INFRA EU 9

BUILDING CONSENSUS Keith Clarke of Atkins Global: why the industry needs to come together over sustainability

CAPITAL GAINS Special report: what The Olympics and Crossrail mean for London

www.euinfrastructure.com • Q1 2010

IN DEEP

WATER

Can an ambitious engineering project prevent Venice from becoming a 21st century Atlantis?

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FROM THE EDITOR 11

The sustainability bubble Companies need to act now if they are to be ready for a carbon-constrained future

T

he current furore over Dubai World’s inability to pay back billions in loans serves as a cautionary tale for those that fail to consider the sustainability of their actions.

In the boom years, Dubai was a shining beacon of development. Barely a week went by without the announcement of yet another improbably ambitious project. The tallest skyscraper in history?

Why not? A cluster of private islands modelled on the countries of the world? What could possibly go wrong?

To employ a tired cliché, it now appears that these undertakings were all built on sand. The bubble has burst and those gung ho pioneers who bet the farm on Dubai becoming some kind of Disneyland for millionaires now find themselves in the shadow of a teetering pile of debt. The emirate’s troubles are the most glaring example of financially unsustainable business practices and directly mirror the environmental sustainability challenges now facing the construction industry.

“Carbon is going to be rationed.

It’s going to be priced and it’s going be traded in different ways everywhere.” Atkins Global CEO, Keith Clarke (page 40)

Just as we cannot rely on an inexhaustible supply of easy credit, so we cannot expect the Earth’s resources to be limitless.

Traditionally, sustainability issues have been viewed as little more than an imposition, a box to be ticked if a company is to meet its corporate social responsibility targets. At the time of writing, the UN Climate Conference is just about to get underway in Copenhagen. Even if this gathering serves up little more than hot air, greater regulation of carbon emissions and a stronger focus on the impact we all have on the environment is a certainty in the not too distant future. Change is coming and those that fail to respond will see themselves left behind.

This means that design and construction companies need to stop thinking of sustainability as a chore and get serious about building it into their processes from the ground up. If the rewards of protecting the environment don’t seem significant enough on their own, look at the drive towards sustainability as a tool for improving how

“If young people can see that a company is engaged with the green agenda, they’re more likely to want to work for them.”

Olympic Delivery Authority Chairman John Armitt (page 86)

the business works. Making better use of resources and streamlining processes to generate less waste makes sense regardless of exactly why it’s being done. Being known as a low carbon company will also have advantages in the kind of clients it is possible to attract and the calibre of people who want to work for you. Green credentials are becoming increasingly valuable as a business differentiator.

Ultimately, sustainability won’t just be about the survival of the planet, it will also be a key factor in the survival of companies and even whole industries. If Dubai’s plight has taught us anything, it is that taking the supply of an essential resource for granted can have grave consequences. n

Huw Thomas Editor

“Fostering the transition towards a low carbon power generation system is a high priority for the European Union.” EU Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs (page 126)

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CONTENTS 12 LONDON IN FOCUS

32 86 Race for the prize The Olympic Games are a serious business. EU Infrastructure talks with the Olympic Delivery Authority’s John Armitt about London’s run to the 2012 finish line

92

That sinking feeling Rising sea levels and subsiding land threaten the City of Light’s very existence. Can an ambitious engineering plan provide a solution or is Venice doomed to a watery grave?

Crosstown traffic As projects go, running a new rail link through the heart of London is as big as they come. Crossrail Chairman Terry Morgan explains that all the hard work is worth it

96 Robocops Met Police CIO Ailsa Beaton on the technology infrastructure behind the capital’s law enforcement

40

The Atkins diet If it is to remain fit for the future, the construction industry needs to embrace low carbon now, says Atkins Global CEO Keith Clarke

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CONTENTS 14

46

60

78 46 Flying high Thomas Penner, VP Passenger and Terminal Services at Munich Airport explains the importance of passenger experience

68 Frank Walenberg, KEMA Rail Transport Certification

52 From fragmentation to integration Alexander ter Kuile, Secretary General of CANSO, outlines the issues currently facing the aviation industry and explains what the future holds for the sector

PROJECT FOCUS 56 David Jones, Zeag

EXECUTIVE INTERVIEW 54 Stan Peterson, VidTroniX 108 Rüdiger Zollondz, Terex Cranes 134 Andreas Zöllner, Metso Lindemann

ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION 104 Paints and Coatings

100 Standard issue 60 The need for speed As high-speed rail gathers speed on the European agenda, plans for a trans-European network seem to be on track. EU Infrastructure speaks to Michael Robson of EIM to find out how high-speed rail fits into the wider transport picture

70 Driving smart Caroline Visser of the International Road Federation details the benefits intelligent transportation systems can bring, both for travellers and the environment

78 Security’s next wave The futuristic technology that helps Schiphol Airport fight terrorism

EU Infrastructure sits down with Skanska’s Petter Eiken to hear about the company’s efforts to standardise its processes and the need for greater specialisation

116 Power struggle E.ON’s Michael Lewis, on the challenges of offshore wind, the need for new transmission infrastructure and fossil fuel’s place in the future energy mix

122 Potential energy The technology for renewables is ready for deployment. All that remains is a push on the policy side

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CONTENTS 16

ASK THE EXPERT

IN THE BACK 120 Steffen Linnemann, Automated Precision Inc

58 Andy Nicholson, ARINC 74 Wim D’Hooghe, OTN Systems 110 Agnès Berthault, Ansell Healthcare 112 Hans-Josef Kloubert, BOMAG 114 Ronald Utterodt, Dynapac

130 Leading light Christine Lins see a bright future for renewable energy in Europe

132 Wasted

140 Regional focus 142 In review 144 Photo finish

As waste management works its way up the EU agenda, increasing amounts of legislation is being passed to regulate practises across Europe. However, these efforts will be wasted if the issue of compliance is not given top priority

126 Action on energy

136 Leading by example

EU Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs on the progress Europe is making in its pursuit for sustainable, competitive and secure energy supplies

Greg Vogt, Managing Director of ISWA, believes Europe is a leader in waste management

INDUSTRY INSIGHT 44 Franz Saif, BTC Speciality Chemical Distribution GmbH 50 Jeanine Roberts, Medialounge 66 Stefaan Volkaert, STEVO Electric Ltd. 76 Herzel Iosub, El-Far Electronics Systems 102 Claudio Ferracuti, Officine Maccaferri SpA 139 Toni Reftman, Eldan Recycling A/S

116

132

136

The Park Hotel, Bremen, Germany 2nd – 4th March 2010 Chairman/Publisher SPENCER GREEN Director of Projects ADAM BURNS Editorial Director HARLAN DAVIS Worldwide Sales Director OLIVER SMART

Next Generation Utilities Europe Summit 2010

Editor HUW THOMAS Managing Editor BEN THOMPSON Associate Editor STACEY SHEPPARD Deputy Editors NATALIE BRANDWEINER, REBECCA GOOZEE,

The NGU Summit is a three-day critical information gathering of the most influential and important CEOs from across Europe.

A Controlled, Professional and Focused Environment The NGU Summit is an opportunity to debate, benchmark and learn from other industry leaders.

It is a C-level event reserved for 100 participants that includes expert workshops, facilitated roundtables, peer-to-peer networking, and coordinated technology meetings.

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Good format. Great to step out of the normal process for meeting with vendors and be able to conduct a number of quality conversations in a short period.”

Director of Business Development RICHARD OWEN Operations Director JASON GREEN Operations Manager BEN KELLY

Eric Fowler, Regulation Manager, National Grid Subscription Enquiries +44 117 9214000. www.euinfrastructure.com

Great opportunity to update knowledge on technology trends, benchmark progress to others. A great networking event!”

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UPFRONT THE BRIEF

18

Steam and fumes emerge from the brown coal-fired power plant Niederaussem operated by RWE near Bergheim, Germany

THE CLIMATE CHALLENGE Can December’s Copenhagen conference provide the key to the climate challenge With the Kyoto Protocol due to expire in 2012, the global community is currently engaged in negotiations to agree its successor. The Copenhagen climate conference, due to take place in December, is a pivotal moment in the efforts towards agreeing a new treaty.

However, in recent weeks talks have stalled due to a lack of commitment on the part of developed nations to sufficiently reduce CO2 emissions, but also their reluctance to provide financial assistance to developing countries.

Washington, in particular, has

come under pressure to agree to to promise strict reductions by 2020 strict cuts in greenhouse gas emisin an effort to help unlock a deal sions by 2020. Only China in Copenhagen. emits higher levels of At a news conferMany greenhouse gases ence in November, nations are calling than the United Yvo de Boer, head for Washington to promise strict States, but the adof the UN Climate reductions by ministration in the Change Secretariat, US is having difficulty said: “We still need implementing carbonmore movement. Industcapping legislation, which is rialised countries must raise currently stalled in the Senate. Many their targets and financial commitnations are calling for Washington ments further. I look to the United

2020

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UPFRONT

THE BRIEF

19

States for a numerical mid-term funds into state enterprises rather target and a clear commitment on than keeping a level playing field for finance.” all businesses.

Swedish Environment MinGiven what is at stake, especialister, Anders Carlgren, agreed ly for developing nations, the G77 that more action was needed are not convinced that an advisory from the US. Speaking to Reuters body would posses the necessary he said: “In the end, an agreepower to drive through the dramatment in Copenhagen will depend ic changes required. on an American number.

Speaking to The Guardian, Without a clear and ambitious Shane Tomlinson of environment number the whole agreement will consultants E3G said: “We know be in danger.” that to limit global temperature The US appears to be rises to below 2˚C, we'll need a making progress on this issue, step change in global innovation however, and following a sumand technology transfer. In the mit in China, President period to 2020, it’s vital we Barack Obama made avoid high carbon To a statement in lock-in. The infralimit global which he stressed structure decisions temperature rises to that Copenhagen that developing should end with countries are takwe’ll need a step a deal that has ing today, such as change in global immediate operanew power stations, innovation tional effect even if the are going to determine goal of a legally binding pact their emissions pathways for is no longer achievable. Ministers 20-30 years.” in Copenhagen saw this as willingSuch infrastructure changes do ness on the part of the US to not come cheap though and develpromise clear 2020 targets. oping nations are looking to develHowever, developing naoped countries to fund the tions, who feel that they are more transformation. In October, EU at risk of the possible effects heads of state and government said of climate change – heatwaves, that in total, €100 billion a year droughts, wildfires, rising sea levwould be needed to fund emissions els, disease and species extinction reductions and adaptation in poor – are calling for a global body to be countries. They estimated that ininstated to direct the world’s lowternational public financing would carbon transformation in sectors have to cover between €22 and €50 such as power, transport and billion a year. However, they were heavy industry. reluctant to commit the EU to any Suggestions by the G77 of the specific sums before other parties establishment of a new central excome clean with their own offers. ecutive, political body – within With the recent announcethe existing UN Framework ment by the US administration that Convention on Climate Change – they want to take action consistent are not proving popular with with the legislative process, but that Europe or the US, who would climate change laws are unlikely to rather see a merely advisory body. be passed by the Senate before These two nations in particular are February, all eyes remain firmly on worried that a strong political Copenhagen and whether a political body may end up channelling agreement can be reached.

NEWS IN PICTURES

A massive blackout across the southern half of Brazil in November plunged tens of millions of people into darkness and prompted a major police mobilisation amid fears of an opportunistic crime wave

below 2˚C

Northside Bridge in Workington, Cumbria, is one of many bridges to have collapsed during the severe weather conditions that left many parts of northwest England under water

1000 giant dominos are toppled at the Brandenburg Gate along the former route of the Berlin Wall on November 9, 2009, as part of the celebrations marking the 20th anniversary of the fall of the wall

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UPFRONT INTERNATIONAL NEWS

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FREE FALL

FLYING HIGH

STRATEGIC PLAN

The construction industry in Russia has been hit hard by the global economic downturn. In 2009 the majority of construction projects were suspended and virtually no new residential or commercial property projects have been started.

For the first time this decade, the value of construction works will have shrunk – by over 15 percent in comparison with 2008, – according to a report by research and consulting company PMR.

Singapore’s Changi Airport received five awards in September, including four ‘Best Airport’ titles.

The readers of the UK edition of Business Traveller, voted Changi Airport the ‘Best Airport in the World’. This prestigious title was awarded for Changi’s excellence in airport facilities and services. Since first winning the title in 1988, Changi Airport has won the award for 22 consecutive years.

Turkey is to receive US$30 billion of investment over the next five years from Italian financial institution UniCredit. The US$6 billion annual payments will be used to fund energy, transportation and infrastructure projects in Turkey, according to Vittorio Ogliengo, a member of Unicredit’s executive management committee.

Without the buffer of a strong first six months, says the report, 2009 has witnessed a fully fledged construction crisis, with output, employment and other key indicators for the industry falling sharply.

The report states that most construction contracts next year will be related to infrastructure development projects, which will serve to boost the overall level of construction activity in the country.

