 35% would pay up to 15% more. These findings are supported by research carried out by the Oxford Institute for Sustainable Development, Oxford Brookes University. This research found that whilst location and availability of stock remain important factors in determining the final choice of office, sustainability is an increasing requirement. The need for offices to be over-designed with additional services and fit-out addressing a ‘just-in-case’ or ‘that’s
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the norm’ scenario is becoming obsolete as tenants’ demand for low energy commercial premises increases. Energy costs, government legislation and growing environmental awareness means that speculative developers need to recognise this demand and view low carbon buildings as the way forward and not something to be wary of. A wide range of publications and guides on fabric energy storage, thermal efficiency and sustainable concrete construction may be downloaded from The Concrete Centre’s website: www.concretecentre.com/publications
Installing renewable technology onto residential buildings: resisting rain and wind damage By Graham Perrior, Acting Group Head of Standards & Technical, NHBC Renewable energy technologies have become more accessible to UK homeowners and tenants in recent years, a trend likely to intensify in the coming months as initiatives to encourage their take up, such as the Feed-in Tariff and the Renewable Heat Incentive, come into play. Demand for renewable technology is certain to increase; also influenced by drivers such as planning requirements and recognition of the potential benefits to housing associations and local authorities. Consumers who opt for these technologies, be they solar panels, photovoltaic (PV) systems or microwind turbines, need to be confident that they meet robust standards. The Mircogeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) ensures this, covering product and installer certification schemes for renewable technology across the UK and Europe. Crucially, however, there are no specific UK or European standards to regulate the mechanical installation of the technology. While the MCS does offer installation guidance, it is down to the individual manufacturer or installer to provide instructions and training. Currently, installation competence through nationally approved qualifications is still in its infancy, which, combined with the lack of standards specifically relating to mechanical fixing onto buildings, has resulted in some failures due to poor workmanship. Constantly exposed to the elements, it is essential that renewable technology is able to withstand the impacts of wind and
rain, so that the weatherproof envelope of the building is not compromised. In response to this, the new NHBC Foundation report a guide to installation of renewable energy systems on roofs of residential buildings provides thorough guidance to ensure appropriate installation and satisfactory in-service performance. Good roofing practice At the heart of effective installation is proficient roofing practice. Whether incorporating a system that replaces a section of, or sits above, the roof covering, all of the component parts and the way they work together and interact with the roof structure must be fully considered at design stage. Of primary consideration is the way a renewable energy system will lend itself to the roof covering. The different common types in the UK – single lap tiles, double lap tiles and slates – all pose different challenges to installation. Pipes, cables and fixings are required to anchor technology to the roof, and connect the technology to the electricity system in the building. Where these penetrate the roof structure, appropriate seals and gaskets are vital to avoid rain water entering the building, yet each roofing type will require a different approach. Before installation can commence, the roof should be inspected for any damage to the underlay or roof timbers. For PV and solar thermal systems, any existing damage to the underlay could lead to potentially hazardous ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE |117|
overheating. Rafters and batons supporting the roof must be strong enough to resist excess loads, such as winter time snow and ice, so may need to be reinforced or replaced before installation can take place. This is particularly significant when considering solar thermal systems, which are generally heavier than PV systems due to heat conducting fluid and the extent of pipe work involved. At this inspection stage, it would be advisable for the longer term lifecycle of the roof to be reviewed since, if the life expectancy of the roof is less than the technology, the system may have to be removed and reinstalled. Renewable technology will not provide a quick-fix solution to lowering energy bills, rather the benefits will be reaped over time, so those considering the technology should think about the long term sustainability of the system. Getting the best results When a satisfactory roof condition has been established, installers can take positive action to ensure the building gets the best possible results from the technology. In the past, there have been incidences where PV and solar thermal panels have been mounted inappropriately without consideration for the surrounding conditions including foliage. Therefore it is extremely important that panels are fixed in an optimum position to achieve best results. For microwind systems, wind load is the critical factor. The exposure of a turbine to wind load can be maximised by locating the turbine above the peak of the roof. However, installation should consider how the technology can resist more severe wind load. The susceptibility of a turbine to the impacts of wind can vary not just upon the roof height, pitch, orientation and the position of adjacent buildings, but also its geographical location. Wind load varies radically across the UK, so a fixing that would adequately anchor a wind turbine to a building in London, may be insufficient in Northern England or Scotland. Withstanding the wind and rain Fixings are certainly critical to getting the best results from renewable technology. For wall mounted micro wind turbines in particular, using a correct fixing will reduce stress and prevent the turbine itself from coming loose. Installation should take into account the impact of wind loads on the turbine, the vibration and movement of the turbine itself on the fixing over time, and the potential for corrosion of the fixing caused by rainwater. Following installation, |118| ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE
fixings should be regularly inspected to ensure they remain effective and durable in accordance with the manufacturers’ recommendations, which should be made clear to the end user by whoever installs the system. For solar thermal and PV systems, the effect of rain water is of equal significance to wind load. Roof penetrations are a critical point at which the waterproof envelope of the roof can be compromised. Roof penetrations for solar thermal systems in particular tend to be larger so require a high standard of workmanship to make sure the complete roof covering will provide satisfactory in-service performance. While this is a general rule when installing a solar thermal system, there exists further differences between different types of solar panel used, and the same goes for PV systems. Different sized panels pose different challenges to the waterproof envelope of the roof. Roof integrated PV systems, for instance, must perform the dual function of generating power while also providing a weatherproof envelope to the building, so the interface between the panel, whether a large or small tile, and the adjacent roof covering must be adequately weatherproofed. For above-roof PV systems, the panels should be designed to transfer any load, such as wind, rain or snow, onto the roof structure at appropriate mounting points. It is at these points that water penetration could occur if not installed correctly.
Installation standards and test methods While MCS standards do provide details of acceptable benchmarks for most renewable energy technologies, for PV, solar thermal and microwind systems there is a variety of associated standards that installers should consider. Plumbing regulations, for instance, apply to solar thermal systems as they generate hot water, while microgeneration systems more broadly must comply with the Construction Products Directive, the Low Voltage Directive and the Directive on Electromagnetic Compatibility. The NHBC Foundation guide provides details on test methods and a comprehensive list of products and installation standards that apply to PV, solar thermal systems and microwind turbines.
Long term sustainable energy production Renewable energy systems could undoubtedly bring great benefits to homeowners, landlords and local authorities, and are already starting to play a central role in making UK housing stock more sustainable and energy efficient. However, as more consumers turn to renewable technologies there is greater potential for damage to the property if they are installed incorrectly, which could negate the positive impacts of the technology. The NHBC Foundation guide goes some way to laying the groundwork for a unified approach to installation and maintenance, which will ensure renewable technology is both structurally sound and an effective producer of energy.
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TIMBER Page 122 - 124 Future Challenges, Sheam Satkura-Granzella, MTC Page 126 - 129 Forestry Certification, Karen Brandt, VP, Market Affairs, SFI Inc.
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The Malaysian Timber Industry in 2011 and Future Challenges By Sheam Satkuru-Granzella, Malaysian Timber Council Malaysia timber and wood products exports to Europe accounted for approximately 12% of the country’s total production in 2010. Total production in 2010 was worth RM 20.5 billion (approximately £4.45 billion), a recovery following 3 years’ decline. Exports for 2011 are expected to hold up at RM 21 billion. Whilst demand patterns in the US and Europe continue to be relatively unstable, some slow improvement was noted in the first quarter of 2011, propped mainly by the renovation and refurbishment sectors, reported to have improved compared to demand seen in 2009 and 2010. Conversely, Asian markets have continued to grow with major demand increases seen in China, India and others prior to the tsunami disaster in Japan. Whilst economic growth within the EU averaged under 2% in 2010 (although this varied between EU member states), most Asian economies maintained growth at approximately 5%. The Asian development Bank acknowledged that “Developing Asia was the first region to emerge from the economic turmoil, helped by decisive and large-scale fiscal and monetary policy measures. Domestic demand has been resilient, especially in the region’s larger economies, and the economic cycle clearly suggests that economies have bottomed and begun to recover. A number of Asian economies even posted double-digit gross domestic product (GDP) growth in the first half of
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2010 with predictions that recovery has taken firm hold although long-term sustained growth is uncertain. For Malaysia and its timber industry, nestled in between the two Asian giants China and India, the prospects of timber exports increasing in 2011 compared to 2010 is quite likely, although not by a significant volume owing to constraints in supply, primarily regulated by adherence to sustainable forest management (SFM) practices. The Malaysian industry, similar to other timber industries worldwide, faces the same challenges of sourcing raw materials and increases in energy and labour costs, not to mention fluctuating fuel and freight costs. The guiding principle would have to be adding value to timber resources through optimal use, minimal waste and product innovation in order to compete with other materials which are not subjected to the stringent controls and scrutiny that timber is exposed to. Tropical forests, more than any other type of forest, have their own endemic complexities and need to be economically, socially and environmentally viable in facing the challenges of land use in developing countries. The challenges that lie ahead in the next decade for the timber industry is to instill full confidence in using wood, known for its aesthetic beauty and environmental credentials. Malaysia is the first country on the Asian continent to be endorsed by the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification Schemes (PEFC) with over 4 million hectares of PEFC-certified forests, producing high quality hardwoods with more than 50 commercially available
tropical timber species to suit various applications. Increasingly, timber industries around the world are committing to trading only in legal and/or sustainably produced timber, reciprocated by consumers who in turn will only consume wood if they are confident of its legal or sustainable status. This bodes well for countries like Malaysia who have invested tremendous resources in pursuing third-party independent certification of its forests by implementing SFM.
products and do not transform into barriers to trade. Tropical rainforests cover less than 5% of earth’s land area and houses approximately 40% of the world’s population with the tropics bearing the largest proportion of the world’s poor. Naturally, there are competing land use challenges. It is imperative that the forests provide sufficient economic returns against the threat of more viable economic alternatives – all the more forest resources have to be used prudently.
How would the impending EU Timber Regulation, coming into force in March 2013, prohibiting the imports of illegal timber into the EU, impact on a country like Malaysia and other producing countries? It is widely agreed that illegal logging must stop, and increasing efforts at international level to reduce and eventually eliminate illegal logging, hence reducing deforestation, are ongoing. Such measures will help ascertain that market players compete on a level playing field, ensuring that revenues as deserved will somehow make its way back as continuing investments in SFM.
There will be pressure on the industry to ensure that all timber sources are inventoried and accounted for, and most importantly, are from legal, if not sustainable sources. And what of emerging markets like China and India who are purchasing significant volumes of timber from various sources, including Africa and the US? Would producing countries not be tempted to sell to these two consumer giants and not bother with proving environmental credentials to environmentally sensitive markets such as the EU? After all, China and India are paying current market prices for the resource they consume. For Malaysia, she has enjoyed well established trade relationships with a number of Western European member states spanning over 50 years with a strong reputation for being reliable and supplying quality materials. The EU consumes approximately 12% of Malaysia’s total timber production. This is something the Malaysian industry wishes to retain, hence the financial and human resources being invested in addressing policy changes both here in Europe as well as on the ground in Malaysia.
The majority of tropical producing countries are of course struggling to find sufficient resources to implement SFM, and due to the absence of market returns, the uptake of SFM in tropical countries has naturally been slow. It is encouraging to see that changing production and consumption patterns are however having an impact, and forest certification is now on the verge of being accepted as one of the measures that will help ensure the sustainability of the world’s forest resources. Much like other complementary measures such as legality compliance and legislative measures such as the EU Timber Regulation and the US Lacey Act. These measures are welcomed by most major timber producing countries with the caveat that such measures are implemented across the EU, are based on fair and transparent measures, do not become an increased burden on suppliers and importers of tropical timber
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Why Forest Certification Must Embrace The Bigger Picture By Karen Brandt Vice President, Market Affairs Sustainable Forestry Initiative Inc.
Timber Expo was a fantastic display of the depth of the forest sector – with more than 100 exhibitors and thousands of delegates. For me, it brought home the fact we work in a highly complex business, one that is squarely in the public spotlight, and one where the only constant is change regardless of whether you manage forestlands, import timber products or buy paper-based materials. It also reinforced the fact that third-party forest certification programs like the Sustainable Forestry Initiative® (SFI®) and Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) are an important piece of this complex puzzle. The choice of building materials can have a huge impact on the environment. And wood’s inherent properties – as a sustainable and renewable resource – make it an excellent environmental choice for any new construction or renovation. Over time, forest certification has made an important contribution to green building, delivering a proof point that timber products are from well-managed forests backed by a rigorous, independent certification audit. Tracking Progress Forest certification is a direct outcome of the 1992 UN Conference on Environment and Development, which led to the vision of sustainable development. The conference encouraged many nations to begin considering how they would measure and track their progress toward the goal of sustainability.
sustainable management, and accepted the Montréal Process criteria and indicators to track their progress at a national level. Across Europe and North America, multi-stakeholder processes built on these criteria and indicators to develop third-party certification programs. Today there are more than 100 certification standards around the world – supporting sustainable forest management and many including chain-ofcustody certification to link certified forests to the marketplace.
In 1993, countries representing 60 per cent of the world’s forests made national commitments to work toward
The most recent UNECE/FAO Forest Products Annual Market Review notes that while preventing
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deforestation in the tropics was among the key drivers for introducing forest certification, this is the area where the least progress has been made. Just 10 per cent of the world’s forests are certified – and about 90 per cent of these certified lands are in the northern hemisphere. In fact, roughly only two per cent of tropical forest has been certified. Considering the Bigger Picture Most organizations – large or small – build corporate social responsibility into their business plans because they value the role they can play in the communities where they do business and where they source their products. They know they are part of the bigger picture. The same holds true for forest certification. It is a tool that forest managers can use to strengthen their forest practices; one that customers and consumers can use to support and reward responsible forest practices. Effective forest certification programs embrace the bigger picture by cultivating a variety of partnerships to build on strong standards and develop increased understanding of the changing landscape in which we all operate. Having a rigorous standard and making sure the requirements are being met is just the starting point to addressing sustainable forest management. At SFI, we are always looking for ways to draw on the enthusiasm, skills and knowledge of the many people who make up our bigger picture – forest professionals, conservation and community experts, government agencies, Aboriginal groups, and so many others. After all, the goal of forest certification is sustainable forest
management, not market access. Marketplace benefits are earned by managing forests well. SFI Inc. manages the largest single forest certification standard in the world – more than 75 million hectares of forests in Canada and the United States are certified to the SFI 2010-2014 Standard. Our standard is endorsed by PEFC, and we build on the comprehensive laws that apply in North America. At SFI, the bigger picture has meant building on our standard through diverse partnerships, through requirements for forest research, through landowner outreach and much more. Forests contribute to the environmental, social and economic fabric of our communities. Research, community involvement and logger training are all part of sustainable forest management. Building Knowledge and Skills SFI requires in-kind support or funding for forest research as a condition of forest certification – and since 1995 that has led to an investment of $1.2 billion for research activities. We are helping to build strong communities through partnerships with organizations such as Habitat for Humanity – we donate SFI-certified products to help Habitat affiliates across the United States and Canada promote homeownership as a means to breaking the cycle of poverty. More than 130,000 logging professionals have been trained in responsible forestry through the SFI program or its recognition of other programs since 1995. We also look for ways to make forest certification accessible to all forest managers and landowners, including those with small or medium-sized operations. An earlier UN market review found the most accessible and easily certifiable state-owned and industrial forestlands are now certified. However, the pace of growth in forest certification has slowed since 2006, and there are challenges ahead to certify non-industrial forestlands in Europe and North America, and forests in tropical developing countries. SFI is part of a pilot project to make certification more accessible to small- and medium-sized landowners in North America. We also require that our program participants provide professional support and advice to millions of family forest owners who are not certified because timber harvesting is not often the primary management activity. In North America, there are close to 1,000 members in 37 community-based SFI Implementation Committees who expand the reach of responsible forest management by arranging training for loggers and foresters, and outreach to family forest owners. Power of Partnerships Partnerships help all of us to strengthen knowledge and understand ways to address the bigger picture – and evolving – matters such as climate change and illegal logging. Through our SFI Conservation and Community
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to corporate social responsibility by giving preference to all third-party certified timber and paper products. Supporting healthy competition offers more choice, and makes all certification programs better. It addresses the reality that one program alone cannot meet the variety of forests and tenures in the world today; one program alone cannot deal with all the changes before us – a changing climate, changing markets, changing products. While forest certification has evolved significantly over the years, it’s important that we work together to expand its reach. By supporting all credible certification standards, buyers and policymakers in both the public and private sectors not only increase the likelihood they will find the products they need – they will be making a choice that yields immense environmental and social benefits for forests and communities around the world. Partnerships Grant program, we encourage collaboration among organizations interested in improving forest management in North America and responsible procurement globally. To date, SFI Inc. has committed $1.1 million to 24 projects, and contributions by partners have raised the value to $4.2 million. This year, in recognition of International Year of Forests 2011, we introduced community-based grants to support forestry education activities and green building for low-income families.
When the goal is improving the welfare of the world’s forests and communities, no one organization can claim to have all the answers or resources to achieve optimal results. By sharing ideas, resources and enthusiasm, we all accomplish more in the forest, in communities and in the marketplace.
Voluntary tools such as certification are one element of a multi-faceted approach to help markets avoid products from illegal or uncertain sources – along with government policies and responsible procurement strategies. Laws like the Lacey Act in the United States and the EU Illegal Timber Regulation broaden awareness of the damage caused by illegal logging, and limit markets for illegal timber products. We work with international partnerships that address illegal logging – like the Forest Legality Alliance, a joint effort of the World Resources Institute, Environmental Investigation Agency and USAID aimed at reducing illegal logging by encouraging the supply of legal forest products. The SFI conservation grants help organizations like the World Resources Institute provide the tools needed so participants in the forest product supply chain can keep illegally harvested forest products out of the market. A Role for Everyone At a time when less than 10 per cent of the world’s forests are certified, experts like the UN and Dovetail Partners report there is a growing convergence across forest certification programs. That’s good news for customers. It means they can meet stated commitments ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE |129|
LAND MANAGEMENT Page 131 - 135 Stabilisation and Solidification of Contaminated Soil and Waste Part 4: Treatment of Organic Contaminants - Dr Colin Hills, Director, Centre for Contaminated Land Remediation, University of Greenwich Page 136 - 139 Supporting Brownfield Development, Michael Lunn, Director of Policy, EIC Page 140 - 141 Asbestos in Soil, Hazel Davidson, Alcontrol Laboratories
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Stabilization and Solidification of Contaminated Soil and Waste Part 4: Treatment of Organic Contaminants By Dr Colin Hills - Directorof the Centre for Contaminated Land Remediation at the University of Greenwich
metals and other inorganic compounds.
Scope Soils and wastes contaminated with organic compounds may be toxic, carcinogenic or mutagenic; and may present difficulties in terms of remediation strategies. There is a successful track record for treating many organic contaminants by stabilisation/solidification (S/S) spanning more than two decades and this is discussed in this article.
The Interstate Technology and Regulatory Council [1] have recently produced a report that discusses the S/S of soil and waste. Information on the effectiveness of S/S for organics is summarised in Table 1.
Key contaminant properties and reactions Solubility In general, non-polar, non-ionic organic compounds are insoluble in water. These include petroleum compounds, PCBs, and industrial solvents, including those used for dry-cleaning (trichloroethylene, perchloroethylene, and carbon tetrachloride). Chlorinated pesticides (DDT, lindane and dieldrin) are also insoluble, and bio-accumulate within the environment [10]. However more soluble forms of the compounds have been produced for commercial purposes, such as DDT powder, which has been widely used in the past. In addition, solvents have been widely used in dry cleaning and industrial operations, and it is not uncommon to find sites contaminated with these substances.
