AUGUST 2022 INDUSTRIAL AND LOGISTICS MARKET - Construction activity hits 20year high in CONSTRUCTIONDublinTECHNOLOGY - The role of data centres in the Irish Construction sector SURETY BONDS - The economic impact of climate change DATA INCONSTRUCTIONCENTREIRELAND
To learn more about how John Paul Construction can help you, email info@johnpaul.ie or visit www.johnpaul.ie Safety is everyone’s job in John Paul Construction. Lots of people talk about safety. We live it. That’s why we go further to put safety at the heart of what we do. Go Further | Build Smarter
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Welcome to the latest issue of Civil and Construction magazine and in this issue we dedicate a large portion of the magazine to data centres in Ireland. A data centre is so much more than a building on the side of the road. It is the heart of a digital infrastructure ecosystem that touches dozens of different industries. Everything from construction, real estate, engineering, architecture, telecommu nications, energy, software, IT hardware, security, legal, marketing, finance and more. It’s not just about what happens within the data centre, but also the critical role data centres play supporting their customers who come from every industry, including medical, research, automotive, manufacturing, financial services, travel and many more. That translates to a real economic benefit for the Irish economy. According to Enterprise Ireland, €2bn of global Irish sales exports can be attributed to data centres. This year, in 2022, will be the first year where export of services and pro ducts related to data centres will be larger than the domestic spend of €1.68bn. This includes exports from construction and digital technology firms, both of whi ch export a total of €2.89bn and €1.53bn, respectively. IBEC’s Cloud Infrastructu re Ireland group also estimates the technology sector, which is underpinned by the data centre industry, contributes €52 billion to the economy and employs approximately 150,000 people. You can read the various articles focused on data centres starting from page thirty. We have lots of interesting insights in this issue including the fact that more in dustrial and logistics property is under construction in the Dublin region than at any point since 2002, according to new research released recently by commer cial real estate company Cushman & Wakefield. Diageo has announced plans to open a new brewery for lagers and ales in Co Kildare. The €200 million facility in Newbridge will create 50 jobs directly, and is set to be operational from 2024. Fi nally, Breedon, the group behind Lagan construction materials and contracting, has reported a revenue of £671.1m (€798.2m) for the first six months of 2022. We have a lot of insightful articles in this issue along with news, appointments and a great new car review in the Toyota Camry so flick forward for all of that content. We would like to thank all our clients and hope you enjoy the read.
For all advertising and marketing queries, contact on info@civilandconstruction.ieemail: Sales & Marketing Director: Anthony Kelly Graphic Design: Colin Brennan Advertising Sales: darren@civilandconstruction.ie CIVIL AND CONSTRUCTION IRELAND Email: info@civilandconstruction.ie Civil and Construction Ireland 2022
James Kelly CivilEditorand Construction Ireland c
OCTABUILD 29 Builders Merchants shortlisted for nine Awards and nine Rising Stars nominated. 26 NEWS Latest news from the civil and construction industry. 6 LIGHTHOUSE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY CHARITY 2021 IMPACT REPORT Report shows 95% increase in Charitable Giving. 12 MOTORS With a round of updates for 2022 and a good pe trol-electric hybrid system could the Camry be your next premium saloon. 22 UNDERSTANDING THE IRISH DATA CENTRE ECOSYSTEM We are in the midst of the Fourth Industrial Revolu tion, where a blurring of the boundaries between the physical, digital, and biological worlds is occuring. 30 DATA CENTRES AND THEIR FUTURE The global lockdown and Covid-19 pandemic have brought into sharp focus our growing dependence on data as a society. 34 PREFABRICATED MODULAR DATA CENTRES How prefabricated modular data centres can support sustainable growth. 36 DATA CENTRE CONSTRUCTION Construction of data centres is increasing. Increasing numbers of industries are using digital technology to collect data on their target customers and monitor responses to their products. 40 MISSION CRITICAL MOMENTUM In recent years the mission critical sector has become a key focus area for John Paul Construction, contribu ting significantly to overall company turnover in recent years. 46 WHAT DOES THE FUTURE OF DATA CENTRES LOOK LIKE IN IRELAND? In today’s rapidly digitising world, the develop-ment of Data Centre Infrastructure is vital for Ireland’s future economic success. 42 www.civilandconstruction.ie 36 26 4642
Elliott Group reaching the top at The Crossings
ith the construction at Phase 1 of The Cros sings reaching its highest point, the Topping Out celebration provided a very special view of the skyline.
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See www.elliottgroup.ie for more.
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Elliott Group welcomed guests onsite to celebrate the enormous progress and successes made by the entire team. As part of The Crossings development, the project includes 279 residential apartments 20 retail units along with extensive hard and soft landscaping to associated plaza and green areas.
To date, 23,000 cubic meters of concrete has been poured onsite, 1,000 tonne of rebar in place and 27,000 square meters of concrete slabs laid. The milestone was certainly worthy of celebration since over 280,000 safe work hours have already been logged on site.
All attendees on the day signed and dated a section of concrete wall on the way up to the roof in order to mark the occasion. This wall will be sealed with these signatures and preserved for future generations to discover.
Elliott Group is also honoured to be awarded the build at Block G, where work has recently begun. There will be 184 residential units in this extended project. Upon com pletion, The Crossings will feature 975 residential units, 18,000 square meters of retail space, and 3,500 square meters of commercial space, including a civic/library bu ilding, creche, enterprise centre, and primary care centre.
Elliott Group extended its thanks to the project team, who have continuously demonstrated their skills and commit ment throughout, as well as Client Quintain and Design Team members Henry J. Lyons, Linesight, O’Connor Sut ton Cronin, CSC Consulting, Jensen Hughes, TBS Studio, iAcoustics. Special tribute was given to Glenform, for mwork contractor and Scaffolding partner Brogan Group, for working safely in partnership with Elliott Group.
6 NEWS
Commenting on the milestone, Darragh Elliott, Managing Director for Elliott Group said, “Today marks a very special day both for Elliott Group and for The Crossings. We’re proud of our team who continue to overcome challenges to create this incredible new skyline with much needed accommodation options.”
joneseng.com DELIVERING DATA CENTRES BEFORE THEY TAKE OFF TO THE CLOUDS Data Centre construction requires expert knowledge and experience. We make the complex simple. This is why we are the contractor of choice for mission-critical services internationally.
As availability levels are at a 20-year low, the figures show the market is responding to a pent-up demand for mo dern, high quality space, demonstrated by the 61,000 sq m of new space sold or leased by an occupier in the se cond quarter of this year alone.
The sector as a whole is undergoing an evolution, with the rise in demand evident not only within Dublin, but also across most other European markets. Dublin prime rents are at €115 per sq m as of the end of Q2 2022, with further rental growth expected over the remainder of the year.
Construction Activity Hits 20-Year High In Dublin Industrial And Logistics Market
Cushman & Wakefield’s research also found that industrial and logistics units of all sizes and in all locations conti nued to see rental growth as competition remains high for a very limited number of units.
Cushman & Wakefield expect that 74,085 sq m of new industrial & logistics space will be completed and added to Dublin market by the end of June. This surpasses the total completed in 2021 and is one of the highest volumes since 2008, 88 per cent of this was let to an occupier before or upon completion, emphasising the significant demand in the market.
Cushman & Wakefield is among the largest real estate ser vices firms with approximately 50,000 employees in 400 offices and 60 countries. In 2020, the firm had revenue of $7.8 billion across core services of property, facilities and project management, leasing, capital markets, valuation and other services.
ore industrial and logistics property is under construction in the Dublin region than at any point since 2002, according to new research released recently by commercial real estate company Cushman & Wakefield.
www.civilandconstruction.ie 8 NEWS
Development activity is expected to continue in the indu strial and logistics market during the second half of the year. A total of 228,200 sq m was under construction as of the end of June, with expected completion dates ranging from 2022 to 2023.
Brendan Smyth, head of industrial and logistics at Cush man & Wakefield, said: “Confidence within developers of new build logistics space remains high as the mar ket is struggling to provide sufficient buildings to meet market demand. While construction inflation is pushing up the cost of new builds and subsequently rents, this is being absorbed by the market with further rental growth expected in the coming months.”
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Some examples of these include DB Schenker, the Office of Public Works and LifeStyle Sports.
8 MAGPLY COLLABORATION
Commenting on the launch of the research, Kate English, Cushman & Wakefield’s chief economist, said: “Almost 61 per cent of space under construction is already pre-let or pre-sold to an occupier, with pre-lets proving much more popular.
“Further units have terms agreed, and we expect to see more transactions as units get closer to completion. This would be in line with patterns we have observed over most recent quarters. The sum under construction is substantial. It is the highest volume of space under construction since 2002, which will be welcome news to potential occupiers as this space is needed.”
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Sonitus Systems Achieves International Quality Certification www.civilandconstruction.ie I
Breedon, the group behind Lagan construction ma terials and contracting, has reported a revenue of £671.1m (€798.2m) for the first six months of 2022.
The UK and Ireland-based company released its unaudited interim results today, showing a 12% increase in revenue from the first six months of 2021.
“We enjoyed a strong start to 2022. Our teams are focused on getting pricing right, our end market exposure is supportive and that has produced excellent results, advancing our margins and returns towards our medium term targets,” said CEO Rob Wood.