Closer to home, Changi Airport received the same affirmation from readers of Business Traveller’s AsiaPacific edition, who also chose Changi as the ‘Best Airport in the World’ for the 18th consecutive year. In addition, Changi Airport was named ‘Best Airport Duty-Free in the World’ by the magazine for the 12th year running.

At an international infrastructure conference held by UniCredit, Turkish Transportation Minister Binali Yıldırım said that Turkey has 100 ongoing projects in energy, transportation and communication, worth US$400 billion between now and 2023. “We can allocate a maximum of US$150 billion from our budget. We have to obtain the remaining part from external resources,” he said.

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UPFRONT

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

NEW STIMULUS President Obama recently announced his plan to use US$3.4 billion in stimulus funds to support 100 projects aimed at modernising America’s electrical grid. The projects will include the installation of smart electric meters in homes, automating utility substations, and installing thousands of new digital transformers and grid sensors.

Private contractors, utilities, and municipal governments are amongst those set to receive grants of between US$400,000 and US$200 million. The government is expecting a further US$4.7 billion in private investment to match the taxpayers money, and predicts that the spending will create tens of thousands of new jobs.

21

END OF THE WORLD There was a point when many were wondering if the oil-rich Middle Eastern states were immune from the effects of the credit crunch. That was before they too succumbed to the stranglehold of the global downturn.

Large developers are now feeling the effects of the financing crunch and are having to put some of their flagship developments on hold.

The World – a multi-billion series of paradise islands shaped like a map of the Earth – has seen work come to a complete standstill in recent months as prices began tumbling.

However, developers Nakheel are adamant that work will recommence on The World next year. Group Managing Director, projects, for Nakheel, Marwan Al Qamzi, said: “We are working with a core group of purchasers who are revising their designs to account for the changes in the economy. Scopes have been updated to match their development strategies and construction commencement is anticipated for Q2 2010.”

BUILDING BIG A project to build a dam on the River Mwache in Kenya is due to be completed in 2012. With a capacity of 205,000 cubic metres of water per day, it will serve 1.5 million people in the towns of Kinango, Kaloleni, and Mombasa, which regularly suffer from a lack of water.

The Chinese Government will be financing the building of the dam, with a contribution of US$48.3 million. The total cost for the 188m tall dam – the highest ever constructed in Africa – is expected to be US$350 million.

The dam will serve to improve irrigation and boost the production of electricity in the area with a capacity of 34 megawatts.

Nesbert Mangale, Director of the Kenyan Coast Development Authority, told the daily Nation that a preliminary agreement had been signed with the Chinese company Jiangxi, which will be carrying out the work, due to start in Q1 2010.

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UPFRONT COMPANY NEWS

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SAFETY FIRST

TOP 10

SafetyFirst DVD can be used to provide awareness and training on how to safely manage the BP Bitumen is launching its SafetyFirst prorisks associated with handling hot bitumen and is gramme, which aims to achieve improved an excellent tool to assist Safety Team meetings. safety performance at load locations “We believe the SafetyFirst proand asphalt mixing plants. BP gramme will introduce a new ap“We believe the Bitumen is committed to proproach to safety management and viding a safe working environhelp to drive a step change imment in all aspects of the provement in how we and our cusprogramme will introduce a new business. “This includes sharing tomers manage safety within approach to best practices that help to safeoperations,” says Schröder. safety” guard our employees and contractors For more information please visit www.bpbitumen.com but also our customers,” says Ingeborg Schröder, HSSE Advisor BP Bitumen Germany.

She adds: “We realise that Health, Safety and Environmental incidents in our industry can have catastrophic consequences and we want to extend our working knowledge and best practice to all those we work with.” This is why BP Bitumen introduced the BP SafetyFirst initiative, based on a DVD which provides some best in class industry practices to better understand some of the main hazards associated with bitumen storage and handling.

The BP SafetyFirst programme takes the viewer through the main processes from loading of bitumen trucks through to how to best discharge trucks into storage tanks at customer mixing plants.

The DVD highlights some of the precautions to take during loading, from the dangers of working at heights through to emergency procedures and how to deal with bitumen burns. It also uses custom animations to alert users to some of the hazards that can occur with the storage and handling of hot bitumen and the correct Personal Protective Equipment to wear when handling it.

Available in multiple languages, the

SafetyFirst

10 countries with the best infrastructure as voted by the World Economic Forum in their Global Competitiveness Report 2009-2010

1 2 3 4 5

6

7 8 9 10

Germany

Hong Kong SAR

France

Singapore

Switzerland

United Arab Emirates

Canada

SEEKING INSPIRATION United States

Austria

Finland

The European Commission’s ‘Open Days’ took place in Brussels in October 2009 when local representatives and business leaders from the EU met to discuss the future of so-called smart cities.

As the EU works on strategies for meeting its goal of slashing greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent by 2020, urban areas are increasingly being fingered as the main target.

Cities are responsible for two-thirds of Europe's greenhouse gas emissions, which makes them a key element in delivering its ambitious climate agenda.

For inspiration the EU is looking to Masdar, a 100 percent renewable energy and zero-carbon city to be built in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. Masdar is to house around 1500 clean tech companies, with 40,000 residents and 50,000 commuters.

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UPFRONT 24 MIKE BARKER, MD of Buildings and Structures at Mott MacDonald, explains how implementing a community of best practice can help to foster innovation and cutting-edge thinking.

Modern design teams are really all about collaboration, and the edges of the discipline can get quite blurred at times. This is especially important in a global economy.What we try to do is bring a fresh approach into the design and development process that isn’t blinkered by what we’ve done before as industry specialists, by having people from different disciplines working closely together and sharing ideas and maybe incorporating best practices or ways of working from other areas of the business. It allows us to innovate without taking unnecessary risks.

Our environment is becoming increasingly litigious, and that can provide a cap on innovation as people are less willing to take unknown risks. Nonetheless, we always try to provide added value, and innovation plays a key role in this. For instance, we have a professional excellence programme across the group that we use to bring the latest thinking into the workplace. I suppose if I were really honest about it, you’d ideally like to use ideas that have already been successfully trialled in the market, where somebody else had a go and made them work, so you’ve got a precedent.

And so really we’re looking at refining existing ideas and making them more accurate, and bringing more certainty into what we’re doing. On the construction side, it’s a case of refining what we’ve got, and the innovations are probably going to come when looking at how to improve the energy efficiency of the build and the build process.

We believe that the best innovation happens when it becomes a by product of your company culture. In Mott MacDonald, we try to make sure that each of our teams are adopting the same working discipline and values in different locations, and it’s like that across Europe and everywhere we work. There is a strong culture of working together across geographical and technical boundaries to provide best practice solutions to problems, so that people can benefit from being part of a larger organisation that is able to provide better direction, better training and a greater understanding of what current needs are and what cutting-edge thinking is all about.

You wouldn’t necessarily get this if you were sitting by yourself in an office of three people. But by having a community of best practice across the group, it enables those three people to feel part of, for example, a 200-strong team who all do the same thing but are remote from each other. And that 200-strong team has a critical mass that enables each of those smaller teams to bring current thinking and the expertise of the whole group into whatever projects they are working on.

IN MY VIEW

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UPFRONT

COMPANY NEWS

PAY AS YOU GO The Dutch government recently approved a bill that will see drivers in the Netherlands become the first in Europe to start paying according to the kilometres they drive rather than for owning a car. The change in the system, which will see total welfare gains amounting to €1 billion per annum, will affect nine million road users.

Beginning in 2012, the kilometre charge will replace road tax and purchase tax, cutting the cost of a new car by 25 percent. However, drivers will be charged 0.03 euros per kilometre in an attempt to reduce traffic jams, fatal accidents and carbon emissions in what is one of Europe’s most congested road networks. The tax will be increased annually until 2018, when it will cost 6.7 cents per kilometre to drive in Holland. Legislation introducing rush-hour surcharges specific to a location could be introduced at a later date.

The transport ministry expects the number of kilometres travelled to drop

25

by 15 percent as the charge on the distance driven will lead people to opt for public transport, the use of which is expected to increase by six percent.

Certain vehicles like taxis, buses and motorcycles will be exempt from the charge, while an alternative system will be set up for foreign vehicles. The kilometres will be tracked with a GPS device to be installed in every vehicle. This will record each journey and send the information to a billing agency.

Concerns about privacy were dispelled as the transport ministry announced that the information sent via the GPS device will be legally and technically protected. The authorities will not have access to any journey details and will not be able to track any vehicles.

According to the transport ministry, the proceeds from the kilometre charge will go directly into the infrastructure fund, which will be used to build roads, railways and other types of infrastructure.

The latest issue of US Infrastructure featured an article on the ongoing efforts to rebuild flood defences in New Orleans four years after Hurricane Katrina.

To read more of the stories from this issue head to www.americainfra.com

TRADING DOWN

FAST FACT

The UK Civil Aviation Authority British Airways, Heathrow’s largest (CAA) published its annual survey of user, lost £401 million last year as a passengers in October this year, pro- result of declining premium passenviding some worrying indicager numbers. tions for airlines. Business The CAA’s survey British travel has been hit also showed eviAirways lost particularly hard dence of business with the number of passengers tradlast year as a business passengers ing down from result of declining using Heathrow, the full-service airlines premium passenger world’s busiest interto budget airlines. numbers national airport, falling At both Luton and by five percent last year.

Stansted, primarily used by The decrease in business passen- low-cost carriers such as easyJet and gers has had severe consequences for Ryanair, a one percent rise in busithe airlines operating out of Heathrow. ness passengers was recorded.

£401 million

The use of transport biofuels could lead to a cut in carbon dioxide emissions of

50-60% compared with fossil fuels Source: Renewable Energy Association

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UPFRONT COMPANY NEWS

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PLUG-IN CARS

At the end of October, Europe’s electricity suppliers met in Brussels to discuss a standardised recharging infrastructure for plug-in electric cars. The move will pave the way for motorists across Europe to refuel their vehicles at standarised charging stations.

Speaking on behalf of Eurelectric, which represents the electricity industry, Padraig

McManus, Chief Executive of the Electricity Supply Board (ESB), said that the car industry, equipment manufacturers, electricity companies and consumers will benefit from agreeing on a common infrastructure for plug-in vehicles.

Antonio Tajani, EU Transport Commissioner, welcomed the commitment to pressing ahead with practical preparations for electric vehicles and said that the move will help put the EU at the forefront of new transport technologies.

FEELING THE HEAT

sent model TSC 515 it is the fastest LTHD for tunnels as proven in several independent tests. A five MW fire can be seen in less than 30 seconds even Linear type heat detectors are today the stanunder high wind velocity of 10 m/s. The new MHD dard product for automatic tunnel fire detec535 in addition brings increased availability by tion. The temperature sensor cable with discrete using control units at both ends and sepasemiconductor sensors today is certainly rator modules to create segments in the system with the highest flexibiliIt allows the cable. This means that not only ty in designing an installation. It ruptures, but any kind of damage allows absolute temperature as including short-circuits, are covwell as temperature change detemperature as ered. In this way, only the part betection and provides data for viwell as temperature change tween two SSM is not available in sualisation. Setup of segments of detection case of damage. sensors or different thresholds for This is a significant increase in safety different sensors is very easy. and availability of tunnel temperature sensor cable Now SECURITON presystems. The newly developed FT-NET (fault tolsents the new SecuriSens erant network) allows the integration of several MHD 535 system. As processor units with attached temperature sensor the precables on a failsafe network. All information essential for fire detection such as alarm, alarm localisation, pre-alarm, system failure, or system status are transferred via this network. In the tunnel application, such networks might make sense for tunnels longer than 2000m or for complex topographies including exits in the tunnel with separate detectors.

SMART SOLUTIONS UK energy and climate changesecretary Ed Miliband recently announced government plans to have every UK home fitted with a smart meter by 2020. The scheme, should it go ahead, will constitute the world’s biggest smart meter project.

According to government estimates, putting smart meters in the UK's 26 million homes could save customers and energy companies approximately £2.5bn-£3.6bn over the next 20 years, but it will cost more than double this to buy and install the equipment.

“The meters most of us have in our homes were designed for a different age, before climate change,” said Miliband. “Now we need to get smarter with our energy … so it's important we design a system that brings best value to everyone involved.”

absolute

For more information please consult www.securiton.com

Britain’s Energy and Climate Change Minister Miliband and Business Secretary Mandelson under a wind turbine in Kings Langley, England

FAST FACT In 2007, there were

2566 people killed or seriously injured in railway accidents in the EU-27 Source: Eurostat

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CARBON NEUTRAL

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Airport Carbon Accreditation was launched by ACI EUROPE in June this year and LFV’s Stockholm-Arlanda airport has become the first airport to receive the highest possible accreditation status for its outstanding efforts to reduce CO2 emissions over the past three years.

Stockholm-Arlanda was awarded the ‘Neutrality’ level of accreditation in recognition of its 50 percent reduction in carbon emissions through increased efficiency measures and a switch to renewable fuels.