In this fourth article of an occasional series on the treatment of waste and soil, Dr Colin Hills, Director of the Centre for Contaminated Land Remediation at the University of Greenwich examines the use of cementbased binder systems to treat organic contaminants. He is joined by Edward Bates, recently retired from the US Environmental Protection Agency, and Dr Peter Gunning of Carbon8 Systems Ltd., in assessing S/S as a risk management strategy for organically contaminated soils and wastes.
Introduction Many organic compounds are volatile, or semi volatile, being released slowly as gases. Unlike metals, organic compounds tend not to show solubility minima at higher pH. Indeed, some organic compounds become more soluble at higher pH and an understanding of the nature of their behaviour underpins the successful application of S/S to these compounds. However, it should be noted that organic contaminants are often found mixed with
Soluble organic contaminants are those with a polar or ionisable structure, and contain water-soluble compounds (such as polar groups) OH and COOH and/ or carry a charge; the solubility (of these) is dependant on the pH of the environment in which they are present. Compounds include alcohols, organic acids, and some pesticides.
Table 1: Effectiveness of S/S for organic chemical groups Chemical Groups
Citations For Treatment Effectiveness EPA, 1993 [2]
EPA, 2009 [3]
Other References
VOCs
No
No
Yes (with pre-treatment) [4]
SVOCs
Yes
Yes
Yes [5]
NVOCs
Yes
Yes
Yes [5]
PCBs
?
Yes
Yes [5]
Pesticides
?
Yes
Dioxins/Furans
?
?
Yes [6,7]
Organic Cyanides
?
-
Yes [8]
Organic Corrosives
?
-
Yes [8]
Pentachlorophenol
-
-
Yes [6,8]
Creosotes, Coal Tar
-
-
Yes [6,8]
Heavy Oils
-
-
Yes [9]
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Volatility
Degradability
Organic compounds can be described by their volatility – the tendency of a compound to become gaseous and transported in the air, which is related to the strength of the intermolecular forces between molecules of the organic contaminate.
Organic compounds degrade in soil via two processes: biotic and abiotic degradation. Biotic processes (biodegradation) involve chemical reactions undertaken by insects, earthworms, plants and micro-organisms (and is the basis for bioremediation techniques). Abiotic reactions involve reduction/oxidation, hydrolysis and photolytic-degradation on exposed to sunlight.
Organic compounds are normally divided into three groups [11]: • Volatile organic compounds (VOCs, with a vapour pressure of > 10-2 kPa, • Semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs, with a vapour pressure of 10-2 – 10-8 kPa • Non-volatile organic compounds (NVOCs, with a vapour pressure < 10-8 kPa Volatile organic contaminants include aromatic hydrocarbons, halogenated hydrocarbons, aldehydes and ketones and are considered unsuitable for treatment by S/S without additives (the heat of hydration may cause volatilisation). Semi-volatile organic contaminants include polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) with four or fewer fused rings and their nitro derivatives, chlorobenzenes, chlorotoluenes, polycholobiphenyls, organochlorine and organophosphate pesticides, and polychlorodibenzo-p-dioxins. Non-volatile organic contaminants include polynuclear hydrocarbons and their nitrogenous and oxygenated derivatives. In general, the larger the compound, and the more polar/ionic it is, the less volatile the compound will be.
Complexation Many organic compounds can form complexes with metals through the reaction with ligands, the reactive groups on the organic compound. As a general rule, organometallic compounds are toxic; and covalently bonded complexes of lead, tin, thallium, and mercury persistent in the environment. Some organometallic ionic compounds such as Methylmercury (CH3Hg+) and gaseous dimethylmercury ((CH3)2Hg) are produced by bacteria in response to exposure to this metal. Soil organic matter (SOM) frequently forms organic complexes containing metals.
Many contaminants are subject to biotic degradation, including: 2-4 D, parathion, carbofuran, atrazine, diazinon, volatile aromatic alkyl and aryl hydrocarbons and chlorocarbons, and surfactants [12]. Abiotic degradation mechanisms may involve clay minerals present in soil, and photolysis via exposure to ultraviolet light.
Sorption The sorption of organic pollutants involves uptake by soils and sediments via: • mineral surfaces • partitioning into the organic matter component of soils Mineral surfaces can attract or repel contaminants from their actives sites, whereas sorption onto SOM may account for a large proportion of the uptake in the soil ‘system’. The soil adsorption coefficient can be used to estimate the partitioning of organic contaminants in both soil and sediments [13]. As SOM consists of long chained carbon molecules (with OH- and COOH- functional groups) at neutral/acidic pH the protonated molecule attracts hydrophobic organic contaminants. At alkaline pH, negatively charged SOM attracts hydrophobic organic contaminants. Many ionisable organic pollutants (including phenols and chlorophenols) are polar, and negatively charged at environmental pH’s, and thus, remain mobile.
Hydrolysis The interaction of organic pollutants with water can lead to hydrolysis, where:
RX + H2O
X- + H+ + ROH
RX is an organic compound, X a functional group (e.g., Cl) and (ROH) is the newly formed compound. Hydrolysis reactions can be catalysed in both, basic or acidic conditions.
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plants), wood preserving facilities (creosote), oil and petrochemical industries, and leaks from underground storage tanks. They tend to be persistent in the environment as they are hard to biodegrade due to the stability of the benzene ring. Phenol is a common contaminant, resulting from the breakdown of coal tars and is toxic. Pentachlorophenol (PCP) as used in some wood preserving operations, is very toxic, as is benzene itself. In an S/S system both phenol and o-chlorophenol inhibit the setting time and strength development of cement [17], and complexes with Ca(OH)2 were identified. Chlorophenol, p-chlorophenol (PCP) and p-bromophenol (PBP) have also been found to interfere with hydration, including the conversion of ettringite to monosulphate. The formation of crystalline calcium-phenol complexes reported by most workers may be questioned because of the high levels of phenol leaching in cement-based systems [24]. Work by Cote et al investigated the relative chemical or physical containment in an S/S system, and predictions for the long-term containment of organic contaminants were made [25].
Non-aromatic compounds A large number of non-aromatic compounds exist. The retarding effect of ethylene glycol on the hydration of cement has been studied by Eaton et al. [26]. The formation of hydrogen bonds, between the contaminant and C-S-H was suggested as responsible. However, Sheffield et al. found that at high concentrations the setting of PC significantly decreased but upon leaching, 80% of the ethylene glycol could be recovered [27]. Methanol and trichloroethylene inhibited the growth of ettringite. El Korchi et al. hypothesised the number of hydroxyl, carboxyl, and carbonyl groups in the organic molecules could be correlated with the degree of retardation of hydration [28].
Volatile organic compounds Volatile organic compounds have been investigated by Arocha et al. who showed that low w/c ratios were necessary to limit VOC loss after S/S [29]. The retention of toluene was improved when PC and sodium silicate was used, leading to reduced VOC loss. The use of clay additives has also been examined. The mobility of nitrobenzene (NB) and 1,2-dochlorobenzene (DCB) was investigated, and a reduction of 85 and 90 % respectively
was recorded [30]. However, unacceptably high VOC concentrations during remedial treatment (i.e. mixing and curing) have necessitated the use of an extraction hood and carbon filter trap [31].
Applications So how is all this reduced to practice in applying S/S for treatment of organic contaminants? Compared to inorganic contaminants, the treatment of organic contaminants is: • Chemically more complex and less well understood; • Often heavily dependent on creation of a very low permeability, monolithic matrix; • Dependent upon the experience and intuition of the binder-system formulator; • Requires the careful application of bench-scale treatability studies (often necessitating the testing and application of multiple formulations); • Prone to interferences of the cementitious reaction; • Reliant on the use of special reagents such as activated carbon, modified clays, lime, fly ash, ground blast furnace slag, etc., to either bond the organic molecules or to lower the permeability of the matrix.
Volatile compounds Volatile compounds do not immobilize well. If the contamination consists only of volatile organic compounds, then an alternative treatment such as soil vapour extraction, oxidation, or biodegradation may be both more effective and of lower cost. In the case where there are either metals or non-volatile organic contaminants, co-mingled with a small amount of volatile contamination, then activated carbon or organoclays can be used to adsorb the volatiles, which are then locked into a low permeability matrix. However, if the volatile component is very high, then the use of these special reagents becomes cost prohibitive. In such a case, it may be possible to first treat the volatiles via another technology (by stripping or biodegradation), before treating with S/S.
Semi-volatiles and non-volatile toxic compounds Soils contaminated with pentachlorophenol, dioxins, and PCBs can be effectively treated using S/S and often at a far lower cost than with other technologies. The American Creosote case study (Jackson, Tennessee) involved full-scale treatment of PCP and dioxins at low cost, and has been published [6]. An ex-situ pugmill was used to treat the PCP, creosote, and dioxin contaminated soil using a formula containing Portland cement, fly ash, and activated carbon.
Petroleum hydrocarbons Short-chain petroleum hydrocarbons are often volatile and difficult to treat with S/S while solvents, fuels, and cutting oils can greatly interfere with the setting and hardening reactions making them difficult to treat with S/S. Sometimes the addition of lime, especially hydrated quick lime (CaO) can supress the interference of oils with |134| ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE
the cementitious reactions. However, quick lime itself is dangerous to handle and the high heat of hydration can create a risk of spontaneous combustion. Longchain hydrocarbons, especially those that have cured (been baked in the sun or been heavily oxidized) can often be effectively treated.
Coal tars and creosotes Coal tars and creosotes can be effectively treated with S/S, provided that they do not contain high levels of benzene. Figure 1 depicts the successful treatment of about 107,000 m3 of soil contaminated with coal tar sludge from a manufactured gas plant site in the USA using insitu augers. The formula developed after extensive treatability tests, both at bench and at full scale, used a blend of Portland cement and ground blast furnace slag.
Figure 1: Treatment of coal tar impacted soil using two in-situ augers
Acid oily sludge Acid oily sludge, such as those produced by refining processes and waste oil recycling processes present special challenges. The sludges often contain high levels of organics with high molecular weight and (sometimes) toxic metals, including lead. Figure 2 depicts a non-acidic waste oil sludge containing lead being treated in a two-step process. First TSP (triple super phosphate) was mixed into the excavated sludge using an excavator in order to immobilize the lead, then the pre-treated sludge was fed into a pugmill Figure 2: Treating lead contaminated sludge in and mixed with Portland cement. Note that some sludges two steps using an excavator and a pugmill are very acidic and adding highly alkaline reagents such as Portland cement can cause a violent exothermic reaction, unless first neutralized with a mild alkaline reagent, such as ground limestone.
Summary Generally organic compounds present a greater challenge than inorganic contaminants for S/S, and it is important to be aware that they can interfere with the hydration and setting of the waste form. The retarding effect of organics on the hydration and setting can be correlated with the number of hydroxyl, carboxylic, and carbonyl groups in the organic molecules, and compounds that are volatile, water soluble and easily dissociated may present leaching and/or interference problems. Nevertheless, the use of additives such as activated carbon, rice husk ash, shredded tyre particles containing carbon and organoclays (sorbents) increase the chemical containment of the contaminant, via either the physical or the chemical immobilisation. The use of silica fume and fly ash can improve the physical retention of organic compounds through lowered waste form porosity and permeability. Many organic compounds have been successfully treated using S/S for over two decades. However the science and understanding is less well developed than for inorganics, making the experience of the formulator critical. The use of bench-scale treatability studies to develop case-specific formulations for organic contaminants is critical if successful treatment by S/S is to be realised.
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Supporting Brownfield Development By Michael Lunn Director of Policy and Public Affairs, Environmental Industries Commission (EIC) The Environmental Industries Commission (EIC) has welcomed David Cameron’s comments about the business opportunities for British companies of the Green Economy. However, there has been increasing frustration within the environment technology and services industry of the lack of detail, and engagement of Ministers to address certain concerns of the industry, which would help and accelerate green jobs, innovation, investment and accelerate growth in the green economy. The Environmental Industries Commission has been at the forefront of the Green Economy for over 15 years and has many successes in this time in influencing the environmental policy regime. Our Members are the Green Economy – the reality behind the rhetoric. The Environmental Industries Commission recognises the challenges of the national debt that government departments have had to address, but we also challenge the Government to see the Green Economy as an investment not a cost. The Government has the opportunity to drive a ‘new green economy’ in the UK to exploit creating a £3 trillion export market in the process. The Coalition’s agreed ‘Programme for Government’ speaks of the need to ‘promote
the green industries that are so essential for our future’, and sets the ambitious aim of being the ‘greenest government ever’. The Coalition Government need to realise that for every supportive policy for the environmental industry it will see many more in return through investment, innovation, and new green jobs. In 2007 it was estimated that 62,130 hectares of previously developed land in England alone. Local planning authorities have estimated that 26,510 hectares (43 per cent) of this is potentially suitable for housing and could provide around 1,051,000 dwellings. Given the UK’s ambitious house building targets, EIC believe that it is vital that development of these sites continues to be viable and that we retain the skills to deal with the challenges they bring. The UK’s contaminated land sector is worth £1 billion a year and employs almost 8,000 people. The sector is expected to grow by almost 3.5 per cent per year between now and 2015, with the number of jobs expected to increase to 10,000 over the same period. Despite these huge business and employment opportunities, current market conditions could drive development away from more complex and challenging brownfield sites, to what is perceived to be easier/ cheaper greenfield plots.
Risk Assessment of Contaminated Land There are currently two key pieces of policy that require risk assessment of potentially contaminated land. First, Part IIA of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, which was introduced in 2000, requires local authorities to identify existing sites that, as a result of contamination, pose an unacceptable risk to human health of the environment. Such
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sites may then be determined as ‘contaminated land’ and steps should be taken to reduce the risks to acceptable levels. Although the identification and remediation of contaminated land in this way is an important element of many local authorities’ work, the vast majority of contaminated sites are dealt with through the planning process. For developers, the key policy has been Planning Policy Statement 23 (PPS23), which employs the “suitable for use” approach. Developers have to satisfy the local authority planning department that contamination at the site will not pose an unacceptable risk to humans or the environment during or after redevelopment. In both cases the definition of “contaminated land” is based on the presence of unacceptable risk. Whilst EIC supports a risk-based approach to dealing with contamination, a key barrier to developing brownfield sites is the lack of certainty amongst local authorities over what “unacceptable risk” means with respect to the risk of significant harm to human health. This adds considerable time and expense to all developments on brownfield sites running into many millions of pounds annually. The lack of guidance is a significant obstacle to local authority progress in implementing the Part IIA regime governing contaminated sites and can lead to housing on brownfield sites being blighted. EIC urge the Government to set legal limits for land contamination for local authorities to use to define “unacceptable risk” to human health or the environment from contaminated land and, therefore, the trigger point at which land must be remediated. These legal limits must be adopted in the forthcoming Statutory Guidance for the Contaminated Land Regime Under Part IIA. The Government has recently announced a review of the Statutory Guidance underpinning Part IIA. EIC believe that this a perfect opportunity to revise the Statutory Guidance to provide much greater clarity around the meaning of “Significant Possibility of Significant Harm” (SPOSH) and how it should be assessed. It is vital that the Government also ensures that the interface between Planning and Part IIA is clear and unambiguous – Government Departments should work closely together to ensure this, and it is not sufficient to leave such co-ordination to chance – see below for comments on the planning regime. The revised Statutory Guidance should also make a firm and unambiguous statement that land contamination issues are best dealt with through either the planning regime or through voluntary action, and Part IIA should only be applied where a site meets the definition of contaminated and effective action cannot be achieved by either planning or voluntary action. |138| ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE
National Planning Policy We understand that national planning policy (Planning Policy Guidance and Planning Policy Statements) will be replaced by a single national planning framework. Of particular concern to the brownfield development industry is the proposed withdrawal and replacement of PPS23 (and its Annex 2) by a short and focussed note. Our concerns reflect our opinion of the critically important and positive role that PPS23 has played in the regeneration of brownfield sites over the last six years. It is our strong recommendation that the key elements of PPS23 must be retained in any new guidance, or we risk a return to the unplanned (and potentially unsafe) redevelopment of brownfield sites that took place up until the relatively recent past. While those working in the Contaminated Land Remediation industry have struggled with the complexity of much of the regulation and guidance, as well as the on-going difficulties of threshold values and the definition of “significant possibility of significant harm” (SPOSH), the clarity of PPS23 has provided a welcome model approach. Maintaining and progressing that forward momentum is undoubtedly a challenge. An indication of just how much change there has been in the guidance over the last few years is illustrated by the volume of key documentation with respect to land contamination and which is cross referenced in PPS23. An essential role of PPS23 has been the signposting to sources of critical information. It is imperative that any replacement document to PPS23 retains that function and the opportunity is taken to reference all of the current guidance and advice. Although there is some repetition of advice within PPS23 (Annex 2) this repetition is entirely helpful. The roles and responsibilities of all parties within the contaminated land community are clearly set out, each in their own section of text with the developer specifically told what information they as the applicant has to provide and local authority provided with clear guidance on matters to consider when determining a planning application. The mirroring of the guidance provided in these separate sections leaves no room for doubt and must assist in bringing the expectations of all parties closer together. In reviewing the guidance that is presented in PPS23, we have identified a number of critical elements that must be retained (and in some cases strengthened) in the Government’s proposed revised guidance if it is to be properly effective within the new planning regime. We, therefore, strongly recommend that DCLG ensure that the new planning policy guidance on land affected by contamination: • retains a clear and unequivocal statement that
contamination is a material planning consideration; • draws attention to the opportunities presented by redevelopment to mitigate the risks posed by land affected by contamination; • includes critically important statements on the relationship between Part 11A and the planning regime (e.g. ‘As a minimum, following development, land should not be capable of being Determined under Part11A)’; • strongly advises the local planning authority to always consult their contaminated land officers on Brownfield redevelopment sites; • stresses that it is the developer’s responsibility to carry out the necessary investigation, assessment and remediation; • clearly states that the minimum information required from the applicant is a report of a desk study and walkover survey; • maintains the position that the required standard of remediation is the removal of unacceptable risk and making the site ‘suitable for use’; • promotes the use of competent professionals to undertake the assessment of land, for example the SiLC scheme promotes an appropriate level of competence across the many skill areas involved in Brownfield sites.
National Framework for Brownfield Development The High Court decision that Corby Council was liable for birth defects in local children whose mothers were exposed to toxic pollutants in the air paints a bleak picture of the management and remediation of a Brownfield site in the UK. The case concerned the reclamation works at Corby’s former British Steel plant between 1985 and 1999 where toxic waste was carried from the site in open lorries. Although some commentators may suggest that the Corby site is a ‘one off’, due to its size and history, others will not agree. Whatever the official view of the outcome of the Corby case, there will be some negative effects including public perception and inward investors/funders confidence on brownfield land projects.
