DB3 Energy & Waste

Energy & Waste Project Experience

About DB3

Founded in 1883, DB3 Group is an award-winning, dynamic practice consisting of DB3 Architecture & Design, DB3 Building Services Engineering, DB3 Net Zero, DB3 Professional Services, Formation 3D and Home & Maker.

DB3 Group has seven studios across the UK including in Leeds, London, Birmingham, Manchester, Glasgow, Cardiff and Aberystwyth, so we are never too far away from your project. Renowned for our quality design and technical delivery, we have long standing relationships with some of the biggest global brands across private and public market sectors.

From architectural vision to the completed build, we provide multi-disciplinary expertise aimed at meeting the diverse needs of our client base. We embrace the latest technology, including Building Information Modelling (BIM), to assist in our

process and operations for design, visualisation, design team co-ordination and more.

We maintain a focus on not only delivering the project on time, with exceptional quality and within cost, but also in ensuring long term value is designed into facilities to ensure that they are easy and safe to operate, sustainable, minimise energy use and are cost effective to maintain.

Our dedicated team of experienced architects, project managers, building services engineers, interior designers and surveyors provide a quality service regardless of project value, size or complexity, to deliver the best for our clients. Working collaboratively, we aspire to make this an enjoyable process and build relationships which result in us returning to work for the same clients on future projects.

SECTORS

ƒ Commercial

ƒ Conservation & Heritage

ƒ Education

ƒ Energy & Waste

ƒ Healthcare

ƒ Hospitality

ƒ Industrial & Manufacturing

ƒ Retail

ƒ Residential

ƒ Science & Labs

ƒ Sports & Leisure

EXPERTISE

ƒ Architecture

ƒ Building Services Engineering

ƒ Multidisciplinary Design

ƒ NEC Supervisor

ƒ Passivhaus Design

ƒ Principal Designer

ƒ Urban Design

ƒ Visualisation

Glasgow

Leeds

Manchester

Birmingham

Aberystwyth

London

Cardiff

DB3 Energy & Waste

The energy and waste sectors are a major contributor to the UK’s Circular Economy and play a pivotal role in de-carbonising the UK and achieving and maintaining net zero targets. By working to support UK infrastructure with renewable energy, these sectors plays a significant role in reducing carbon emissions and promoting sustainable growth and development. Enabling global, industry leading facilities to divert waste from landfill, improve recycling capabilities and maximise opportunities for energy creation, heat and energy recovery is at the centre of the sectors’ purpose.

Delivering both energy and waste schemes effectively for clients requires specific demonstrable knowledge and expertise gained through experience of delivering similar relevant facilities. As such DB3’s team has more than 30 years of combined experience on over 40 energy and waste facilities throughout the UK. Our team has worked on a diverse range of relative schemes including:

ƒ Large scale traditional moving grate incinerators for municipal solid waste

ƒ New build biomass power plants using both pellets from sustainably managed forests as renewable energy and waste wood chip

ƒ Power station conversion from coal fired to sustainably managed biomass

ƒ Power station conversion from coal fired to waste derived pellet

ƒ Treatment of municipal solid waste with enzymes incorporating anaerobic digestion

ƒ Clinical waste facilities

ƒ Modular energy from waste technology

ƒ Peaking plants

ƒ Carbon capture, usage and storage

ƒ Port side facilities for fuel unloading, storage and onwards transfer by road and rail

ƒ Power connections to Morocco and France

ƒ Solar and wind farms.

DB3 Energy & Waste teamkey members

Our team are well known and respected within the industry having been involved in many of the UK’s Energy & Waste facilities, both at DB3 and as individuals at previous employers.

Tom Hill

Leading our team is Tom Hill, Board Director and Chartered Architect with over 12 years’ expertise working within the Energy & Waste sectors. Tom’s experience covers more than 20 facilities including energy from waste Facilities, biomass power stations, both conversion and new build, anaerobic digestion, gas peaking plants, waste transfer stations, materials recovery facilities and interconnectors both to Europe and Northern Africa.

Specific projects include the conversion from coal to biomass of Units 1 to 3 and the EcoStore at Drax Power Station in North Yorkshire, Renescience Northwich for Ørsted, Darwen Energy Recovery Facility for SUEZ, the multi-award winning Great Blakenham EfW for SUEZ, North London Energy Recovery Facility in Edmonton for Acciona and the Morocco to UK Power Project for XLinks which will provide 3.6GW of zero carbon electricity to the UK.