Kerstin Lindberg Göransson, Managing Director of StockholmArlanda Airport said: “Stockholm-Arlanda is already seen as a role model by many international analysts in terms of climate-changing emissions, and this accreditation provides further evidence that the work we’re putting into this also yields results.”

FAST FACT

Rail is on average

2-5 times more energy efficient than road, shipping and aviation

Source: the Worldwide International Organisation of the Railway Sector

SIMULATING COMMUNICATION

messages are recorded for analysis by the trainer after the exercise. In all aspects, TETRAsim system Those who use simulatorsas a way of training users of gives the trainers powerful tools to control the TETRA technology have noticed how difficult – almost learning environment and ensure proper compeimpossible – it is to bring user competence to required tence development of the organisation. level while using traditional training methods such as These assets have already been recognised by aureal equipment and printed material. With simulator thorities in 11 countries in Europe, the Middle East systems they can replicate the operational enand Asia which already use TETRAsim vironment and carry out various exercissimulators in their training for poTETRAsim es that combine TETRA technology lice, fire and rescue, border guard, training system enables and the organisation’s communicacivil defense, defense or any tion procedures. other organisation using TETRAsim training system TETRA in their radio commutraining with enables realistic training with simnication. Their training scope simulators to TETRA networks and its ulators to TETRA networks and its varies from learning of radio terterminals terminals. Parameters used in minal usage to communication withTETRAsim virtual network can be set to in a group exercise using the operation match those of the authentic operational environplan of the particular organisation. ment. Simulator training is measurable and easily Boosted operational efficiency, along with incontrolled by the trainer and it enables objective creased overall reliability among the TETRA users, feedback to be given to trainees. Both voice and are just some of the key advantages attained. After data messages are transmitted in the virtual enviall, having made a fine decision to invest in TETRA ronment between the trainees. Speech and data technology, the vast potential available should be exploited to the utmost.

realistic

For more information on TETRAsim see www.tetrasim.com

SELLING UP

BAA recently announced the sale of London Gatwick Airport to Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) – an independent US$5.64 billion investment fund – for the price of £1.51 billion.

BAA announced its plans to sell Gatwick in September 2008. Completion is anticipated in December 2009 and is subject to, among other

things, European Union merger clearance. Colin Matthews, BAA’s Chief Executive, said that BAA will now be focusing on improving their other airports, including Heathrow.

Michael McGhee, the GIP Partner leading the acquisition, commented: “We will upgrade and modernise Gatwick Airport to transform the experience for both business and leisure passengers. We plan to work closely with the airlines to improve performance, as we have done successfully at London City Airport.”

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THE ROAD AHEAD

DON’T MISS...

60 THE NEED FOR SPEED EU Infrastructure speaks to Michael Robson of EIM to find out how high-speed rail fits into the wider transport picture

President responsible for EIB lending in Central and Eastern Europe, including Poland, commented: “It is a The A2 motorway in Poland is to be extended priority for the EIB to finance projects, that will confollowing a €1 billion investment by the European tribute to the reduction of Poland’s gap in rail and road Investment Bank (EIB). The 106km infrastructure that needs to be filled in the coming extension will form part of the priority years. The connection of Poland with the The A2 Trans-European Transport Network main trans-European networks of central motorway connecting the Polish capital Europe is a key element for sustainable in Poland is to be Warsaw with the German Capital extended following a economic growth and creation of emBerlin. It will also complete ployment in the region concerned as well Poland’s East-West transport axis as in the whole country”. investment linking several major Polish cities The EIB has been a major source of fiincluding Poznan, Łódź and Konin. nance for the improvement of the transport netThe EIB’s investment will provide 62.5 perwork in Poland. Since 1990 it has co-financed sections cent of the total cost of the project, which will be imple- of the A1, A2, A4 and A6 motorways and major namented and operated by Autostrada tional roads along the Pan-European Corridors II, III Wielkopolska S.A. (AWSA). and VI in Poland. The Bank has so far provided some Marta Gajecka, EIB Vice- €8.5 billion for the rehabilitation and extension of the Polish transport network.

€1 billion

100 STANDARD ISSUE EU Infrastructure sits down with Skansa’s Peter Eiken to hear about the company’s efforts to standardise its processes and the need for greater specialisation

126 ACTION ON ENERGY EU Energy Commissioner Adris Piebalgs on the progress Europe is making in its pursuit for sustainable, competitive and secure energy supplies

COMPANY INDEX Q1 2010 Companies in this issue are indexed to the first page of the article in which each is mentioned.

Airport Consulting Vienna 10, 82 Akzo Nobel 104 Ansell Healthcare IFC, 110 ARINC 58, 59 Atkins Global 40 Automated Precision Inc. 120, 121 BOMAG 112, 113, 145 BP Bitumen 22, 23 BTC Speciality Chemical Distribution GmbH 44, 45 Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation (CANSO) 52 Combibox 48 Consorzio Venezia Nuova 32 Costain 86 Crossrail 92 Dynapac 2, 114 E.ON 116 El-Far Electronics Systems 76, 77 Eldan Recycling A/S 15, 139 ERTICO 70 European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) 52 European Commission 60, 122

European Rail Infrastructure Managers 60 European Renewable Energy Council 130 European Tyre Recyclers Association (ETRA) 139 GE Energy 122 International Road Federation 70 International Solid Waste Association (ISWA) 136 ITS America 70 Jotun 104 KEMA Rail transport Certification 68, 69 Kontron 62 London Metropolitan Police Service 96 Medialounge 50, 51 Metso Lindemann 134, 135 Munich Airport 46 Network Rail 86 Officine Maccaferri SpA 102, 103 Olympic Delivery Authority 86 Optosecurity 80 Orga Aviation 57 OTN Systems 74, 75 Planar 73 Radio Frequency Systems 84 Schiphol Airport 78

Securiton 26, 27 Siemens 4 Skanska 100 Steinbichler Optotechnik GmbH 120 Stevo Electric 66, 67 Terex Cranes 108, 109 TETRAsim 28, 29 Tikkurila 104, 105 Total Bitumen 146 University of Padua 32 Venice in Peril 32 Venice Port Authority 32 VidTroniX 54, 55 Winland Electronics 64 Zeag 6, 56

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31

TOP 100 GLOBAL INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS BY SECTOR

11% Electricity

TOP 10

4% Oil & Gas

8%

29%

Surface Transportation

HSR

9% Airports

4% Water & WW

World’s 10 most expensive airports Source: www.iata.org

7% Ports

16% Renewables

13% UMT

GOING DEEPER UNDERGROUND BRITAIN'S Serco Group became the world's biggest operator of driverless metros as the first part of Dubai's £4.5 billion Metro system was opened by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, ruler of Dubai, at 9.09 on the 09 September – 9.09.09.09.09. Serco, who already has experience of automated metros - Docklands Light Railway in London and Copenhagen Metro in Denmark – has started operating Dubai's Red Line. Initially serving 10 key stations, including Terminal 3 at Dubai International Airport,

the Financial Centre and the Mall of the Emirates, the Red Line will have a capacity of 3500 passengers every hour. The remaining 19 stations on the Red Line, which will run from Rashidiya to Jebel Ali, will be opened in phases over the next few months and are due to be completed by February 2010. The Green Line, which will launch in June 2010, is 22 km (14 miles) long and will run from Eitisalat to Al Kour with 18 stations. When fully operational the Metro is expected to carry over 1.2 million passengers on an average day.

Source: CG/LA Infrastructure

Serco's team in Dubai has been working for two years as part of the build-up to the inauguration and has reportedly delivered over 50,000 training days to equip 3000 employees with the safety and technical skills needed to deliver a world class and safe railway.

The Chairman and Executive Director of the Dubai Roads & Transport Authority, Mattar Al Tayer, said: “The launch of the Dubai Metro brings to fruition the key element of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum's vision for developing Dubai's transport infrastructure and has been completed in record breaking time.”

1 2 3 4 5

6

7 8 9 10

Toronto

Athens

New Jersey-EWR

London-LHR

Paris-CDG

Vancouver

Osaka

Vienna

Zurich

Berlin

VENICE_27nov 03/12/2009 15:34 Page 32

COVER STORY Rising sea levels and subsiding land threaten the City of Light’s very existence. Can an ambitious engineering plan provide a solution or is Venice doomed to a watery grave? By Huw Thomas

THAT

SINKING

VENICE_27nov 03/12/2009 15:35 Page 33

FEELING

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A

s any visitor to the city can attest, Venice is like nowhere else on earth. Its twisting network of canals, narrow streets and stately bridges have captivated visitors for centuries. Settled on a series of marshy islands in a huge lagoon on the Adriatic coast some 2000 years ago, Venice’s position on the Adriatic coast saw it become a major seafaring city state and powerhouse of international trade.

But now the proximity to water that enabled Venice to punch so high above its economic weight threatens the city’s very existence. Venetians are no strangers to flooding. The so-called acqua alta (high water) has been a regular feature throughout the city’s history, but its effects are becoming more acute over time. Since the start of the last century, the land on which Venice is built has subsided by an average of 23cm across the city, resulting in increasingly regular flooding. This subsidence has been accompanied by rising sea levels, a problem that is only set to get worse in the coming decades as global warming pushes tides even higher. Hard data offers a stark example of the seriousness of the situation; between 1926 and 1935, high water events of 110cm or more occurred seven times. In the decade between 1996 and 2005, that number had grown to 53. It is not only the frequency of flooding that has increased during the 20th century, but the severity too. A 194cm event, the worst ever recorded, caused havoc on 4 November 1966, but swells of 140cm

34 www.euinfrastructure.com

ce. At the time of writing, or more have become distressingly commonpla struck on 30 November.

Venice is recovering from a 131cm flood which was. In place of huge volVenice is no longer the economic goliath it once its wealth from the 20 million umes of international trade, the city now draws in Venice’s sights and history tourists who visit annually. They come to bask ians for whom the city is a and they hugely outnumber the just 60,000 Venet y destination and a viable place year-round home. If it is to remain both a holida to halt the sea’s progress. to live for residents, something needs to be done already swamped, now Historic buildings, their durable stone foundations of salt crystals in their vulnershow telltale smears of green algae and blooms nes in Piazza San Marco, able brickwork. Water bubbles up between flagsto rising waters led to the 2003 even on clear and flood-free days. This threat of m for Modulo Sperimentale authorisation of the MOSE project. Both an acrony biblical Red Sea parter Moses, Elettromeccanico and the Italian name for the ates at the Lido, Malamocco MOSE is an ambitious plan to build mobile floodg almost €5 billion and hopeand Chioggia lagoon inlets. It will eventually cost es to come. fully protect Venice from the acqua alta for decad

Stemming the tide

simple. When unusualOn the face of it, the MOSE system seems fairly the lagoon floor to from rise ly high sea levels threaten the city, floodgates will

VENICE_27nov 03/12/2009 15:03 Page 35

stem the flow. Coupled with better breakwaters and a number of other permanent defences, the system should protect the city from the worst tidal effects. But few things are that simple. From the beginning, MOSE has been a major source of controversy, with numerous objections on environmental, financial and operational grounds. The organisation tasked with overseeing this huge project is the Consorzio Venezia Nuova (New Venice Consortium), an alliance of major Italian construction firms. Giovanni Cecconi is an engineer with the consortium who has been working on the project since its inception.

A construction effort of this size and type has presented plenty of engineering challenges. “For instance the differential settlement, the foundation,” says Cecconi. “The technique is one of the most universal, but this has to be done in four different places, historical places, and we have to compact the soil and predict the behaviour of these cases. You can find floodgates around the world, but not a row of independent floodgates spread out around so many

“Since the start of the la st century the land on whi ch Venice is built has subsided by an average of 23cm across the city”

inlets. This provides great flexibility and they can move each other, so the load is transferred to the foundation, but you can have dynamical behaviour. So we had to do plenty of investigation in the resonance behaviour to avoid that.

We modified the size and shape of the gates in order to have a system that cannot resonate through the normal weather, and also during the extreme flooding. We used mathematical modeling to define the domain of risk of instability. Then with the physical model we did the complete modelling of all relevant phenomena, because the math ematical model has certain assumptions. These studies started at the very beginning and we finished them immediately before the start of the project.”

A striking feature of the project is its durat ion. Despite being approved in 2003, the system is not expected to be opera tional until 2014. According to Cecconi, it is not only technical challenges that have made the process of building MOSE a slow one, but also politi cal considerations. The project has been a football for various factions in Italy’s often tumultuous political landscape, only gaining final approval when it was adopted by Silvio Berlusconi’s administration. “When you have such a big project the decision is mainly political and it’s like a flag,” says Cecconi. “The project goes ahead when one party is winning and the other is losing and so on. This takes time to build success, but because the project was very much ahead when Berlusconi went into power it triggered the start-up because the project was ready and reliable. The administration took the opportunity to prom ote itself through the project.”

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MOSE IN ACTION

Lagoon

Sea

But Berlusconi’s approval hasn’t ended opposition. Now, nearly seven years since its approval and still four years from completion, some continue to see MOSE as an expensive way for the government to funnel money to its friends in industry that fails to address the real issues facing Venice. Even the city’s mayor, Massimo Cacciari, has added his voice to protests from conservation groups and concerned residents.