Breedon Group records revenue of €798m for first half of 2022
Breedon recorded a profit of £59.5m (€71.2m) before tax from January to June 30, a 29% year-on-year increase, while EBIT totaled £65.5m (€77.9m) for the same period.
reland-based global environmental monitoring com pany, Sonitus Systems, has achieved international qua lity certification for the manufacture of environmental monitors, for both air quality and sound.
“Our customers’ order books are healthy, the mechanism for passing through cost increases has traction and enquiry levels are encouraging,” the statement read. The company added that infrastructure demand was well supported by large long-term projects and centrally funded schemes, while house building order books remain robust. Breedon is also benefiting from the UK and Ireland’s environmental goals.
10 MAGPLY COLLABORATION10 NEWSwww.civilandconstruction.ie
Sonitus Systems is on a mission to create better environ ments for people to live and work. The company builds high quality, reliable products, backed up with excellent, trustworthy service. This latest award for Sonitus Systems reflects the company’s ongoing commitment to quality and continuous improvement through an effective quality management system.
ISO 9001 is the world’s foremost quality management standard, used by hundreds of thousands of organizations in over 170 countries around the globe. It guides com panies in developing a quality management system that aligns quality with their global business strategy and sets out the essential requirements for a practical and effective quality management system (QMS) in order to minimise risk and maximise opportunity.
The building services group, which has over 20 Irish locations, generated revenues of just over £1.23bn (€1.46bn) last year, and, in a statement, said that it was “optimistic” about 2022.
The certificate awarded to the Sonitus Systems team de monstrates the high quality management system in place for the manufacture of environmental monitors for air qua lity and sound for use within the construction and environ mental industries worldwide.
Managing Director of Sonitus Systems, Paul McDonald, emphasises the significance of this award: For our customers, this global mark of quality ensures a consistently high level of service and operating excellen cy. Internally, it enables our global team to drive efficien cies and continuous improvements across the entire orga nisation, with the singular aim of delivering best in class environmental monitoring products and support. A huge amount of R&D has been put into our product technolo gy and we are proud to help our customers by providing instrumentation they can trust, experts they can speak to, and information they can act on.”
he Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity has published its 2021 Impact Report detailing who they have helped and how they support our construction community. The report highlights a 95% increase in charitable giving to £2,511,214 and an increase of 23% in the number of our workforce seeking support. The charity also increased its contribution to So cial Value from £7.42 to £7.82 for every £1 of charitable 2021spend.continued
Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity
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Shining brighter, reaching further Report 2021 IMPACT
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to be a tough year for many in the indu stry, starting with another partial lockdown and soaring material costs, so it was of little surprise to see that the numbers of people needing support increased signifi cantly and that 47% of calls were for immediate financial 1787support.cases needed intensive caseworker intervention, an increase of 10% on the previous year. The casewor kers holistically review all complex cases and use their expertise to pull together multiple support providers to ensure the best and most sustainable support for the beneficiary. This service often includes immediate finan cial assistance to meet the costs of daily living, including energy bills, rent arrears and ensuring food was on the
12 NEWS
2021 Impact Report shows 95% increase in Charitable Giving
“Our mission is that no construction worker or their family should be alone in a crisis.” Our Performance and Key Achievements in 2021 Total spent on charitable Construction£2,511,214servicesIndustryHelplineEducation&TrainingHealthandSafetyInnovation£59,421 Invested in the latest version of our Construction Industry Self-Help App and supporting wellbeing applications. Social Value For every £1 Charitable Spend our charity creates £7.82 in Social Value* *This social value estimation has been carried out against the seven principles of social value reporting developed by Social Value UK and by using the financial proxies provided by the open-source National TOM’s (Themes, Outcomes & Measures) framework. This provides a consistent methodology for attributing a financial value to operational activities, including the positive impact our services and resources have on the people we help and support. complex1,787cases requiring interventionsmultiplemanaged by our case workers. of£1,434,199financialsupport leveraged from sources.external Launched Help Inside The Hard Hat awareness campaign 95% of those we helped would recommend our services to their colleagues. 24/7 Helpline supported 2,777 families in crisis. Wellbeing Masterclasses 109 courses MHFA Awareness Courses 49 courses Mental Health for Managers 25 courses MHFA courses training on site Mental Health First Aiders 70 courses 971 trained 948 trained 1,052 trained 292 trained 3 (includes leveraged funds) IF YOU’RE STRUGGLING, HELP IS HERE! EMOTIONAL, PHYSICAL & FINANCIAL WELLBEINGFREE CONFIDENTIAL SUPPORT, FOR YOUR IF YOU’RE STRUGGLING, HELP IS HERE! EMOTIONAL, PHYSICAL & FINANCIAL WELLBEINGFREE CONFIDENTIAL SUPPORT, FOR YOUR IF YOU’RE STRUGGLING, HELP IS HERE! EMOTIONAL, PHYSICAL & FINANCIAL WELLBEING24/7 FREE & CONFIDENTIAL SUPPORT, FOR 52,775 Helpline Cards were distributed 741,775 cards are now in circulation
During 2021 the caseworkers leveraged a staggering £1.43 million from third parties. This support included accessing benefit entitlements, supplying white goods and acquiring match funding to pay for home adapta tions for those incapacitated by injury or illness.
31% of workers contacting the helpline mentioned a mental health problem and in a year that saw many peo ple struggling to reach support services via their doctor, the charity was able to provide fast access to professional telephone counselling. 233 people were referred for fur ther specialist support to help with a variety of emotio nal wellbeing issues including bereavement, relationship counselling, anger management and physical abuse.
rea ch out for 24/7 free and confidential support via; 24/7 Construction Industry Helplines; 0345 605 1956, (UK) 1800 939 122 (ROI) Text HARDHAT to 85258 (UK) 50808 (ROI) 14 NEWS
www.civilandconstruction.ie table for families as well as access to telephone counsel ling to support mental wellbeing.
Sarah Bolton, Director of Charitable Services said, “In an industry where two construction workers are taking their own life every day, it is vital that the hard to reach groups know about the support we can give them. We are working tirelessly to ensure that we maximise the ac cess points to our charitable services and increase our partnerships with other providers to give our workforce the specialist support they need. Our ultimate aim is to fulfil our mission of ensuring that no construction worker or their family feels alone in a crisis.”
If you or anyone you know is struggling, can
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Bill Hill, CEO of the Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity said, “Our figures show that over 90% of our calls for help come from the trades and the ‘boots on the ground’ workforce. We are pleased to see that they are reaching out for support but it also means that we have to work even harder to ensure that we are getting our pro-active support to them at an early stage so that problems do not escalate out of control. We’re already addressing this with our ‘Help Inside the Hard Hat On Site’ campaign and our team are visiting sites and bu ilders’ merchants across the country to ensure we get the message in at grass roots level. Our ‘On Site’ team all work in the trades, are mental health first aiders and have lived experiences that they are able to share in a relaxed and informal way. The feedback from these tours has been tremendously positive and we know firsthand that we have helped save the lives of some of those we have met on site.”
The €200 million facility in Newbridge will create 50 jobs directly, and is set to be operational from 2024.
16 NEWSwww.civilandconstruction.ie
committed to embedding sustaina bility across our business from grain to glass and this announcement re presents the next step in our integrated approach towards achieving one of Diageo’s Society 2030: Spirit of Progress commit ments by becoming car bon neutral in our direct Leooperations.”Clancy,
Diageo
€200m Investment
Diageo has announced plans to open a new brewery for lagers and ales in Co Kildare.
The new facility will contribute to Ireland’s critical econo mic and climate policy goals, such as supporting the tran sition to a low carbon economy while also increasing both food and drink production and associated jobs.
“We must leave the planet in a better way than we found it. Industry has a role to play and I’m really pleased to see Diageo taking the lead and investing in this carbon neutral brewery, which I’m sure will be a leading example for “Weothers.”arefully
Diageo will submit a planning application to Kildare Coun ty Council in September this year and, if successful, plans to commence brewing in 2024 following a construction period of approximately two years.
Announces Plans for a in Kildare
The opening of the brewery will mean Diageo’s St James’ Gate site in Dublin will produce more stout for global mar Tánaistekets.
and Minister for Enterprise Trade & Employment Leo Varadkar TD, said: “This €200m investment by Diageo is really great news for the future development of Ireland’s thriving food and drink industry, and also for the wider na tional economy. It’s also extremely positive for Newbridge and the local economy in Kildare, with up to 1,000 jobs being created during the construction of the site, and 50 once built. I’m sure there will be many indirect jobs too.
The global drinks giant said it will be Ireland’s first pur pose-built carbon-neutral brewery on a greenfield site. The facility will brew lagers and ales including Rockshore, Harp, Hop House 13, Smithwick’s, Kilkenny and Carlsberg.
Martin Shanahan, CEO of IDA, said: “IDA Ireland welco mes this proposed development in Kildare of Ireland’s first purpose-built carbon neutral brewery by Diageo, a sub stantial and valued employer in Ireland. This proposed in vestment demonstrates Diageo’s continued commitment to sustainability, which is also a key pillar of IDA Ireland’s current strategy Driving Recovery and Sustainable Growth 2021 – 2024.”