Following Corby, EIC Members have reported that they still encounter a lack of suitable standards in Government and local authority procurement and development of brownfield land. This must be addressed as a matter of urgency to avoid any further examples of poor practice putting human health at risk. EIC urges the Government to adopt a National Framework for Brownfield Development with criteria that should be applied to all development projects on brownfield land, covering: • •
Insurance – when a local authority tenders for services, it is essential that they require evidence of relevant experience of similar projects and of the contractors or specific project insurance cover. Liability – contractor’s terms and conditions should not be accepted if they exclude liability of the nature suffered at Corby, whether or not insurance is obtained. Advice should be sought, depending on the size of the project, as to any overall limit on liability. However, the Government’s current tender requests for unlimited liability are both market restrictive and unsustainable. It is a flawed approach to procurement as the companies that agree to such contracts may be unable to respond to future claims. Whilst it is essential that central and local Government ensure that the appropriate liability is in place for all development projects on brownfield land, it is inappropriate to expect contractors to accept “unlimited liability” as a condition of the contract. • Testing – the testing of soil and waters on contaminated sites must be performed by an MCERTS accredited laboratory, which can be enforced as a condition of planning consent. • Competency of persons carrying out remediation – EIC Members still report seeing some very poor procurement practices and a lack of understanding of the risks involved with such projects. The result can be the engagement of a consultant who may not have the level of experience required to understand all the issues and risks associated with the remediation of contaminated land sites.
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Currently, environmental laboratories offering asbestos in soil analysis can provide a variety of methods:
Hazel Davidson, Technical Marketing Manager, ALcontrol Laboratories
Asbestos In Soil â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Current Issues
For several years, many site operatives/ consultants/developers have considered asbestos in soil to only be of major concern if high quantities are present and categorised as hazardous waste (> 0.1%). Another common misconception is that asbestos is not such an issue as long as the soil is wet. However, over the last 12 months or so, current thinking on asbestos in soil is changing as a result of a number of initiatives by various industry bodies, some of which are described in this article.
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1. Gross visual screen for Asbestos Containing Material (ACM) 2. Detailed screen using a x10 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; x 40 standard optical microscope (ACM and fibres) 3. Identification of asbestos type by Phase Contrast Optical Microscopy (POCM) or Polarised Light Microscopy (PLM) 4. Quantification by gravimetric measurement (only ACM) to 0.1% 5. Quantification by sedimentation and fibre measurement using POCM or PLM (free fibres) to 0.001% ALcontrol is accredited for methods 2, 3 and 5 to provide a comprehensive asbestos service to clients. UKAS (the accreditation body for laboratories) will not now accredit any new laboratories using methods 1 and 4, as these are not considered either robust or fit for purpose, and over the next year or so, laboratories currently accredited for these methods will have their accreditation withdrawn, unless they have submitted methods 2 and 5. In addition, all asbestos analysis must be accredited, and laboratories will not be able to offer unaccredited methods. However, if the gravimetric stage (as part of an accredited quantification method) gives a result of > 0.1%, then the material is classified as hazardous waste and this will be an accredited result. If the result from this stage is < 0.1%, this cannot be quoted as an accredited result, and the sample must proceed to the sedimentation method (Method 5), in case free fibres constitute > 0.1%. Unfortunately, UKAS is only implementing these changes during annual surveillance audits. Therefore, the current situation allows some laboratories to offer accredited asbestos methods which UKAS no longer consider to be suitable. Image Š ARCA
It is critical that, as the risk to human health is from respirable fibres, and not the bound ACM, screening and quantitative methods must include the fibres. These accredited methods are much more labour intensive and time consuming - an analyst can only perform 3 – 4 samples per day by the sedimentation method, in comparison with 30 – 40 per day for the gravimetric method. In addition, only a small proportion of the sample is actually analysed for Method 5, so the mixing and homogenisation of the initial soil is critical, and therefore takes longer. These factors are likely to impact significantly on costs for site investigation work. Another problem is that asbestos testing is currently only requested for approximately 30% of soils sent to laboratories. ALcontrol provides a brief description of all received soils, and if prep staff suspect any samples, these are scheduled for an asbestos screen and ID (Methods 2 and 3), even if the client has not requested it. Approximately 20% of these samples are confirmed as containing asbestos. The worrying issue is the 70% of samples which are not tested at all. In lieu of an asbestos SGV (soil guideline value), the value of 0.001% is often taken as indicative of human health risk, based on studies of respirable fibres generated from soil dust, performed by the Institute of Occupational Medicine (IOM) in 1988. The value of 0.1% as indicative of hazardous waste, is taken from the Interdepartmental Committee for the Redevelopment of Contaminated Land ( ICRCL) guideline document, published in 1990, Guidance Note 64/85 ‘Asbestos on Contaminated Sites’.
Industry action in the UK Due to increasing levels of concern within the industry, there are a number of initiatives aiming to improve the current situation: • •
The Environmental Industries Commission (EIC) has set up a working subgroup of their Laboratories Working Group to review the current situation and to raise awareness. They are organising a technical conference on 1st November 2011 at the Manchester conference centre, with experts from most concerned organisations (the EA, Defra, the HSE etc.). CLAIRE are organising this, and information can be obtained from the Events Calendar at www.claire.co.uk The Health & Safety Laboratory is re-writing HSG 248 ‘The Analyst’s Guide’, to reflect the current changes in analysis, and this should be available for consultation by the middle of 2012.
• • • • • • •
The EIC has also conducted a survey, using Survey Monkey, on the current state of awareness within the industry, and over 200 participants completed this. The data is currently being analysed, and will be available to EIC members. CIRIA have funding for a project to develop guidelines for site management and how to comply with current legislation and ‘Duty of Care’, and the Steering Group will have been appointed by the end of September. The Association of Geotechnical Specialists (AGS) has also set up a subgroup to discuss asbestos issues and liaise with the other industry groups. The Society of Brownfield Risk Assessement (SOBRA) is also discussing the issues and possible ways forward. CLAIRE are producing training modules for site staff The EA and Defra are aware of the concerns and are actively working with industry groups, although there are no immediate plans to publish an SGV for asbestos. There is an all party working group also looking at the problems, with a subgroup specifically considering the issue of low level asbestos in soil in primary schools
In summary The levels of asbestos in the many thousands of soil samples that are arriving at ALcontrol's laboratories clearly indicate that asbestos is a very common contaminant and greater awareness is urgently required. It is apparent from recent court cases that even the probability of limited exposure to asbestos by site workers or any staff can result in an award of damages, and asbestos related claims cost the insurance industry more than any other category. Considering the widespread use of asbestos in construction, the number of buildings demolished on sites for redevelopment, and the movement of soil around these sites, it is highly probably that soil dust will be airborne and therefore present a risk. There is a desperate need for guidance within the industry, and although it is recognised that costs for sampling and analysis will increase, the costs of future litigation over unreported asbestos would be significantly greater.
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LABS AND TESTING Page 143 - 144 Benefits of GHG Measurements, Richard Laverick, Director of Sustainabilty, ADAS Page 145 - 151 MCERTS - An Overview, Adam Garner, SIRA Certification
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The benefits of GHG measurement and reporting By Richard Laverick - Director of Corporate Sustainability at environmental consultancy ADAS The Defra consultation for measuring and reporting greenhouse gas emissions by UK companies is currently underway. The options to be considered include business as usual, enhanced voluntary reporting or different mandatory regimes related to business size or energy usage. There has been a huge response from industry but whatever the outcome of the consultation, it is worth noting the many benefits that accrue to an organisation or business which has a detailed understanding of the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with its activities and operating practice. Most business leaders and managers can accept that Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions represent hard earned cash and that identification of the carbon ‘hot spots’ can help in the planning and development of more efficient processes and action plans leading to reduced operating costs and an improved bottom-line. However the emission intensive areas also represent future risk, for example exposure to volatile energy supply and cost and climate change impacts on your own operations and those of your suppliers and clients. It can be argued that the responsibility for a company to understand and monitor its GHG emissions and the likely impacts of climate change is already enshrined in the Companies Act 2006. This Act dictates that potential risks to a business should be identified and where possible addressed. Recent supply chain surveys by the ‘The Business Continuity Institute’ indicate that 75 per cent of respondents had experienced disruption to their
supply chains due to adverse weather or disruption to energy supplies or transport services, events that will become more frequent as global supply chains become increasingly vulnerable to climate change. Rising energy costs, fluctuating commodity prices and flu epidemics were also cited as reasons for disruption to supplies. In addition 20 per cent of respondents thought their company reputation and brand had suffered as a consequence of this disruption. These are issues that will affect all organisations in all sectors. However poor understanding of company GHG emissions and what they can mean for your business demonstrates a flawed approach to risk assessment and management and any stakeholder or investor would be right to question the company’s overall approach to risk in other areas of business practice. A detailed understanding of your own company GHG emissions raises awareness of the potential climate change impacts on your business both in your supply chain and in your everyday business operations. It engages your management team and provides a focus for ownership and action. It is clear that future legislation will become more demanding, potential disruption to supply chains will increase and energy costs will continue to rise. These certainties mean that a detailed understanding of company emissions is required now to inform business strategy, inform investment decisions and build adaptive capacity to future proof your business. Today we require effective action plans and a fully integrated strategy for sustainable business
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development, simply measuring emissions is not enough. This is sound governance which allocates ownership and responsibility for risk mitigation and climate change adaptation within the company management structure. Preparing your business and developing the resilience to cope with different future scenarios based on the degree of climate change includes attracting and retaining the best talent. Any business slow to understand the impact that it has on the environment and slow to understand the consequences of a changing world will fail to attract or retain the intellectual capital necessary to innovate and adapt. This is good business sense but many companies have been slow to recognise that the very best candidates now expect their future employers to have robust and fully integrated strategies for sustainable development that engage communities, respond to climate change and build resilient relationships with stakeholders, a combination which through enhanced reputation will build future value. Whatever the outcome of the current consultation, no organisation can continue to ignore the many benefits associated with a detailed knowledge of GHG emissions and effective action plans to ensure future business viability and resilience. The benefits associated with identification of unnecessary cost and wastage, compliance with legislation, developing appropriate business models for a low carbon economy, risk identification and management, business reputation and protecting against value erosion must not be forgotten because competitors will take a more proactive stance.
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Ask yourself three questions and be honest in your response: Do I really understand the impact climate change will have on my business, its clients and suppliers? Do I know the contribution my business is making to climate change through waste generation, resource inefficiencies and GHG emissions? As a business are we aligned behind an integrated and fully articulated strategy for sustainable development that will meet the challenge of climate change and ensure we attract the very best candidates to build adaptive capacity and create future value?
Unless you can answer yes to all three questions you are failing to consider the extent of the risks your business is facing or the broader benefits that can accrue from developing a robust action based strategy for sustainable development.
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provides e scheme h T . e m e h e EA’s n Sc Garner nce with th ertificatio a C rd By Adam g o c in c r a o it n be made in 's (EA) Mo rators. ments can nt Agency e re u m s n a o e ir s and ope v r m e n l s E u ta e , n s e th r m n anufacture MCERTS is ich enviro fication within wh aimed at m k is r o e w m e e ERTS certi m h c C s M e a fra e h T th . ts to operate quiremen tion Body quality re a c fi ti r e C en s its chos ted Sira a in o p p a s e The EA ha rformanc ite. The pe s b e schemes. w a ir S ted on the s are loca fication te ti a r c e c fi t ti r c e u c rod onformity MCERTS P product c S T R E C M Current following: cover the s rd a d n sta s ring: ing system Air Monito n monitor io s ms is te s m y e s uous oring n it ti n n o o m C ir a • ient itors uous amb ulate mon c ti r • Contin a p t n s tive ambie ing system • Indica n monitor io s is m e le • Portab ipment nitoring: oring equ it n Water Mo o ent m r te ng equipm ous wa li u p n m ti a n s o r C • Wate tic Waste - Automa s er ne analys - On-li rs te e m ment r flow ring equip o - Wate it n o m r le wate • Portab ware ment Soft e g a n a M Software: ata to ersonnel nmental D nitoring p • Enviro o m me n e h io c s s is e s stack-em ination. Th ation c le m b fi a a ti x n r e e e d c e e n l s a po and hem ing ersonne fit for pur etence sc nce, train p is ie g m r o e in c MCERTS P p r l x o e e it n n n mo enjoy the do TS person emission tent' base e scheme e k th p c f m ta o s o s The MCER t ‘c r a e s s th a liability. U uthorities y certified acy and re gulatory a r be formall u re in the UK c h c to a it e w d c e s n oritie requir ssura a th e u s th a e f y id o r v s to ro lt p la resu ed by regu f providing y recognis ll a capable o m r fo ments e that it is g arrange in r o it n confidenc o w o m ERTS ownt fl a (the MC effluent fl g of efflue ir ir S in e r y o th b it e n ts v o n a h m me r the self erators to ir require rocess op ing to the p MCERTS fo m r in fo ta r n e o c c quires ertified as The EA re d sed and c s e s s a be require y tl n rmit may e p independe ir e th ement in ilities. on Body). ring requir Certificati l responsib o ta it n n e o system m m n w o agement ent flo ir envir n lu e a ff th m e a il n lf a d n fu h wit order to spection a lated sites scheme in of a site in S n T o EPR regu R ti E le C p M m co with the tisfactory to comply ved by sa ie h c a is ce Complian certs.net. om www.m audit. fr le b a d a lo eely down ards are fr d n ta s S T All MCER ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE |145|
The Importance Of Personal Development In The Field Of Environmental Monitoring And Mcerts. In the current economic climate, expenditure by organisations on training has suffered a downturn. It is viewed by many that training is non-essential, and the focus is on maintaining profit margins. However, continual improvement of staff understanding and knowledge within the areas they work should increase productivity and motivation. Plant owners also have a responsibility to ensure their staff are kept up-to-date with latest technical guidance and requirements. With the growing acceptance of the MCERTS schemes in the UK, Europe and further afield, it is now more important than ever that manufacturers, process operators and stack-emission monitoring personnel are kept fully abreast of changes to legislation and policy. Since 1996, nearly 130 instruments have been certified for air emissions monitoring. The MCERTS personnel certification scheme has seen over 500 certificates issued and there are in excess of 30 laboratories accredited to the MCERTS performance standard. Monitoring Emissions to Air EN14181 - â&#x20AC;&#x153;Quality Assurance of Automated Measuring Systemsâ&#x20AC;? - has seen the most significant change in the emissions monitoring arena in recent times. Compliance with EN14181 is a legal requirement under both the Large Combustion Plant Directive (LCPD) and the Waste Incineration Directive (WID). Selection, commissioning and operation of Automated Measuring System (AMS) will be subject to EN14181. Failure to comply with the requirements of EN14181 may well result in the contravention of operating Permits with obvious consequences, and also expensive re-validation of the installed systems. To comply with EN14181, an AMS must be shown to meet QAL 1 requirements; i.e. it must meet certain performance characteristics as stipulated in EN ISO14956. Instrument performance must be validated in ALL cases by field trials. MCERTS certification according to EN15267 provides this validation and meets the required standard. The certified instrument must also
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meet the monitoring requirements of the specific process or application. MCERTS Personnel Competence Scheme Progression through the MCERTS Personnel Competence Scheme The MCERTS personnel competence standard defines the competence requirements for personnel carrying out manual stack-emission monitoring. Although MCERTS accredited organisations must use MCERTS certified personnel to carry out stack-emission monitoring activities, MCERTS personnel certification is awarded to individuals and not to the organisation for which they work. It is therefore the responsibility of the individual to keep all records associated with their personnel certification. The MCERTS personnel competence standard enables stack-emission monitoring personnel to be certified as competent based on experience, training and examinations. The diagram below summarises the structure of the standard.
RTS and Sira Training Attendance at an approved Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment course specific for stack emission monitoring is a pre-requisite for Trainees wanting to become MCERTS Level 1 Certified, and must be attended every 5 years by all MCERTS Certified Personnel in order to maintain their Competence Certificate. The course covers the content of the Source Testing Associationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s (STA) risk assessment guide and the health and safety section in Environment Agency Technical Guidance Note M1. Under OMA (Operator Monitoring Assessment), one of the components that process operators are marked on is competence of personnel, including the management understanding of monitoring requirements (OMA Section 1, element E). Attendance at training courses is evidence of developing and maintaining competence. Sira can also provide bespoke training courses on site covering the self monitoring of effluent flow and OMA. For 2012 dates please contact Sira on: Tel: +44 (0) 1244 670 900 Email: info@siraconsulting.com Web: www.siraconsulting.com Dates 2011 MCERTS Awareness
30th November
Introduction to Emissions Monitoring
6th December
Hazard Identification & Risk Assessment relating to Stack Emissions Monitoring
7th December
MCERTS for Water Monitoring Continues to Gather Pace The MCERTS scheme encompasses laboratories, services, personnel and equipment for carrying out monitoring of air emissions and discharge to water. Not only does it provide assurance to the EA that performance standards are being met, it also provides manufacturers of monitoring equipment with independent verification that their products are fit for purpose, a unique marketing tool. MCERTS for water monitoring was a recent addition to the scheme, the first four product conformity certificates being issued in 2005. Since then nearly 40 certificates have been issued to manufacturers of water monitoring equipment. Sira (the MCERTS certification body) reports that it is currently working with over a dozen manufacturers. The following manufacturers |148| ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE
wish to promote that they are currently undergoing certification, and should be contacted directly for more details; BioTector Analytical Systems Limited, Endress & Hauser Ltd, GE Water & Process Technologies, and Hach Lange Ltd. Further, steady growth is expected throughout the year and beyond. It is expected that the number of certificates is likely to exceed 50 by the end of 2011 (see graph below).
Some manufacturers prefer to cover a complete product range on one certificate. Aquamatic Ltd, for example include a range of fourteen portable and stationary wastewater samplers on a single certificate. The number of certified products is therefore considerably more than the number of certificates issued. Details of all MCERTS certificates issued can be found at www. siracertification.com/mcerts Since the EA’s Operator Monitoring Assessment (OMA) scheme was extended to cover discharges to water in 2009, demand for certified products has grown significantly. Process Operators can achieve a higher OMA score by installing and using MCERTS certified equipment. Manufacturers are seeing the benefits too. More and more plant owners/operators are specifying MCERTS equipment in their procurement procedures, even in territories outside those regulated by the Environment Agency. Further progress has been made on another MCERTS scheme. The self monitoring of effluent flow scheme has seen rapid growth in recent years. To date over 250 industrial sites and 3600 sewage works have been issued with a Site Inspection certificate. This site specific certification demonstrates that flow measurement is being carried out according to the EA’s requirements. Some considerable cost savings are being reported by industrial operators as a result of the scheme’s introduction. MCERTS therefore, is fast becoming the recognised standard for monitoring instrumentation throughout the world. Sira reports interest from USA, Canada, Australia and throughout continental Europe, the middle-east and far-east. It should also be noted that a working group is currently being formed in TC230 to develop performance standards for water instrumentation and automatic samplers, with the MCERTS performance standards being used as the basis for the draft EN standards. The European standards are expected to be finalised and published within a couple of years. |150| ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE
Standards and Innovation Working Together MCERTS product certification provides independent, accredited approval of product performance that is recognised internationally. The Environment Agency has appointed Sira as its chosen Certification Body to operate the MCERTS certification schemes. The Environment Agency’s MCERTS Performance Standards for monitoring systems are based on International, European and British Standards. Products are certified based on the performance of the instrument. The Environment Agency’s MCERTS Performance Standards are not technology specific, allowing new and innovative technologies to be certified. A recent example of this can be seen with the certification of the OCM Pro CF Flowmeter, manufactured by NIVUS GmbH in Germany.