While there seems to be general consensus that the MOSE gates will at least be effective in protecting against the acqua alta, a key concern is the impact they might have on the lagoon’s ecosystem. A natural flow of water through the three

Emmission of air Expulsion of water

inlets is vital to prevent the lagoon’s waters becoming stagnant and polluted.

This is a particularly big problem for Venice as the city has no municipal sewage system and relies on the tides to flush waste into the Adriatic. However, Cecconi believes that this should not cause too much trouble. “We have decided in the environmental assessment to use the gates to preserve Venice for all the high tide and also the exceptional ones, instead leaving the more frequent one to be treated through local rising of the banks and local protection,” he says. “This Lagoon

Sea

means that now assuming that we want to elevate a small number of time of closure, only three to five times a year for a few hours each time. This means less than one percent of the time during the flooding period with very little impact to the port because we have also navigational lock.”

But critics suggest that this is a short-sighted assessment. If global trends continue, we could see sea levels rising considerably in the not-too-distant future, which could necessitate the gates being in use far more often than currently planned. “The phenomenon of high waters could be further aggravated by the predicted sea level rise due to climate changes,” says Luigi D’Alpaos, Professor of Hydrodynamics at Padua University. “If the relative sea level inWhen a tide of 110cm or more occurs, the MOSE gates spring into action. Normally laid flat on the lagoon bed, the gates are filled with air and raise up to create a barrier to the incoming seawater. To minimise environmental impact, the gates only remain in use until sea levels return to normal. They then fill with water and sink once more to the bottom of the lagoon.

While this is an adequate response to intermittent threats of high waters, opponents of the system are concerned about the impact on Venice’s ecosystem if rising sea levels require their more frequent use.

creased by about 50cm in the next century, in accordance with Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change predictions for the global rate of sea level rise, the barriers of the MOSE system would enter into operation almost every day in winter, and for longer periods of time. Such an occurrence will bear as a consequence relevant environmental problems related to the strong reduction in the intensity of tidal currents and therefore to their role in governing water exchange between different portions of the lagoon. It is also worthwhile noting that port activities will suffer the more frequent closure of the inlets in the case of a marked increase in mean seal level. In fact, operational continuity and accessibility to the port to commercial ships, with the mobile gates raised, is ensured only through the navigation lock at the Malamocco inlet, and this represents a limitation to port activities.”

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VENICE_27nov 03/12/2009 15:03 Page 37

Port in a storm Port activity is a significant factor in the debate on safeguarding the city.

In September 2009, the Venice Port Authority released a report on plans to further develop Porto Marghera, just 4km northwest of Venice, into a major shipping hub. To ensure that larger ships could access the port, the authority has proposed a programme of dredging, which includes deepenin g the Malamocco-Marghera channel to 16m. D’Alpaos expresses serious concerns about the long-term effects such a move could have on Venice’s ecology.

The movement of sediment between the lagoon and the Adriatic is greatly influenced by shipping channels, with the asymmetry between ebb and flood meaning that far more sediment is expelled from the lagoon than brought in.

“In the ebb phase, once the current has moved beyond the heads of the jetties, it maintains a jet structure that moves out towards the sea, penetrati ng for quite a long distance into the open sea,” he says. “As a consequence, a sediment plume forms, which flows out into the sea during the ebb phase, whereas only a small amount of sediments that were carried out to the sea during the ebb phase return to the lagoon during the following flood phase.

Such strongly asymmetric behaviour has led to a very intense erosion of the tidal flats in the Venice lagoon, which is well documented by the comparison of the bathymetries starting from 1901.”

These effects are likely to be compounded by the impact more and bigger ships would have on Venice’s environment. “Boat-induced wakes and currents, particularly in the case of large boats, further contribute to the ero-

boat-induced wakes within the Malamocco-Marghera channel, obviously such a process is not influenced by the presence of the gates. It depends mainly on the shape of boat keels and on boat speed.”

Venice Port Authority declined to be interviewed for this article, but it would be fair to say that the authority’s President Paolo Costa is in general disagreement with those who oppose plans for port expansion. In response to a report from the charity Venice in Peril that highlighted the dangers fresh dredging posed, Costa accused the fund of “pseudo-scientific profiteering” and insisted that the port expansion would bring both economic and environmental benefits.

Deep trouble The growing disparity between a subsiding Venice and a rising sea level remains a major issue, with some suggesting that the rate of subsidence is being underestimated by planners. Albert Ammerman is an archaeologist

WATER, WATER EVERYWHERE The 20th century has seen a dramatic rise in the number of 110cm or higher floods in Venice 60

50

53 40

39 30

31 20

23

22

It is here that the MOSE system enters the debate over port expansio n.

The Port Authority dismisses concerns over the effects of deeper shipping channels by pointing to the mitigating factor of the new flood defences.

In the report on its plans for Porto Marghera, the authority simply states that: “The problem of the hydraulic equilibrium is solved because it will be managea ble through judicious use of the MOSE system.”

But according to Professor D’Alpaos, the idea that the MOSE project can provide an answer just doesn’t stand up. “The erosion process due to wind, waves and boat-induced wakes will not be mitigated by the MOSE system,” he states. “The gates, in fact, do not have any effect on the reduction of windinduced erosion processes, which depend on water depth, wind climate, and fetch. All of these quantities do not feel the presence of the gates. As to the

10

1996-2005

1976-1985

1966-1975

1956-1965

1946-1955

0

11 3 1936-1945

7 1926-1935

sion processes taking place in the lagoon,” continues D’Alpaos. “This clearly emerges if one compares the elevation of tidal flats flanking the Malamocco-Marghera channel characterising the present configuration and the bathymetry surveyed in 1970, immediately after the channel’s excavation. From all this, it follows that increasing the number and size of boats entering the lagoon will inevitably enhance the erosion processes occurrin g on the intertidal areas flanking the navigable channels.”

1986-1995

“Despite being approved in 2003, the MOSE system is not expected to be operational until 2014”

who has been digging into Venice’s past for many years, with some surprising results. Amongst other things, Ammerman’s excavations have uncovered a walkway of Roman tiles dating back to about 200 AD, which now lies about 1.5m below current sea levels, indicating that the actual rate of subsidence is around 13cm per century. In the past, Venetians would counteract these effects by engaging in a constant process of construction. “What we can always see in the archaeological record is the gradual, progressive buildup of the land surface,” said Amerman in an interview with PBS News. “We can see five or six floors, with just one after the other, six inches, a foot, gradually being built up. Flooding would always be a problem, so their way to deal with it was es-

www.euinfrastructure.com 37

VENICE_27nov 03/12/2009 15:04 Page 38

Construction of a lock at the Lido inlet, which will allow the passage of small craft and emergency vessels when the gates are raised

Building work at the Malamocco inlet

The area at the Chiogga inlet where gates will be located

Completed outer breakwater; with the 90 percent complete Chiogga inlet in the background

38 www.euinfrastructure.com

VENICE_27nov 03/12/2009 15:04 Page 39

MOSE: VIEW FROM ABOVE

sentially to come in and continually be adjusting the ground level upward, layer after layer after layer.”

However, Venice’s status as a historical destination has seen such efforts grind to a halt. “One of the fascinating things is that, since essentially 1800, the time of Napoleon, the fall of the Venetian republic, they have stopped doing that,” Ammerman continued. “Venice has become, in some sense, a museum. It's become fossilized. The life of the city, also the notion of preservation heritage, stops people from doing what was the thing that Venetians always did; that is, build up the ground level.”

This illustrates the biggest challenge facing the city, that of safeguarding Venice without destroying what makes it worth protecting. If current predictions are in any way accurate, the only way to effectively prevent the city being submerged will be to completely seal off the inlets into the lagoon. Along with the environmental problems of such a plan, there would also be significant economic impact, as access to cruise and cargo ships would be severely restricted. This would give rise to a whole new range of engineering challenges if the city were to remain viable.

But there remains one more option. Instead of entering an arms race with rising sea levels, why not raise the land up instead? It’s not as bizarre an idea as it sounds.

Venice is built on spongy swampland. Over the years, the weight if the city has pushed down, squeezing out water and compressing the earth below. Borrowing techniques used in oil exploration to access hard-to-reach deposits, a research group at the University of Padua has suggested that salt water could be pumped into a sandy layer 600-800m beneath the lagoon. “This plan could lift Venice by up to 30cm in 10 years, and Venice could be raised safely by using actual technology,” says D’Alpaos. “This plan is contested by some people, but I think it deserves much more attention, and that analyses and studies on such a direction need to be supported.

After all, the process of lifting the city with advanced technologies could mimic the actions undertaken by the ancient Venetians, who used to demolish whole islands and rebuild them over the rubble at higher elevations.”

If it works, this solution offers perhaps the best hope for Venice’s prolonged future, allowing the city to stay dry while keeping its architectural magnificence sealed in amber. The MOSE plan can certainly stem the tide for now, but if Venice’s 2000-year history is going to endure for further millennia, it is only the first step in an ongoing engineering challenge. n

The three lagoon inlets at Lido, Malamocco and Chioggia are 800m, 400m and 380m wide respectively. The inlets are marked by long jetties that were built during the 20th century. Structural work through the 1990s has strengthened the jetties so that they will be able to support the flood defence system.

COVER STORY

Oxford Circus, London

Copenhagen Metro

The Atkins diet EU Infrastructure Editor Huw Thomas meets Atkins Global CEO Keith Clarke, and hears that the construction industry needs to embrace low carbon now if it is to remain ďŹ t for the future.

Bahrain World Trade Center

Millennium Staduim, Cardiff

40 www.euinfrastructure.com

Keith Clarke.indd Sec1:40

3/12/09 15:13:42

“Climate change is a reality and the consequences are devastating – rising sea levels, decreasing fresh water resources, extreme droughts, storms and flooding. The human suffering and financial costs of the impacts of climate change are enormous, affecting rich and poor alike…

Even if greenhouse gas emissions were stabilised today the climate would continue to change as it adapts to the increased emissions over the past 30 years. The world’s population must prepare to minimise the inevitable impact of climate change.”

I

t’s a powerful statement, but what makes it particularly striking is that it doesn’t originate from an organisation like Greenpeace or Friends of the Earth. Instead it is an excerpt from the programme of the 2009 FIDIC conference, an international gathering of some of the biggest names in construction, engineering and consultancy.

“It’s stunning progress,” says Atkins Global Chief Executive Keith Clarke when I catch up with him at the event. “It really cheers you up to see it. As opposed to the idea that somebody else has to do it all, FIDIC has come out and said, ‘It’s us. We’re part of the future. Get on the stage.’”

As one of the keynote speakers at the 2009 event, Clarke is a popular presence on the conference floor, and securing a bit of time with him requires a degree of perseverance. Just a cursory glance at some of the projects in Atkins’ portfolio quickly demonstrates why Clarke is in such demand. From metro systems in Dubai and Copenhagen, to airport terminals in China and traffic management in London’s Oxford Circus, the firm has its fi ngers in a huge number of pies.

Despite the pressure he is undoubtedly under, Clarke is excellent company. Plainly spoken and refreshingly untroubled by a desire to toe the corporate line, what really shines through is his commitment, both personal and professional, to the concept of sustainability. “It’s probably the biggest challenge we’ve ever had,” he says. “But what’s interesting is that if you go back 24 months, you wouldn’t see a special page on green technology in The Sunday Times’ business section as a matter of course. It’s becoming mainstream at such a rate that you can see in a year’s time there won’t be a green page for the business section. It’ll be embedded in all the aspects as a matter of course, and you’ll get the odd bit that isn’t. The fact that the FIDIC conference is about sustainability and is talking about anti-corruption, quality and engineering futures in the context of climate change for the engineering profession couldn’t have happened five years ago.”

Th is change in attitude is having a major impact on the way business is done. For Atkins, this entails what is essentially an awareness campaign, both for the firm’s people and its clients. “It’s really an education process to bring people down that journey of where climate change is, why it’s just not ordinary corporate social responsibility, why it’s different,” says Clarke. “The next bit is basically research, so you give people the tools that they can use to calculate decarbonising projects, and then we’ve found we need to do a third stream, which is about teamwork.

You can’t do this with your normal group of skills, so actually it’s about knowledge transfer and teamwork. The fi nal element is how do you talk to clients about that, and what we’ve found is that those four areas, you can’t answer any one of them. You drift down all four streams simultaneously and sometimes go backwards a bit, but you need to make a journey down them. You can’t give people the answer to any one of those streams.

The answer doesn’t exist yet, and that’s the big challenge.”

The move towards sustainability and a carbon-based economy necessitates a huge leap into the unknown. Quite simply, the framework for this new economy has to be built entirely from scratch. “The accounting of carbon doesn’t exist in any meaningful fashion,” Clarke continues.