CEO of En terprise Ireland, added: “Diageo’s decision to in vest in a second brewery in Ireland is a fantastic endorsement of the Irish food & drink ecosystem. Diageo is a key client of Enter prise Ireland, and we look forward to continuing to part ner with them as they embark on this ambitious project to create Ireland’s first purpose-built carbon neutral brewery.
The new facility will make an important contribution to the local economy, supporting value added exports, creating high quality jobs, and doing so in line with the highest sustainably standards.”
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As a proudly forward-thinking engineering consultancy, EDC offers services within a range of construction sectors from residential, commercial, industrial, and pharmaceutical, to retail, hospitality and leisure, across Ireland and the UK. Over the past two years, EDC has grown its team to over 80 staff across five offices in Cork, Dublin, MidWest, London and Istanbul.
Fergus Barry – HR Director Hugh Nealon – Operations Director Sean Rapple – Pre-Construction Director Mikey Ryan – Operations Director Ruairi Ryan – Operations Director
Qualified with a BSc. Hons in Mechanical Engineering and an MSc in Management, Conor is a dedicated leader and team player with extensive experience delivering large-scale projects. His strengths lie in project delivery, management, and communication of tasks.
Kirby
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Today’s news further demonstrates Kirby’s commitment to its number one core value – People – as two of the newly appointed Directors – Ruairi and Mikey began their careers in Kirby’s apprentice programme.
Commenting on Conor’s appointment, Richard O’Farrell, Managing Director of EDC said “We are delighted to have Conor join us at EDC to lead our Dublin office. We are focused on quality, growth, and progressive engineering, and Conor’s ambitions clearly align with our priorities and core values. Conor’s appointment will strengthen the EDC leadership team and depth of expertise as we look to strengthen the company’s position in the Irish market. It will also aid in delivering innovative environmentally sustainable engineering solutions for clients.”
EDC appoints Conor McGinn as Executive Director
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EDC has appointed Conor McGinn as Executive Director of it’s Dublin Office. Conor is a Chartered M&E Design Engineer with over 18 years of working as an engineer in the construction industry in Ireland, the UK and Canada. His experience spans contracting, consulting, and commercial project management with previous roles with Delap & Waller, Ethos, Smith + Anderson, and Mercury Engineering; developing a unique blend of skills to complement his role within EDC.
www.civilandconstruction.ie 18 APPOINTMENTS
The full list of Director appointments is as follows:
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Builds for the Future with Directors’ Appointments
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Commenting on the appointments, Group Managing Director at Kirby, Mark Flanagan said: “This firm has built a hard-earned reputation for great service and delivering for our valued clients which is key to the strength Kirby has built up in recent years. It would not be possible without the outstanding commitment and loyalty demonstrated by our people. I am truly proud to be able to recognise the hard work of my colleagues with these appointments and I’m excited to see where we’ll take the company together in the years ahead”.
Kirby has over 1,300 direct employees and over 2,500 people deployed across Ireland, the UK and Mainland Europe. The company has an annual turnover of €400 million delivering services in the Data Centre, Life Sciences, Industrial, Energy and Commercial sectors.
irby Group Engineering has announced five promotional appointments within its Senior Management Team. The family-founded firm is following a path of sustainable growth, delivering top quality results for national and international clients and these promotions will help secure its vision for the future.
Building Integrity Our approach Founding our business on openness, integrity and trust has helped us build long-term relationships with our Clients & Design Team partners, across a broad portfolio of industry sectors. Contacts Head Office: 57 Briarhill Business Park, Galway Tel: +353 91 780800 Dublin Office: Office Block B, Hyde Square, 654 Sth Circular Rd., D08 Tel: +353 1 4713612 Civic & ConservationAmenity& Restoration Commercial & Fit-out TourismEducationPharmaHealthcareResidential&Industrial&Leisure Our sectors
Steven McGee is joining Sisk as Chief Operating Officer, Ireland, to lead the ongoing development of the construction business in Ireland. Steven will join the Board, reporting to the CEO and will have responsibility for the Ireland East and Ireland South, West and North construction business. He is joining the company on 13th
Commenting on the appointments Paul Brown, Chief Executive Officer said:
In support of the new COO role, the company is appointing Owen Sisk as Managing Director, Data Centres, reporting to Donal McCarthy, to drive the business opportunity in Data Centres across all geographies. As a Regional Director Owen has been driving the expansion in Life Sciences & Technology business in Europe and building teams to deliver on the strategy.
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In addition, Cormac Fitzpatrick will be promoted to Regional Director in our Life Sciences & Technology Business in Europe, reporting to Tom Wall.
Sisk announces new COO for Ireland and other senior appointments to continue to strengthen delivery for clients
ohn Sisk & Son today announces senior management appointments which strengthen the leadership team and bring a sharper focus to some of the sectors the company operates in.
Commenting on his appointment to the newly created role of Chief Operating Officer, Data Centres, Life Sciences & Technology, Donal McCarthy said: “I am delighted to take on this exciting new role and to build on the success we have had over many years in the Data Centres, Life Sciences & Technology sectors. I look forward to working closely with Owen, Tom and all our teams, to continue to deliver our growth strategy in these key sectors across all geographies. I would also like to welcome Steven to the Sisk team and to wish him every success in his new role.”
www.civilandconstruction.ie 20 APPOINTMENTS
Tom Wall is appointed Managing Director, Life Sciences & Technology, also reporting to Donal, to build on the client relationships and help develop the business and people in that sector across all geographies. He was appointed Director with responsibility for these sectors in July 2021 and will continue to expand our service offering in this sector in this role.
“These appointments will support our work in these sectors and bring focus to our Irish operations, setting us up for further success in the next phase of our development. They will help us continue to develop the strong opportunities in Ireland, in Data Centres, Life Sciences and Technology and help bring more structured operational control to our business and improve the quality of our earnings. I am delighted to welcome Steven into the business and look forward to working with him in our Irish construction business and I congratulate Donal, Owen, Tom and Cormac on their new roles. They will help us continue to develop the strong opportunities in Data Centres, Life Sciences and Technology across our business in Ireland, the UK and Europe.”
Commenting on his appointment as Chief Operating Officer, Ireland, Steven McGee said: “I am really excited to be joining Sisk and look forward to getting to work. I have been working in the UK most recently as Managing Director of ISG Construction, however I spent significant time working in the Irish market and am looking forward to returning to help lead the Irish construction business through the next phase of its development.”
it continues to meet customers’ needs Sisk is creating a new role of Chief Operating Officer (COO) for Data Centres, Life Sciences & Technology and Donal McCarthy is being appointed to this position. He will have responsibility for these sectors across the business in Ireland, UK and Europe, reporting to the CEO, building on the strong client relationships and track record he has in these sectors. Donal and Steven will work closely together in 2022 to transition the business efficiently to this operating structure and will use this time to develop specific arrangements for supporting both Divisions.
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RECREATING LEADERSHIP DCON Safety Consultants are and independently owned Built Environmental Safety, Health & Wellbeing Consultancy www.dconsafety.com
According to Michael Gaynor, Marketing Director of Toyota Ireland: “The Iconic Camry has been a stalwart on Irish ro ads for decades, with its re-introduction back into the Irish market in 2019 exclusively as a self-charging hybrid. With the new improved updated model, we have further enhan ced its premium credentials with new enhanced features and more refined comfort.”
Following a 14 year hiatus, the world’s best-sel ling saloon car, the iconic Toyota Camry, retur ned to Irish shores in 2019. The current Toyota Camry is by far the most compelling it’s ever been. Its unique design language, hybrid te chnology and affordable price tag makes a compelling case to choose it over its rivals. For 2022, the Camry continues serving a purpose of reliability and practicality. This generation of the Camry is fun to drive unlike its pre decessors. The steering is pleasantly weighted when corne ring and light when manoeuvring in low speed situations. The brake pedal feels responsive and not too soft. The hy brid option also has regenerative braking mixed in with the normal brakes. The Camry benefits from a good suspension setup which lends a more hunkered down feel. The vehicle isn’t set up for aggressive driving but can be considered Irishcapable.pricing for the Toyota Camry starts from €44,190. The only choice of drivetrain is the petrol-electric hybrid system with front-wheel drive and an automatic gearbox. That star ting price is for the Sol model, while the only other trim level is the Platinum Edition, which starts from €47,470. Sol models are well equipped, with an upgraded Toyo ta Safety Sense 2 system fitted as standard. This includes forward collision alert with pedestrian and cyclist detection and autonomous emergency braking, lane departure alert with lane-keep assist and lane tracing, which is new for 2022. This keeps the Camry in the centre of its lane. There’s also adaptive cruise control and road sign assist, while au tomatic high beam is also fitted. Sol models feature 17-inch alloy wheels, parking sensors front and rear, LED headlights, a rear camera, heated front seats, two-zone climate control and a seven-inch Toyota Touch infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto now fitted. Move up to the Platinum Edition which we tested, and the tech and luxury are upgraded. There are heated and ven tilated front seats, a heated steering wheel, 18-inch alloys, blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert, keyless entry, 360-degree cameras and an uprated infotainment system with a nine-inch display and navigation. You can choose from eight colours and black or beige leather trim, but aside from Toyota’s accessories catalogue, that’s all the extras that can be selected.