Kevin Axtell

Kevin Axtell is our Senior Architectural Technologist with 12 years’ experience delivering multiple EfW facilities throughout the UK. Specialising in detailed design and coordination of the main process building, he has experience in all building sectors and involvement in projects with a value in excess of £680m.

Specific projects include Staffordshire’s ‘Four Ashes’ EfW with an operational capacity of 340,000 tonnes per annum, Leeds RERF for Veolia, the largest ERF in Wales at Trident Park, Ardley EfW for Viridor in Oxfordshire and Suffolk EfW for SUEZ.

Michael French

Overseeing the overall delivery of DB3 Architectural Services for Energy & Waste clients, is Michael French, Associate Architect, with more than 8 years of in-depth Energy from Waste experience.

Michael has delivered several projects through RIBA Stages 2-6, these include projects such as the £683m North London Waste Authority’s Energy Recovery Facility (ERF) alongside Acciona and HZI, the £252m Avonmouth ERF for Viridor, and Wheelabrator’s Parc Adfer EfW which produces power for 30,000 homes in the Deeside area of Wales.

DB3 Energy & Waste team project experience

4 Ashes Staffordshire [construction]

Aberdeen EfW [pre-Construction]

Ardley EfW [construction]

Avonmouth RRC [pre-construction & construction]

Britaniacrest, Sussex [pre-construction]

Cornwall ERC [construction]

Darwen ERC [pre-construction]

Denbighshire [pre-construction]

Drax EcoStore Biomass Storage [small B]

Drax Power Station Units 1-3 Biomass Conversion [construction]

Drax Power Station Unit 4 Biomass Conversion [concept design]

FAB link France Alderney Britain Connector [pre-construction]

Fleetwood EfW [pre-construction]

Graythorp, Teesside [pre-construction]

Great Blakenham Ipswich [construction]

Greatmoor EfW [pre-construction & construction]

Greengate’s EfW [pre-construction]

Immingham EfW [pre-construction]

Javelin Park EfW, Gloucestershire [constructiontechnical advisor]

Kelvin EfW [pre-construction]

Kemsley K3 [pre-construction]

Leeds RERF [construction]

Lostock EfW [pre-construction]

Lynemouth Power Station Biomass Conversion [pre-construction]

Newport EFW [pre-construction]

Northampton EfW [pre-construction]

Northeast (confidential) [pre-construction]

North London ERF [Pre-construction & construction]

Parc Adfer EfW [construction]

PD Ports Biomass Portside Unloading and Storage Facility [pre-construction]

Project ARBRE [pre-construction]

Pyrocore (Modular) [pre-construction & construction]

Ratcliffe on Soar Power Station [pre-construction]

Redcar ERC (PMAC) [pre-construction]

Renescience Northwich [pre-construction & construction]

Rye House EfW [pre-construction]

Scunthorpe ERC [pre-construction]

Teesport Renewable Energy Plant [construction]

Teesside Renewable Energy [pre-construction]

Tees Valley EfW [pre-construction]

Torfaen Waste Transfer Station [construction]

Trident Park ERF [construction]

Uskmouth Power Station [pre-construction]

Warrington Waste Transfer Station [preconstruction]

WOIMA Modular [pre-construction]

Xlinks Morocco to UK Connection [preconstruction]

The DB3 Energy & Waste team offer expertise to complement and enhance the services offered by DB3 Net Zero. Recycling, waste transfer, energy from waste and heat recovery are a fundamental part of DB3’s specialisms.

MCFADDEN BUILDING AND CIVIL ENGINEERING

LIMITED

Scunthorpe Energy Recovery Centre

Location: Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire

DB3 have been procured by McFadden Building and Civil Engineering Limited to deliver the design for a new state-of-the-art 49.9MW Energy Recovery Centre in North Lincolnshire. The scheme, which also includes a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF), an Incinerator Bottom Ash (IBA) facility and options for on-site hydrogen production, will process up to 500,000 tonnes of waste each year and will generate enough sustainable electricity for over 60,000 homes.

The proposal allows for waste to be delivered to the site by either road or rail containers. Waste will be pre-sorted in the MRF where automated technologies will remove plastics, papers and

cardboard as well as ferrous and non-ferrous metals all of which will be sent onwards for recycling. Once all the recyclables have been extracted the remaining waste will be treated with the heat generated from the combustion process used to create steam to power a turbine and excess steam being exported to local industries or businesses via a heat network.

The IBA, which is a non-hazardous ash from the end of the process, contains recyclable materials and will be treated in the IBA facility prior to being recycled into aggregate for the construction industry.