“On the one side that is really exciting. On the other side, it’s pretty inconvenient because your clients are going to have to decarbonise. They’re going to be regulated. Carbon is going to be rationed. It’s going to be priced and it’s going to be traded in different ways everywhere. Clients have very legitimate questions. They want to be given a design tool, but actually they’ve got to help us invent it.”

Clarke is realistic enough to understand that the solutions to the challenges posed by sustainability and climate change won’t arrive overnight. Any systems or innovations that do appear aren’t going to be perfect in their earliest incarnations. “Once you’ve invented it, it’s probably not going be exactly right,” he says. “It’s going to be a little bit

“If you want an excuse not to change, you can always find one”

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Trafalgar Square, London

right, and it’s going to be better than nothing, but as engineers you’re going to hate that imperfection. But a partial solution is better than no solution at all. If progress isn’t made the long-term consequences are potentially ruinous.”

What’s the priority?

As much as the consensus about the necessity for new, sustainable ways of working is building, it comes at a time when other challenges are clamouring for attention. With the global downturn continuing to bite, construction is one of the sectors that has been hardest hit.

If organisations are focused on weathering the storm, how much energy will they be able to devote to fundamentally altering the way they work? For Clarke though, economic conditions should be no barrier to the industry revolutionising itself. “That’s the thing about innovation, the companies that do it, do it regardless,” he says. “Those that don’t do it either don’t do it because there’s a recession or they don’t do it because they’re too busy. If you want an excuse not to change, you can always fi nd one. That’s the brutal reality of it. We’ve previously had sustainable growth in some parts of the world, and elsewhere it’s been a good market for 10 years. If you haven’t innovated during that time, you sure as hell aren’t going to suddenly start. I think companies are beginning to realise a long-term recession means if you don’t improve your business, you

won’t get through it. If anything, it’s a spur towards our less performing companies disappearing.”

Though Clarke takes no pleasure in the fact that some of Atkins’ peers might fall by the wayside, he believes that a difficult environment can at least eventually lead to a stronger overall sector. “Tough markets tend to show who has the ability to adapt and cope with them,” he continues. “If you’ve got a major design determinant like carbon coming in, those that can cope with that are going to do well. Those that wait for someone to turn the standard; there’s nowhere for them to hide.”

Clarke expresses a fervent hope that those reluctant to innovate don’t become the dominant voices. After all, no society ever improved its lot by settling for the status quo. Quite simply, change is coming and those who don’t get on board risk being left behind. Clarke compares the new carbon economy’s impact on the construction and design industry as comparable to the effect the internet is having on print media. “I like a newspaper, but sure as hell you’re not going to stop it being webbased on my phone,” he says. “You can’t stop it and I think decarbonising the world is reaching the point where enough of the major players in the world are saying that it is an imperative. We’re going to make lots of mistakes on the way, but that’s something we’ll have to deal with.”

Th is forward-looking attitude from Clarke doesn’t mean that Atkins has been entirely untouched by the effects of the downturn. On the

“In a year’s time there won’t be a green page for the business section.

It’ll be embedded in all the aspects as a matter of course”

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contrary, the last year or so has seen some big changes in the business.

“We have had difficult choices,” he says. “Last October I was going to the Middle East to tell clients why I didn’t have the capacity to do work because we couldn’t grow quickly enough to service the market at the quality we demanded of ourselves, so we were resource-constrained. In November, we weren’t resource-constrained any more.” Th is has meant cuts in staff numbers which are still ongoing, but not an overall change in strategy. Investments that need to be made continue to go ahead and the firm’s commitment to sustainability remains as strong as ever. “We take the view that this is not ‘a hold your breath’ recession,” continues Clarke.

“You can’t just think it will go away and defer a few training courses and conferences and hope it will be all right in six months. It won’t be.

Your business has to perform in this environment, which could be the environment for a couple of years. And in those couple of years, improve your product. It’s time to manage. It’s not time to watch.”

Taking the lead Managing through the upheaval generated by a move to a more sustainable way of working is going to require leadership. Traditional opinion on who is going to provide this leadership has generally come down to an either/or proposition between government and private business. However, Clarke rejects this polarised approach and advocates a more collaborative strategy. “The reality is there’s a dynamic between private companies, governments in their broadest sense as policymakers and leaders as elected representatives to society and academia, the people who do research and the people who teach,” he says. “There needs to be the right relationship between industry, universities, higher education establishments and government. Th is is the only way you can spin this enough so that you can get a relationship to an evolving policy, policy implementation and new skills, and keep it going.” Clarke describes an optimal system as one where legislators and industry feed off each other.

“Instead of government deciding that they’re going to do something and the private sector saying that it isn’t very good, we engage in a different way in formulating not the policy but the implementation of the policy,” he continues. “I think if you can do that it’s a stunning opportunity for the UK because we have enormously strong world class universities. We have a world class engineering history.”

Clarke singles out the UK as one of the better countries with regard to climate change policy, though concerns remain over the ability to effectively implement it. However, he reserves some of his strongest praise for a region that has not traditionally been associated with green issues.

“We started investing in some of our carbon source three years ago in the Middle East before we did it anywhere else,” he says. “We sponsored a Chair of Sustainability at a university in Dubai. We’ve done it for four years, and we did it there because we thought that they were capable of changing the question quicker than anybody else, and they have a vested interest. At some point, most of those economies aren’t going to have oil, Saudi Arabia apart.

“The rest of the emirates could easily run out of resources in their view of their economy, which is quite long term. They have a resource issue. Secondly, if you look at Abu Dhabi and the ruler’s statement on the environment, he wants to be a world leader on environmental issues. He staked his ground with Masdar and other developments.

“Dubai is not far behind. Oman’s waking up to environmental codes and most of the emirates are on the journey of seeing it as an integral part of being a world destination or a world fi nancial centre. If you’re going to play in the global marketplace, you’ve got to be seen to be responsible, and they’ve signed up. They’ve signed up to Kyoto, and I think if you look at their policies, they don’t get credit for what they’ve done.”

Ultimately, Clarke is hopeful that the drive to sustainability will have positive effects outside just the environmental sphere; the industry too stands to benefit from this shake-up. “It’s an accelerating curve, so I think it’s really interesting,” he says. “If we can crack it, some of the age-old chestnuts for the construction industry get changed as well, like interdisciplinary working, like knowledge transfer, like communication down the supply chains or the suppliers in embedded technology. You can’t get there without doing all that better than we’ve ever done it before.

We’ve always had an excuse to dance around before, but the good news now is that it’s really difficult and that makes it unavoidable as opposed to being really difficult and avoidable.”

Stimulus response Is infrastructure investment really the answer to the economic crisis?

Keith Clarke: It’s something you should only do in extremes. It would be appalling to go back to the 1960s when construction was seen as an economic regulator.

We’re doing it because we are in a world crisis in terms of finance. It’s inevitable the UK is going to get US$3 million in input. That’s pretty serious.

You’re not going fix it by building a few more roads.

You’re going fix it by having a banking system that works. That’s the first priority. It just has to be, because look at the amounts that have gone into that to stabilise it. You must have a banking system that works responsibly. After that, some short term stimulus is fine, but you need a view of infrastructure that’s more than market cycles.

It just takes that much longer and if you can look at decarbonising, you’ve got to look beyond that in terms of investment. I think the same would be true in America. A stimulus package is, frankly, at the margins.

Part of it is to make people feel good. If they feel good, they get more confident. There is a lot to be said for doing things that numerically don’t make a big enough difference but give confidence to other people who then do things. Unfortunately, I don’t think the stimulus package has done that in either country.

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INDUSTRY INSIGHT

Built to last BTC’s Franz Saif explains the importance of using highquality, high-performance materials in the construction and maintenance of Europe’s roadways.

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oving people and goods constructed roads are the connecting veins of quickly, efficiently and cheapour markets and countries. Fast and safe transly is a central tenet of the EU’s portation of our daily goods without frontiers goal for a dynamic economy and traffic hold-ups are the daily challenge of and cohesive society. The transport sector genmany companies. erates 10 percent of EU wealth in terms of gross But roads are not even roads. There can be domestic product (GDP) and provides more high differences between the quality and lifethan 10 million jobs. Therefore span. BTC – a group comsustainable road construction pany of the world’s leading is an important issue for the chemical company BASF European economic system.

– supplies the asphalt indusWith the European try with high quality asphalt transport system as it stands modifiers for sustainable at present, there are no signs and eco-friendly road conof individuals or companies struction. Our Butonal SBR turning away from road transpolymers for asphalt modiport, and traffic is continuing fication are manufactured to increase at the rate of two in a highly automated statepercent a year. The constant of-the-art facility, ensuring Franz Saif is Director and Head of growth in mobility puts severe consistently high quality International Business, Procurement strains on transport systems. products. The products are & Logistics at BTC Speciality Chemical Distribution GmbH in In the EU, 44 percent of goods successfully used in both Cologne, Germany. He has many years of experience in the Butonal go by road, against 39 percent hot mix and asphalt emulbusiness and in international for short-sea shipping routes, sions applications, both procurement in general. He joined BASF 29 years ago and over the past 10 percent for rail and three domestically and globally.

10 years he has added value for BTC in Cologne. percent for inland waterways.

Our excellent technical Road dominates even capabilities and knowledge more for passenger transport (largely car jourallow us to work closely with our customers neys) accounting for 81 percent against rail’s six creating value added solutions. Our research percent and eight percent for air. As far as road efforts continue to push the frontier in asphalt transport is concerned, properly planned and polymer innovation. Add to this consistent and

accurate invoicing, consistent product quality, and our excellent on-time delivery record.

BTC is the ideal partner in business. With our polymers, roads have a high temperature performance – also in Southern Europe where the climate is hot and mostly dry or in Nordic regions where the weather is mosty cold, wet and frosty.

BASF Butonal polymers have long been a leader in asphalt modification. Our Butonal polymers greatly enhance hot mix asphalt performance including the production of performance-graded asphalts. Modification with these elastomers widens the asphalt’s useful temperature interval to improve resistance to rutting at high temperatures and decrease the susceptibility to thermal cracking at low temperatures. The resulting binder also displays superb resilience to improve the pavement’s fatigue behaviour, diminishing the cracking attributed to wear and tear.

All of these performance benefits are attained easily as Butonal polymers are readily dispersible into the asphalt without the need for high shear milling, with the flexibility to be added to both the asphalt binder or final mix.

Chip seal and surface dressings BASF Butonal polymers have set new chip seal performance standards, being highly efficient and enhancing both early and long-term performance in chip seal systems. They are easily dispersible into asphalt emulsions and can be added to the soap solution or co-milled along with the soap or directly injected into the asphalt line during milling. Research shows that it is imperative that the polymer is in the water phase of the emulsion to attain maximum benefit and Butonal polymers make this possible.

The use of BASF asphalt modifiers is not limited to paving applications. They are also used in water proofing membranes, pipe and tank coatings, roofing applications, sealers, automotive sound deadening and underbody protection. The addition of BASF asphalt modifiers improves the properties of the specialty coatings. These include improved stress-strain properties, final strength and long lasting elastometric properties.

Using the right asphalt modifiers – like Butonal – guarantees a safe, eco-friendly and sustainable development of our actual and future European transport system. BTC complies with it.

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AIRPORT SERVICES

FLYING HIGH Thomas Penner, VP Passenger and Terminal Services at Munich Airport, explains how passenger experience is an integral part of ensuring an airport’s success.

I

t is undeniable that airports have suffered from falling passenger numbers since the economic crisis took hold. But taking a longer-term view is not something that Thomas Penner is particularly worried about. “We are not so pessimistic about the figures. Numbers are increasing, very slowly, but in comparison to a year ago they are increasing,” he says.

And he is confident that the situation will not get much worse. He believes that people need to interact and not just over the phone. They have gotten used to travelling inexpensively and are no longer happy to just stay home.

Th is is pretty evident given passenger numbers at Munich airport, which, despite the general downward trend, are actually on the up. Th is begs the question as to what makes Munich Airport different from the rest and how has it managed to resist the wider decline.

One of the main explanations for Penner is that there has been an

increase in the number of airlines operating out of Munich. Oman Air is one example he gives and he explains that, whilst other airports may have lost connections between certain destinations, Munich has managed to retain or add them. It has therefore seen an increase in the number of people using Munich as a hub airport. Th is does go some way to explaining why, since October, figures for Munich Airport are looking up. But there must be something more.

Penner puts it down to the customer experience, which he believes Munich excels at providing. “We are constantly talking to our clients, doing surveys and analysing the lifestyles of our customers and in this way we are well prepared to satisfy the passengers,” he says.

“A couple of years ago people came to an airport for the simple reason of travelling somewhere else and they liked it to be quick and easy,” he says. “In the meantime though, lifestyles have changed and people expect more from an airport. They like to be able to get nice, fresh,

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trendy, modern food, so they like to fi nd a variety of restaurants, bars and especially shops.”

He believes that the ability to shop is very important for many passengers, even if they don’t actually buy anything, and it’s the variety of shops that’s sets one airport apart from another. “That’s the reason why we have a tremendous amount of different shops and work closely with our retail partners,” he says.