From my time with the Camry I can say there are few more comfortable seats for long-range cruising than the Camry’s.
22 PEUGEOT TOYOTAwww.civilandconstruction.ieE-2008CAMRY
Words: Anthony Kelly Pics: Webpress With a round of updates for 2022 and a good petrol-electric hybrid system could the Camry be your next premium saloon. TOYOTA CAMRYwww.civilandconstruction.ie
It strikes just the right balance between support and cu shioning. The suspension does its job in delivering a serene driving environment as well, soaking up road im perfections with minimal fuss. It will float a little over big ger bumps, taking a fraction of a second to settle, but it is surprisingly capable through the corners for such a comfort-focused machine. I really enjoyed my time with this new generation Camry and I’d recommend having a closer look if you’re in the market for a premium saloon.
Conclusion Toyota has brought some life and excitement into the new generation Camry. It’s built on Toyota’s excellent reliability platform, for buyers who want great efficiency, affordabi lity and comfort.
www.civilandconstruction.ie 24 PEUGEOT E-2008TOYOTA CAMRY
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with electric motor 8.3 seconds €200 per year 180 €47,470km/h217 hp 221 Nm 5.5 litres/100km Model Toyota Camry Hybrid Platinum www.civilandconstruction.ie
26 OCTABUILDwww.civilandconstruction.ieSHORTLIST ANNOUNCED FOR OCTABUILD BUILDERS MERCHANT EXCELLENCE AWARDS 2022 29 Builders Merchants shortlisted for nine Awards and nine Rising Stars nominated
“Over the past three years the sector has shown great ingenuity and leadership in handling these issues whilst at the same time maintaining a strong focus within their local Speakingcommunities.”onbehalf of the eight Octabuild members – Dulux, Etex Ireland, Glennon Brothers, Grant Engineering, Gyproc, Irish Cement, Kingspan Insulation and Wavin Ireland – Octabuild Chairman, Ray Molyneaux said: “It’s important for Octabuild that the Awards highlight to the construction industry the excellence of builders merchants. We are delighted with the enthusiastic response to this first all-island awards where merchants from all over the country have put themselves and their teams forward to showcase what’s excellent in the industry.”
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The shortlist has been announced for the Octabuild Builders Merchant Excellence Awards 2022 with 29 builders merchants across the island of Ireland now in contention for the four regional, five category awards and the overall Octabuild Builders Merchant Excellence Award.
In addition, nine staff members have been nominated by builders merchants for the Rising Star Award, acknowledging the up-and-coming talent in the industry.
The Octabuild Awards, which have been recognising excellence in the builders merchant trade for over 35 years, has moved to an all-island competition for the first time this year. Builders merchants are competing for four Regional Awards - Connacht/Donegal/Monaghan/ Cavan, Leinster, Munster and Northern Ireland, and for five individual award categories: Excellence in Business Management, Excellence in Customer Service, Excellence in Community Outreach, Excellence in Sales & Marketing and Excellence in Sustainable Business.
Commenting on the quality of the entries, Chair of the Judging Panel, Liam O’Gorman, said: “Reviewing the submissions for the 2022 Octabuild Builders Merchant Excellence Awards has portrayed an evolving landscape wherein the industry responded to a host of unprecedented challenges such as Covid 19, Climate Change, staff retention, health and upskilling along with everchanging product standards and regulations.
The Awards presentations will be made on the evening of Thursday, 13th October at the Round Room at the Mansion house in Dublin. All shortlisted merchants will be guests of Octabuild members - Dulux, Etex Ireland, Glennon Brothers, Grant Engineering, Gyproc, Irish Cement, Kingspan Insulation and Wavin Ireland - at the Awards ceremony. The shortlist for the Octabuild Builders Merchant Excellence Awards 2022 is as follows: Connacht/Donegal/Monaghan/Cavan Regional Award • Ganly’s Athlone, Roscommon • Joyce’s Hardware & Home, Headford, Galway • The Cope Topline Builders Providers, Dungloe, Donegal • TJ O’Mahony Oranmore, Galway Leinster Regional Award • Chadwicks Bray, Co Wicklow • Murdock Builders Merchants Ltd Balbriggan, Co Dublin • Rooney’s Homevalue, Kells, Co. Meath • TJ O’Mahony Ballymount, Dublin 24 Munster Regional Award • Chadwicks Limerick • McMahons Builders Providers Limerick • Morris Builders Providers Ltd, Waterford Northern Ireland Regional Award • Haldane Fisher Newry, Co Down • Haldane Fisher Portadown (Castle Street), Co Armagh • JP Corry Springfield Road, Belfast • Murdock Builders Merchants Ltd Newry, Co Down Excellence in Business Management • Brooks Bluebell, Dublin 12 • Chadwicks Coolock, Dublin 17 • Chadwicks Gorey, Co Wexford • The Cope Topline Builders Providers, Dungloe, Donegal Excellence in Customer Service • Chadwicks Santry, Dublin 9 • Core Builders Providers Clondalkin, Dublin 22 • Murdock Builders Merchants Ltd Derry • Nioclas O Conchubhair Teo, Connemara, Costelloe, Co Galway Excellence in Sales and Marketing • Ganly’s Longford • JP Corry Bangor, Co Down • Murdock Builders Merchants Ltd Ballymount, Dublin 12 • TJ O’Mahony Oranmore, Galway Excellence in Sustainable Business • Brooks Galway • Chadwicks Galway • JP Corry Newry, Co Down • TJ O’Mahony Ballymount, Dublin 24 Excellence in Community Outreach • Brooks Bluebell, Dublin 12 • Chadwicks Thomas Street, Dublin 8 • Joyce’s Hardware & Home, Headford, Co Galway • Rooney’s Homevalue, Kells, Co Meath Rising Star Award • Patrick Burke - Joyce’s Hardware & Home, Headford, Co Galway • Laura Cassidy - Rooney’s Homevalue, Kells, Co Meath • Simon Cummings - JP Corry Dromore, Co Down • Maggie Dillon - JP Corry Robert Guy, Ballymena, Co Antrim • Patrick Donlon - Brooks Galway • Lee Dunne - Brooks Bluebell, Dublin 12 • Matt Johnston - Murdock Builders Merchants Ltd Castlereagh, Belfast • Mark Nicholson - Haldane Fisher Newry, Co Down • Anthony Smith - Haldane Fisher Portadown (Castle Street), Co Armagh The full shortlist is also available at www.octabuild.ie/news/ www.civilandconstruction.ie 28 OCTABUILD
For more contactinformationuson t: +44 (0)1773 811112 e:www.radius-systems.comsales@radius-systems.com INCREASE YOUR PIPELINE RESILIENCE WITH PROFUSE® PIPE AND COUPLERSEASIGRIP®
30 DATA https://lpigroup.com/Imagewww.civilandconstruction.ieCENTREScourtesyofLPIGroup
We are in the midst of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, where a blurring of the boundaries between the physical, digital, and biological worlds is occuring. Data is the engine of this revolution, similar to what steam was to the first Industrial Revolution nearly 300 years ago.
Article by Garry Connolly, Founder of Host In Ireland.
UNDERSTANDING THE IRISH DATA CENTRE ECOSYSTEM
A data centre is so much more than a building on the side of the road. It is the heart of a digital infrastructure ecosystem that touches dozens of different industries. Everything from construction, real estate, engineering, architecture, telecommunications, energy, software, IT hardware, security, legal, marketing, finance and more.
Where would we be without data over the last few years? Zoom calls to friends and family, virtual classrooms for remote learning and online shopping to clothe and feed us have all been critical components of our shared global experience.
The Growth of Data and the Centres
IBEC’s Cloud Infrastructure Ireland group also estimates the technology sector, which is underpinned by the data centre industry, contributes €52 billion to the economy and employs approximately 150,000 people. All of which is happening amongst a very active global data centre
Data centres are sometimes thought of as secretive and austere grey “boxes’’ that are disconnected from their local communities. There is a misperception they add little value to the communities they reside in despite the economic benefits they provide.
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From Floppy to Fibre Ireland has had a six decade relationship with “data” and a decade plus relationship with the “centres”. From mainframes in the 1960s to world-leading software exports via floppy disk in the 1990s to data exports via data centres and fibre today. Irish companies have a long history supporting and partnering with global multinational organisations. Nine of the top ten global ICT companies have a home in Ireland as do more than 1,000 data-driven digital infrastructure organisations, which have grown up alongside the global tech giants. Through this experience, the knowledge acquired by Irish companies has helped Ireland evolve as a leading data hosting nation, as well as a supplier of skills and services needed for data’s global expansion.
Benefitting the Irish Economy That translates to a real economic benefit for the Irish economy. According to Enterprise Ireland, €2bn of global Irish sales exports can be attributed to data centres. This year, in 2022, will be the first year where export of services and products related to data centres will be larger than the domestic spend of €1.68bn. This includes exports from construction and digital technology firms, both of which export a total of €2.89bn and €1.53bn, respectively.