The NIVUS OCM Pro CF flowmeter (below) is an area velocity flowmeter using cross correlation principles to give very accurate open channel flow measurement without the need for a primary measuring device. Reflectors within the medium (particles, minerals or gas bubbles) are scanned using an ultrasonic impulse and saved as digital echo patterns. A few milliseconds later another scan follows. Correlating both signals then allows the flow velocity to be calculated. By repeating this procedure in varying flow levels it is possible to determine the real flow velocity profile.
It is now a requirement for MCERTS effluent flow monitoring applications that all flowmeters have MCERTS product certification. NIVUS is proud to announce that it has been awarded MCERTS product certification for their OCM Pro CF flowmeter for open channel flow applications. The certificate was awarded by Sira after extensive laboratory and field testing of the flowmeter and auditing of the manufacturing process. With this product certification NIVUS expects to increase its already expanding market share into the UK. The MCERTS Performance Standards have been extended at the request and with the support of manufacturers to cover new applications and determinands. A more recent extension was to the Continuous Emission Monitoring Systems (CEMS) standard to allow for transportable CEMs (Annex F) to be certified. Servomex, a manufacturer based in the UK, has recently been awarded MCERTS certification for their SERVOFLEX MiniMP portable oxygen analyser: In their work of verifying the fixed CEMs, source testers in all parts of the world frequently require transportable oxygen analysers to add to their existing pollutants analysis. This is not a particularly demanding application since the analysers are only used for a few days at a time unlike the fixed AMS / CEM analysers which are required for continuous measurement. Since this is the reference measurement which affects the reported analysis of the pollutants it is vital that it has an acceptable level of performance. In the UK and many parts of Europe MCERTS product certification is accepted as verification of this performance. The Servomex SERVOFLEX MiniMP portable oxygen analyser is designed for this type of application but it was not cost effective to submit this for the fixed AMS / CEMS MCERTS approval. However when
this MCERTS approval standard was amended to include a provision for transportable analysers, Annex F, this changed the situation because there is no requirement for costly and lengthy field trials. Due to this the project was justified and Servomex was subsequently awarded MCERTS approval to Annex F for the SERVOFLEX MiniMP analyser in a timely and cost effective manner. The Environment Agency and Sira are keen to work with industry to ensure the MCERTS Performance Standards meet the current requirements of process operators and manufacturers, as well as ensuring they still meet the over-arching requirements of European Directives. For further details please contact: Sira; Tel: +44 (0)1322 520 500 Email: info@siracertification.com Web: www.siraenvironmental.com All MCERTS standards are freely downloadable from www.mcerts.net.
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TRANSPORT Page 153 - 155 Sustainable Transport, Prof John Whitelegg, University of York Page 158 - 159 Low Carbon Logistics, Mike Penning MP, Secretary of State for Transport Page 160 - 162 Electric Highway, Dale Vince, CEO, Ecotricity Page 163 - 164 Catrina Perkins, Campaign for Better Tyres
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A Beginner’s Guide To Sustainable Transport And How To Get It Right r fesso gg o r P By hitele W n Joh holm t k c o t n S onme r i v n E ute Instit sity of r Unive K) (U York
First of all a challenge and a suggestion. If you have ever wondered what is meant by “sustainable transport” then please ignore the hundreds of documents written on the subject and go and see it. All you have to do is spend a week in Freiburg in Southern Germany (population 240,000) and experience the joy of a highly connected city with best-in-class walking, cycling, bus, rail and tram options and a dense network of services that is enough to make the choice of a car for routine trips a relatively rare event. In Freiburg you can wallow in a high quality world. You can learn everything you need to know about sustainable transport by experiencing it. Freiburg has 27% of every journey every day by bike. In Manchester it is 0.9% and even in London with its huge effort on cycling it does not hit 5%. Freiburg’s public transport is seamless, efficient, reliable and connects things that its citizens need to get to. It runs 7 days a week, it runs from early morning until late at night, it gives users a choice of buses, trams and local trains, it is clean and it is safe. Walking around Freiburg (24% of all trips every day) is a delight and even though Germans really do like cars there is no need to use them very much and lots of citizens do not use them for journeys to work, school, health and personal business trips.
The UK scores highly on some things. We have some of the most congested roads and highest public transport fares in Europe. We operate a privatised, fragmented and unconnected rail and bus system that looks like it was designed to provide the opposite of a user-friendly alterative to the car and we allow public transport costs to rise much faster in real terms than the cost of motoring. Things need not be like this and for the average commuter in Frankfurt, Freiburg, Berlin, Basle, Copenhagen or Rotterdam there are dense networks of high quality public transport and a seamless web of interconnectivity. This means that one ticket purchased for less than £3 in Berlin or Frankfurt can take the commuter on trains, buses and trams in any combination and in any direction. The public transport fleets are clean, well policed, safe, secure, new and attractive and the journey possibilities are far greater than a UK city which inevitably produces “accessibility deserts”. In Frankfurt the “ jobticket” provides far more labour mobility and maximum accessibility to employers and employees with very real benefits to both the urban economy and to local companies. The jobticket is a fine example of co-operation between employee, employer, ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE |153|
city and state government and gives commuters a bargain at 50 Euros per month for a commute that is up to 50kms in length. Schemes like the jobticket benefit the employee who has access to world-best public transport at very low cost and also benefits the employer who has access to a huge potential workforce over a large area and does not have to suffer the car parking traumas that many UK employers and employees have to cope with. UK governmental awareness of the importance of high quality public transport, walking and cycling facilities is still under-developed and is one of the reasons why UK cities lag far behind their European competitor cities. A recent report from the Local Government Association has identified this critical structural weakness of UK cities: “We have a great global city in London. But the other places in Britain, once world-beaters, have fallen behind. Of the largest English cities apart from the capital, Bristol is the best performing in the European league table- but only in 34th place. Most of our great cities- a century ago the economic powerhouses of the industrialised world- now languish at the bottom of the table. Indeed Manchester, Birmingham, Liverpool and Newcastle have only half the GDP per head of major European cities” Sorting out workplace transport is one of those highly attractive “no brainers” that UK PLC is currently failing to deliver. A highly effective transport system giving employees an excellent commuter experience and widening accessibility to jobs also reduces the costs of parking for employers and reduces the costs associated with high rates of staff turnover. It also delivers significant reductions in greenhouse gases and avoids the worst consequences of climate change. It is no accident that some of the richest cities in Europe e.g. Vienna, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Zurich and Basle have the best public transport systems in Europe. There is a clear link between wealthy cities and high quality public transport. One of many sustainable transport sticking points in the UK is the level of public expenditure devoted to the support of public transport services. This predates the current round of public sector cuts being implemented by the coalition government to reduce budget deficits. In 2009-10 the total public expenditure devoted to public transport services per capita per annum was £286 in Denmark, £269 in Germany and £112 in
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England. There is no doubt whatsoever that Germany and Denmark have much better public transport services than England and this is the case in big cities like Frankfurt and Copenhagen as well as in relatively small rural settlements with bus services 7 days a week connecting hamlets and villages to railway stations. The reluctance to fund high quality public transport in the UK flies in the face of total economics or system wide thinking about how to deal with obesity, illness from poor air quality and the high costs of trying to keep up with road building and motorway widening. Public health experts are predicting a £50 billion annual bill related to obesity and high quality walking and cycling facilities in places like Freiburg have a role to play in tackling obesity. Sustainable transport debates in the UK tend to be compartmentalised into a kind of environmental “goody goody” box as far as policy is concerned whereas the reality is that it is a no brainer. High quality walking, cycling and public transport facilities that get millions of trips out of the car and into these alternatives is an economic boon of enormous value to bottom line numbers in UK PLC. Transport debates in the UK are often characterised by a low level of intelligence. Why should a new bypass round Lancaster in northern England at a cost of £129 million for 4 miles of road be regarded as a “good thing” when sums of money much less than that can be spent to improve alternatives to the car and deliver all the predicted gains claimed for the bypass? A nonbypass solution would cost much less, involve no loss of countryside and farmland, would reduce carbon emissions rather than add 20,000 extra tonnes pa and would improve air quality. The whole bypass saga in Lancaster has been characterised by a deeply flawed process of logic and evaluation. The problem to be solved has been redefined several times. Sometimes it is about relieving congestion. This frequently morphs into job creation, time savings for lorries travelling to the Port of Heysham and encouraging new nuclear build adjacent to the existing Heysham nuclear power stations. The options that are available to solve each problem or objective have never been clearly listed and evaluated one against another. The “winning” option (build an
expensive bypass) has not emerged from a rigorous evaluation of value for money, impact on carbon emissions and impact on future traffic generation. The reality of most road building activity in the UK is that the starting point is a clear objective to build a road and then various bits of evidence are retro-fitted to support the case for a new road. Sustainable transport cannot thrive in such a poor quality decision-making environment and radical reform is needed. Peak Oil and Resilience Poor quality thinking and decision making is exacerbated by the inability of the UK transport planning and political process to engage with the peak oil debate. The peak oil debate is about recognising that oil supplies will be increasingly difficult to access because of a combination of growth in demand from India and China and because new oil fields are not coming on line as fast as old ones are being depleted. Peak oil thinking is about reducing oil dependency and adopting technologies and methods of working that will insulate us from oil; crises from whatever sources and create resilient societies insulated from major disruption linked to oil shortages. In recent years both the Australian government and the Swedish government have produced reports recognizing the dangers of oil dependency and the urgent need to move in the direction of so-called low carbon futures. There is still no forward thinking in the UK about how to reduce oil dependency and restructure transport thinking and funding to deliver a low carbon future. Work carried out by the global science policy think tank, the Stockholm Environment Institute, has shown that the UK transport system can reduce its carbon emissions by 76% by 2050. The report spells out exactly how this can be done and its multiple benefits in terms of the widest possible social, economic and environmental gains. It would also deal with peak oil and increase the resilience of the UK as it faces external shocks related to oil supply in the next 2-3 decades
Currently this kind of thinking and policy making is absent in national UK policy making. Conclusion Sustainable transport has a great deal to offer to bring about a huge increase in quality of life of all UK citizens. Performance to date is very poor indeed and a comparison between Freiburg and any other UK city demonstrates all too clearly just how badly we are doing. The bad news about this neglect of sustainable transport is that it stores up very large costs for the future. A recent cabinet office report revealed that the cumulative costs of congestion, physical inactivity, CO2 emissions, pollution, noise and accidents in the UK are approximately ÂŁ56 billion pa. Sustainable transport initiatives can eliminate the majority of these avoidable costs. The good news is that none of this is rocket science. We can have world beating sustainable transport initiatives any time we want. We can make the transport systems of Manchester and Liverpool just like Freiburg, and Birmingham and Leeds just like Munich, or Stuttgart and Newcastle just like Copenhagen. This will mean reforming our deeply flawed decision making practice that currently determine what does and does not get transport money. It will mean giving city regions bigger budgets and linking those budgets to eliminating carbon emissions, and air pollution from transport and it will mean abandoning the love affair with privatisation and deregulation so that we can manage transport systems in the same way that this is done around a Germanys city or in Stockholm or Copenhagen. These changes will produce a huge increase in quality of life, reduced public expenditure in the future, delivery of climate change objectives and improved health. The missing ingredient in UK policy making and budgeting is the vision and political will to make things better. Until these ingredients are put into play we will continue to experience a lower quality of life than most mainland European citizens enjoy and be far more vulnerable to external shocks and higher costs than need be the case.
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Low Carbon Freight & Logistics By Mike Penning MP,
Parliamentary Under-Secretary Of State For Transport Britainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s freight and logistics organisations deliver the goods and raw materials that help to generate economic growth, drive job creation and spread prosperity. For those who may not have considered their importance, try to picture a world without them. Our shops and supermarkets would have empty shelves, our power stations would struggle to produce energy, construction projects would face severe delays, factories would grind to a halt and access to the global economy would be closed off . I believe this sector is absolutely vital for both our individual quality of life and our national well-being. But what is equally undeniable is the significant impact it has on the environment. Indeed, emissions from freight transport alone account for around 27% of domestic transport greenhouse gas emissions. In the interests of the environment, and the industry itself, our shared challenge is to make freight and logistics cleaner and greener. In all honesty, this is not a challenge that can be sidelined or side-stepped. The question is not whether we should act, rather the one certainty is that we must act. And in October, I asked the freight and logistics sector to play its part and do its bit.
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I am glad to say that the industry is working hard to rise to the challenge of building a low carbon future. The Freight Transport Association developed a Logistics Carbon Reduction Scheme which, for the first time, has set an emissions reduction target for the freight transport sector. Members of the scheme range from retailers and supermarkets through to haulage firms and local authorities. I gave my formal backing to the scheme back in March of this year. In road haulage innovations such as more aerodynamic trailers, engines with greater fuel efficiency and low rolling resistance tyres can significantly reduce fuel use. The Government is working with the Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership and the industry to promote, and speed up, the development and adoption of these and other, greener vehicle technologies and fuels for road freight movements. Eco-driver training schemes and management of drivers also play a critical role in cutting fuel consumption.
I have been consulting on proposals that would allow a two metre increase in the total length of articulated lorries, while ensuring that the maximum weight they are allowed to carry remains the same. Independent research suggests that this would mean fewer trucks with greater capacity, making fewer journeys. The potential environmental positives arising out of this are lower fuel consumption, less congestion on the roads and cuts in carbon emissions. The progress doesn’t start and end with the trucks on our highways. In my capacity as Shipping Minister I’ve become aware of advances in the maritime industry that include improvements to existing marine engines; better fleet management techniques; and the use of low carbon technologies, like sky-sails, to supplement conventional propulsion systems. I want to see rail punch its weight when it comes to carrying freight. But I’m also convinced that our environment would benefit from a renaissance of this country’s waterways and coastal shipping. And we are working hard to encourage progress on these crucially important issues. For example, there’s our mode shift grant support scheme. This is designed to assist companies with the operating costs of running rail and water freight services, where rail and water is more expensive than road. We have a confirmed budget for these grants of £20 million for 2011-12 and £19 million for 2012-13. In addition an indicative budget is in place of £19 million for both 2013-14 and 2014-15.
and logistics companies. Removing the barriers that suffocate business innovation is absolutely central to this Government’s vision, hence the launch of our Red Tape Challenge website. As the Department’s De-Regulation Minister I want people to have their say on whether a regulation provides vital protections, or if they think a regulation is badly designed, badly implemented or simply a bad idea. There are also carbon-cutting opportunities for the industry via initiatives like the new Local Enterprise Partnerships we’ve established. Local communities making local decisions that reflect local priorities – this is the principle underpinning the Government’s localism agenda and it applies as much to de-carbonising the transport that moves our goods and raw materials around, as it does to every other part of our transport system All of our lives, and our livelihoods, depend on the people and organisations working in freight and logistics. In truth, if this industry did not exist, then it would have to be invented. But its only viable future is a low carbon future. In truth, business as usual just won’t cut it. To meet the environmental challenges of today and tomorrow requires a powerful and productive blend of private sector innovation and supportive public policy. By working in partnership with the industry, that’s precisely what this Government is delivering.
We are focused on easing the burden of regulation because too many rules and too much bureaucracy will hinder, not help, the eco-efforts of our freight
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Ecotricity launches the Electric Highway World’s first national network for electric car charging By Dale Vince, CEO Ecotricity For first time electric vehicles will be able to travel the length and breadth of Britain using the world’s first national charging network at motorway service stations across the country. The Electric Highway will be powered by Ecotricity who generate their electricity from a series of wind and solar mills spread across the country. Electric car drivers (and motorcycle riders) will be able to drive from London to Edinburgh or Exeter completely free and with virtually no emissions. Dale Vince OBE, founder of Ecotricity, said: “We’ve created the world’s first national charging network for electric cars. That may sound a bit grand, for something quite wonderfully simple - a series of charging posts installed at motorway services up and down the country. “Until now, charging posts have all been in city centres like London, but this is where you need them the least. Statistics show that it’s not in towns and cities where electric cars need to recharge, but on longer journeys between cities – and that means motorways.” The first six ‘top-up zones’ have been installed at Welcome Break motorway service stations between London, Bristol and Birmingham. They include South Mimms Services at the Junction of the M1 and M25, Oxford Services on the M40, Hopwood Park Services on the M42, Membury Services on the M4 and Michaelwood Services on the M5. The sixth charging point is at the base of Ecotricity’s wind turbine on the M4 near Reading. The first phase of the network spread across 12 motorway services will be completed during October. |160| ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE
Vince said: “People have asked why we are building this Electric Highway. There are after all only about 2,000 electric cars on the road today. In fact that’s a big part of the reason – a lack of demand. “It’s often said that one of the reasons more people don't buy electric cars is because of a lack of charging facilities – while the reason more charging facilities aren’t built is said to be because not enough people are buying electric cars – classic chicken and egg stuff. We’re hoping to break that impasse. “We’re creating the infrastructure to get Britain’s electric car revolution moving. “This breakthrough in electric car infrastructure also removes one of the main barriers for people wanting to buy electric cars – range anxiety – which currently restricts people to driving within their own city because they think they will run out of power between cities.” The average car in Britain does around 20 miles a day, a distance that most modern electric cars can sustain for almost a week without needing to charge. Most car owners have access to off street parking (around 70%) – and therefore will be able to charge at home, at night. Most cars won’t need to charge, most days. It’s the longer journeys where charging is needed most.
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Vince said: “This marks the beginning of the end for the old combustion engine. With world oil prices going through the roof, you’ll now be able to get around Britain using only the power of the wind. It costs just over 1p a mile in an electric vehicle, compared to 15.4p in a petrol car (at today’s oil prices). “We consume 23 million tonnes of oil every year in the UK to do the 250 billion miles we drive every year. But we could power all that with 12,000 of today’s windmills, or just 6,000 of tomorrow’s.” To convert the entire UK vehicle fleet to electric would require an increase in electricity delivered through the grid of about 12%. Vince said: “To put that into context, pre the credit crunch, grid delivered electricity grew by around 3% a year, so we’re talking just four years normal growth to power all the UK’s cars.
With most charging taking place overnight at home, at times of low demand, the grid can easily cope.” Each charge point will be located outside the main entrance of Welcome Break service stations, with two sockets that can be accessed by registering for a free swipe card. Within 18 months all 27 Welcome Break motorway services will have charging points. Electric cars can top-up in just 20 minutes using fast charge points (32A supply) or fully charge in two hours; while those using the slower (13A supply) will be able to recharge fully if staying overnight at motorway service hotels. Rod McKie, CEO of Welcome Break, said: “We are very excited about working with Ecotricity. There is no doubt that the electric car will arrive on Britain's motorways and Welcome Break wants to be at the forefront of giving the modern motorist what they want, when they want it. As hybrid and electric cars become part of everyday life, Welcome Break will have the facility to fast-charge these cars, giving electric car drivers the opportunity to travel the length and breadth of the UK. “Welcome Break operates throughout the UK with locations as far afield as Scotland and down to the south-west and south-east of England, serving 80 million customers a year.” |162| ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE
A driver doing a year’s typical 8,500miles of motoring could save almost £1,000 in petrol costs at today’s prices, and save around 2,000kg in CO2 emissions. Electric car owners who want to register for a free swipe card can visit Ecotricity’s website at www.ecotricity.co.uk/ for-the-road In November 2010, Ecotricity launched the Nemesis, a wind-powered sports car that can reach 0-100mph in 8.5 seconds and with a top speed of 170mph. The first electric supercar to be designed and built in Britain, the Nemesis was created by an A-team of ex-Formula 1 engineers with the brief to “blow the socks off Jeremy Clarkson” and show that electric cars can be sexy, fast and fun to drive. Since then, 2011 has been dubbed ‘The Year of the Electric Car’, with major manufacturers launching allelectric mass-market models including the Nissan Leaf, Mitsubishi MIEV and Peugeot iOn. Ford will also launch an all-electric version of its Ford Focus, on sale in 2013.