However, there aren’t many international airports that don’t provide the services that Penner has described. So this alone can’t explain what sets Munich apart from its competitors. But apparently the answer is in the extent to which Munich attempts to meet the needs and desires of its passengers.

“We are very close to the user. For example we know he likes to have his car nearby, so we provide a valet parking service. We also have a curb-side check-in service right in front of the terminal, for the use of both business and leisure passengers. You then only need to carry your luggage about three metres inside the building before you can check it in and pick up your boarding pass, if you haven’t already printed one out at home,” he explains.

Munich also offers other services to make the airport experience as helpful as possible, such as a cloakroom service. “ If it is snowing here in Munich and you are on your way to the Maldives, you don’t want to take your fur coat and winter boots with you. So we take care of it and you only have to invest a couple of euros for this service,” explains Penner.

But it is not only the range of services on offer at Munich that help to enhance the customer experience. Technology also has a role to play in this. Internet facilities are available at the airport including WLAN, which is particularly valuable for business travellers. As is the new technology that allows passengers to have their boarding pass sent directly to their mobile phone. This state-of-the-art technology uses 2D barcodes that can be read from the screen of a mobile phone, eliminating the need to print out a paper boarding pass. The automation of this process helps to further speed up the flow of passengers from check-in to boarding. This is something that a number of large airlines now offer and that Penner sees as becoming more widespread in the future.

On the issue of security Penner explains that Passenger Services cooperate closely with the security authority at Munich airport in order to ensure a balance between safety and passenger experience. “We have a lot of meetings with the authorities to discuss how we can improve our service. Personally, I’m more than happy that our authorities are so open towards Passenger Services and passenger orientation. In this way we are able to promote better understanding and dialogue and we can act in a more passenger-oriented way,” he explains.

He points out that lengthy discussions are on going regarding check-in procedures and the equipment that is used for security purposes. All German airports have now decided to standardise the information they provide regarding how pas-

sengers should proceed through security checks. Penner believes that this standardisation will help remove passenger confusion as they will get used to seeing the same information and experiencing the same security procedures at all of Germany’s airports.

Ensuring safety at the airport is obviously paramount, but for Penner a fast and stress-free passage through security is obviously in the best interests of both the airport and its passengers. Making the security procedures as painless as possible is therefore one of the top priorities and again communication is key. Discussions with the security authorities take place on a very frequent basis and security staff are offered training. Penner explains that this training is very important as the staff come into close contact with passengers and so need the correct guidance. Th is can also include training in foreign languages and how to approach security checks for passengers of particular ethnic origins who may have different religious and cultural customs that need bearing in mind.

According to Penner, research shows that Munich airport is on the right track when it comes to customer experience. Th is has been backed up by the fact that Munich was voted the best airport in Europe, for four years running, in Skytrax’s World Airport Awards. The international awards are based on a survey of over 8.5 million passengers, covering 190 airports and over 97 different passenger nationalities. From 2005 until 2008 Munich held the coveted title but this year was pipped to the post by Zurich. When asked what his strategy was for regaining the title, Penner joked that he didn’t want to reveal all his secrets, but did concede that this is something that is in constant discussion.

“We think that one of the most important factors is the human being, the travellers, the passengers. They want to be treated nicely by the airport staff. That is the reason why we will shortly be starting a new

“You don’t have the feeling of getting lost and there are no confusing tunnels like at other airports”

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World’s Top 10 Airports 2009

2008

1

Incheon International Airport, South Korea 3

2

Hong Kong International Airport

1

3

Singapore Changi

2

4

Zurich

8

5

Munich

5

6

Kansai, Japan

6

7

Kuala Lumpur International Airport

4

8

Amsterdam Schiphol

11

9

Centrair Nagoya, Japan

12

10

Auckland

20

Source: Skytrax

programme involving all the people who work at the airport. We don’t have a name for it just yet, but maybe it will be something like the ‘Ambassador Programme’,” explains Penner.

He notes that Munich already has a good track record regarding customer service, but he believes that there is always room for improvement.

“I personally am convinced that the moment we do not think about how we could do better, we are no longer any good.”

From the sales people, to shop assistants, restaurant porters to civil servants and Federal Border Police to customs officials, Penner believes that all play an important role as helpers and need to identify themselves as such. Th is is something that the new programme hopes to address.

However, security and customer service aren’t the only issues that affect passengers. As Munich is an international hub airport that welcomed over 34 million passengers in 2008, it is also essential that passenger traffic can pass smoothly through the airport.

“Its not a question of the number of passengers, but rather your processes. You have to ensure that you have adequate resources, space and productivity – this is the secret. If you provide space as well as the opportunity to enjoy the time spent at the airport through shopping, this will make passengers happy,” explains Penner.

He also believes that ensuring smooth passenger traffic through the airport is simply a question of easy pathfi nding especially for those passengers in transit. “These passengers are not coming to Munich to be in Munich and they are not interested in Munich. Th at’s the reason we have to make it easy for them to fi nd their way to their connecting gate, not only through signage but by rethinking the passes and passageways,” he says.

Munich also offers a meet and assist service whereby people who will be transiting through Munich, but who are wary or apprehensive of making the connection, can book a guide who will meet them from one

fl ight and accompany them onto their connecting fl ight. Th is service is open to everybody and those with reduced mobility can use the service free of charge.

Although the passage through the airport, according to Penner, should be extremely straight-forward. “One of the wonderful advantages we have is our self-explaining architecture. You don’t have the feeling of getting lost and there are no confusing tunnels like at other airports. We have one easy, simple and very clear system,” he says proudly. And again the passengers seem to agree as Munich was voted third best international transit airport in the world according to Skytrax’s 2009 survey.

So, for an airport that is already consistently found atop lists of Europe’s best airports and was this year voted fifth best airport in the world, what will Munich be doing in future to further enhance the passenger experience? “The majority of future service improvements will take place at the airport on the ground. It is here that we have the possibility to develop a programme to meet customer’s wishes.

And that is what we try to do – surprise you and do more than you expect.”

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INDUSTRY INSIGHT

Creative ideas

A simple solution to smoking Airports that completely banned smoking on their premises a year ago are now experiencing costly problems associated with not offering services for their smoking customers says Jeanine Roberts, CEO of Medialounge.

T

he result of banning smoking totally is secret smoking in corridors, in toilets, by potted plants and in aircrafts, not to mention the rush at the security checks by last minute outdoor smokers trying to catch their plane. Not only does this mean an unhappy and dissatisfied group of customers – on average about a third of the total – it also constitutes a major fire hazard.

The Swedish company Medialounge hear about these problems daily, problems that can end up with a very costly surgery on the infrastructure of an airport. Medialounge specialises in solving the smoking problem at airports – with a twist: they do it without any costs.

A subtle, but yet very costly, not to mention hazardous event, is that passengers seeking to get round the smoking ban actually tear down fi re detectors in washrooms and toilets. “These are the latest reports coming from the Netherlands, Ireland, Norway and Sweden,” says Roberts. Also many airports that have dedicated rooms for smoking are now experiencing the problem of keeping a room sufficiently ventilated allowing for many to smoke in it at the same time.

With an average of 30 percent of the passenger population in Europe being smokers, this constitutes a large number of customers for both airports and airlines. Airlines are now starting to complain about the lack of smoking services at airports, as smoking in airplane toilets has become a common event again.

“As all successful companies, Medialounge continuously develops the products and business offers, even if the current products meet the standard very well,” says Roberts. “We are now launching a new product series and when we started the development we set the aim high – we want the Medialounge solution to heighten the overall image of an airport,” exclaims Roberts with a big smile. ”By turning the Medialounge unit even more into an infotainment lounge, as well as a high-tech airport solution, it will be appreciated by everyone concerned: airports, passengers, airlines and advertising concessionaires selling advertisements on the Medialounges.”

The new model takes the Medialounges a step further in all directions; a more stylish appearance, higher air cleaning capacity, better media channel abilities, and better scalability to fit the needs of various locations and of course more welcoming for the actual user. Better still, no interference with the airport infrastructure is needed. “We are very fortunate to have the best solution on the market right now, when most of the world suffers a slump in demand as a result of the financial crisis,” says Roberts. The Medialounge solution can even heighten the commercial potential of the airport by managing the passenger flow more efficiently, she says.

The new Medialounge unit The new Medialounge smoking lounge series has matured into an elegant infotainment lounge with groundbreaking air-cleaning performance and many new creative features for example: - New exclusive and elegant design, sturdy and spacious.

- Modular concept. Modules can be added to reach a capacity from eight people at a time to 60.

- No infrastructural modifications are necessary at the airport.

- The air-cleaning consumption will be impressive and just one filter tower will clean about 1200 m3 of air per hour, removing all harmful substances and odours leaving just clean air. The air in the lounge will be exchanged up to 2.5 times per minute.

- Self-sustained, just plug it in.

- Illuminated advertising signs outside and digital displays inside, ensuring the financing of this solution.

- Low energy consumption and noise level.

- Self-closing sliding doors.

Jeanine Roberts has managed companies since 1992. In 2002, she started a company that built and marketed smoking lounges in Sweden. The smoking lounges were placed at large work places like Atlas Copco and the bank SEB. This was to be the predecessor to Medialounge advertising solutions AB of which Roberts is now CEO.

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AVIATION

TO INTEGRATION Alexander ter Kuile, Secretary General of CANSO, explains the issues currently facing the aviation industry and what the future holds for the sector.

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he economic crisis is clearly affecting the aviation industry very heavily at the moment.

The main issue is the loss of demand – both passenger and cargo. Th is leads to over capacity, which in turn leads to a very quick lowering of fares in order to stimulate demand.

Those two effects together are leading to a very significant, in fact unprecedented, loss of revenue for the aviation industry. Th is is affecting not just airlines.

Airports and air traffic control organisations have all lost between 20 and 25 percent of revenues. We have never in the history of aviation seen a crisis of this magnitude. The growth of aviation has had a setback of about five years due to the economic crisis.

However, there are other challenges facing the aviation industry at the moment. If you focus specifically on air traffic control, then the main challenge is the severe fragmentation of the air space that results from the international agreement that each state is responsible for its own airspace. Fragmentation is increased as each state seeks its own solutions to the provision of air traffic control.

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Safety is an area that is less of an issue at the moment due to the fact that air traffic is down. Because demand is so low, the capacity issues that we had two years ago are now on the back burner. The main issue now is to contain costs and increase revenue, but once air traffic growth returns – and it will take a few years to get back to the level of demand we saw in 2008 – then capacity and safety will again be on the front burner. They will be priority issues as congestion is always around the corner and in a congested aviation environment, safety and safety management are key issues. One of the key safety issues is actually congestion on the ground, surprisingly. It is issues related to runway incursions that are our biggest safety issue. We have incidents on the ground more than we actually have incidents in the sky.

The key safety issue at European level however, is that due to legislation coming out of the European Commission, we are transitioning from a national aviation regulatory and oversight environment to a European one, where the new European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) is responsible for a harmonised aviation safety approach in Europe. This is having a big impact as we are now finally bringing the entire aviation value chain under one European regulatory body and all 27 EU Member States now need to work under regulations that EASA will be providing to all sectors of aviation, effective from 2013.

This contributes towards our efforts of achieving a single European sky, which is still a paper environment at the moment. It is legislation that is in place, but we are still to see the implementation of it, and therefore we are still some years away from seeing the impact of a harmonised European airspace. We are making progress in developing the airspace proposals for a single European sky, and we’re working towards implementation by 2012, but the full effect will not be visible until all technology is harmonised and fully interoperable, and that will not be until the 2020s. So we still have more than 10 years to go until society will fully benefit from a single European sky.

But the main obstacle to this is not technological. Technology-wise we have everything available to us. The SESAR Programme is a vastly complex one aimed at harmonising the air traffic control technology in Europe. It will be a programme that takes 10 to 15 years to fully come to fruition, so the timelines and complexity of delivering it are huge.

But this is the fi rst time in European history that we have had such an agreement, across both the political and the operational spectrum of aviation, on the direction we should be heading in. It is extremely positive that we have been successful in creating it and setting it up, but we must be realistic and not expect the fruits for at least another eight to 10 years.

The main obstacle to the creation of a single European sky is in fact political and institutional and this is what is holding us back. With the single European sky we have come a long way towards achieving this at a European level, but at the global level we need to get 180 governments to think similarly and that is a gigantic task that will take generations.

Air traffic management is a very political service. It is closely related to national defence and national sovereignty and therefore it is not something that civil providers can just resolve by themselves over night. It is something that requires full political support to address and we need our military partners on board to achieve some of the future visions that we have.

Government has a tremendous role to play in this. The difficulty that we see is to get all the various parties on one line in order to achieve the results in an acceptable time frame.

In the meantime, aviation has proved itself to be the most successful industry sector, historically, in reducing its CO2 and noise on a per unit basis. We have reduced consumption per unit by 75 percent over the past 25 years and will continue to invest in the research and development to further improve both noise and CO2 emissions on a per unit basis.

