Contract News

WEST & WEST DELIVERS M&E SERVICES

A growing demand for industrial space has seen West & West deliver M&E services for four warehousing and logistics sites within just six months.

Spanning a total of 110,000 sq ft, the units are based in Slough and Bracknell and have recently been constructed on behalf of Segro, the UK’s largest listed property company focused on the logistics and warehousing sector.

Building on a five year relationship with Segro, West & West was appointed to design and build high-specification M&E packages for the shell and core of each unit, with a focus on optimising energy efficiency.

This included the installation of ultra-efficient lighting producing 140 lumens per watt (lm/W) – more than 50% higher than the value required to meet building regulations. West & West also installed high-end metering systems at each building to enable end users to monitor and manage the amount of energy generated by lighting, power, and mechanical systems. West & West, west-west.co.uk

J S WRIGHT NETS £3.5M-PLUS WEMBLEY HOMES CONTRACT

J S Wright has won a contract worth more than £3.5 million for a new high-rise housing scheme in north west London.

The contractor will supply and install the mechanical services for all 156 apartments at South West Lands, close to Wembley Stadium.

The buildings will include 1,198sm2 of ground floor retail and commercial space, a 200m2 rail office facility, and a basement level connection to a wider combined heat and power (CHP) district heating network.

The company will install energy efficient underfloor heating systems within all the properties connected through a low-pressure hot water (LPHW) feed to a centralised energy centre linked to the district heating network.

J S Wright will also install heat interface units (HIUs) within each apartment to deliver low pressure instant domestic hot water on demand, as well as hot water to the underfloor heating systems at low return temperatures.

The company will start work on site in December 2020 with completion scheduled for May 2022. J S Wright, jswright.co.uk

SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON NEW BOWLING EXPERIENCE

An LED lighting specialist is optimising the customer experience at a brand new family entertainment centre in South Dakota, USA.

Thunder Road, a new 30,000 square foot facility in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, is the latest to team up with Ventola Projects to deliver its new bowling centre lighting products, which incorporate a range of video game elements into the traditional bowling experience.

Ventola Projects has installed its next generation VAvR range – a multi-function LED system that can switch from general task lighting to colour changing mood lighting glow effects.

Using low power network cable illumination control technology, the system ensures the facility can save money in a tough economic climate.

Thunder Road underwent construction in February, combining a cutting-edge bowling system, bumper cars and a two-story laser tag game for visitors to enjoy.

The new VAvR LED lighting system was designed to give multiple colour changing options, including general white lighting, from one Ventola

produced product, without the need for additional lighting or control and to enhance the overall experience. Ventola Projects, ventola.co.uk

LEICESTER FIRM BECOMES GOVERNMENT APPROVED INSTALLER OF CAR CHARGE POINTS

FB Ross Electrical has become a government approved installer of electric car charge points and is extending the services it can offer.

FB Ross has now officially become a Workplace Charging Scheme (WCS) & Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme (EVHS) authorised installer via the Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV). This means the firm can now assist clients in developing green transport opportunities.

Before the company could embark on the six-month government approval process, the firm put several members of its staff through a course of vehicle charge point installation training by City & Guilds. Once their training was complete, the company filed the application via the OLEV website which it supported with qualifications and accreditations from the required electrical bodies.

Scott Hunt, Managing Director of FB Ross, says: “We have already installed a number of car charge points around Leicester; and with demand for electric vehicles growing steadily, we are pleased to have Max Almond heading up a department within the business to handle further installations, as well as advise future clients on the process of claiming grants toward the cost of their ChargePoint through the OLEV scheme.” FB Ross Electric, fbross.co.uk

BES INJECTS EXPERTISE INTO VACCINE FACILITY FIT-OUT

BES has been appointed to fit out the new Vaccines Manufacturing Innovation Centre (VMIC), which is being fast-tracked for early completion in 2021, due to COVID-19.

A not-for-profit organisation established to provide the UK’s first strategic vaccine development and advanced manufacturing capability, VMIC is based at Harwell Campus in Oxfordshire. The organisation’s new 7,400m2 specialist manufacturing centre will enable vaccine developers to refine their processes, prepare vaccines for clinical trials, and scale-up for mass production in the event of any future public health emergencies.

When completed, the facility will be capable of producing 70 million pandemic vaccine doses in just four-to-six months.

Working collaboratively with principal contractor, Glencar Construction, BES will provide integrated process, architectural, mechanical and electrical services to meet the challenging programme and complete the state-of-the-art centre to the highest standards. BES, besltd.org

MAIN CONTRACTORS ANNOUNCED FOR UK’S FIRST GREENER GRID PARK

Statkraft has awarded a contract to Powersystems UK, with civils subcontractor Knights Brown, to undertake the electrical and civil engineering works for a £20 million grid project in Moray, Scotland.

Construction is expected to start in the coming months and is due to reach operational stage in autumn 2021.

The project, located near the Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks transmission substation at Keith will include two large rotating stabilisers designed to provide stable flows of energy through the grid network, helping to increase the amount of renewable energy transmitted on the system and prevent power blackouts.

Statkraft was awarded the stability contract as part of National Grid’s Stability Pathfinder Project to meet its ambition that by 2025 the electricity system can be operated at zero carbon. The contract with National Grid provides grid stability services when there are no fossil fuel generators on the system to provide this. There will be an increased demand for this service as the amount of renewable energy generated increases.

The two machines at Keith are expected to be up and running in autumn 2021, with another project in Liverpool to follow.

Statkraft has received a strong response to a call for local suppliers made in conjunction with Moray Chamber of Commerce, with over 75 registrations of interest received in the first week. Local businesses can add their name at www.statkraft.co.uk/keithlocal-suppliers. Powersystems UK, powersystemsuk.co.uk

SCHOOL’S NEW ENERGY EFFICIENCY INITIATIVE

Specialist engineers from EA Technology have teamed up with The Queen’s School, an Independent Girls’ School in Chester, to embarked on a new initiative. The project, provisionally titled the Road to Net Zero project, will strive to introduce a range of environmentally friendly measures to reduce the carbon footprint of the school’s science block. EA Technology’s engineers will be working with a group of sixth form students to formulate and implement a programme that will deliver tangible results and benefits.

The project has two overarching aims – to attain zero carbon emissions from the school’s science block and to provide the students with some great work and project experience. Once this pilot project is successful, Capenhurst-based EA Technology hopes to be able to roll it out across other schools in the region.

Sue Wallace-Woodroffe, headteacher at The Queen’s School says: “The Road to Net Zero combines a desire to raise awareness about the environment, with reducing the carbon footprint at a school and beyond. It also fits perfectly with us wanting our students to work with, and be inspired by, women who have chosen a career in an industry that has traditionally been viewed as a male-dominated sector. It’s great that we are able to do this with a locally-based, leading-edge company like EA Technology.” EA Technology, eatechnology.com