Campaign For Better Tyres By Catrina Perkins Campaign manager - Campaign for Better Tyres As petrol prices rise and the cost of transport to the climate becomes more apparent, increasing attention is being paid to the potential of alternative fuel technology such as electric and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. However, with costs of these technologies still high compared to standard combustion engines, it will be some time before there is sufficient uptake to make a real difference to transport emissions. Until prices come down, it is important to look at how we can make our current vehicles more efficient â&#x20AC;&#x201C; both through improvements to combustion engines and through more efficient components. One often overlooked component, which can make a big difference to fuel efficiency and emissions, is tyres. Many of us barely think about our tyre choice, often leaving it to our garage or tyre fitter to decide which model we choose. If we do search around, it is usually to find the cheapest deal. But as the only part of our vehicle that makes contact with the road, tyres play a vital role in determining how much fuel we use on a journey, how much carbon our vehicle emits, how much noise it makes and how quickly it can stop in an emergency.
Tyre technology is developing rapidly and tyres are generally more efficient, quieter and safer then ever. However, there is still a big gap between the best and worst performing tyres on the market, with the best able to reduce fuel consumption by 10%, cut rolling noise almost in half and reduce stopping distances in the wet by as much as 18 metres compared to the worst.
Premium vs Budget So why do tyres perform so differently? Tyre design is a complicated matter, which usually involves a trade off between different performance factors. In order to improve the energy efficiency of a tyre, for example, it is necessary to reduce rolling resistance, which is the friction that it produces as it rolls along a road. In the past, this meant compromising grip because grip is best served by rubber compounds which absorb high levels of energy, while reducing rolling resistance requires compounds which absorb low levels of energy. Premium tyre manufacturers have managed to overcome this problem by replacing certain quantities of carbon black with silica in the tyreâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tread compound. Silica can reduce rolling resistance by as much as 20% whilst also improving grip by as much as 15%. Further developments of tyre tread compounds and tyre tread patterns mean that manufacturers have also managed to reduce tyre rolling noise, which is the dominant source of vehicle noise at speeds above around 25mph. However, all of this technology comes at a cost and while premium manufacturers are finding ways to
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balance tyre design, some budget tyres still compromise one performance factor for another, offering reduced rolling resistance or noise at the expense of safety performance. In recent tests carried out by What Car? Magazine, budget tyres took an average of 14 metres longer – the length of an articulated lorry – than premium tyres to stop from 70mph in wet conditions. In dry conditions, the budget tyres took up to five metres longer to stop than the top premium brand.
Choosing better tyres New EU tyre legislation, due to be introduced next year, will make it easier for consumers and fleet managers to compare tyre performance and choose the best tyres to reduce fuel consumption, cut vehicle noise and improve road safety. The European Commission has agreed two separate pieces of tyre legislation, both to be introduced in November 2012. The first - EU Regulation (661/2009) on type-approval requirements for the general safety of motor vehicles and tyres (http://www.etrma.org/public/ Pdf%20from%20July/2008-316%20Final%20text.pdf)sets stricter type approval standards for tyres on noise, rolling resistance and wet grip. The new regulation will require reductions in rolling resistance in two stages to be introduced in November 2012 and November 2016, with entire market implementation by 2018. Further reductions in noise will also be required, with implementation across the tyre market required by 2012. The European Commission’s original proposal was to introduce the new standards by 2016, but the European Parliament caved to industry pressure and added a two to four year grace period before all tyres have to comply, with a further 30 months when retailers can sell off existing stock. This delay has been criticised by some environmental and noise groups, who argue that the time-delay will limit the effectiveness of the new regulation. The second piece of legislation - EU Regulation (1222/2009) on the labelling of tyres with respect to fuel efficiency and other essential parameters (http://eur-lex. europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2009:342: 0046:0058:EN:PDF)- will require all tyres produced after July 2012 and on sale in the EU from November 2012 to be accompanied by a label at point of sale providing information on three specific tyre performance aspects: wet grip, fuel efficiency and exterior rolling noise. The labels will look similar to the energy labels already used for white goods and passenger cars. Wet grip and fuel efficiency will be rated on a sliding scale from A to G, with A being the best performers and G being the worst. Noise levels will be split into three categories and measured in decibel (dB) in comparison with new |164| ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE
European standards on noise levels to be introduced by 2016. The labels will bear either one, two or three black sound waves, with one indicating 3dB less than future European limits, two demonstrating compliance with future European limits and three demonstrating compliance only with current European limits.
Tyre maintenance It is also possible to drive down a vehicle’s running costs and emissions through the proper maintenance of tyres. Running on under-inflated tyres, for example, can increase fuel consumption by as much as 4%. According to research from Michelin, over 370 million litres of fuel are being wasted each year as a result of underinflated tyres, costing UK drivers more than £440 million pounds. It is estimated that this wasted fuel results in the dumping of over 2 million tonnes of carbon dioxide CO2 in the atmosphere each year. Under-inflation also causes tyres to wear more quickly, reducing their lifespan by as much as 45% and resulting in 200 million prematurely wasted tyres in the world each year. Another aspect to consider is wheel alignment, which can be affected by hitting a kerb or pothole, or if there is wear to the steering or suspension components of the vehicle. Incorrect wheel alignment increases drag on the tyres (rolling resistance), which increases fuel consumption and emissions. According to www.trackace.co.uk, an average car wastes 10% of fuel at 2° misalignment. Wheel alignment also causes tyres to wear unevenly, which can result in them needing to be replaced more often.
Future role By combining careful maintenance with today’s tyre technology, we could make a significant difference to the fuel consumption of the UK and European fleet. If we were all to choose the best performing tyres on the market right now, we could save 6.6 million tonnes of oil a year in Europe by 2020, which is as much as the annual consumption of Hungary. We could also cut CO2 emissions by as much as four million tonnes per year equivalent to taking 1.3 million cars from the roads – and cut traffic noise by a third. Hopefully the new EU tyre labels will be a step forward for raising awareness about tyre technology and help ensure that these vital components finally get the attention and recognition they deserve.
CONSERVATION Page 166 - 169 Approach to Natures Recovery, Paul Wilkinson, Wildlife Trust Page 170 - 171 Waging War on Non-Native Wildlife, Trevor Renals, Environment Agency
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Image 1
A joined-up approach to nature’s recovery
The Government’s Natural Environment White Paper (NEWP), launched in June 2011, establishes an ambitious new vision and contains a number of potentially powerful concepts and commitments. It is still early days to judge the real significance of this document, but The Wildlife Trusts have high expectations and are calling on the whole of government to play their part for nature. How this White Paper is adopted and implemented by all Government departments will be critical. There is a vital need to ensure it influences the current policy reforms around planning, development and growth. A Living Landscape As stated by Richard Benyon in the previous issue of Environment Industry Magazine, our economy and our society depend on a rich and healthy natural environment. The Wildlife Trusts have a vision of A Living Landscape. It is a recovery plan for nature championed by us since 2006 to create a resilient and healthy environment rich in wildlife for everyone.
By Paul Wilkinson, Head of Living Landscape for The Wildlife Trusts wildlifetrusts.org The 47 Wildlife Trusts around the UK are dedicated to this vision, with 112 Living Landscape schemes underway. These involve individual Wildlife Trusts working in partnership with landowners, businesses and communities to restore habitats locally, beyond the boundaries of nature reserves, for the benefit of wildlife and people. However, it’s crucial this landscape-scale approach to conservation is rolled out on a much wider scale if we are to secure nature’s recovery. The Natural Environment White Paper could, and should, lay the foundations for this to happen. Making our vision a reality Before the NEWP was published, The Wildlife Trusts laid out some key foundations for the future this document
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should seek to address, based on our Living Landscape vision. They included calls for the restoration of natural processes such as crop pollination and water filtration, new partnerships between government, the private sector, communities and voluntary bodies, and for communities to be inspired to restore nature in their local area. Nature isn’t a luxury Protecting and enhancing the natural environment may sometimes be seen as a block on economic growth. However, a highly significant new assessment, the National Ecosystem Assessment (NEA), proves otherwise. Wetlands which are functioning effectively can act as flood defences, and provide clean water. Restored peatlands store huge amounts of carbon, as do woodlands. The NEA values carbon storage provided by UK woodlands at £680 million, and values their social and environmental benefits at £1.2 billion a year. Ecosystem services provided by the UK’s coast are valued at £48 billion. One of the key outcomes of the NEWP should be an increased awareness of the services our natural environment provides, and the realisation that we can’t afford to not invest in it. The Wildlife Trusts believe Government should use the tools and thinking within the NEA to ensure that all policy and decision-making takes account of the impacts on, and opportunities for, securing healthy functioning ecosystems.
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By showing leadership with this approach, we hope other organisations and businesses will increase consideration of the natural world in their decision-making. Partnership approach So Government has clearly acknowledged nature’s economic value. But what mechanisms does the NEWP put in place to help businesses and others to act? A partnership approach involving the private sector, central and local government, agencies and voluntary bodies will be essential to restoring our natural environment, and harnessing its benefits. The Wildlife Trusts are involved in a wide range of partnerships to help deliver our Living Landscape vision. For example, South West Water and Devon Wildlife Trust are working together to restore wildlife-rich wet grassland in order to help improve water quality; potentially saving money on costly water treatment. The NEWP introduced the idea of Local Nature Partnerships (LNPs) and The Wildlife Trusts are engaging in the development of these groups across the country. Image 3
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LNPs will involve different groups including businesses and voluntary organisations. They will help to share the vision for the natural environment in their areas and identify what needs to happen in terms of restoring the landscape for wildlife. This is a start, but scant resources have been allocated to making LNPs a success. Large scale land management As part of their role, Local Nature Partnerships will support the identification and delivery of Nature Improvement Areas (NIAs). These areas, as described in the NEWP, will aim to increase the resilience of our natural environment through encouraging individuals and organisations to work at a larger scale, co-ordinating efforts to protect and restore the natural environment. In July 2011, Government announced a competition to identify 12 NIAs. Whilst this is a welcome acknowledgement of the need to adopt a landscape-scale approach, The Wildlife Trusts are concerned 12 NIAs won’t be enough and that the concept should be driven forward by partnerships across the whole of England. We urgently need to see more of these areas identified across England, and supported in local policy. A step change in society’s approach to restoring nature Government recognition of the need for restoration and recovery of the natural environment at a landscape-scale is to be welcomed. With the help of our partners, The Wildlife Trusts will continue to work towards creating A Living Landscape. We shall keep up pressure on the Government to deliver against their vision and continue to challenge for new policy and legislation. With the right level of ambition, commitment and a more innovative
approach to funding, we may be able to secure the survival of wildlife-rich places, and aid nature’s recovery in the face of pressures such as development and climate change. In Richard Benyon’s own words: “We need to put nature in its rightful place: at the heart of everything we do.” We hope Government holds strong to this commitment. More information on getting involved If your business would like to play its part in creating A Living Landscape, The Wildlife Trusts’ Biodiversity Benchmark offers a business-friendly framework for doing so. It rewards and recognises business commitment to wildlife, and the implementation of that commitment on one or more sites. It sets the standard for management of landholdings for the benefit of wildlife. Across the UK 4,000 hectares have currently been certified as meeting that standard. For more information on Biodiversity Benchmark visit www. wildlifetrusts.org/biodiversitybenchmark Green-fingered businesses may be interested in a new wildlife gardening competition with a specific business category. A key commitment in the NEWP is to engage people with their local wildlife. As a means of achieving this, Defra has funded The Big Wildlife Garden competition, run by The Wildlife Trusts and the Royal Horticultural Society. It is open until May 2012. For more information and to enter visit www.bigwildlifegarden.org. uk/wildlife-garden-competition. Image 1: Marsh fritillary - Philip Precey Image 2: Rutland Water - Tanya Perdikou Image 3: Outdoors - Zsuzsanna Bird Image 4: Doxey Marshes - Staffordshire Wildlife Trust Paul Wilkinson portrait - Chris Taylor ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE |169|
By Trevor Renals - non-native species expert at the Environment Agency Invasive species cost the UK economy an estimated £1.7billion every year. Killer shrimp, Topmouth Gudgeon, Floating Pennywort and America Signal Crayfish are among the army of invaders threatening our waterways. They cause damage to riverbanks and buildings, increase flood risk and crowd out and kill off native wildlife. In many places, they have become so prolific on waterways that fishermen, boaters and anglers are unable to use them.
best it’s been since before the industrial revolution. Otters, salmon and other wildlife are returning to many of our rivers for the first time in over 20 years as a result of less pollution and habitat improvements. However, if we don’t control invasive species, we risk undoing this work, losing some of our precious native species and incurring even more cleanup costs. Rivers that harbour non-native species could also fall short of tough new standards set under the EU Water Framework Directive.
Non-native invasive species are animals or plants that have been introduced in a place where they do not naturally occur. Well known examples include the grey squirrel, mink and Japanese knotweed, but there are in fact hundreds of unwelcome species already making home in this country. These species upset the balance of our ecosystems by out-competing or out-growing native species. The problem is often exacerbated by an absence of natural predators to control their numbers. Nonnative species, such as American signal crayfish, can also spread diseases that attack their native cousins – in this case crayfish plague which is fatal to native white-clawed crayfish.
The Environment Agency already spends over £2million a year controlling invasive species. We are working closely with environment bodies, such as Natural England and Wildlife Trusts, as well as community and volunteer groups to manage the spread of these damaging plants and animals. This year we are increasing our joint efforts by targeting some of the £92m funding provided by Defra to help more English rivers meet the new EU targets. We would urge everyone to help stop the spread of these species by supporting the ‘be plant wise’ campaign and making sure that garden and pond plants don’t end up near rivers and wetlands. Anglers and boat users should also support the ‘check, clean, dry’ campaign and thoroughly clean any fishing, boating and canoeing equipment when moving between waterways. Information on these campaigns and further information on invasive species is available from www. nonnativespecies. org.uk.
The cost of clearing land, such as construction sites, of invasive plants can run into the millions. They also present a major challenge for Government in meeting tough new EU targets for the ecology of rivers and lakes. Of particular concern to the Environment Agency are those invaders which clog and decimate water habitats. River water quality is the
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The Environment Agency’s non-native species hitlist:
1) Killer Shrimp - Dikerogammarus villosus: While only 3cm long, this aggressive crustacean kills large numbers of freshwater invertebrates and even young fish in the areas it invades without even eating them. It is fast-growing and so has the ability to dominate in favourable habitats. Insects such as damselflies and waterboatmen would be at risk, with knock-on effects on their predators. It is found at three sites in England and Wales; the Environment Agency and its partners are working with anglers and boat owners to ensure it spreads no further. 2) Water Primrose – Ludwigia grandiflora: Creeping water primrose is sold in the UK as a pond and aquarium plant. It can spread rapidly, completely covering waterways, and has caused serious damage to the aquatic environments of France and the Low Countries already; it is estimated that it could cost the UK £242m to eradicate it if it became as well established here. Sixteen infestations have been recorded across the UK; all have been eradicated or are being managed. 3) Floating Pennywort – Hydrocotyle ranunculoides: This other aquarium-and-pond decoration, first brought to the UK in the 1980s, grows in the shallow margins of slow-flowing ditches, dykes and lakes, forming a dense interwoven mat easily mistaken for solid ground. These mats ruin the habitat of other wildlife and make boating and fishing impossible. The Environment Agency spent over £0.5 million removing it from waterways in 2009. 4) American Signal Crayfish – Pacifastacus leniusculus: This species not only competes with the UK’s only native counterpart, the endangered Whiteclawed crayfish, for its greater food intake, but carries a water-borne fungus which its kind is resistant to, but which is fatal to ours. To reverse the resulting decline of the white-clawed crayfish, the Environment Agency has established a captive breeding programme and safe havens for native White-clawed crayfish.
7) Japanese Knotweed – Fallopia japonica: Yet another Victorian garden ornament, this invasive perennial is noted for annually causing £150 million of choking damage to the human and natural infrastructure of the UK, such as railways. In 2010, the Government authorised the use of a biological control against it. 8) Himalayan Balsam – Impatiens glandulifera: Britain’s most damaging imported riverbank-colonising Asian balsam, and its tallest annual plant, growing to 3m high. Its dense stands suppress native plants and produce distinctive purplish-pink slipper-shaped flowers in June. In autumn they die again, leaving a bare and easily-eroded bank of mud. The Environment Agency supports a variety of volunteer groups who remove it by hand. 9) Mink – Mustela vision: This North American mammal escaped from fur farms in the 1950s and spread throughout the country, eating fish, small mammals and birds. It kills the poultry and fish stocks of farmers and poses a particular threat to our protected native water voles. They are trapped and destroyed to avoid such destruction wherever found. 10) Parrot’s Feather - Myriophyllum aquaticum: This South American pond plant has spread to over 150 sites in the UK, covering entire surfaces of water; its dense mats not only starve native plants of oxygen and nutrients, but encourage children and animals to walk across them, exposing them to deep water and possible drowning. Where it poses an increased risk of flooding, the Environment Agency removes it mechanically or by hand. Further information is available at www.environment-agency.gov.uk/ invasivespecies.
5) Topmouth Gudgeon – Pseudorasbora parva: Originally from Japan and now found mainly in still waters, this fish reproduces rapidly, with numbers in excess of 65 per square metre in the areas it invades; meanwhile, its diseases prevent other fish from spawning. The Environment Agency is working to isolate and destroy such infestations wherever found. 6) Giant Hogweed – Heracleum mantegazzianum: Introduced to Britain in 1893 as an ornamental plant, this species escaped from gardens and colonises riverbanks and wasteland alike, strangling native vegetation and increasing the risk of flooding and erosion. Its stems, edges and leaves’ undersides are covered in small hairs containing poisonous sap, which causes irritation and blistering. The Environment Agency and its partners operate a chemical control programme to cull it.
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MISCELLANY Page 173 Environment Prosecutions Page 174 - 175 The Red Tape Challenge, Adrian Wilkes, Chair, EIC Page 176 - 178 Page 179
Mapping - Jonathan Coleman, FINDMaps
Book Reviews
Page 180 - 182 MCS Training, Libby Jones, Easy MCS Page 184 - 186 Product Guide Page 187 - 198 Case Studies Page 199 - 200 Famous Last Words - Jason Drew, Author, The Protein Crunch
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROSECUTIONS
Yorkshire men sentenced for Doncaster waste offences
Trago Mills fined for ‘reckless’ waste offences One of the West Country’s leading retail businesses has been ordered to pay almost £200,000 in fines and costs for illegally dumping and burning waste at two of its out-of-town shopping complexes. A larger area of landfill, containing an estimated 6,200 tonnes of waste, including 200 sheets of asbestos, was found on an adjoining part of the site. Materials were also disposed of by burning in a large pit.
Four men and a furniture business from Yorkshire were sentenced for waste crimes that took place at a Doncaster farm. On 2 October 2009, officers searched the site under a search warrant. The landfill area was estimated to be at a depth of between one and four metres, covered by sandy material. The waste was a mixture of rubble, brick, concrete, wood and broken pieces of asbestos. Trevor Jones, aged 48, of Stubbs Hall, Wakefield Road, Hampole, Doncaster, pleaded guilty to one charge and was fined £100 for being involved in the burning of waste at Stubbs Hall Farm. He was also ordered to pay costs of £150 to the Environment Agency.