What aviation has very successfully done, and again we are the only industry sector to achieve it, is to set ourselves very clear targets for the coming 40 years. We have stated publicly and announced so in advance of the Copenhagen summit of the UNFCCC in December, that aviation will improve its fuel efficiency by one and a half percent per year until 2020. Then we will see carbon neutral growth post 2020 and we should see a halving of our CO2 emissions by 2050 in comparison with today’s level. We believe that we are the only industry that has been totally unanimous in setting our own goals and our track record shows that we have significantly reduced noise and emissions over the past 25 years and we will continue to improve our performance.

“The SESAR Programme is a vastly complex one aimed at harmonising the air traffic control technology in Europe”

Alexander ter Kuile has been Secretary-General of CANSO (Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation) since January 2001. He joined the organisation after a distinguished aviation career including positions at KLM, Fokker Aircraft, the RAND corporation, and latterly was a Director at the Consultancy Simat Helliessen & Eichner. He is a board member of ATAG, and a Governor of the Flight Safety Foundation. CANSO is the global voice of the companies that provide air traffi c control. Founded in 1996, it represents the interests of the Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs) worldwide.

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EXECUTIVE INTERVIEW

All aboard Stan Peterson of VidTroniX answers questions on the technology solutions for boarding passes and baggage tags.

In an uncertain business environment, many airlines are looking for ways to reduce costs and increase flexibility.

What role can baggage tag/boarding pass solutions play in these efforts?

Stan Peterson. In May 2008, VidTroniX launched a campaign offering a five percent discount on all new printer orders. Soon after, the Pay-Per-Print service was set into motion. With this innovative plan, VidTroniX supplies the printer, paper stock and related print materials; the customer pays only for each document printed. The flexibility of this arrangement allows the client to add to, relocate, or remove the printer and paper stock from the locations as the need of the client dictates. Each printer possesses a full lifetime warranty, thereby alleviating the cost of parts and/or repair. There is no capital investment required by the customer. The expense of printing tickets is purely operational and therefore 100 percent tax deductible.

How are technologies such as RFID being employed in airport baggage tags? What particular benefits can these technologies bring?

SP. Currently there are a few airports around the world that are utilising RFID within their baggage handling operations, with the two main locations being Las Vegas and Hong Kong. VidTroniX was initially involved with the Las Vegas project and is in talks with other airports and airlines for further development of the technology. While the read rate for RFID bags is nearly 100 percent on working tags, the price of the tags and cost of infrastructure are currently too great for the struggling airline market to bear. In addition, once the baggage and cargo leave the RFID-enabled facilities, the tags are essentially a standard baggage tag unless they arrive at another RFID-enabled facility.

What impact is the growing trend of travellers printing their own boarding passes having on the industry? Do more traditional boarding pass solutions have attributes that newer online alternatives are unable to provide?

SP. Over the last 10 years, the airline industry has moved away from the expensive mag stripe tickets in favour of the 2D bar code. In 1999 VidTroniX, in association with Southwest Airlines, followed shortly by Alaska Airlines, made the decision to move directly to 2D primarily due to the amount of data that could be included on the document. When the 2D barcode is printed on ticket stock, it is as secure as the magnetic stripe, but when printed at home, security issues arise. While having the option to print boarding passes at home is very convenient, it is also fraught with potential fraud, as it is not difficult to manipulate the data to bypass initial security and if the scanner is down at the gate, to board the plane. Most airlines and airports use specialised secure

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stock that airline and TSA representatives are familiar with rather than a standard white sheet of copy paper. In addition, the barcodes via a PDA device or phone can also be similarly manipulated to bypass security, as they are simply an electronic version of the print-at-home ticket.

Having the right tool for the job has a big impact on the overall efficiency of any operation. What factors do potential purchasers need to consider when deciding on a baggage tag and boarding pass solution?

SP. As with any industry, cost, reliability and service are important when selecting the right product for your company, but within the travel industry these factors are essential. Unlike a typical company, an airline is spread across the country – sometimes the world – and therefore must ensure that the products they rely on for their business are not only priced right to begin with, but also that they are reliable and don’t need continual service, which in some cases can cost more than the product over its lifetime. Due to the reliability of VidTroniX’s products, our repair department consists of essentially two people for over 65,000 printers in the industry today. One of our newest customers actually cancelled their worldwide service contract for their printers, as it is more cost-effective to simply ship the small printer back to us for any repairs that may be needed. One of the many unique features of the VidTroniX ATP printer is that all parts for the new printer are backwards compatible with the first version of the printer. Not only are parts of the new printers interchangeable with the older models, but a more dated printer has the ability to be upgraded to an ATP3 by simply adding a new main board. n Stan Peterson is the owner of VidTroniX LLC.

Printers for the twenty-ďŹ rst century VidTroniX, LLC has been associated with the airline industry since 1972. We are a skilled leader in product design, manufacturing, direct sales, parts supply and maintenance of Baggage Tag/Boarding Pass/ATB1/ATB2/, Gate Readers/BGR/, Custom Kiosk, and many other specialty product printers that utilize direct thermal print technology. VidTroniX specializes in every aspect of these products; from original design, to field installation and beyond.

To date VidTroniX has installed 65,000 printers in locations throughout the world and we work diligently to define ourselves as a company driven to excel at and evolve with the most up to date technological advances in the travel industry.

VidTroniX has expanded its presence in the global marketplace with the addition of flight information display systems (FIDS), keyboards, BGR imagers, monitor/displays, cleaning cards and baggage weighing systems.

VidTroniX has recently purchased a 7000 sq/ ft building to streamline our ever-increasing production. With a reputation for top quality and reliability, VidTroniX is proud to have supplied our customers an on-time delivery schedule of 9000 printers, with $12,000,000.00 in revenues for 2008. In the future, the travel industry can expect VidTroniX to continue to broaden its reach and maintain the level of excellence that our customers demand.

Branson Baggage Claim

Stan Peterson (Owner) E: stan@vidtronix.com T: 816-591-4124

Ryan Mang (Sales) E: r.mang@vidtronix.com T: 913-441-4124

6607 Martindale Road Shawnee, KS 66218

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PROJECT FOCUS

When entering the car park, visitors use the Zeag-Orion exit-entry barriers and pay stations. The Zeag Management Soft ware (ZMS) suite connects over the Wi-Fi network to transmit ticket numbers and entry time from the Orion products. When exiting the car park, details of how long the visitor has stayed, what the tariff is for that length of stay and how much to charge is all communicated over Wi-Fi from the payment station to the control station.

“Zeag’s innovative solution made it possible for the entire implementation of equipment and soft ware to take only four weeks,” said Bob Jones, Design Manager at Wirral Hospital. “The cost savings of using Wi-Fi for this project rather than spending weeks on groundworks saved the hospital tens of thousands of pounds. We now have in place a professional and innovative system that’s able to generate an alternative source of income for the hospital.”

The implementation

Smart savings Zeag’s David Jones outlines the company’s involvement in upgrading two hospital car parking facilities in the UK and how this helped save thousands of pounds.

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he Wirral Hospital in the United Kingdom provides a comprehensive range of healthcare services from two main hospital sites – Arrowe Park Hospital in Upton and Clatterbridge Hospital in Bebington. It is one of the biggest acute NHS trusts in the North West, with a workforce of almost 6000 staff serving a population of 400,000 across the Wirral peninsula, Ellesmere Port and Neston.

Improved equipment means making parking simple, so Zeag installed the Zeag-Orion equipment to provide a straightforward parking system to maximise profits and minimise costs at Wirral Hospital. The system is reliable, advanced, secure and flexible to give visitors a simple parking experience. Products installed include: Zeag OrionXR Entry and Exit Stations, Zeag OrionXR Pay Stations and Zeag Management Soft ware (ZMS).

All pay stations, entry and exit stations and barriers can be viewed on a single screen, complete with status details on all. Any problems are instantly flagged up on screen with audible alerts if necessary. Upcoming maintenance, such as ticket levels, can also be seen, allowing even the most complex parking operation to be monitored by a single manager.

Statistics from these machines are collated to provide unparalleled management information on occupancy, busy times, monies taken, etc.

Correct use of this information can improve revenues significantly and also provide clients with useful information on footfall.

The results The challenge With over 1250 visitors each month, Wirral Hospital needed to upgrade and unite two car parking systems and facilities at the Arrowe Park and Clatterbridge Hospitals. They required a parking solution that would connect and improve the existing parking facilities and soft ware management with minimal disturbance to staff, patients and visitors.

The new system would need to provide connectivity whilst making the parking experience easier for visitors and for staff to monitor parking and equipment. It would also need to ensure parking was more profitable for the hospital. After reviewing all options, Wirral Hospital chose to work with Zeag because of its innovative approach to their requirements.

Eliminating costly groundworks “One of the biggest costs associated with car parking facilities is the need for groundworks, whether this is to connect to the existing network or to supply electricity to payment stations or barrier gates,” said David Jones, Director at Zeag.

Zeag used Wirral Hospital’s existing Wi-Fi network to connect the two sites and implemented the Pay-on-Foot Parking Revenue System.

David Jones is Chief Marketing Officer of Zeag Group. After he successfully spearheaded Zeag UK to success, Jones was promoted to Zeag Group to expand global growth. His remit is to work with Zeag’s subsidiaries and partners around the world to drive awareness of Zeag’s innovative professional parking solutions.

By using an innovative Wi-Fi solution, Zeag was able to save Wirral Hospital thousands of pounds by eliminating the need to install underground duct work for data and intercom cabling for the parking equipment. Furthermore, both hospitals were connected by the ZMS solution, allowing visibility of all car-parking facilities from one central location.

“Every hospital needs more money and parking can be a source of this extra revenue,” said David Jones. “By installing and maintaining reliable and secure parking facilities, we are able to help generate this income without the headaches that can be involved.”

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ASK THE EXPERT

AIM for infrastructure security Why the security of transport infrastructure remains an everpresent challenge in an expanding European Union.

ANDY NICHOLSON

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he demands on the European transport sector have never been greater, thanks to the rapid growth in mobility of both people and goods. While excellent for the economy – the sector’s annual turnover is estimated at around €400 billion – this inevitably throws up plenty of operational challenges.

One of the greatest is the protection of critical infrastructure – the solid transportation and service delivery platform on which we depend for travel and the delivery of utility services. Due to our interlinked global society, any disruption to these essential services can have a massive impact that can ripple around the world within hours. Yet this vital infrastructure is potentially vulnerable to a host of threats, including cyber crime, physical attacks, environmental and natural disasters and terrorism.

At ARINC we recognise the immense burden this places on managers responsible for security at airports, seaports, railways, metros, highways, coach stations and international borders. We appreciate that, for effective protection, they need fully integrated systems that can not only maximise the efficiency of disparate

legacy equipment but also easily adapt to new technologies. In short, they need to meet today’s security needs as well as providing the flexibility to accommodate tomorrow’s challenges.

Th is is precisely what master systems integrator ARINC offers with its proven Advanced Information Management (AIM) platform, a market leader in the USA’s critical infrastructure security industry. AIM’s commandand-control soft ware enables a wide range of security technologies and functions to be incorporated into fully-managed, cost-effective and scalable solutions.

AIM has been successfully configured for the protection of nuclear power facilities, mass transit systems, airports, seaports, government facilities, military installations, education campuses and, most recently, the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve sites.

Now facilities across Europe can benefit from this tried-and-tested security technology.

By seizing the middle ground between budgetbusting, custom-built, one-off designs and pre-packaged, one-size-fits-all offerings, AIM can provide a cost-effective security solution for organisations of every size. A key aspect of implementation is ensuring that security solutions are optimised for specific threats and to leverage investment in legacy systems.

Scalable across single or multiple zones within one or more facilities, AIM provides sophisticated monitoring of all sub-system activities and alarms, giving operators a common picture of their facility. Th is capability can also

be extended to handheld devices, allowing first responders to receive video and data for realtime decision-making on the front line.

Offering interfaces for intrusion detection, access control, video surveillance management, physical security information management (PSIM), credential management, biometricsbased identity management, closed-circuit television (CCTV), vehicle identification, asset management and integrated geographical information systems (GIS), AIM is a powerful and reliable device for any site that depends on real-time awareness for the safety of its personnel, customers and facilities.

For sites where quick deployment and straightforward integration with existing infrastructure are primary concerns, a scaleddown version, AIM Enterprise Security Platform (ESP), allows organisations to manage their own migration to newer types of security technologies at their own pace. Th is version is also useful for any facility with changing security needs or where fast response to threats is crucial.

AIM ESP also provides security integrators with a ‘technology bridge’ for those seeking a newer and open security enterprise environment while maximising the return on their existing investment in security infrastructure.

With the growth in traffic between member states of the expanding European Union forecast to double by 2020, the security of transport infrastructure is an ever-present challenge that cannot be ignored. In today’s world, economic competitiveness relies on the fast, easy – and, above all, safe – movement of people and goods.