ACCIONA

North London Energy Recovery Facility

Location: Edmonton, London

Value: £683m

DB3 have been appointed by Acciona to provide architectural design and landscape architecture for a new £683m world class Energy Recovery Facility (ERF) for North London Waste Authority (NLWA). DB3, supported by Gillespies, are undertaking RIBA Stages 2-6 at the Edmonton EcoPark site, which will be the UK’s greenest ERF.

The scheme forms part of a £1.2bn investment known as the North London Heat and Power Project, which will serve seven North London boroughs. With the concept design led by international architecture practice Grimshaw, DB3 are leading the delivery of the facility to completion.

The facility will divert up to 700,000 tonnes of waste from landfill every year. It will be treated in order to generate electricity for up to 127,000 homes as well as generate heating and hot water for one of the UK’s largest district heat networks that will support 50,000 homes and businesses.

The new ERF will play a major part in North London Waste Authority’s plan to help North London reach Net Zero.

Construction commenced in 2022 with the intention for the ERF to be operational by 2026.

SUEZ

Tees Valley Energy Recovery Centre

Location: Redcar and Cleveland

Value: £300m

DB3 are supporting Suez’s bid for a new ERC to treat waste from Durham County Council, Newcastle City Council, Middlesbrough and the boroughs of Darlington, Hartlepool, Redcar and Cleveland and Stockton-on-Tees. The annual capacity is expected to be 450,000 tonnes which will generate electricity for more than 32,000 homes.

The seven councils across the North East joined forces in plans for a 40-year Energy from Waste (EfW) project potentially worth £2.1 billion.

A 25-acre brownfield site in Redcar and Cleveland has been identified for the Tees Valley facility. The local authorities hope for the facility to be up and running by 1 April 2026, when it would create 40 permanent positions.

DB3 has provided designs for the project, which features an IBA facility and incorporates carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology.

This site is destined to become the landmark building in this area.

WESTERN POWER DISTRIBUTION

New Build Depots

Location: UK-wide

DB3 have acted as Architect for a variety of projects, including new build and conversion schemes. DB3 delivered a programme of rapid conversion works following Western Power Distributions acquisition of Central Networks Ltd (CN) from EON.

A programme of new depots followed, including upgrading existing sites and establishing new sites in 16 locations. The units varied in size to accommodate 20 to 106 workstations and include office space, meeting rooms, a conference room, mess, locker and shower rooms, plus a range of workshops, smaller specialist stores and a larger general storage area.

At Northampton we tackled a challenging site with tight external space. Our solution included doubling the size of the office within the 48,000ft² facilities by forming the specialist stores out of

load-bearing blockwork and using a beam and block floor with topping to assist with acoustic performance.

The depots were in varying states when purchased. Derby was a recently completed unit (although with only 25% of the required first floor office space); Northampton had to be stripped back to the frame and re-roofed and re-clad, with all new windows and doors.

We did extensive work with the supply chain prior to the contract awards to ensure consistency of look and feel across the portfolio. Having completed the initial phase of six depots, further sites have been delivered on an ongoing basis.

The depot scheme at Spilsby achieved a BREEAM Outstanding rating of 100.5%, the highest ever achieved.

COUNTY BOROUGH COUNCIL

New Inn Waste Transfer Station

Location: Torfaen

Value: £4m+

DB3 were procured by Kier Construction to provide the full multi-disciplinary lead for a new Waste Transfer Station in the New Inn area of South Wales. The scheme included a new £4m facility that will allow for the bulking and baling on site of various waste streams prior to recycling. The waste streams will be collected from kerbside and delivered using kerb-sort vehicles and will include glass, plastics, green waste, food waste, paper & cardboard, and Waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE).

DB3’s scope included the following disciplines:

ƒ Lead Designer

ƒ Planning and permitting

ƒ Architecture

ƒ Civil and structural engineering

ƒ

Building services engineering

ƒ Principal Designer

The project posed challenges such as a limited site, contamination, and Sustainable Drainage and SAB compliance. The scheme added complexity due to the need to relocate existing technologies, such as waste sorting equipment and weighbridges.

DB3 inherited WRAP’s concept layout and partnered with local authorities and WRAP to find a solution. The team used their knowledge to enhance the layout and present two options for the client. Hard landscaping was minimised wherever possible to maximise areas of permeable paving. The scheme is at RIBA Stage 2.