Oil giant fined £10,000 for Fawley refinery leak into Southampton harbour Esso has been fined £10,000 after being prosecuted by the Environment Agency for causing 400 gallons of vacuum gas oil to leak from a faulty pipe into a highly protected Hampshire estuary.
Waste director fined £12,500 Jeffery Graham Cox as director of Skip_It (Essex) Ltd ran two illegal sites during a 10-month period where waste was stored and set alight.
Esso Petroleum Company Ltd, who operate the Fawley refinery which is the second biggest in Europe, appeared at Southampton Magistrates’ Court.
Cox was fined a total of £12,500 and ordered to pay £5,747 costs after pleading guilty to two offences of breaching Environmental Permitting Regulations at one site in Brentwood and one in Kelvedon Hatch.
The company pleaded guilty to the offence and was fined £10,000, ordered to pay costs totalling £2,586 and £15 victim surcharge.
Waste on the ground included white paint, household items, rubble and metals and there was rubbish stored in skips.
The Hampshire based plant provides 20 per cent of the UK refinery capacity. West Yorkshire family sentenced for “persistent flouting” of the law Company fined for operating a waste facility without a permit
A West Yorkshire couple were given jail sentences by Leeds Crown Court for illegally dumping waste.
Dock Management Services and Matthew Jackson of Scunthorpe pleaded guilty to operating a regulated facility on land without a permit and failing to ensure waste transfer documents were complete.
David John Brotherton, 57, Julie Mary Brotheron, 52, and their sons Daniel Brotherton, 23, and Sean Brotherton, 20, of Ghyll Mill, Bradford Road, Otley pleaded guilty to a series of waste offences spanning three years.
Dock Management Services was fined £7000, ordered to pay £4200 in costs, along with a £15 victim surcharge. Matthew Jackson, 41, was fined £700, ordered to pay £2000 in costs, along with a £15 victim surcharge.
David Brotherton was sentenced to 20 months imprisonment. Julie Brotherton was given a 12 month prison sentence suspended for 12 months and 200 hours of community payback work. Sons Daniel and Sean Brotherton were each given a 6 month prison sentence suspended for 12 months, and 150 hours each of community payback work.
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The Red Tape Challenge “Greenest Government Ever” By Adrian Wilkes (Executive Chair) and Sam Ibbott (Public Affairs Manager) Environmental Industries Commission
Greenest government ever. It’s quite the statement. And one which David Cameron probably now regrets making whilst in opposition. He could have made anything his soundbite: ‘aspirations for the environment’, ‘greener Britain’, ‘a really, really, very green Government indeed’, even the official ‘vote blue, go green’ wasn’t so bad – and was vague enough to leave a substantial amount of wriggle room. But the now Prime Minister went in big guns. Greenest government ever. The problem with achieving this most lofty of goals is that it will require a hefty amount of Government intervention in the economy and this runs contrary to much of the Coalition’s rhetoric. Our current environmental woes are the result of an acute market failure. Nobody ‘owns’ the environment, and its protection has invariably relied on the whim of Governments rather than the good will of industry – the cost of polluting has, for too long, simply not been necessary to factor into a business’s budget. In reality, this means legislation and regulation. Only a strong regulatory and legislative framework can provide the protection of our environment, our natural resources, our energy security, the future effects of climate change and, ultimately, our wellbeing. This approach seems, on the surface, very much at odds with much of the Coalition Government’s rhetoric on the role of regulation in the economy. Such are the perils of power within a democracy, however, that once you’ve promised something you have to deliver on it. Or, if not deliver on it, at least pay lip-service and hope that no one catches you out or that the focus groups don’t pick up on it. And so, with this in mind, the Government has published a new Green Economy Roadmap - ‘Enabling the Transition to a Green Economy: Government and business working together’ |174| ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE
– which it hopes will set the necessary framework for a transformation in the UK’s economy, and the principles upon which it is based. It’s short. Very short. As maps go, it’s more like one of those ‘Rough Guides’ you might pick up in WH Smith’s before a weekend in Paris than something produced by Ordnance Survey. But despite this, it is a useful document in setting out a general framework, and a timetable, for the UK’s transition to a low-carbon, resource-efficient economy. Its success, however, must be judged by outcomes, and the lack of clear policy detail within the document is a key concern. Neither the Environmental Industries Commission (EIC), nor the 200 plus companies it represents within the environmental technology and services sector (ETS), are rabid, unrestrained regulators, but without clear, long-term policy detail there is genuine worry that the ETS industry will not see the financial investment required to see a surge in fortunes – nor will it help the Government achieve its many legally-binding environmental targets. Early drafts of the Roadmap (in which EIC was involved) contained analysis of defined sectors of the economy, and how they might relate to the greening economy, but this work has been disappointingly foregone in the published document. We simply cannot accept that the Roadmap represents the sum total of the Government’s thinking on these matters, or that it is the framework that will see the UK’s transformation of the economy. The lack of detail in the Green Economy Roadmap is exacerbated by the Government’s aforementioned approach to regulation: the ‘one in one out’ approach to
new regulations, the current ‘Red Tape Challenge’, and the chopping and changing of flagship policies such as the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme. Combined, this sets a dangerous precedent for the ETS industry, and one which is likely to leave investors cold. Whole sectors, hundreds of companies and thousands of jobs can be created through one regulation. But upfront capital is also a necessity. If there is concern that a particular regulation on which a whole sector of the green economy relies is constantly under threat, this could quite easily lead to a crisis in confidence. No confidence, no investment – no investment, no greenest government ever. Indeed, this problem is likely to become even more acute and when the Green Investment Bank is up and running. This is not to imply that the Government is doing nothing toward achieving their goal. There is no doubt a raft of flagship work going on that shows great potential to boost the Green Economy: the Green Deal, the Renewable Heat Incentive, Electricity Market Reform, Feed-in Tariffs, the Waste Review, the Water White Paper, GHG reporting, zero carbon homes and non-domestic buildings, the aforementioned CRC, among others. The list is long, and the opportunities huge; but what they will all require to be truly successful, and to truly see a stepchange in the way we think about our natural resources and our environment is leadership. Strong leadership. It is hard however not to notice the lack of engagement in this area by the Government’s two key decision makers: the Prime Minister and the Chancellor of the Exchequer. Tellingly, neither has made a keynote speech on the environment since coming to power – but perhaps this concern is best summed up by the introduction to the Green Economy Roadmap. Despite being signed off by the Secretaries of State of three government departments, the Treasury isn’t one of them. You would have thought the clue was in the name. It is important to remember what is at stake. The UK’s environmental industry in 2009/10 had a turnover of some £112 billion, with environmental exports being worth £10 billion. Total employment in the UK’s environmental industry now exceeds 900,000 jobs. And all of this feeds into a global environmental marketplace worth £3.2 trillion. These figures are by no means insubstantial, but they can be much larger still. In 2009, when the current Chancellor of the Exchequer was on the Opposition benches, he argued of the need to “bring to an end the stale argument that we have to choose between economic growth and the environment.” This was a most welcome sentiment, and one that needs to be put into practice now that he sits on the other side of the House. There is too much to lose by not doing so.
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By Jonathan Coleman Environmental Business Manager for FIND Maps and EnviroFIND
It’s a question that’s been hotly debated for some time now within the environmental geo-information community. Having experienced the impact of the ‘first tranche’ we’re now in a better position to argue the pros and cons of the release of further free datasets. However, while we continue to talk, an array of programmes and UK government initiatives are being proposed that will result in the release of a deluge of free data. We therefore need to resolve this debate within the environmental geo-information community and make our views known – before any big decisions are made. The results will, after all, shape the way we work for many years to come.
Free data - what does it mean? An ardent supporter of free data will argue that data collected by a government department belongs in the public domain. Their view is that data compiled by public servants working in public departments and funded by the tax payer – both private and corporate – should be freely available. Until recently data was held by a number of agencies and made available to the public under directives such as the Environmental Information Regulations 2004. One popular portal was the Environment Agency’s What’s in Your Backyard website. The British Geological Survey (BGS) built its own geoportal and created the i-Geology app. In order to streamline access to data the government created www.data.gov.uk. Launched by Sir Tim Berners-Lee in 2010, the portal gives members of the public and
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businesses quick access to a selection of public datasets from a range of public bodies to open up its datasets to the general public. Some of the most popular datasets released to date are from the Ordnance Survey. Under the banner of OS OpenData, a range of ‘simple data’ has been made freely available. However, this ‘simple data’ has limited potential in terms of how it can be used.
INSPIRE and UK Location Strategy The current government is committed to the EU INSPIRE program and plans to take this a stage further through the UK Location Strategy. The goals of the EU INSPIRE programme include: 1. 2.
Standards to improve interoperability of spatial information across Europe or Environmental Policy Making Enable discovery, viewing and download services for EU government entities, public authorities and members of the general public.
The UK Location Strategy further builds on these:
The Public Data Corporation - connecting the dots
1. 2. 3.
The establishment of the Public Data Corporation confirms that the government recognises the value of data. Its aim is to apply consistent standards to collection, maintenance, production and charging, as well as providing an unprecedented level of easily accessible public information.
Re-use of public sector information encouraged. Strategy should provide information that enables sustainable development, socio-economic analysis and other benefits. Public data more freely available will encourage smarter policy decisions, citizen engagement and act as a catalyst for innovative geo-enterprise. http://location.defra.gov.uk/programme/
This combination of initiatives means that free data for use by the general public is a reality which is here to stay. Following the argument that data gathered by public bodies should be in the public domain, it’s likely that more environmental datasets will be made available. This will be especially helpful to individuals considering property purchases, assessing risk to their homes and considering other factors which could affect their daily lives. The data is, however, for strictly non-commercial use. When it comes to data there’s a very strong argument that ‘you get what you pay for’. While the casual needs of a member of the public may be met by free government datasets, businesses demand far more. In order to make data truly valuable it must be cleaned, analysed, organised, properly presented and made instantly accessible. Far from spelling doom and gloom for the commercial sector, the release of more free datasets simply presents new opportunities.
Edward Davey (Business Minister) said, “A Public Data Corporation is a global first and will help make this information much easier to access and understand. It will provide stability and certainty for businesses and entrepreneurs, attracting the investment these operations need to maintain their capabilities and drive growth in the economy. It will also give better value for the taxpayer by driving down costs and making the process more efficient” Francis Maude (Minister for the Cabinet Office) further underlined the benefits, saying, “Public sector information underpins a growing part of the economy. The technology that is around today allows people to use and re-use this information in new and different ways. The role of Government is to help maximise the benefits of these developments.” Working initially with Ordnance Survey, Land Registry and the Met Office, this new unit within the Cabinet Office should be up and running by the beginning of 2012. It will then offer ‘best practice’ advice and guidance to other public bodies such as the Environment Agency and the NERC/BGS, which are currently regulated under the Information Fair Trader Scheme.
The over-arching objective of the Public Data Corporation is to simplify the vastly complex commercial licensing arrangements which currently exist. In its final consultative stage a number of different data supply models are being considered: Option 1 Maintain licensing and charging status quo, but commit to have more information available for free. Option 2 Harmonisation and simplification - set simple charges for public data without differentiating the end use. Option 3 Freemium model - offering the basic, ‘raw’ information free of charge, but then allowing entities to add value to the data and facilitate the market generating a range of value added products.
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Within the environmental sector the demand for geospatial information is generally satisfied by ordering standard reports through a supplier. The number of suppliers is limited by the substantial investment required in terms of software, programming and storage, and this leads to limited consumer choice. Opening all government environmental information under the Freemium model (see above) would lead to a wealth of benefits. It would create a level playing field in which innovative, creative organisations with technical expertise could excel by developing new ways of mining data and presenting information. It would also encourage the development of new applications aimed at supporting the intelligent use of data to inform decision making and increase business efficiency. This would go a long way to fulfilling government objectives to increase data availability, expand data choice and encourage competition.
will develop an increased range of products such as custom and tailored reports, Web-GIS applications, Web design/analysis tools, web reporting and recording functionalities. This will lead to increased competition and should result in more competitive pricing. EnviroFIND is a product which has already responded to the changing demands of the market. Instead of ordering lengthy standard reports, users can instead use a simple view and print service. This allows them to selectively extract only the datasets they require then to analyse and record relationships. Whether the data is from the EA, BGS, Coal Authority, OS or another data provider, the system ensures that it is legally compliant. Further information can be found at www.envirofind.co.uk
The larger players will benefit from more extensive data feeds direct from the relevant agencies. This should encourage them to develop in-house applications which distribute this data throughout their organisations. The possibilities certainly excite many in the industry who are already considering the possibility of 3D options incorporating elevations, or even 4D options where time is one of the elements. While the end result of all these changes may not be free data, the benefits accruing from increased competition amongst information providers is likely to lead to significant cost savings for all involved.
So â&#x20AC;&#x201C; is free data a good idea? Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re poised on the threshold of an extremely interesting period in the supply of geo-environmental data. For commercial purposes, free data still requires investment to turn it into useful data. Free data will, however, stimulate the development of new products aimed at improving business efficiency within the environmental and geotechnical sectors. Simpler licensing arrangements and charging regimes will encourage more companies to enter the supply side of the market. In order to compete they
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Book Reviews By Alex Stacey
The Protein Crunch by Jason Drew This year I had the great privilege to meet with a truly inspirational man, Jason Drew, an international businessman and serial entrepreneur who, having retired early after two heart attacks became a passionate environmentalist and visionary. The interesting thing about Jason is that like a great proportion of the population he had until retiring never really thought about the environment. It was only whilst walking himself fit on his farm near Cape Town that he began to notice the environmental changes around him, and that sparked an interest which became a passion and inspired him to see for himself the environmental impacts the human race was having on the world, and to read everything he could get his hands on to further understand the subject. Now as a genuine environmental expert and as one of the few people who has actually witnessed firsthand the real extent of the damage that is being done, Jason has written ‘The Protein Crunch’, an alarming and concise accumulation of scientific, personal and anecdotal evidence showing that earth is on the brink of environmental collapse. Very few books cover such a range of environmental issues and in such harsh clarity; ‘The Protein Crunch’ could be the text book for an Inconvenient Truth! The three most read and published pieces of “literature” in the world apparently are The Bible, The Koran and the Ikea Catalogue; one of these should be usurped by ‘The Protein Crunch’. If we are to make the changes required to preserve the earth and ultimately the human race this book should be made compulsory reading.
Confessions Of A Radical Industrialist - Ray C. Anderson Also this year we mourn the loss of a “startling” environmental leader, the “Radical Industrialist” Ray Anderson, founder and CEO of Interface Inc., passed away on Monday 8th August aged 77. In Ray we have lost a real hero of the Environment. In 2009 Ray published ‘Confessions of a Radical Industrialist’, a real life story of real people doing real, if extraordinary, things like taking a massive organisation dependent on petrochemical products and fossil fuels and making it one of the most sustainably considerate companies in the world. Ray’s description for his epiphany moment is extremely moving and his story is inspiring. It would be almost inconceivable now for the CEO of a Billion Dollar Company to completely revolutionise it and make such innovative and radical changes. You can only imagine the reaction 17 years ago. From “Plunderer, destroyer of the earth, a thief stealing his grandchildren’s future” to “America’s greenest CEO”, ‘Confessions of a Radical Industrialist’ is a remarkable story of a remarkable man’s journey up Mount Sustainability on Mission Zero. The death of Ray Anderson will be felt throughout the environmental industries for a long time to come and we offer our sincere condolences to his family, friends and colleagues. ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE |179|
The Importance of high quality Training in entering the Renewable Industry. By Libby Jones - MCS mentor for Easy MCS Ltd.
The Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) is a government led Scheme that monitors the running of businesses interested in installing renewable technologies such as Solar PV, Solar Thermal, Biomass and Heat Pumps. As a result of the cash back incentives that customers can be eligible for if they get MCS approved products installed by MCS certified companies, installer training is the best and most effective way of proving competence in installing these technologies. Therefore it is vital to gain this training so that you can assure your customers of quality and the Scheme itself that you are capable of taking on the task of becoming an MCS certified company. MCS is a mark of excellence and quality, and such a mark can only be gained by demonstrating the highest standard of expertise in the field into which you decide to enter. This does not necessarily mean knowing the industry inside out, but it certainly means that you can show, through your installation, that you have a good knowledge and understanding of the requirements set out in the MCS Standards and that you are technically competent to be installing the technology. Using training both in the quality requirements and the installation standards will also increase your knowledge of the industry as a whole, making it easier to expand into new areas, eventually being able to offer a wide range of renewable technologies. This puts you in a different league to competing companies in your local area. Knowing what is expected of you in an industry that is governed by such standards can only be heightened by the wide range of training courses made available to
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installers and salespeople alike. With courses ranging from 5 day installer training, to sales courses and even just awareness courses for administration staff, you can ensure that your customers receive a service that is second to none, with you being able to provide knowledge and guidance in all areas of the system they are thinking of installing. As customers will be looking to spend a considerable amount of money, they deserve to be given the most accurate and honest information. The MCS is a carefully governed scheme with standards that are reasonably simple to achieve, despite rumours you may have heard to the contrary, providing that adequate training is sought and gained. The most
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PLCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s operating nationwide such as British Gas. The High standards expected of MCS certified companies is by no means unreasonable, but should be used by companies across all industries to ensure the greatest customer care and satisfaction.
effective way of ensuring that your company remains compliant with the demands set out by the Scheme is to get your installers trained up on the technical aspects of the technologies you are wishing to offer, as well as making sure that you understand the requirements of the paperwork. The way to do this is to get a Quality Management System that covers all 19 clauses of the MCS 001 (Installer Standard), and Easy MCS Ltd will take you through that process in a pain-free manner, ensuring your company meets all the requirements and ensuring that you remain meeting those requirements when you have your yearly audit. Becoming MCS Accredited is by no means something that cannot be achieved, as we have dealt with companies of all sizes and formats, ranging from sole traders, through county councils and housing associations, even to large
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Being a training provider ourselves, we understand what is expected of you in this industry and we can help you achieve MCS certification much easier than it would be to try and go it alone, including the practical training courses. It is in no means an easy process if you tried to gain certification without proper training and advice. It would be difficult to adhere to the regulations without proper guidance, which is why it is most important to seek the consultation of industry experts and make sure that the money you spend in getting yourself to the stage where you can offer your customer cash back incentives has not been considered wasted, but wisely invested and ultimately the best thing you could do for your company. The demand for renewable technologies is growing at a great rate, and by seeking out the best training and gaining official qualifications in your chosen field, you can ensure that you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get left behind or fall foul to the rumours that becoming MCS certified is not accessible to you.
PRODUCT GUIDE T-T Pumps Ltd
“With over 50 years experience, Cheshire based T-T, is one of the UK’s leading companies in the design, manufacture, supply and installation of pumps, controls, valves, environmental products and systems. These products are complimented by our support services including project assistance from concept to handover, after-sales support and service agreements.”
Tel: 01630 647200 | www.ttpumps.com
WINDHAGER BECOMES HETAS TRAINING CENTRE FOR BIOMASS AND SOLID FUEL STOVES Leading manufacturer of biomass heating systems, Windhager UK, has recently doubled the area of the company’s training facility to coincide with the new style of HETAS training course. It is one of just 10 approved UK HETAS training centres in the UK. The new course structure now encompasses both theory and practical training and runs alongside Windhager’s own product training courses. The new practical training room, located at the company’s head offices in Chippenham, is a development of the existing facilities and an extension of the ground floor showroom and training room. The training facility also allows engineers to test and simulate different scenarios and see firsthand installation procedures and different designs that are available. The fully working system also allows customers to see the benefits of the Windhager systems and provides invaluable boiler commissioning and maintenance procedures for engineers.