Image courtesy of Suir https://suireng.ie/Engineering
It’s not just about what happens within the data centre, but also the critical role data centres play supporting their customers who come from every industry, including medical, research, automotive, manufacturing, financial services, travel and many more.
Data and digital tools are enabling new types of innovation, communication and creativity.
data needs to live somewhere and that somewhere is a data centre. However, there is still much that is misunderstood about these buildings.
In 2020, every person in the world generated 1.7 megabytes of data per second. For critical industries, such as healthcare, an exponential amount of data is being generated every day. The compound annual growth rate in healthcare data will reach 36% by 2025, making it the fastest growing industry in terms of data Allgeneration.ofthis
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Exporting I.R.I.S.H. What has made Ireland an intrinsic home to digital infrastructure and Irish companies so successful? There are common threads that run throughout companies who work from and within Ireland no matter how big or small they are – Ingenuity, Relentlessness, Integrity, Strength and History – I.R.I.S.H. But being I.R.I.S.H. is not about nationalities, but rather how and why digital infrastructure coming from Ireland – with global and Irish companies –plays a unique role around the world. This ecosystem has been built on the 60 years of knowledge and experience accumulated by Irish companies supporting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) companies both domestically and globally over the years. An ecosystem at its most basic biological definition consists of organisms and the physical environment with which they interact. A business ecosystem is typically defined as a network of organisations involved in the creation and delivery of products and services. For an ecosystem to flourish, cooperation and competitionor “co-opetition” - needs to exist. A diverse group of partners all interact and collaborate to bring the most innovative ideas and products to the forefront and raise the playing field for the industry as a whole. This ethos has been at the heart of Host in Ireland since our inception. Although many of our partners are competitors, they have historically come together as a collective to promote the capabilities of Ireland as a centre of data excellence. Today, many of our partners are location agnostic and building robust businesses from Ireland across Europe, the Middle East, and making inroads to Africa and the rest of the world. Given the fact the data centre market opportunity in Europe is expected to grow to $66B by 2030, and the domestic Irish market represents 10% of that opportunity, the focus is now just as heavily focused on promoting Irish companies in the global data centre market.
There is experience to fall back on as well. For construction service companies - builders, contractors, engineering, professional services, infrastructure suppliers - the 2008 economic downturn created a necessity to diversify their business. As they were evaluating how their breadth of knowledge supporting pharmaceutical or semiconductor companies created a unique selling proposition, the burgeoning data industry was seeing the arrival of multinational hyperscale operators in Ireland. By taking that same approach, there is a tremendous opportunity ahead for the Irish data centre ecosystem as it confronts today’s challenges.
market. In 2021, deal activity in data centre infrastructure reached unprecedented levels, with transactions more than doubling to US$59.5 billion.
What’s Next There’s no doubt the Irish data centre industry is facing tough challenges ahead. Power availability and sustainability are at the heart of every discussion. The de facto moratorium on data centres in the greater Dublin area is going to force changes to the industry. While operators will face limitations, continued growth is still to come. Many of the current projects will continue to be completed. Existing facilities will refresh equipment and retrofit buildings to become more energy efficient. The scrutiny on sustainability will drive a meticulous approach to creating sustainable solutions on everything from equipment manufacturing to construction to operations. All of which will see Ireland continue as a major data centre cluster in Europe.
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DATAwww.civilandconstruction.ieCENTRES AND THEIR FUTURE The global lockdown and Covid-19 pandemic have brought into sharp focus our growing dependence on data as a society. 34 DATA CENTRES
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However, according to a recent report published by the International Energy Agency (IEA), the strong growth in demand for data centre services continues to be mostly offset by ongoing efficiency improvements for servers, storage devices, network switches and data centre infrastructure, as well as the high and growing share of services met by highly efficient cloud and hyperscale data Jonescentres.Engineering teams have been successfully delivering Data Centre facilities across arctic temperatures in Sweden, to scorching deserts in Bahrain, for over 20 years. They are recognised as industry leaders in delivering hyperscale, enterprise, co-located data centres and mission critical facilities, installing resilient infrastructure and ensuring uninterrupted critical Oneservices.ofthe
In their 9,000m2 Modular manufacturing facility they can Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DfMA) and have the experience, technical resources and facilities to manufacture bespoke Mechanical and Electrical modular units. Depending on the application of the module, they can also be fitted with a complete weather tight Withenclosure.thegrowing demand for fast-track Data Centres, modular manufacturing allows for construction to commence prior to ground works, therefore achieving a streamlined ‘just in time’ approach. This enables the client to have their facility delivered to the market more efficiently. The strategically located, purposebuilt, modular construction and fabrication facilities extend the boundaries of construction by offering clients added value in terms of safety, quality, engineering and programme delivery.
If this sounds like a team you’d like to join, Jones Engineering are currently recruiting for a number of positions on their website www.joneseng.com
All of these units leave the Jones Engineering facility fully tested, commissioned and certified, and in some cases the factory acceptance testing has been carried out through virtual online inspections. The Jones products are designed in close cooperation with clients and design team partners ensuring they meet the highest specifications across a wide number of industries.
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Jones have been working very closely with a number of confidential American multinational technology clients. To date across several campus projects Jones have been collaborating with the client’s innovation teams to develop bespoke Integrated Modular Solutions to be deployed globally. So far, these collaborations have produced plug and play 16MW and 32MW Cooling Units, Fire Water Pump Houses, LV/MV E-Houses, Water Treatment Houses, Chemical Treatment Plant Rooms, Multi-discipline conveyances, which were designed, built and shipped to client sites around Europe.
most important skills Jones Engineering teams bring to the table is their ability to utilise continuous improvements and innovations in technology and energy efficiency to keep up with market demand. The Jones cycle of continuous improvement allows teams to keep moving in pace with client demand. Each new project benefits from the lessons learnt previously. With Jones delivering 80MW in 2021, bringing their combined total to 1,475MW, that’s an impressive knowledge bank of lessons learned which are tapped into by their repeat and new clients.
Over the last couple of years, there was an increased need globally for remote working, virtual services, ecommerce, communication and home entertainment, all of which require data centres to operate.
It is understandable in the current environmental and economic climate why some may look to the limitation of growth in the technology sector as the answer to some of our problems. At Jones the team are “solutiongivers” as opposed to “problem-finders” and instead are working sustainably through a culture of innovation to find ways of supporting and improving our digital environment while at the same time taking care of our precious natural world and resources. Jones recognise they have an important part to play in protecting and enhancing the environment for future generations and are committed to ensuring the long-term sustainability of the industry.
36 DATA GROWTHCANMODULARHOWwww.civilandconstruction.ieCENTRESPREFABRICATEDDATACENTRESSUPPORTSUSTAINABLE By Marc Garner, VP, Secure Power Division, Schneider Electric UK & Ireland
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Ireland has long been a popular location for data centres, in part due to the long-term industrial policy of encouraging high-technology industry clusters around key verticals, including pharmaceuticals, software, web development, and other digital-centric industries. This a strategy which requires both inward investment and indigenous growth, and somewhat inevitably, the availability of resilient IT and data centres, alongside excellent connectivity to the cloud. There is, however, a downside to having so many large data centres in the country, namely the electrical power that is needed to keep them running. In recent times, we’ve seen a growing criticism from key stakeholders and environmental groups who have questioned the energy demand of the sector, and its impact on the country’s net zero Addedtargets.intothis
What are prefabricated data centres?
Ireland has long been known as a key location for hyperscale data centre operators, and internet giants across the globe have been able to use the economics of scale offered by prefab, in addition to other technological innovations and the shift towards renewable energy, to increase capacity against the backdrop of prolific demands for data and connectivity.
Data centre designs, however, come in many forms, and in recent years they have transformed from traditional bricks and mortar designs to harnessing the power of prefabricated technology.
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For many, prefabricated data centres provide a standardised, pre-engineered, and pre-integrated infrastructure system, containing integrated power, cooling, racks and IT that can be delivered as functional building blocks of power, cooling, IT or all-in one data centres. in a secure. These modules are quick to deploy, predictable, and can be deployed for 15% less cost than traditional data centres.
mix, the global surge in wholesale power and gas prices has led to a significant jump in both the unit price and standing charges for households and businesses, something further underlined by Electric Ireland, who last month announced that gas prices are set to increase almost 30% from August. Amid this backdrop and following a public consultation, in late 2021 Ireland’s electricity network operator –EirGrid – began to notify data centre businesses that they would not provide new connections to Dublinbased facilities until 2028, and that any new applications would be assessed on a ‘case-by case basis’. In response, the sector has openly challenged the ‘estimated’ power consumption surrounding the industry, and undertook its own analysis using data from the Irish Central Statistics Office (CSO).
At Schneider Electric, we believe that rather than being a hindrance, data centres can play a key role in unlocking Ireland’s sustainability and resilience ambitions, especially where integration with the grid is concerned.
The investigation compared statements detailing data centre power demands published by EirGrid with a landmark study of the actual metered electricity consumption of data centres by CSO Ireland. It found the majority of power reserved for data centres during Ireland’s energy crisis was left unused. In fact, data centres consumed only about 25% of the grid capacity that Ireland’s two state-owned grid operators reserve for them. This argument will of course continue to play out, but it is essential that industry, CRU, and government come together to find collaborative solutions to these challenges without hindering enterprise innovation or Further,GDP. data centres remain the heart of the digital economy, and as we begin to run metaverse type applications that require higher envelopes of power, and support applications in life sciences, financial services, gaming and streaming, sustainability and resilience will become ever more important to the country’s businesses.
