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Rokbak’s Road to Zero Emissions
FACILITIES FIT FOR THE FUTURE: THE ROKBAK ROAD TO ZERO LANDFILL AND CARBON NEUTRALITY
As the eyes of the world focused on Glasgow during the COP26 UN Climate Change Conference this November, Rokbak was reflecting on its own journey towards a more sustainable future.
Reducing environmental impact is a key tenet of the Rokbak brand, which is making significant reductions in carbon emissions, as well as energy and material use, at its plant in Motherwell, Scotland with the full support of parent company Volvo Group. Paul Douglas, managing director, Rokbak, recently delivered a keynote address at the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland’s (NMIS) ‘Manufacturing a Net-Zero Future’ conference where he highlighted the crucial role companies can play in delivering more sustainable factory operations. Paul also stressed the importance of collaboration and partnerships and Rokbak is working closely with its suppliers and customers in order to make a real impact. A first major step towards reducing carbon emissions came in 2019, when the plant switched to a green tariff with its electricity supplier. The contract includes a Renewable Energy Guarantee of Origin (REGO) certificate to ensure all electricity delivered to the site genuinely comes from renewable sources – and is anticipated to reduce the plant’s carbon footprint by 900 tonnes (992 US tons) per year. 54 submeters are now being installed across the site to give greater visibility over electricity use and empower teams to drive their own efficiencies. Operational since the end of October, they give the teams insight into where electricity is used and how targeted action can be taken towards reducing unnecessary consumption. The next big step for Motherwell is to tackle natural gas consumption, which is primarily used for space heating. The admin building and some of the other
Karen Anne Duffy, HSE & Sustainability Manager.
annexes have already moved over from gas to electric heating and cooling, while other areas will switch to electric-powered systems in 2022. That will leave the factory and the warehouse, which will also require new roofing and insulating cladding.
Improving the here and now
While this long-term project is in development, the plant has implemented two key measures to reduce gas use in the factory and warehouse. First, it has been compartmentalised into smaller working areas that are easier to heat – partitioned off by fire-retardant curtains. This is in contrast to the previous layout with just a single, large open plan layout. Elsewhere, the large, corrugated metal roller doors are being replaced. The previous doors had to be manually winched up, so were often left fully or partially open, allowing heat to escape. The new roller doors are equipped with motion sensors, automatically moving up and down and therefore reducing heat loss. Furthermore, the plant is about to finalise a contract for green gas, which comes from landfill, food processing or composting sites. It is difficult to quantify the carbon reduction this switch will achieve, but it is another step in the right direction. The plant is also finalising a contract to replace its forklift trucks with electric models, which will save about 75 tonnes (82.6 US tons) of CO2 per year.
Landfill free manufacturing
When it comes to reducing material waste, the site is now practically landfill free and will soon apply for Volvo Group certification for demonstrating that at least 95% of waste is diverted from landfill. All steel and wood is recycled with food waste going for composting. Rokbak is also actively working with its suppliers to reduce the amount of materials consumed in the first place, such as requesting to receive goods on reusable stillages instead of wooden pallets and asking oils or lubricants to be delivered in larger containers that can be refilled or repurposed.
Net zero by 2040
All these changes fit into the larger context of Volvo Group’s environmental mission, which in November 2020 became one of the first big equipment manufacturers to sign up to Science Based Targets. Volvo Group has committed to reducing operating emissions by 50% by 2030 and achieving net zero by 2040. At the COP26 UN Climate Change Conference in November, Volvo Group President Martin Lundstedt attended as a member of the Swedish presidential mission. Rokbak is keen to see strong progress post COP26 and will continue working on its own local roadmap to meet global Volvo Group targets for carbon neutrality. “The targets we have set ourselves at Rokbak and Volvo Group are tough, but I believe they are achievable. Volvo has shown its willingness to invest, and our staff and customers are also keen to do their bit,” said Karen Anne Duffy, HSE & Sustainability Manager for the Motherwell plant.
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Antrim Company Invests £10million to Form Four New Businesses
COUNTY Antrim based, Jans Group has announced a major expansion and £10m investment that has seen the establishment of four new companies, and will see the creation of over 150 new jobs for the local area by June 2022 – doubling the company’s existing workforce.
In 2019 Jans acquired a composites business from the Wright Group and established a new home in an impressive 10,000 metres square facility in Caulside Drive, Antrim. This provided the scope to significantly expand business operations during the covid challenged 2020. The Group developed multiple products during this period, building on excellent engineering and technical knowhow within the company. At the start of 2021 and with order books open for the new products, the Group’s Board decided to launch four new companies to allow for accelerated growth of each of their product lines. Each business was established with leading industry based managers, and these managing directors began building a strong team with a customer centric focus with innovation at its core. Building on the strong advanced materials and transport knowledge Etrux Ltd, a sustainable focused lightweight commercial vehicle business was formed to bring an evolution
Anne Marie McCartney, CFO and Jans Finance, Jeff McMullan, Jans Composites, Ronan Hamill, CEO, Edel Doherty, Offsite Solutions, Peter Drayne, Group Director, Neil Jarvis, Jans Lifestyle, Stephen Reid, Group Commercial Director, and Gerard Calvin, Etrux.