TONY GEE

Wind Farm Control Buildings

Location: Scotland, Wales & N. Ireland

DB3 became involved with winds farms across Scotland and more recently in Wales and Northern Ireland. We were appointed by Tony Gee & Partners to undertake the Section Six for Scotland and Part L for Wales compliance checks. This involved us completing thermal modelling to review the buildings’ compliance with the appropriate regulations. As the buildings take 100% of their energy from the wind turbines they are considered carbon neutral.

ƒ Pearie Wind Farm, Scotland

ƒ Brechfa Wind Farm, Wales

ƒ Airies Wind Farm & Control Building, Scotland

ƒ Harburnhead Control Building, Scotland

ƒ Sorbie Wind Farm & Control Building, Scotland

ƒ Afton Contro, Building & metering Building, Scotland

ƒ Slievenahanaghan, Northern Ireland

DB3 Building Services Engineering were also appointed to complete the full design of the ventilation, heating, cooling and domestic water services for each of the buildings. Part of this included providing specification and details of rainwater harvesting with suitable filtration to enable water to be used for semi potable uses such as showering, hand washing and flushing toilets. This is achieved by providing particle filtration down to 35 microns followed by UV sterilisation. Bottled water was recommended for drinking purposes due to the location and sporadic use of the buildings.

DB3 Net Zero

DB3 are fully accredited to provide energy and carbon emission calculations, certificates and reports for non-domestic buildings. We recognise the importance of this and have invested time and resources to register as a ‘Low Carbon Consultant and Low Carbon Energy Assessors’ with CIBSE Certification Register. Our inclusion on the register shows us to be competent to minimise energy use and carbon emissions from buildings both in design and operation.

Our in-house expertise allows us to provide the back up to the project architect to develop the buildings with a sustainable design approach.

ƒ Passive principles first – analysing layout, fabric and form to reduce or remove mechanical cooling, heating, ventilation and lighting demand

ƒ Renewable and sustainable technology implementation

ƒ Dynamic Simulation Models (DSM) to Level 5 standard (complex buildings)

ƒ Thermal Modelling to review energy performance, carbon footprint and over heating

ƒ BRUKL output documents – iSBEM calculations for L2A compliance reporting

ƒ Energy Performance Certificates and lodgement with the Land Registry

ƒ Compliance reports for particular sectors and specialisations.

For existing buildings we can provide a ‘health check’ report highlighting the performance of the building services and fabric against published benchmarks.

Our advice and analysis includes:

ƒ Advice on energy use

ƒ Energy Use Assessments

ƒ Conservation and renewables

ƒ Lifecycle costs

ƒ Maintenance planning

ƒ Orientation of the building

ƒ Maximising daylight within the design

ƒ Maximising natural ventilation within the design

ƒ Site layout and the impact of the surrounding environment

ƒ Suitability and payback for low and zero carbon technologies

ƒ Limiting overheating through passive design features.

DB3 Energy & Waste

Architecture and much more

As a multi-disciplinary consultancy, our expertise extends beyond architecture, meaning our clients can pick and choose key areas or combine a number of our service skill sets and project management skills when selecting our single point service offer. DB3 Group offers the following six individual business units.

DB3 Architecture & Design

Providing RIBA Chartered sustainable architecture, urban design and masterplanning, with supporting services including BIM, visualisation and interior design. DB3’s architectural team comprises 35+ architects, supported by a strong team of 50+ technologists and architectural assistants with the capacity to resource projects across all sectors.

DB3 Building Services Engineering

Offering CIBSE Chartered Mechanical and Electrical Engineering to all sectors. The team have particular experience in the leisure sector, having delivered numerous wet and dry leisure facilities across the UK. The team are CIBSE Low Carbon Energy Assessors and offer Thermal Modelling (DSM).

Formation 3D (F3D)

Drone operated aerial surveys, photography and videography by DB3’s in-house CAA qualified drone operators. A low risk, time efficient alternative for building inspections and land surveys. F3D also offers highly accurate 3D data capture & mapping of existing structures using point cloud, RTK and PPK technology, turning into 3D digital models for construction, design & facilities management projects.

DB3 Net Zero

Drawing on the experience of our in-house mechanical & electrical engineers, architects, energy assessors, Passivhaus designers and sustainability experts. Our suite of Net Zero consultancy services is broken down into six categories which cover topics around whole life cycle. These categories include; carbon, efficiency, Passivhaus, wellbeing, performance & compliance.

DB3 Professional Services

The team deliver building surveying, retail project management, principal designer, contract administration and NEC supervisor roles, across the UK. Working alongside DB3’s architectural and mechanical and engineering teams, these roles can be incorporated into a multi-disciplinary offering or procured as an independent service.