The average business, however, is facing a soaring demand for data storage and space. Hosting their mission-critical applications in the cloud may not be an option, for various reasons including data regulation, compliance with local laws, and need for low latency connectivity.
Reduced waste: Waste is significantly reduced compared to building a traditional data centre because of the vertical integration between the designers of the architecture, the procurement teams that obtain the components, and the assembly teams that integrate the system in the factory. Right-sizing: Prefabricated modular data centres do not require the renovation of an existing building or the construction of a new facility. The modular architecture enables businesses to right-size, and run their data centres run at peak efficiency. Prefabricated deployments also enable companies to scale their data centre footprint in a modular, pay-for-what-you-need approach, thus not wasting resources.
Remote monitoring and management: Another key component of sustainability efforts is the ability to monitor and manage the data centre remotely, with advanced software. This means that organisations don’t need to physically send staff to a remote location to address concerns, as they can be handled remotely from a cloud-based, central management console. Remote monitoring capability can also help data centre managers
Transportation: The environmental impact of transporting a completed data centre from the factory to the customers site also needs to be addressed. Ideally, a modular data centre should be built as close to the end user site as possible to reduce transportation impacts. To address this, Schneider Electric utilises key factories in Europe, with global partners in other locations.
Supply chain: Organisations not only want to know about the sustainability efforts and carbon footprint of their suppliers, but they want to understand the sustainability implications for the supply chain. Many vendors are already addressing this, and Schneider Electric for example, makes 90% of the components in its data centres, so it has expert knowledge of and control over how those components are made.
Prefabricated modular data centres, therefore, offer several advantages for organisations seeking a fast, sustainable, and energy-efficient alternative to buying land or building a large-scale facility designed to accommodate future growth.
The sustainability benefits of prefabricated data centres Modular data centres are built in the controlled environment of a factory, which means that the teams building the data centres have the experience and the skills to deliver a high-quality, reliable and pre-engineered system in a short space of time. In some scenarios, prefabricated data centres can meet demanding timescales of 12 weeks or less. In terms of sustainability, however, prefab offers specific advantages to local users, they Sustainableinclude:construction
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methods: Prefabricated data centres offer increased reliability, operational energy savings and a smaller environmental footprint. They are also compliant with environmental regulations including RoHS and REACh, and include Product Environmental Profiles (PEPs) to help users easily calculate the carbon footprint of their physical infrastructure.
At Schneider Electric, we call this vision of a greener, more sustainable future, Electricity 4.0, which means zero waste, zero emissions, and zero carbon. It is our vision for decarbonisation, where energy management is integral in the quest to deliver a green and net zero future.
End-of-life reuse: Prefabricated modular data centres have a lifecycle of up to twenty years. However, once at end of life, the modules can be taken off-site and the components recycled or disposed of in an environmentally friendly manner. There are also circumstances in which changing business conditions might render a modular data centre expendable. In this case, the data centre could be transported or reused somewhere else.
Looking forward this approach will be essential to minimise the environmental impact of data centres, no matter their design or architecture. And through the convergence of digital and electric technologies we can make both data centres, and the energy grids of the future, more efficient, sustainable, and resilient.
Amid the energy crisis and amid climate change, for example, the age of fossil fuels is coming to an end, yet 80% of carbon emissions still come from energy, whether that’s from production, consumption, or distribution. If countries across the globe can make progress towards tackling energy waste, they can take significant steps to reduce the impacts of global warming.
What’s clear is that by combining sustainable digital infrastructure with Electricity 4.0, data centres can play a key role in helping Ireland decarbonise its digital economy. Electricity 4.0, for example, can provide a vehicle to improve energy generation, management, and distribution, enabling stakeholders and large-scale energy users across the digital economy to be smarter with the way they use and consume energy.
Climate change, for example, has been directly attributed to the blistering heat waves being recorded around the globe, and recently Ireland recorded its hottest day in more than a century. To mitigate the sectors’ current and future impact, the challenge of providing adequate power to all parts of an increasingly digital economy is one that requires a coordinated response from all stakeholders including government, energy suppliers, distributors, and consumers of electricity.
monitor energy efficiency.
Last year Ireland signed the Climate Act into law and the country is now on a legally binding path to reach net zero emissions no later than 2050. Its ambition is to achieve a 51% reduction in emissions by the end of this decade, but in order to reach this milestone, a greater focus on digitisation and electrification will be essential.
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Supporting sustainable growth in Ireland
Furthermore, through a more collaborative approach we can begin to unite key stakeholders across the industry, including governmental bodies such as the CRU, national energy grid operators such as EirGrid, and data centre operators, to deliver a net zero future.
Construction of data centres is increasing. Increasing numbers of industries are using digital technology to collect data on their target customers and monitor responses to their products.
Worldwide end-user spending on public cloud services is forecast to grow 20.4% in 2022 to total US$494.7 bil lion, up from US$410.9 billion in 2021, according to the latest forecast from Gartner. In 2023, end-user spending is expected to reach nearly US$600 billion. The data centre market is expected to grow every year through to 2024.
Differences in Data Centre building Building a data centre is different to building a multi-pur
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‘Edge Computing’ is a key example of developing tech nology, driven by demand for faster responses. The pro cess of edge computing distributes data services as close to the user as possible, which means data centres range in size and location according to need. Some businesses might be able to host a micro data centre at their physi cal location. For small and medium businesses, or those without in-house expertise, it is probably more reliable to outsource to a local data centre. Additionally, there is increasing regulatory pressure to store and process data within the country of its origin, so cloud-based companies and even tech giants like Microsoft are looking for local data centres.
DATAwww.civilandconstruction.ieCENTRE
CONSTRUCTION
ot every company that relies on data collection has access to the necessary infrastructure, in stead using external data centres. Now that the majority of businesses have ‘gone online’ during lockdown, there is a greater need for data management, which in turn is boosting demand for new data centres.
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Is the data centre sufficiently protected against damage? There are several safety factors to be aware of when buil ding a data centre: security, power and cabling. Most im portantly, digital equipment generates heat, so builders need to pay attention to the heating and ventilation of the site. To maintain a safe environment when working with electronics, humidity and even building pressure needs to be controlled.
pose or nondescript structure. In addition to the building’s design, reliability and high quality are key to protecting the servers inside.
expect, high power equipment results in massive energy usage. According to the International Energy Agency, data centres worldwide consumed about 200 terawatt-hours (TWh) of electricity in 2020, nearly 1% of global electricity demand.
Bidding for Data Centre Projects
Is the data centre fit for purpose? Data Centres house, protect and distribute parts of internet technology, ope rations and hardware. As technology becomes more effi cient, it triggers a demand for increased capacities which require a new set of technologies. Data centres need to be robust and flexible to adapt to changing technology.
When submitting a request for information during the procurement process, clients will be looking for vendors who can safely fulfil the additional considerations of buil ding a data centre. When bidding for data centre projects, builders need to include information on their electrical safety procedures, injury reporting process, communica tions and methods for performing hazard analysis. Clients want to see that potential contractors have understood and planned for the additional challenges of designing and building a data centre. It is important that developers ask the right questions to avoid complications.
Lastly, select the physical design and location of data cen tres with great care. To reduce the risk of an access bre ach, additional security considerations must be in place. This includes features such as gated access points, fen ced enclosures and surveillance systems. When choosing a location, it’s important to consider demand, real estate prices, cost of power and talent availability. However, data centre construction should also avoid high-risk areas, in cluding those prone to environmental hazards or with un stable local infrastructure. It also goes without saying that the area’s internet connectivity is vital.
There are key differences that need to be taken into ac count when building a data centre, including operations.
Unlike other buildings, data centres design must incorpo rate strategic cooling systems to lower the risk of dama ging equipment. Data centre managers must keep close track of energy use, so resource monitoring systems are necessary. Construction workers will need to know how to efficiently leverage the equipment and floor space of the Asbuilding.youmight
Is proper maintenance simple? Increased demand for data management also means a rising demand for the specia list equipment needed for data handling. This includes servers, computers, networking equipment like routers or switches, or security components like biometric security sensors. Facility managers of data centres must keep track of all of these systems to avoid breakdowns.
Through the series of lockdowns from the start of 2020, Ireland has shown continuous resilience throughout the shift to working from home, online learning and reliance of online web services and information. It evident that our digital, communications and data centre infrastructu re has been sophisticated enough to ensure Ireland stayed well connected from the start of the pandemic crisis. This year, we find ourselves mitigating through hy brid working structures to ensure public health safety in our institutions, workplaces and venues by minimising our movement to lessen the spread of the Corona virus and variants. Ideally, data centre development will cater for the advancement of our digital infrastructure to keep up with these lifestyle changes. However, there are on
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WHAT DOES THE FUTURE OF DATA CENTRES LOOK LIKE IN IRELAND? 42 DATA CENTRES
In today’s rapidly digitising world, the development of Data Centre Infrastructure is vital for Ireland’s futu re economic success. The sustained development of data centres (DC’s) is critical to our country’s economy, as it offers enterprise, skilled employment, opportuni ties, and construction jobs. In this sector, it is important consider Ireland’s respected global reputation for DC en terprise but also how we may attain a sustainable appro ach towards planning and construction methods to keep activity in this flowing in the coming years. As a result of the ongoing global pandemic, the demand for data capacity and web-enabled services is at an all-time high, keeping Ireland firmly in a position for potential growth.