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ARMSTRONG CEILINGS GOES HEAVY ON THE METAL A specifier’s guide to the metal ceiling and wall solutions available for the complete range of applications has been launched by leading UK building interior solutions provider Armstrong Ceilings. The 60-page guide details Armstrong’s capabilities, playing field and environmental commitment as well as the ceiling and wall solutions available for the office, retail, transport, health and education sectors and the individual performance characteristics of the tiles, canopies, island ceilings and grids. The new brochure is available to download from f
Rotork actuates sub-sea safety valve installations at Egyptian gas field Rotork Fluid Systems has supplied the specialised hydraulic actuator package for a second sub-sea safety isolation valve (SSIV) installation on the same offshore gas gathering project off the coast of Egypt. The single acting, spring-return rack and pinion actuator, model number GSR-2-490-110F/ CX, will operate a 16 inch ANSI Class 900 ball valve installed on the eleven kilometre export pipeline from the Seth Platform. The new actuator will operate an SSIV installed at a depth of 84 metres near to the Seth Platform, which, together with a check valve installed upstream of the ball valve, will prevent any gas backflow in the event of a pipeline or riser rupture in the proximity of the platform. A dedicated electrohydraulic umbilical from the platform will control the actuator, whilst an integral valve manifold system on the actuator itself will enable local diver operation. In addition, an actuator and gearbox declutch mechanism completes the provision of total valve control under all operating conditions, in combination with an ROV (Remotely Operated underwater Vehicle) interface.
PRODUCT GUIDE New power supply from PULS UK improves efficiency and reliability of wind turbines PULS UK has announced the introduction of its PAS395 power supply developed to charge the latest supercapacitors used to power wind turbine pitch control systems. Super-capacitors (electrical double-layer capacitors) are rapidly replacing the lead acid batteries previously used to drive the powerful motors controlling the giant turbine blades. PULS’s PAS395 delivers a high-charging current - a two-Farad capacitor will be fully charged in five minutes – and the unit’s high efficiency means that very little heat is generated. Once charging is complete the charger automatically switches to Energy Saving Mode to reduce power losses. The PAS395 weighs in at only 2.3kg and measures 310 x 154 x 80mm. It can be mounted in any orientation to allow easy installation even in confined areas. Pitch control systems are housed within the spinner of the turbine and revolve at around 30 cycles per minute, so using conventional lead acid batteries presents a risk of acid spillage and poor reliability.
The New Invicta foot-mounted rotary electric Vibrators Invicta recently introduced the 8-bolt BL78 frame to its range of footmounted rotary electric vibrators. This new model fits into the BL/ BLz Series of vibrators between the largest frame size currently manufactured by Invicta, the 8-bolt BL80, and the smaller BL75 with a 6-bolt fixing pattern. The BL78 was designed in response to customer demand for an 8-bolt vibrator interchangeable with other models and able to produce high centrifugal force outputs. The BL78 is currently available as a 10kW 6-pole vibrator with a maximum centrifugal force output of 18,500 Kg (181485N) at 960 rpm. The new frame has, however, been designed to accommodate alternative specifications, as required, to suit customer demand. Invicta’s various series of foot-mounted rotary electric vibrators comprise 2-, 4-, 6- & 8-pole versions suitable for both 50Hz and 60Hz power supplies and designed for use both in non-hazardous locations and, appropriately certified, in environments containing potentially hazardous, flammable dusts, gases, vapours and mists.
NEW COMPREHENSIVE PRODUCT RANGE BROCHURE LAUNCHED BY ENCASEMENT A new range overview brochure has been launched by Encasement, covering its extensive range of decorative casings, cladding and protection solutions, to provide architects, specifiers and contractors with core information alongside examples of existing projects and installations. Printed on FSC compliant paper, the 20-page A4 landscape format brochure provides information on every product in the company’s range, which are grouped together in dedicated sections covering pipe boxing, column casings, interior cladding and retail display as well as wall protection and installation services. The brochure is also available as an electronic PDF for immediate download from Encasement’s website, where visitors can also request the printed version and register to receive regular updates and additional information. Further information on every product in the Encasement range can be obtained from www.encasement.co.uk or by calling 01733 266889.
Order intakes rocket for Vulcan SFM Sheffield Forgemasters’ specialist offshore technology and project management division, Vulcan SFM, has completed a successful financial year breaking targets for new orders by nearly £18m. However, successful bids on projects for the North Sea, the Gulf of Mexico and Brazil have seen the order intake rocket to nearly £40 million. “The global offshore oil and gas industry is thriving at the moment and the casting technology that we developed here at Forgemasters continues to be in strong demand with castings destined for projects in the North Sea, the Gulf of Mexico and Brazil. Vulcan SFM was launched in 2006, building on Forgemasters’ 28-year history in offshore engineering in order to provide expert engineering and metallurgy with focused project management co-ordinating the manufacturing activities in the engineering group SFEL. ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE |185|
PRODUCT GUIDE Fisher Scientific Inc. Fisher Scientific Inc., the world leader in serving science, today announced the Thermo Scientific CV2000 automated aliquoting liquid handler. This newly developed, second-generation platform enhances laboratory efficiency through workflow automation. The CV2000™ can accurately dispense liquid volumes from 100-875 µL and process up to 1000 samples per hour. With its robotic arm and rotary height sensors, it fits easily into automated workflows to boost sample throughput. The system is compatible with a wide variety of sample management software, but can also be used as a stand-alone instrument. The system effectively manages samples to boost efficiency and productivity with zero crosscontamination. Fully compatible with multiple rack formats, the CV2000 system allows users to change the loading and dispensing routine to suit their needs. A unique tip preservation system allows the instrument to only discharge used tips, reducing waste while eliminating contamination. Capable of holding up to 300 samples and accommodating both 45 and 90 mL urine containers, the system can automate the process of aliquoting urine from primary samples to analyzer racks. Furthermore, the CV2000 system creates a batch report that is compatible with downstream analysis instrumentation, which is used to process the urine samples.
New website stirs interest in Electrothermal Following Bibby Scientific’s acquisition of Electrothermal in May 2011, all Electrothermal products and special offers can now be viewed online for the first time. The newly launched Electrothermal website is designed to be very user-friendly, with quick search functionality giving access to all the latest product information. Online technical support information covers technical manuals, support contact details, warranty registration and servicing information. An enquiry form enables customers to send technical questions as well as request information on product pricing, availability and delivery times. All Electrothermal products are readily available and distributors are listed on the website by region. Visitors to the Electrothermal website can view the other offerings in Bibby Scientific’s portfolio simply by clicking on the Stuart, Jenway and Techne logos which link to these product ranges. www.electrothermal.com
NEW PACKAGED ECODAN® OFFERS HIGHLY ADAPTABLE HEATING SOLUTION Mitsubishi Electric has launched a new Packaged Hydrobox for its range of Ecodan® air source heat pumps to offer a flexible and adaptable heating solution for retrofit or new build. Designed specifically to integrate with the Ecodan units and a third party cylinder, the Packaged Hydrobox provides hydraulic components with a simplified graphical user interface to ease control and provide energy efficient space heating. The Hydrobox is pre-plumbed and wired for faster installation and is also compatible with Mitsubishi Electric’s wireless room controllers to bring advanced Twentieth Century control to almost any home. The system offers an integral 7-day schedule with in-built room temperature measurement and control, a holiday mode, and an intelligent weather compensation system, which ensures the central heating delivers a comfortable temperature regardless of the season. Settings can be altered to suit the property and level of user interaction to give a control system that suits all applications and types of home. Ecodan will provide renewable, reliable heating and hot water all year round, whilst helping houses meet Levels 3 and 4 of the Code for Sustainable Homes www.domesticheating.mitsubishielectric.co.uk. |186| ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE
CASE STUDY
Project Title = Rothschild Foundation Location = Buckinghamshire
GOL AW D A WIN RD NE 201 R 1
Brief Project Description = The brief for the project comprises space for the Rothschild Foundation Archive and office space for the charity investment organisation. The archive space includes the main library reading room, offices for archive staff and the archive stores themselves. These three activities are formed round three sides of a sloping garden with the fourth side open to views to the south. The charity investment offices are within a two-story space across the courtyard garden from the reading room. This building contains, meeting rooms and open plan office space set within a building similar in appearance to the archive group. Between the office building and the archive group is situated the courtyard. This space is very important as it provides a formally landscaped garden that serves as the arrival courtyard to the whole project CONSTRUCTION The construction of the buildings in timber was inspired by the former use of the site as a farm populated by timber barns with vertical boarding and roof trusses. The main space in the scheme, the archive reading room, was designed as a modern reinterpretation of a barn structure. The structural frame is a timber diagrid formed from european oak glulam beams veneered in european prime grade oak. Over the beams is a stressed skin ply roof again with an oak veneer finish. On the north side the structure is carried to ground with solid oak V columns next to full height glazing. On the south side of the reading room the structure of the roof is supported from steel posts hidden within 4.5m high oak pivot doors. This reading room structure is complemented by oak flooring, oak bookcases and bespoke reading tables. The cladding of the archive barns adjacent to the reading room is formed in european oak vertical boarding with oak ledged and braced doors and shutters. A similar treatment is used on the two storey office building across the courtyard.
Building Owner = The Alice Trust Architect = Stephen Marshall Architects Builder / Main Contractor = Kingerlee Structural Engineers = Thornton Tomasetti Joinery = Green Oak Carpentry Ltd All images attributed to Richard Bryant/Arcaidimages.com
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CASE STUDY Main Cate gory Winner Commerc ia & Public A l ccess 2011
Project Title = Brockholes Visitor Centre Location = Preston, Lancashire This RIBA competition winning project for a new visitor and education centre at Brockholes was awarded the new BREEAM Outstanding rating for sustainability at the interim stage, in large part because of the extensive use of timber throughout. The project, on an area of national environmental importance at Brockholes Wetland and Woodland Nature Reserve in Preston, sits on a site made up of redundant gravel pits and ancient mixed woodland. The site is owned and is being developed by the Lancashire Wildlife Trust with funding from the Newlands Programme; an initiative of the North West Development Agency and the Forestry Commission. This is a highly unusual project in that the entire centre is built on a large concrete pontoon on a lake within the reserve. This was the imaginative response by the architects to deal with the difficulty of building on an area prone to flooding. The pontoon was made by casting concrete around large polystyrene void formers, forming a solid yet buoyant raft foundation for the buildings. The pontoon is kept anchored in place by four piles embedded in the lakebed and accessed via articulating bridges, which allow it to rise in flood conditions: a model that could potentially be applied to many buildings constructed on flood plains. The centre itself is made up of a cluster of large and smaller timber framed oak clad buildings housing various facilities - from bustling public areas including a café, conference facilities, and a shop, to quieter, more reflective areas for learning about and viewing the surrounding wildlife habitats. The timber buildings are built from glulam portal frames under a timber Structural Insulated Panels (SIP) ‘skin’ that provides racking resistance to the buildings while ensuring a high level of insulation and air tightness. The splaying V-shaped glulam rafters are up to 10m long, joined with steel flitch plates due to their complex geometry and high connection forces. Sustainably sourced in Austria, they were precision engineered to reduce on-site time and eliminate wastage. The buildings are clad in oak shingles: rough tiles formed from tree
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stumps that would otherwise have been discarded. Internally, a recycled newspaper insulation was sprayed on to the underside of the SIPs, providing an excellent low-cost and sustainable acoustic dampening in public areas. The project aimed for zero-carbon both in use and production, using materials of low embodied energy, high levels of thermal insulation and building airtightness, natural ventilation, and off-site prefabrication as well as on-site energy generation and waste treatment. The sourcing and durability of the materials used, potential for recycling, and the distance to site were all considered within the design. The buildings really celebrate timber as an ancient and versatile building material that, through modern application and construction techniques, creates an inspiring and welcoming environment. Value: £8.6m (£9m including landscaping and habitat creation) Completed: May 2011 Funding: North West Regional Development Agency. Building Owner = Lancashire Wildlife Trust Architect = Adam Khan Architects Builder / Main Contractor = Mansell/Balfour Beatty Structural Engineers = Price & Myers Joinery = B & K Structures
CASE STUDY Main Cate gory Winner Private/B est Small Pro duct 2011
Project Title = Strange House Location = London The new build house is small, relatively low-cost and sits on a constrained site, but aspires to create a generous architecture inspired by the considered use of engineered European softwood and crafted tropical hardwood. Timber Sources The building frame of solid timber engineered panels was fabricated from FSC European Softwood (Spruce) in a Swiss factory, driven to site in a container and erected in a week. The windows, doors and internal fit-out and furniture of responsibly sourced tropical hardwood (largely Cedro Macho) were felled by a hurricane in Central America, fabricated in a Nicaraguan workshop and arrived on site in a shipping container for simple site
Image attributed to David Grandorge
assembly. Environmental Performance The lightness of the building’s solid timber panel structure allows a new concrete slab to form a raft foundation that sits on the existing site slab without the need of costly and wasteful excavations for foundations. Good air-tightness and thermal mass provided by the timber panel construction, together with high standards of insulation, minimal glazing to the north, lots of natural daylight and low energy fittings all reduce the building’s energy requirements. Off-site manufacture of the two timber packages comprising the majority of the building fabric resulted in reduced waste, better cost control and excellent quality of finish whilst the frame embodies 17 tonnes of stored CO2.
accommodating site tolerances and visually expressing the relationship between primary structural timber and secondary fit-out timber. The kitchen (Guapinol), cupboards, seating, desk and shelving units are all bespoke units that sit within recesses formed in the structural frame, providing a warm habitability within the expressed structure of the house. The solidity of both timbers is expressed throughout; the edges Detail and Workmanship of the softwood structural panels deliberately Every internal room has the same simple palette of materials: washed (Osmo Hard Wax Oil) timber walls and exposed to make evident their construction ceilings, concrete floors and bespoke joinery comprising and each detail of the hardwood fit-out showing the thickness of the solid timbers hardwood windows, doors, fit-out and furniture. The used. The bed, chairs and a dining table constructional logic of the building’s detailing marries made from a single piece of solid hardwood simple site assembly by the main contractor with an engineered European product and highly crafted Central (Nanciton) are all provided by the same supplier, creating a completely integrated American joinery. Glass is sandwiched between the timber interior. exposed structural timber and the hardwood frame to form the fixed windows, the top and bottom frames Gross Internal Floor Area: 75m2 apparently invisible emphasising the vertical mullions. fixed face are frames and Construction Budget:£160,000 The internal hardwood doors to structural softwood openings, reducing site work,
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CASE STUDY Main Cate gory Winner Conserva tion/ Restoratio n 2011
Project Title = Diamond Hall, University of Ulster Location = Coleraine, Co Antrim, N Ireland The original Diamond Hall building dating from 1972 was clad in Galbestos and patent glazing. It takes its name from the traditional ‘Diamond’ meeting place often found in the centre of traditional Ulster towns. Used for graduations, exams and large functions it is at the centre of the campus and prominent in the surrounding area. The brief from the University was to completely replace the external facade and to undertake limited internal refurbishment. Throughout the 33 week contract period, time framed between the end of graduations and the commencement of exams, the contract had to adhere to many project constraints to minimise disruption to occupied elements of the building.
adverse reactions between them, including tannin staining. Heavy profiling of the timber repeated on a 6 ft grid provides depth and shadowing which continually changes, adding texture to the building.
Internal refurbishment is concentrated on the hall and associated foyer which are at the centre of university life. Strong colours used in the foyer glazing reflect internally fixed Cedar Red Western PEFC certified untreated and add warmth and vibrancy to the interior. to FSC certified battens, counter battens and an Spaced walnut battens fixed to curved steel insulated Strongbak structural panel, was chosen for creates an open ceiling which is a visual its’ appearance, inherent durability, sustainability, barrier but allows the existing services to is It . maintenance low and cost dimensional stability, function above. It mimics the original stained relatively light which made it suitable for fixing onto the softwood batten finish to the ceiling and existing structure. The adaptability of timber allowed the upper walls of the Diamond Hall. The use sections to be sized to suit the existing 12 ft structural of walnut wall panels, doors, frames and an movement. accommodate to grid and to be detailed engineered sprung walnut floor compliment Over time the timber will turn silver and the palette of the original retained timber battens. Factory adjoining materials have been chosen to compliment this. paint finished timber acoustic panels in The fixings and profile design evolved following various shades of light greys and white were together specialists joinery and timber consultations with used inside the hall to break up the long with guidance from TRADA. The wood supplier was uninterrupted wall elevations reflecting the Brooks Bros UK Ltd with whom the final details were external treatment of the clay tiles and acting resolved to suit available timber lengths, preferred joint as a contrast to the surrounding dark timber. was consideration Careful sizes. positions and section given to the location, size and depth of the countersunk The building users have been extremely bolts, fixings and site fabrication. Sample panels were complimentary on the changes. Given a constructed before fixing details and sections were relatively modest budget this important finalised. university building has gained a vibrant and modern public image. The installation of the insulated cedar rain-screen reduced the areas of glazing, improved the building’s thermal performance and focus’s the views on the adjacent River Bann. The original high level end glazing to the side elevations was replaced with cedar creating a bookend effect and accentuating the shapes of the central Kalwall panels. The cedar boarding, clay tiles, Kalwall, zinc and satin anodised aluminium are modelled and detailed to articulate the various finishes and to avoid Image attributed to Aidan Monaghan
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CASE STUDY
Project Title = Windsor Rocker Location = Oxfordshire
Main Category Winner Furniture 2011
Brief Project Description = Inspired by traditional Windsor chairmaking techniques, the ‘Windsor Rocker’ is an evolution of the design of the ‘Ribbon Rocking Chair’. A combination of traditional skills, pushed to an extreme, and the purity of the form of the Ribbon Rocking Chair, it echoes the original wheelwright’s craft from which the Windsor chair is derived.