Home & Maker

A sister company to DB3 Architecture & Design, Home and Maker provides RIBA chartered online architectural services to domestic residential customers. Drawing on DB3’s many years of home design and construction experience, Home & Maker focuses on designing great homes at an affordable price.

DB3 Energy & Waste

Accreditations

AJ100 Company

RIBA Chartered Practice

Certified Passivhaus Designers

CIAT Registered Practice

CIBSE Directory of Practices & Firms

CIBSE Low Carbon Energy Assessors

ISO9001:2015 Quality Management System

ISO14001:2015 Environmental Management System

Altius Approved Elite Vendor

H&S SSIP Accredited, through Eurosafe and Alcumus

Constructionline Gold Member

Achilles RISQS Accredited

Cyber Essentials Plus

Awards

DB3 Group: Winner – City of Manchester & City of Birmingham Business Awards 2022 ‘Architect of the Year’; 2021 Digital Enterprise Top 100; Winner – Insider Property Industry Awards 2018

‘Architectural Practice of the Year’ & ‘Design Excellence’; Shortlisted – BD Awards 2017 ‘Sports & Leisure Architect of the Year’; RICS Design Through Innovation Award 2017; Insider Property Industry Awards 2015 ‘Highly Commended Architectural Firm of the Year’

Llys Cadwyn Regeneration: Winner – Cardiff Property Awards 2021 and Ystadau Cymru 2021 Award for ‘Creating Economic Growth’; Highly Commended – British Construction Industry Awards 2021; CLAW Project of the Year Awards 2021

Adidas Oxford Street: Gold Winner – London Design Awards 2020

Leeds College of Music: Winner – RIBA Regional Award 2015 ‘Small Project Award’; Shortlisted –Insider Property Industry Awards Yorkshire 2018 ‘Regeneration Project of the Year’, Education Estates Awards 2018 ‘Refurbishment Project’, AJ Retrofit Awards 2018 ‘Further & Higher Education’; Constructing Excellence Yorkshire & Humber Awards 2018 ‘Building Project of the Year’

Chancery Lane Residential: Shortlisted – London Construction Awards 2018 ‘London Build Excellence’ & ‘Regeneration Project’

Airedale Air Conditioning: Winner – RICS 2017 Regional Award ‘Design through innovation’

Ysgol Craig Y Deryn School: RTPI Wales Planning Award 2014

Kirkcaldy Leisure Centre: Commended – SCALA Awards 2014 ‘Civic Building of the Year’

Michael Woods Leisure Centre: Highly Commended – SCALA Awards 2014 ‘Civic Building of the Year’; Scottish Property Awards 2014 ‘Architectural Excellence’

MOMA Machynlleth Tannery Gallery: CPRW Awards 2014 ‘Special Award’

Marks & Spencer, Liverpool: Highly Commended –CIAT Award 2010 ‘Technical Excellence’

PAN Emirates, Dubai: Shortlisted – Retail Interiors Awards 2010 ‘Best International Interior’

Threeways School, Bath: BCSE Awards 2009

‘Inspiring Design for Special Schools’

ASDA Stores Supplier Awards: 2009 ‘Best Consultant’ & ‘Best EDLC (Every Day Low Cost) Initiative’

University of Huddersfield, Creative Art Building: Bronze Awards – RIBA White Rose Award 2009; Commendation – CIAT Award 2009; Shortlisted –RICS Pro Yorkshire Awards 2009

University of Huddersfield, Milton Centre: Winner – Insider Yorkshire Renaissance Awards

2006 ‘Best Restoration Project’

Aberdovey Yacht Club: Winner – Snowdonia National Park Awards 1992 ‘Good Design in the Countryside Award’

St Giles Business Park for the DBRW: Winner – Prince of Wales Design Awards 1990 ‘Good Design Awards’

Llwydcoed Crematorium: Commendation – RIBA Awards 1968

Various

Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS): 2017, 2011, 2010

Green Apple Awards: 2015, 2013, 2010, 2009, 2008, LABC Building Excellence Awards: 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008

LABC Design Excellence Awards: 2013, 2012, 2009, 2008, 2003, 2002

Leicestershire & Rutland Craftsmanship Awards: 2013, 2012, 2009, 2008, 2003, 2002

Civic Trust Awards: 2012, 2007, 2006, 1993, 1990

BREEAM Awards: 2008, 2007

Montgomeryshire Design Awards: 1997, 1994