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In recent times, the main obstacle for Irish Data Centre growth was the moratorium imposed by Eirgrid in Q4 2021, which brought the development of new DCs in the Greater Dublin area to a standstill. (Figure 2) The Government announced in Q3 2022 that new data cen tre projects will not be banned in Ireland, but instead recommended a set of stricter requirements for future developments as the country tries to halve overall emis sions by the end of the decade. Any new data centre projects must also prove “renewable energy consump tion”. It is hoped this new policy will help data centre enterprise to grow in a more sustainable manner over the course of the coming decade.
Outlook for 2022-2023
Construction activity captured by CIS suggested that the highest activity was heavily concentrated in the Greater Dublin Region, which may support the above observa tions. For example, 9 out 13 Data centre applications submitted in the past 12 months were based in County
Dublin. As more counties outside of The Greater Dublin Area see the green light of DC applications, it is possible Ireland will see a fairer distribution of opportunities, en terprise and resources.
From observation, it is imperative to view data centre development in not just one dimension as there may be a market to develop Ireland’s renewable energy sector as well. CIS has noted that most Data Centres have plans to generate power through substations onsite and throu gh alternative methods. Data centres developers, Ama zon, have heavily invested in Wind Energy in Arrderroo, County Galway and also heat generation in the Tallaght region of Dublin. Fortunately, Ireland is not just the Si licon Valley of Europe and there is unearthed potential to generate green energy in Ireland’s wind, solar and off shore capabilities. The future of construction and invest ment in this sector may be more heavily hinged on an swering to climate change action and sustainability plans more than ever before. Construction Works on Echelon’s DUB20 data centre in Arklow Co. Wicklow are scheduled to commence in Q1 2023. In July 2022, Echelon Data Centres and SSE Renewables agreed to fund and build grid infrastructure near Echelon’s DUB20 100MW data centre to support the development of Ireland’s largest offshore windfarm which will also supply the energy ne eds of the data centre. Earlier In 2022, Irish based Eche lon Data Centres announced a financing agreement of €855 million to facilitate the construction of its four deve lopments which are expected to have a 490MW capacity combined. There is continued investment on the horizon for this sector as companies such as Amazon, EdgeCon neX, Microsoft and Apple are continuing to pursue plan ning in Ireland.
Since 2016 Construction Information Services has cap tured movement on a total of 181 Data Centre related projects. Last year, CIS observed a significant increase in the number of planning submissions in 2021. These 13 projects represented a shell & core value of €510m, whi ch equates to 415.71k Sq.m coverage. Despite econo mic and environmental challenges, the capital invested in the area of data centre development remains high in 2022, with global companies continuing to choose Ire land for their data centre enterprise.
going concerns underpinning the environmental impact of data centre development and implications which in turn affect Ireland’s electricity supply.
Conclusion With data consumption and the demand for smart tech nology at an all-time high, the continued development of data centres is critical to the economic success of our country. For the year ahead, Ireland’s ability to adapt and respond to issues such as globalisation, green energy and economical constraints is a determining factor for the growth and continued success of this sector. Gover nment policy in the forms of funding and regulation can hopefully help mitigate the economic challenges in fa cing this sector to keep construction activity on track. From planning to completion, CIS monitors and tracks all construction activity. Please do not hesitate to contact us at research@cisireland.com if you have any questions about this Researchedstudy.and produced by Sharon O’Rourke and Josh Wiler of Construction Information Services.
Figure 3 A CGI Image of Echelons Data Centre Deve lopment (DUB 20) in Arklow, Co. Wicklow, which is one of four developments in Echelons Data Centre Portfolio in Ireland. Image Echelon / Crag Digital
Cost competitiveness is a major factor influencing the success of Data Centre construction. As the cost of raw materials rises, the construction industry is expected to face ongoing challenges from hyperinflation. Con struction supply inflation, transportation of commodities, energy, taxes, and property availability all play a signi ficant role in the growth of warehouses, offices, data centres, and research facilities. When combined with la bour supply shortfalls in the construction sector, rising production costs create barriers to the delivery of indu strial projects and associated infrastructure in the short to medium term. Large scale structures such as data centres are ideal for large construction teams which take anywhere between 12 and 60 months to construct.
44 DATA www.civilandconstruction.ieCENTRES
Shannon Valley Group Unit 12 Shannon Valley Centre, Roseville, Tur vey Lane, Donabate, Co. Dublin Tel. 01 813 8082 www.shannonvalley.ie IRELAND'S BEST SPECIALIST STABILISATION CONTRACTOR We are providing our Clients with ESG compliance solutions, helping them to achieve their carbon emissions goals and to engage in the Circular Economy
In recent years the mission critical sector has become a key focus area for John Paul Construction, contributing significantly to overall company turnover in recent years, as well as providing a platform for further growth both in the domestic Irish market and internationally.
Safety is everyone’s job in John Paul Construction.
46 DATA MISSIONwww.civilandconstruction.ieCENTRES MOMENTUMCRITICAL
Over the years John Paul Construction have been involved in the construction of multiple new high voltage substation projects facilitating the power required for new data centre developments. These include the construction of a number of 110kV and 220kV substations, of which several have been delivered as full turnkey design and build projects.
The company utilises 3D-model information for the development of logistics, management of safety, clash detection, project communication and planning. Their use of drone technology and laser scanners has also been expanded to support projects, providing pointcloud scans for as-built verification, improving design coordination and the certainty of delivery to clients.
John Paul Construction strives to build smarter to improve the quality and efficiency of construction delivery, bringing additional programme and commercial value to clients. Central to this approach is the wider development of modern methods of construction – maximising the use of off-site fabrication where possible.
Critical to their successful delivery approach is the ability of the company to leverage on the expertise of their teams across all aspects of project delivery, whether that be utilising the knowledge of the company’s in-house civil engineering teams at commencement of a project, or the in-depth experience of their M&E teams at the commissioning stage.
“Theseinformation.processes and procedures ensure a leaner, more efficient delivery approach is achieved, guaranteeing enhanced value for clients. The biggest benefit is how they now enable us to work cohesively with all project stakeholders to facilitate quicker and better decision making along all stages of the project life cycle and thus mitigating project risk,” says Howard.
Technology & Innovation
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The harvesting and presentation of metrics in dashboard format has become a key tool for the firm’s construction management teams and will continue to be a core focus in the future to improve decision making,” notes Howard.
This marked the beginning of John Paul Construction’s data centre journey, with the company going on to deliver multiple data centre projects in Ireland, the UK and the Middle East for the hyperscale sector ranging from large scale new build high-capacity data centres, smaller containerised data centre solutions, retrofitting and upgrades to existing data centre facilities, and construction of new HV substation infrastructure to support new data centre development.
Modular Construction
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“The use of 360o cameras for the completion of site walks has proved invaluable to projects for the monitoring of progress and project visualisation for remote working.
“Growth in the mission critical sector is a key strategic objective for John Paul Construction. In a bid to expand our client base and support existing clients in Europe, we have established new offices in the Netherlands focusing on mission critical and life science projects,” says Gary Howard, Associate Director Mission Critical. “Our work-winning teams have commenced tendering projects and look forward to initiating works on the ground this year. Providing delivery excellence for clients in different markets to the same exacting standards is a key part of our strategic plan.”
Founded on over 70 years of deep engineering knowledge and quality relationship management, John Paul Construction is a leader in all sectors of the Irish construction industry. Their first project in the mission critical sector was completed in 2014, an 18MW high-capacity data centre, delivered to a very challenging fast track programme, for a global hyperscale client.
John Paul Construction has been at the forefront of construction technology for many years, constantly improving the quality of its project management systems and project delivery methods utilising the latest digital technology. This is highly evident in how they deliver projects in the mission critical sector. The company continues to develop its Virtual Design and Construction (VDC) systems and processes, which are built around the three pillars of improved efficiency, better decision making and better sharing and communication of
“All elements of the off-site construction methods contribute directly to increased savings, enhanced quality, high standards of sustainable construction, zero material waste on-site, a greener footprint and a safer, more efficient workforce by reducing on-site labour requirements and numbers.” says Howard.
“We realise we have an important role to play in improving sustainable construction in the industry. As part of our sustainability roadmap, we are continuing to manage our carbon footprint and environmental impact through initiatives such as, a changeover to energy-efficient plant, equipment and lighting, the transition to an electrical vehicle fleet and initiatives around biodiversity and water conservation,” says Howard.
www.civilandconstruction.ie 48 DATA CENTRES
To combat this, limits have been implemented on where data centres can be built, as well as the potential requirement for operators to provide energy generation equivalent to their demand to reduce their reliance on the grid or to take themselves off it completely.