The Windsor Rocker is made from four pieces of steam bent ash seamlessly scarfed together to form a continuous band, twenty five spindles and a hand carved solid seat, all finished with a white hard-wax oil. The spindles flare out from the seat to the band such that their opposing angles produce an extremely rigid but light form. The ash is from a locally grown and sustainable source and was worked ‘green’ with no seasoning or kiln drying. It measures 770mm wide by 1050mm deep by 850mm high. Furniture Owner = Katie Walker Furniture Designer = Katie Walker Maker = Katie Walker, Roger Smith & James Mursell Wood Supplier = Cowdray Estate Forestry Dimensions = 77 cm wide x 105 cm deep x 85 cm high
Images attributed to Aidan Monaghan
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CASE STUDY
Main Category Runner U Commerc p ial and Public A ccess 2011
Project Title The Apex, Arc, Bury St Edmunds Location Suffolk Bury St Edmunds is one of England’s best preserved historic market towns, its mediaeval urban structure audible resonance. Doubly-curved panels largely unspoilt. Comprising 10 acres immediately are laminated from solid timber, their adjacent to the market centre of town, the site of the geometry and horizontal slots helping to former Cattle Market has long been an obvious choice control reflections. Slotted panels at the for future growth, but successive schemes for the site eaves provide acoustic absorption where failed to engage local support. In 2001 St Edmundsbury reflections might combine detrimentally. Borough Council sought a development partner to design, fund and implement a retail-led scheme for the Ground floor boarding and soffit boarding site to safeguard Bury’s trading future. As architects in the Auditorium are fixed to plywood for the successful team of developer Centros Miller, we tly supported developed a masterplan for the site that sought to extend substrates that are resilien to beneficially absorb low frequencies. the centre of Bury with a piece of mixed-use townscape, Budget dictated that the oak came from the scale and sequence of spaces in which would be a single shipment so we worked with the comparable to those experienced in the existing town, timber supplier to prioritise the allocation with its pattern of streets and squares meshing with of long clear boards for this floor: lengths existing routes and links into and across the site. Many are random, with a minimum joint stagger. of Bury’s historic buildings are timber-framed, albeit the floor of the first many have been clad: our scheme builds on this tradition Boards for the soffit and floor bar area are finger-jointed in designed with a framed timber superstructure over a concrete lengths to maximize the yield of clear timber retail ground floor “table”, its infill responding to various from the remainder of the shipment. above-ground uses. Expressed frames and boarded softwood infill have a sacrificial stain applied to mask The building is entered through a glazed wall differential effects as they weather to an even grey. under a concrete bridge. At first floor, the bridge is occupied by lounge seating and café The Apex provides the civic focus for the scheme. A furniture serving the venue’s bars. The bars flexible multi-use hall, its foyer is conceived as an are in oak. The 7.5m high upper foyer is a extension to the central square onto which it faces, and structural frame of glue-laminated Siberian its Auditorium is articulated as a freestanding brick box larch with bespoke steel connectors and larch embedded within one of the retail blocks. Within the soffit boards between. Three intersecting box, white precast, red brick, stainless steel, leather and open double-pitched roofspaces wrap around white oak make up a calm palette of crafted self-finished the Auditorium box, maintaining acoustic materials. isolation with a combination of structural rs in the heads The Auditorium ground floor is movable to permit a range separation and spring isolato of their columns. of performance arrangements. American white oak clad seating wagons with bespoke white oak and leather benches attached may be arranged to form a raked theatre or theatre in the round, or may be transported to the basement below to clear the space for a banquet or town fair.
Two balconies with curved white oak fronts accommodate bespoke tip-up seating to match the ground floor benches. Acoustically, Apex is state of the art, and the solidity of the thick oak fronts minimises undesirable |192| ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE
Image attributed to Simon Kennedy
CASE STUDY
Project Title = The Watson House Location = New Forest, Hampshire
Main Category Runner U p Best Sm all Project 2011
Brief Project Description = The brief began with the idea of occupying the house for short breaks – a holiday home that is easy to use and the clients wished to live in contact with nature. They wanted a house that offered the opposite to their day to day urban life – a place that breathed, that was open, light, easy to maintain and interacted with the garden and woodland. The brief was clear that the parents wanted to have space between their two teenage children’s bedrooms and their own and also provide a room for guests, but a single social space for cooking, eating and relaxing together. The design was the result of the idea of a simple linear single-storey form that ‘touched the earth lightly’. Two linear concrete foundations ran along each side of the house (with a basement in the central section) and these supported laminated timber floor, wall and roof panels from KLH timber. The panels, craned over the trees from the road, were erected in less that one week and slender steel columns were employed to support the 15 metre long opening facing onto the woodland. The design tolerances of this system allowed for windows to be pre-ordered and this in turn allowed the house to be weather-tight in a matter of weeks. The house was clad externally with rigid insulation and a rainscreen of open jointed, sweet chestnut slats over a black mesh. The roof was a single ply membrane. Initial budget estimate was established by a QS cost plan at £634,000. Final account was £640,000.00. The main difference in cost was the adoption of Peterson Kolumba bricks for the central fireplace, which the client wanted at our recommendation.
Building Owner = Charles + Fiona Watson Architect = John Pardey Architecrs Builder / Main Contractor = NFTS Ltd (no longer trading) Structural Engineers = Ramboll UK Joinery = Quest Timber Products Ltd Other Associated Company = KLH Ltd Wood Supplier = KLH
Images attributed to James Morris
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CASE STUDY
Main Category Runner U p Structur al 2011
Project Title = Far Moor Bridge Location = North Yorkshire Brief Project Description = Far Moor Bridge is part of the new 350-mile Pennine Bridleway National Trail, funded by the Countryside Agency (now Natural England) and Sports England. The section in the Yorkshire Dales at Far Moor Common, Selside, is a new section of bridleway with a new bridge, across the River Ribble. The commissioning Authority saw an opportunity to build an iconic structure, which would delight walkers and riders while being environmentally sustainable. Timber was the preferred material for construction being a natural material that would sit comfortably with the landscape in colour and context but it was thought that the required span was too great for this material. However, on seeing a stress laminated single arch bridge at a site in the North York Moors, Yorkshire Dales National Park (YDNPA) approached Forestry Commission Enterprise (FCE) to see if they could provide a design solution for a much larger bridge using this technique. The brief required a bridge that would be aesthetically pleasing, complement the surrounding rural upland, be constructed with regard to environmental constraints and be of a high quality standard as expected by users of National Trails The design of the bridge, a flat arch structure, reflects the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;egg shapeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; drumlin landscape of the locality. The type of timber construction is, as far as we can ascertain, unique in the world. It is a combination of stress laminated arch construction acting compositely with a screw laminated stressed timber deck. Assembled on site the main construction material is Scottish larch treated with the wood preservative Tanalith E with oak used on the outer section of the lower arches as this is able to withstand and spread the stress loading of 150KN. The arch to concrete pad foundation support brackets, stressing rods, washer plates are galvanised steel. The design loading was 5kN/m2 with as high a fundamental natural frequency as possible to ensure comfort for horses. FCE have considerable experience of constructing bridges for this type of use and knew that a 50m long bridge could become a major obstacle for some types of horses. It was for that reason that the design linked the deck and the arches to form a stiff composite structure. FCE achieved a FNF of greater than 5Hz. The resulting design required a three dimensional analysis never before attempted for this type of structure. The central span over the river is 24m with only a 200mm deep section. The bridge
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required 2 side arches of about 15m to maintain the integrity of the flood plain. Trial pits revealed that the ground at either springing of the central arch would not support the significant lateral thrust of about 300kN. The design was modified to ensure the thrust was transmitted through that support and into the side arches. This transferred the lateral thrust to the outer foundations which are in drier, better ground.
Image attributed to Peter Lambert
Building Owner = Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority (client) Architect = Civil Engineering Design Services (formally Forestry Civil Engineering) Builder / Main Contractor = Houseman and Falshaw Limited Structural Engineers = Civil Engineering Design Services (formally Forestry Civil Engineering) Joinery = CTS Bridges Limited (responsible for joinery and construction) Other Associated Company = Marsden AES Limited (responsible for landscaping/ holding areas) Wood Supplier = James Jones (wood cut, sized and drilled by Forestry Commission)
CASE STUDY Special Awards Winner Innovatio n 2011
Project Title = 081 -23MR - Stairs Location = London Stairs provide fleeting spaces, massaging the body through a brief spatial experience. We saw this timber staircase as a momentary intensification of the relative calm of the buildingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s other spaces, and a pleasurable interweaving of the lines that lead through them - an opportunity for a more highly articulated, compressed and ergonomic exploration of the sculptural sensuality visible throughout the rest of the project. The design began with a plan arrangement of steps which All photos, images and drawings by atmos studio ltd fanned through a simple progressive array, inviting the planometric and sectional constraints of visitor on as gradual and smooth a journey as the hallway the existing fabric. above could accommodate, lifting them from a dark The stair was designed as a cohesive, corner of the ground floor up into a higher space bathed easily-assembled kit of parts - an outsized with light from a giant skylight. 3D jigsaw constructed with an animated The subsequent move was to blend (in both plan and flipbook. An engraved base-plate enabled vertical a into treads horizontal sensual the section) precise positioning of outer frame walls wall to the West composed of a mirror mesh of lines â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and the central spine wall, both bridged by timber balustrade strands designed to appear as threads elaborately carved beams that slotted in hanging from above. Their upper geometry echoed the sequence into these flank walls. Routing then and them above balustrade existing the of cadence constraints limited the use of chamfered bunched and pinched at key nodal points to achieve a cuts and thus meant substantial voids at series of simple, diagrammatic functions: curving and the intersection between diagonal planar bunching at one end to cover the exposed edge of the elements, necessitating the generation of stair the up open to tip other the at compressing landing, additional filigree masking elements. In to entry, and pulled back at the base to encourage open the main stair void, these acted as tendrils movement through, like a curtain pulled back to let the resolving the eccentric junctions between gaze through. riser and wall, curling up to form the additional delicate enclosing balustrades On the other eastern edge, the treads converged into required by Building Regs. a single pair of lines that seamlessly merged with the skirting detail flowing throughout the rest of the house. A glance back thus suggests the skirting bending to rise from the floor, bifurcating into each individual tread like a fern branching into leaves.
The staircase was manufactured entirely from timber, its chief structure achieved by laminating different thicknesses of MDF as either tread or riser or support wall, capping tips and verticals with finer threads of laminated oak. Everything was fabricated directly from 2D CAD information using digital cutting technology (or CNCrouting), carefully intersecting flat-pack 2D elements to create a complex 3D composition with the illusion of 3-dimensional curvature. A precise laser survey was crucial to minimise necessary tolerances and ensure that the millimetre-perfect design slotted perfectly into the
The geometry was generated from a basic sequence of angles and radii, matched in plan and section, and interstitial lines placed at intervals. The volumetrics sought to minimise mass whilst ensuring stability, laminating 3 staggered layers of MDF in section to form an ultra-thin profile in the dominant elevations, layers of engraving further splitting the mass into the appearance of 2 thin strands. The use of 2 engraving depths for each of the 3 layers of MDF enabled intricate functional carving of what would ultimately resolve into the appearance of a single sculptural stereotomic mass
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CASE STUDY
Project Title = The Manolo Lounger Location = Glasgow
Special Awards Winner Outstand ing Craftma nship 2011
Brief Project Description = â&#x20AC;¨I first began thinking about the design of The Manolo Lounger around 4 or fives years ago. I had never released a chair design before and did not feel one hundred percent confident I had honed the design until 6 months ago. Every cabinet maker is judged how talented they are on the chair design they produce. The inspiration for the chair came from two different sources. The first was my absolute admiration for two of the greatest chair designers who ever lived, Hans J Wenger and Finn Juhl.The second point of inspiration was a beautiful high heel sketch I had seen by shoe designer Manolo Blahnik. The back legs of the chair are loosely based on this sketch, which led to the chairs name. The Manolo Lounger is without doubt the most challenging piece I have attempted to produce. There are over five different jointing techniques in the construction of the piece and there is not one single 90-degree angle in the entire chair. The seat is beveled in two directions, tapers from 12mm at the front to 28 mm in the centre and the top backside of the chair is hand carved to follow the splayed back legs. The front two legs are mirror images of each other, with hand carved twisted details, which are also slightly splayed. The brass pin detail, which passes through the arm into the back of the seat, gives the chair increased rigidity. The Manolo Lounger was launched at the beginning of May in the Saatchi gallery London as part of the Collect exhibition and will be featured in World Architecture News and Wallpaper magazine over the coming months. In November the chair is going to be displayed in Philadelphia Museum of Art.
Furniture Owner = John Galvin Designer = John Galvin Maker = John Galvin Wood Supplier = Patterson Timber Dimensions = 600x550x750
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Images attributed to Richard Crawford Precious Productions
CASE STUDY Special Awards Winner Outstand ing Design 2011
Project Title ‘Suent’ Superlight Chair Location = Lincolnshire Brief Project Description = I hand make all of the products in this collection, made from locally coppiced hazel, which I harvest by hand. When the hazel ‘rods’ are cut, they re-sprout with vigour providing a new crop for harvesting again 7 or so years later. Managed and used in this way, the timber is inexhaustible. I source my timber from a nearby Forestry Commission wood, for which I have a permit. The Forestry Commission practice coppicing as part of their woodland management scheme, as it promotes diversity within the habitat, but there is currently no use for the hazel that is coppiced and is normally burned. I began researching the use of coppiced hazel in contemporary design within my MA as a way of utilising this otherwise wasted resource and found it is an excellent timber for lightweight pieces of furniture, and have developed a range of marketable products that reflect this products attributes. The initial challenge was to find creative ways to utilise hazel, as it grows in much smaller profile to conventional trees used in furniture. To do this I combined my furniture making skills with the traditional methods used to manipulate green wood, along with a bit of creative imagination. Hazel is a very lightweight timber and so the flagship piece of this collection, the ‘suent superlight chair’,
weighs only 1.7 kgs and is strong enough to easily seat a 120kg person. Its unobtrusive form allows it to ease into almost any interior, traditional or contemporary. As far as I’m aware I’m the only designer in the UK using hazel in contemporary furniture. Apart from being made from an entirely renewable material, this collection is designed to be visually lightweight and unobtrusive resulting in objects that have aesthetic longevity. The name of each piece is from the vocabulary used by traditional woodmen, many words from which are now almost lost. This collection is a tangible representation of my ethos of sustainability. I continue to refine and add to the collection, but maintain the founding principles of sustainability, and good design.
Furniture Owner = Sebastian Cox Designer = Sebastian Cox Maker = Sebastian Cox Wood Supplier = Sebastian Cox Dimensions = H 74 D 46 W 37
Images attributed to ‘Spadge UK’ www.spadgeuk.com
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CASE STUDY A LITTLE PIECE OF “HAVEN” EXCITING DESIGN USES ACCOYA® WOOD FOR A SUSTAINABLE HOUSE AND BOATHOUSE IN NORFOLK The Haven project in Horning, Norfolk, is the perfect example of the increasing trend for greener building. The new house and boathouse is a gracefully designed, sustainable replacement to the previous designs, perfectly complementing and enhancing the picturesque waterside village of Horning. Due to the extremely challenging high flood and moisture area of the Norfolk Broads, only Accoya wood would have the necessary longlasting durability to meet the demands of the project. A unique design The Accoya wood, supplied by International Timber ltd, was used for cladding decking and screening. Architects, Lambert, Scott and Innes modernised the design by creating a unique, curved, glue laminated rear screen; this
was influenced by the marine character of Norfolk and is designed to resemble a traditional wooden boat construction. The Accoya screen was made in The Netherlands and was manufactured by Newham & Abel Ltd. It was coated with merbau – coloured Woodguard coating; the same finish was used for the cladding. The entrance floor of the house is set at 1.3m above ground in order to avoid the flooding that is often prevalent in the area. Accoya wood is the only timber able to face the challenge of being exposed to such conditions without shrinkage and reduced performance. Accoya has been proven to outperform even the best tropical woods in these respects. The distinctive boathouse, also covered in sustainable Accoya wood, is a fantastic addition to this riverside property. It is purposely designed to be set above the water level, allowing any flood water to flow safely through its base. It is a perfect and secure place to store a boat in any weather conditions. An Eco-friendly building The house is 60% more efficient than the current building regulations and achieves Level 4 of the Code for Sustainable Homes for Energy. The construction has a ground source heat pump producing 9.7kw; this pre-heats the water and underfloor heating installations for even more energy savings. The power for the house is gained from the Photo Voltaic Cells that provide 1.8kw of electricity, which is enough for the general running of the house. A distinctively designed green roof uses green sedum to further decrease the risk of flooding. The sedum absorbs rainwater reducing the amount that will fall to the ground. It also promotes biodiversity by providing a suitable habitat for wildlife. The Haven project demonstrates the versatility and extreme durability of Accoya, especially in such unconventional conditions. The beauty and flexibility of Accoya wood make this unique design both practical and graceful.
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Ban Bio Fuels
FAMOUS LAST WORDS
By Jason Drew, Author of The Protein Crunch – Civilization on the brink. www.theproteincrunch.com Bio fuels are a man made eco-disaster waiting to happen and should be banned. Bio-fuels are like an addictive drug that eases the symptoms not the causes of the problem and has disastrous side effects that worsen the addiction. Let me explain. The real issue is the addiction to the combustion engine and cheap fuel – it is yesterdays technology – a product of the industrial revolution and as out of date as slavery. If the true cost, including the environmental damage of combustion engines and their fuel, was included in the retail fuel price, America and the world would suffer a material price shock. As the old Industrial Revolution era is replaced with the era of the Sustainability Revolution – personal transport will be based on an electric motor powered by renewable sources.
Biofuels were originally touted as an ecologically, sound means of combating climate change. The substitution of these crops for food was a major factor in the 2007-2008 rise in commodity and food prices as land was diverted away from food production to subsidised bio-fuel crop production. As a result – food price riots that hit over 30 countries. In the last six months food prices have risen sharply again – causing turmoil in the middle east – further fuelling oil price rises - and making bio-fuels more attractive. The addiction to fuel , with bio-fuel as the false hope will lead to more oil price rises as the food shortages they create cause unrest in the very regions that produce the oil. This is the madness and cruelty of any addiction. In the United States an understandable political imperative is to reduce dependence on foreign oil supply. In 2008 some 18% of grain production was devoted to biofuels, over the 2007 and 2008 seasons. This could otherwise have fed 250 million people with their average grain requirements. In 2009 more than a quarter of the grain production was used in bio-fuels. Without this diversion of land to bio-fuel production – food prices would have been lower and the world a safer place for all of us. The principal bio-fuels are ethanol from sugar cane and agridiesel from palm oil. Current ethanol production in Brazil takes up six million hectares of land, but the target
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is 30 million hectares producing 100 trillion litres of ethanol per year. Malaysia and Indonesia are the primary producers palm oil, where six million hectares is already under cultivation in Indonesia and a further 18 million hectares of forest have been cleared for expansion, with yet a further 20 million hectares under threat. All this adds to the destructive effect on a country that has already lost 72% of its ancient forests. London based investment firms and hedge funds have been investing heavily in land in Africa to produce biofuel. One of these firms Crest Global Green Energy has acquired some 900,000 hectares of farmland in central Africa to grow bio-fuel crops. In the UK less than one third of bio-fuel used comes from sources that meet the voluntary sustainability guidelines designed to protect water supplies, soil quality and forests in the source country. None of us expect to be driving polluting combustion engine cars in the future so lets agree that the age of the polluting combustion engine is over – lets get on and ban bio-fuels by 2030 and combustion engines for personal transport by the same time. Jeremy Clarkson of Top Gear fame and a notorious petrol head said of the US made Tesla electric car – it was ‘electrifying and biblically quick’. Electric cars are our future and technology is advancing rapidly. Mandating zero emission vehicles will create a massive boom and investment in the sustainability revolution that the planet needs to survive. Good planets are hard to come by, lets not ruin ours. Let’s get busy repairing the future.
Jason is an international businessman and serial entrepreneur who, having retired early after two heart attacks became a passionate environmentalist and visionary. He has held leadership roles in a number of international businesses from General Electric to BUPA and Egg before leading the start-up of Africa’s leading outsourced services provider with over 3,000 staff. He studied at the European Business School in London and has lived and worked in Europe the Middle East and Africa. His latest venture www.agriprotein.com in collaboration with South Africa's University of Stellenbosch and a team of international scientists has developed a renewable and natural source of protein. Using fly larvae to recycle existing waste nutrients, the company has developed and tested a natural animal feed. Instead of polluting the environment with abattoir waste, the larvae are turned into high quality protein that can replace fishmeal in industrial farming and save the seas.
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