to lightweight, high quality commercial vehicles, while establishing a manufacturing base in Antrim and a sales and leasing team in England. The next business established was Jans Off Site Solutions Ltd, which constructs modular buildings for the leisure and residential market. With a growing customer base across these product businesses, Jans Finance was launched to support their clients in uncertain times with various purchase and leasing options which has proven a key to driving these two companies forward. Elsewhere and to further enhance the customer experience and market reach, Jans then launched a retail offering in Boucher Road, Jans Lifestyle Ltd, which provides an outlet for existing product ranges but also develops a unique customer experience with camper van sales and rentals, garden rooms and a full range of lifestyle products, which is aimed at enhancing people’s quality of life in the great outdoors. Ronan Hamill, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Jans Group said, “In 2019, there was an opportunity to take what we did and create something much bigger which was rooted in the community. This opportunity has grown exponentially with the formation of various companies under the Jans Group brand, which includes our initial company, Jans Composites. We expect these companies to perform very well in the future and have set an ambitious target to achieve a £50 million turnover in the next five years. “Our main aim behind the establishment of Jans Group was to broaden our customer base, bring innovative new products to market and build a business that would support the livelihood of those who work there. Occasionally, those towns outside Belfast can be forgotten about but we want to make Antrim a centre for innovation, creativity, opportunity, and expansion. We know that Antrim and the surrounding districts have very skilled workers, and our desire is to provide a working environment that is progressive, forward thinking and innovative for those people.” Since its establishment in 2019, Jans Group has experienced solid progression and Ronan believes the Group’s innovation will help drive its projected future growth. Ronan said, “In terms of innovation, we’re leading the way with our electric commercial vehicles, smart lodges and light weight composites. Likewise, our sales of our camper vans in particular have been performing very well. “We also own the largest CNC cutting machine in Northern Ireland which can manufacture large parts for our products. We are very excited for the future of Jans Group and for what this will deliver for the Antrim community in terms of jobs and bolstering the local economy.”
Mecalac takes home gold at Business Awards
Mecalac Construction Equipment UK has taken home gold in the ‘International Trade and Export’ category at this year’s CoventryLive Business Awards. The ceremony, which took place at the CBS Arena, celebrated success and achievement from the region’s most innovative companies.
Recognised as one of Coventry’s leading businesses, Mecalac was rewarded for its commitment to continued export sales success through innovation, investment and working locally with the Chamber of Commerce. The judges were impressed by the company’s incremental increase in international trade, despite the continued impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as its pivotal role in the global construction marketplace. Mecalac has now won the coveted award twice, taking home gold in both 2018 and 2021. During this time, the company has continued to refine, redesign and expand its product offer with a number of innovative new models and stateof-the-art machine technologies. Mark Royse, Head of Sales at Mecalac Construction Equipment UK, commented: “Being recognised for our commitment to international trade and export is testament to the team’s hard work and dedication. With more than 60 years’ manufacturing experience, we’re hugely proud of our Coventry roots and consider it a real honour to be taking home such a prestigious accolade. “While the ongoing impacts of COVID and Brexit have proven challenging, we’re committed to further developing our classleading portfolio of compact construction equipment. From an export perspective, we continue to experience significant demand from across the globe, with construction professionals looking to invest in futureproof equipment for some of the world’s most innovative construction projects.”
Brigade Electronics has launched a new Plant Operators’ Guide to help improve efficiency and safety on worksites in industries including construction, mining, quarrying and agriculture.
The guide, which is available as a free download, recognises the huge challwes heavy industries face when it comes to ensuring safety is maintained on worksites and provides information on how plant operators can improve their worksite safety through the provision of technology. These solutions include ZoneSafe, which uses the latest Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology to create detection zones around vehicles, reducing the risk of injury or damage from collisions and near miss occurrences to people and property. Emily Hardy, Marketing Manager of Brigade Electronics UK, said: “Safety on worksites has never been more critical. As heavy industries continue to feel the effects of a pandemicinduced skills shortage, companies must be extra vigilant. When resources are stretched, or new and less experienced workers are brought on site, the risk of accidents is heightened. “We appreciate that it can be difficult to research the many different options available. Our guide helps plant operators to understand the variety of vehicle safety solutions on offer and how they meet the specific requirements and legislations for heavy plant machinery. We’ve also included some real-world scenarios and details of how these have positively impacted the operators involved.” On average, seven workers die each year as a result of accidents involving vehicles or mobile plant on construction sites. A further 93 are seriously injured. The sheer size and weight of mobile plant equipment poses a very real danger to site workers if safety measures and precautions are not followed. Plant operators who have invested in technology upgrades have reported a significant reduction in driver overload when manoeuvring vehicles in difficult conditions. “It is clear that vehicle safety systems should always be considered in the drive towards safer worksites,” added Emily. “Technology should be embraced as an opportunity for risk reduction and lower costs. We hope our Plant Operators’ Guide will be a useful free resource for any company considering investment in this area.” Brigade’s Plant Operators’ Guide can be downloaded for free from https://brigade-electronics.com/wp-content/ uploads/2021/04/A5-Plant-Operators-Guide-V.3-RS.pdf.
RFID detection system
ZoneSafe uses Radio Frequency Identifi cation (RFID) technology to create detection zones around vehicles and mobile plant.
Vehicle-mounted antennas detect RFID tags which can be worn by workers, or placed on objects or property. When a ZoneSafe tag enters a detection zone, the vehicle operator receives a visual and audible alert. A vibrating tag also warns the detected worker of an approaching vehicle. ZoneSafe RFID technology does not require line-of-sight and tags will be detected regardless of obstructions, blind spots, adverse weather or poor visibility.