“Through 2022 and 2023, we look forward to continuing to work with our current clients, design teams and supply chain partners to deliver these mission critical infrastructure projects and landmark developments to the highest standards both in Ireland and further afield, as we look to build on our international presence.”
If you would like an exciting career with John Paul Construction as part of our mission critical team, please visit our website www.johnpaul.ie
The management of these vendors progresses and evolves through the complete life cycle of the company’s data centre projects. “On some of our projects we are now directly procuring and managing long-lead equipment through leveraging in-house capabilities and relationships with vendors,” notes Howard.
Owner Furnished – Contractor Installed (OFCI) On mission critical projects, John Paul Construction aims to enhance the client journey by fully managing and supervising the complete scope of design, supply, installation and integration of client-supplied equipment and systems. As the best path to success, the company advises an early procurement route, which allows them to be directly involved from design and procurement stages right through to delivery, installation, commissioning, and turnover.
Challenges Ahead The mission critical sector has grown rapidly in a relatively short time. This has led to pressure on the national grid, primarily in the Greater Dublin area, at a time where the conflict in Ukraine, utility constraints, supply chain issues and the planning system are causing great uncertainty in the market.
In addition, there has been a shift in focus to the generation of more renewable sources of energy; wind farms, battery storage facilities and gas generation plants – all of which will contribute to reducing the impact of data centres on the national grid and the environment.
The use of modular construction on their mission critical projects allows John Paul Construction to take large components of the build off-site and increase fabrication in a factory-controlled environment. This is made possible through the strong long-term relationships that the company has established with the supply chain in this Examplessector.of some of the modular components utilised on their data centre projects include containerised switchrooms, precast elements, data hall racking systems to aid fast top-down construction, modular plant rooms and modular containment sections for primary runs of cable and pipework. This ensures the production of these elements is streamlined from all angles, including design, assembly, and installation on-site.
The supply chain has faced a tumultuous last few years, causing massive disruptions affecting virtually every industry and leading to paused or delayed projects and increased backlogs. The immense and ongoing impact of Covid 19 was the initial factor in supply chain issues, but there is also increased strain resulting from the Ukraine Crisis, which began in late February 2022. Not only are costs soaring, but availability of many products is severely restricted. Lead times on items once available off the shelf now must be ordered weeks in advance and the traditional long lead items are heading towards 40-50 weeks wait. This results in projects taking a lot longer to complete, unpleasant surprises when deliveries do not materialise, and increased costs for every aspect of the project. So, what can we do to resolve this?
SUPPLY DELAYSCONSTRUCTIONTOKEYCHALLENGESCHAIN&STRATEGIESPREVENT ETHOS EXPERT SERIES - SUPPLY CHAIN
ETHOS EXPERT SERIES - SUPPLY CHAIN EARLY IDENTIFICATION OF RISK AREAS AND THE CRITICAL PATH IMPACT
ONE Substituting your specified product with a similar product paired with a shorter lead time is a quick answer. You will need to do your due diligence to confirm the technical and performance specifications – but it could be a matter of simply swapping one product for another and off you go.
At the very start of the project, it is essential to do a risk assessment of the project constraints, including consideration of the supply chain. Identify those critical components with long lead times and assess their impact on the critical path. Contacting key suppliers will validate the extent of the issue and at what point you need to start the procurement process in your programme.
TWO CONSIDERSUBSITUTIONSSOME
At Ethos, we have been working with our clients to develop some key strategies, which have been proven to minimise the impact of supply chain challenges. Here are the four most impactful and common solutions:
Stephen Dwyer Director, Design designmanagement@ethoseng.ieManagement
THREE RESEQUENCINGTHEDESIGN FOUR
Taking this into account, product selection is going to drive the design more than normal, but the trade-off is a significant overall saving in time.
FOUR
“Don’t get caught off guard when you are planning a construction project. Working around supply chain issues is possible if you account for them.”
PARTNERSHIPSSTRATEGIC ETHOS EXPERT SERIES - SUPPLY CHAIN
Reach out to Stephen today... Get Help ManagingwithyourSupplyChain
If you would like some help with managing supply chain issues and planning your project to account for the current state of the supply chain.
In some projects, we are now re-sequencing tasks so that the items with longest lead times are designed and specified very early and then can be procured immediately. This maximises the lead time for delivery.
While “just in time” was the mantra in the past, the safest thing to do right now is to get it ordered and on site or into secure storage as soon as possible. It does mean you and the client are assuming the risk of making sure the selected OFCI (Owner Furnished, Contractor Installed) equipment is incorporated as part of the procurement strategy and overall programme.
Helping develop procurement strategies with OFCI suppliers has meant our clients can utilise a more strategic approach. Developing strategic partnerships with vendors has led to our clients having lead time and pricing agreed in advance of projects commencing, helping to reduce the risk in just in time deliveries of key products.
While inflation has had a drastic effect on the European economy there are multiple factors which will have a ne gative impact and may see a recession kicking in over the winter months. The war in Ukraine is an obvious pro blem, more than likely President Putin will cut off or re duce the supply of gas to Europe in retaliation for harsh sanctions against Russia. The lack of gas could see many manufacturing plants cut output or shutdown during this period, rationing of energy across all sectors and power outages could become the norm during this period.
IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE IS NOW CLEAR FOR ALL TO SEE I
nflation seems to be peaking in Ireland and Europe and decelerating in the US due to aggressive interest rate hikes and a sharp drop in petrol prices. There se ems to be a consensus among central bankers that we will reach peak inflation the third quarter of 2022, prices of many key commodities oil, wheat and copper have fallen in recent months due to weaker global demand. If this is the case then lower prices should start to have a positive impact on the ordinary consumer early to midThe2023.US may avoid recession due to the lower cost of fuel and increase in job creation, employment in the US is at its highest in decades. Ireland is also looking like it may avoid recession, we will have lower growth across all sectors but our lack of reliance on Russian gas and oil should mean we will get through the winter months relatively unscathed.
In Europe however we are looking at a different scenario.
Even more disturbing is the impact climate change is ha ving on already distraught economies across Europe. The Rhine, a major trade artery for German, Dutch and Swiss economies has become virtually impassable, this has had a huge impact as vessels carrying diesel and coal have either had to reduce their loads or are unable to deliver to ports most in need. This is also hampering the prepa
52 SURETY THEwww.civilandconstruction.ieBONDSECONOMIC
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While there are signs of positivity on the horizon, that is inflation does look to be easing, recession in the US is unlikely and a recession in Europe is at fifty-fifty even if it does occur it should be short. However, the likelihood that we will have to face the current climate issues year after year is more likely, along with these issues is the cost no matter how hard we try to adapt that cost is going to have to be borne by the consumer. The economic cost of climate change is accelerating with a dramatic price we are all going to have to pay.
ration for winter; the summer months are usually used to build reserves. Half of Europe’s territory is suffering from droughts, the Danube which flows through much of Central and Southeastern Europe to the Black Sea is like the Rhine only flowing at a trickle. Italy’s rice fields are nearly dry as the PO is too low to provide the quantity of water provided, so much so they started taking water from Lake Garda until that started running low. France is finding it difficult to cool its nuclear power stations as the Rhone and Garonne are too warm.
The argument that transport up and down the Rhine and Danube can be replaced with other forms of transport is a moot point as rail networks are already congested, road usage is not even open for discussion as there are already shortages of truck drivers and replacing one bar ge would take legions of trucks which would clog up al ready over utilised road networks. This problem is only going to get worse as Alpine gla ciers shrink and a reduction in rainfall lead to regular droughts, driving up costs of fuel, grain, wine and other commodities in the long-term. As much as I hate saying it we are going to have to start getting used to higher prices at the till. We can no longer stick our heads in the sand when it comes to climate change, now that it is im pacting us all not just third world countries, we must rea lise the economic and health impacts are too destructive to be ignored.
54 PIPELIFEwww.civilandconstruction.ieMEET THE NEW KID ON THE BLOC! Pipelife Ireland is delighted to welcome Midea to the Pipelife family.
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The Midea M Thermal Monobloc air-to-water heat pump systems are available in single phase capacities of 4 kW - 16 kW, or three phase capacities of 12 kW to 30 kW. M thermal A Series have higher leaving water temperature in low ambient temperature. The water temperature is up to 60C at -15C ambient temperature. With the help of AHS or IBH, water temperature can reach 65C at -25C
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Midea are the world’s No 1 Manufacturer of HVAC Products. In 2018 Forbes Global named Midea as the world’s 253rd largest business as a result of $40bn sales. With a European market share of over 20%, Midea now manufacture 1 in every 5 air conditioning systems sold into Europe, and in 2019, HVAC total global sales output reached over 40 million systems. Midea are so confident in their products reliability that they are offering the industries 1st 10 Year Warranty…this is a game changer!
Michael Geary, Technical Sales Manager with Pipelife commented – “One of the things that’s really clear when you look at the Midea unit is that the engineers have clearly looked at other machines available on the market and what the best features were when they made this unit. An example of this would be how they have managed to get 16 Kilowatts out of a unit that which only has a single fan. This comes down to the design of the fan unit itself with Midea making out a scallop shape cut out of the blade and this is done to help increase air flow but also to keep the sound down, hence the Midea unit can boost to being one of the quietest on the market
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