AIM provides the complete solution, backed by ARINC’s unrivalled expertise in communications, engineering, systems integration and project management. A pioneer of air travel technology 80 years ago, the company remains a trail-blazer, providing engineering solutions to a range of industries with over 150 innovative products and services designed to attain the highest levels of operational efficiency and reliability.

ARINC EMEA has launched a physical security business providing protection for critical infrastructure under the leadership of Andy Nicholson, who joins as Security Business Development Director. Nicholson was previously VP of International Business development at CMS and Steelbox Inc. Prior to that he worked at Telindus, managing the Global Physical Security Solutions teams focusing on Critical Infrastructure.

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HIGH-SPEED RAIL

THE NEED FOR SPEED As high-speed rail gathers speed on the European agenda, plans for a transEuropean network seem to be on track. EU Infrastructure spoke to Michael Robson of EIM to find out how high-speed rail fits into the wider transport picture.

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uper fast trains have been zipping passengers around Europe for over two decades with an estimated 50 million passengers using high-speed services annually. However, as Europe expands, the need for a pan-European rail network becomes more of a priority and high-speed rail features prominently on the European Commission’s radar.

Michael Robson, Secretary General of the European Infrastructure Managers, believes that the time is now right to invest in high-speed rail. In his keynote speech that he delivered at the Elmia Nordic Rail conference held in October in Jönköping, Sweden, he said: “The time is defi nitely right for high-speed rail for two simple reasons. Firstly, an increasing concern for the environment – and rising fuel costs – is prompting governments, consumers and business to look into more sustainable modes of transport. Secondly, the fi nancial crisis is an opportunity for high-speed rail. Government stimulus packages have made funding available for investment in new sustainable infrastructure.”

Many European countries are now taking full advantage of this opportunity. Those who already have a high-speed rail network are investing in upgrades and extensions, while others are starting to explore the advantages that building a high-speed network could bring. The potential exists to completely redraw the European transport map and create a continent where national boundaries are eroded by a pan-European network. Th is process is already gaining momentum.

“High-speed rail is a key player in the wider transport picture,” says Robson. “Obviously as low-cost airlines have developed, we have reached a point where airports are having to build more runways. The UK is a classic example with Heathrow perhaps having to do this. With high-speed rail this can be traded off if networks are properly developed.”

Robson cites some of the major airports in mainland Europe – Charles de Gaulle, Schipol, Zaventem and Frankfurt – which are linked with high-speed rail and play an integral role in moving passengers from the country to the central hubs of airports for intercontinental fl ights. Th is is something he sees as a vital role for high-speed rail in the future.

In this respect Robson highlights the fact that developing the high-speed network need not necessarily represent an outright rival to airlines. “I think it could be a threat, but I think it could also be an opportunity for them. We could see a reduction in domestic fl ights and fl ights between European cities where there is a good high-speed rail network and existing examples of this are obviously London to Paris, London to Brussels and Brussels to Paris where fl ights have virtually disappeared because of high-speed rail,” says Robson.

“But there is also the opportunity for the airlines to work with the railways and perhaps become providers of high-speed rail themselves,” he explains. He believes that it is completely plausible that airlines such as Air France, Luft hansa and Virgin, which incidentally already has its own rail network, could have their own fleet of high-speed trains on which

they could transport passengers to their hub airports in one seamless journey using through-ticketing, which would allow passengers to book air and train tickets in one simple transaction. Robson suggests that the liberalisation of the passenger market, which is due to begin in January of next year, provides the perfect opportunity for new players to enter the market making the scenario above a reality.

However, there will of course be a certain amount of competition that will inevitably arise between high-speed rail and aviation, and there is already an alliance that is working to ensure seamless rail travel across Europe at a standard that can rival the airlines. Railteam’s mission is to make high-speed rail travel more competitive by improving travel information, frequent traveller benefits and high-speed network connections.

For Robson it is evident that high-speed rail is already starting to offer some of the traditional incentives used by airlines. “There is already a EuroStar frequent traveller card. There is a Thalys frequent traveller card and Rail Team are looking to combine them into a single frequent traveller card,” he explains. “There are also lounges for EuroStar customers and Deutsche Bahn in Germany has got lounges for fi rst class customers, so those sort of things are developing. You can add on to that free car parking, and the fact that you can also now buy electronic rail tickets or you can buy them over the phone.” But for Robson the important thing is to make the journey seamless and to make passengers feel like valued customers.

Whether high-speed rail becomes a true competitor or a partner to aviation, the geographical scope of the European network will have to be extended. The main priority, as Robson sees it, is to extend to the rest of Europe and in particular the new EU Member States, where much of current state funding is going on improving road transport networks and where air travel is very much on the rise.

One reason why extending the network is so important is political in part. In his keynote speech in Sweden, Robson said: “Territorial cohesion is a key plank of the European Union development policy. In a nutshell, it involves ensuring that all regions, especially peripheral ones, are able to reap the benefits of the internal market, and to ensure that all regions reach a certain level of economic development. Highspeed rail has a significant contribution to make to this goal in sustainably opening up regions to make them more competitive while reducing congestion in other modes.”

And there are regions where this has already proven to be successful.

“Spain is probably the best example of where high-speed rail has really revolutionised transport within a country,” says Robson. “Before there were not good road links or airports, but the high-speed network in Spain has really brought about social cohesion in the country and has developed mobility dramatically,” he continues.

However, extending the network is one thing, but in order to establish a high-speed network that is truly pan-European, issues of interoper-

“There is the opportunity for the airlines to work with the railways and perhaps become providers of high-speed rail themselves”

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Speaking at the Elmia Nordic Rail conference held in Jönköping, Sweden from the 6-8 October, Michael Robson explained the state of play in Europe.

High-speed rail has long been popular in a number of western European countries and many pioneering developments took place on this continent.

The French TGV, for example, was one of the world’s first true high-speed rail systems. Jean Dupuy, the ‘father of the TGV’ was the recipient of one of the first European Railway Awards in 2007. Germany has also had a long-standing relationship with high-speed rail – its high-speed ICE service has been running since the early 1990s.

Spain is also a member of the high-speed rail club, having operated passenger services since the mid 1990s. These services have proved popular and competitive. In Spain, the AVE service, which reaches speeds of up to 300km/h has taken a huge share of the domestic air market, particularly on the MadridBarcelona route.

Portugal also operates fast Pendolino services on a number of lines and is planning to build a true high-speed line that will allow mixed traffic to travel up to 350km/h between Lisbon and Madrid.

Italy’s high-speed network has grown since the first route between Florence and Rome was opened in 1978. A new high-speed network on the two main axes Milan-Bologna-Florence-Rome-Naples and Turin-Milan-Verona-VeniceTrieste is being built. Connections with neighbouring countries are also being built, although these will rely on conventional services for the moment.

The United Kingdom benefits from a high-speed rail link to the continent via the Eurostar. The domestic services will soon be able to take advantage of this high-speed line from the coast to London, while a serious debate is continuing about building a second high speed line linking London to the coast.

Belgium and the Netherlands are upgrading their networks to provide a highspeed service between Brussels and Amsterdam. The Netherlands is planning the construction of an “HSL-East” link between Amsterdam and the German border. Belgium has also recently opened new high-speed lines improving connections with Germany and the Netherlands.

Poland has received EU funding to build a “Y” shaped network, linking Warsaw with ód , with branch lines connecting to Wroc aw and Pozna . The total cost of the project will be in the region of €6.9 billion. Work is also in progress to upgrade a number of existing lines to enable them to handle traffic travelling at speeds of 250kpm/h.

Romania is investigating the possibility of building a high-speed line to connect to the European network and is seeking European funding to support a feasibility study. This line would probably run from Bucharest to Budapest in Hungary and form part of a planned Paris-Constanta transport corridor.

In Scandinavia, there are not as yet any true high-speed services, though research is being undertaken into the feasibility of developing high-speed links in Sweden and many conventional lines in Sweden, Denmark and Norway have been upgraded to carry passengers at up to 180-200km/h.

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Oulu

EUROPEAN HS NETWORK As of Febuary 2008

Tampere Oslo

St.Petersburg

Helsinki

Turku Tallinn

Stockholm Göteborg

Riga

Edinburgh

Glasgow

Vilnius

Kobenhavn

Moskva

Gdansk

Hamburg

Dublin

Minsk

Amsterdam

Berlin

London

Bristol

Poznan

Hannover Brux

Warszawa

Köln Praha Katowice

Fkft

Lux

Nürnberg

Paris

Wien

Strasbg

Bratislava Budapest

München Nantes

Kiev Krakow

Zürich

Chisinau Ljubljana

Lyon

Coruña Vitoria

Skopje

Podgorica

Roma Barcelona

Madrid

Sofia

Pristina

Marseille

Valladolid

Bucuresti

Sarajevo

Nice

Zaragoza

Porto

Beograd

Bologna

Torino

Toulouse

Vigo

Milano Zagreb

Bordeaux

Napoli

Istanbul

Tirana Thessaloniki

Ankara

Sivas

Bursa

Valencia Konya

Lisboa

Athinai

Alicante

Sevilla

Kayseri

Izmir

Málaga

Information provided by the railways

V 250 km/h

V 250 km/h Planned

ability must be solved to ensure that international services can connect across borders. Robson views interoperability as a challenge certainly, but he does not believe that this will necessarily hinder developments and points out that the Eurostar currently operates seamlessly across the infrastructure of three different countries and Thalys has no problems either.

“It is easier to ensure interoperability when you are building new lines, because we already have technical specifications for this. The difficulty comes when you are going to use parts of the old lines,” he explains.

So if interoperability is not the greatest challenge in the eyes of Robson, what is? “I think the main challenge in some countries will be actually getting permission to build a high-speed line because while rail is seen as environmentally friendly, a lot of people don’t want it built near their property. So, in the more densely populated countries, I think that could be an issue,” he says.

“Whilst high-speed rail is environmentally friendly, the Achilles heel is sometimes said to be the noise, so we need to work hard at making both the infrastructure and the trains quieter to reduce the level of noise.

A further challenge will be integrating high-speed networks into the centre of cities at a speed that still allows them to be high-speed.”

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Other Lines

However, if these challenges can be met and overcome, the benefits are multiple. High-speed rail provides smooth connections from city centre to city centre. For journeys of 150 – 400km, from door to door, high-speed rail is much faster than air as rail stations are more conveniently located than airports, there is less waiting time and fewer cumbersome security procedures. High-speed rail maintains this advantage over air for journeys up to 800km, after which point air travel is more time efficient. It also negates the need to build further regional airports or more runways.

High-speed rail also offers the advantage of its environmentally friendly credentials, says Robson. Being electrified, the network could make use of renewable energy forms. It also has a reasonable low environmental foot print in terms of land-use, using only a third of the land needed to build a motorway but moving far more people.

Robson also mentions the inherent advantages for business users.

“There is the ability to have Wi-Fi access all the time that you are on the train, so that you can continue working. You can eat on the train and get newspapers or tea and coffee. Or, indeed, you can organise to have a meeting with your colleagues around a table so you can use the time productively. I think it’s much more user friendly.”

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INDUSTRY INSIGHT

Current affairs Stefaan Volkaert of STEVO Electric outlines the company’s latest developments.

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TEVO Electric Ltd. is a company with its main activity specialised in the delivery and support of test equipment used in HV networks for the BENELUX market.

Since 2003 it has also been active in the development of equipment for carrying out tests and controls of high-speed DC breakers. As a result, STEVO Electric supplies a mobile high-current generator, which has been on the market since 2004, for adequately testing high-speed DC breakers in the transport sector, such as are found in trains, subways, trams and trolleys. Th is includes infrastructure as well as traction substations and rolling stock.

Th is activity includes development, production and commercialisation of what is actually STEVO Electric’s second important market segment. The DC current generator BALTO 6.000A is a high current generator of which the development is chiefly based on the functional specifications of different railway companies.

Since 2004, STEVO Electric has been testing the BALTO 6.000A system worldwide in several traction domains – traction substations and rolling stock – to which high-speed DC breakers are applied. Moreover, STEVO Electric maintains close contacts with manufacturers of high-speed DC breakers, which is essential for testing the equipment in question.

These contacts – along with market research – have led to the development of an innovative system, which will make it possible to meet every specific requirement.

BALTO 6.000A/13.000A DC The BALTO 6.000A system has been designed to generate very high test currents for operational testing of high-speed DC circuit breakers. These high test currents are injected on the main circuit of the high-speed DC circuit breakers. With these tests, complete circuits of current transducers, current conducting parts, connecting parts and protection relays can be checked.

For the construction and assembling of the BALTO system, special care has been taken for ease of transportation between different traction substations and switching panels. Th is mobility is a major practical ad-

vantage for carrying out tests on high-speed DC circuit breakers, which are installed on rolling stock.

Installation, assembly and connection of the BALTO system can be done rapidly and without extensive training. All components are portable and transport is convenient and easily carried out.

“These contacts – along with market research – have led to the development of an innovative system, which will make it possible to meet every specific requirement” The BALTO 6.000A system has three operation modes – an automatic mode, a manual mode and a micro ohm measurement mode; each one with registered measured quantities. For injection currents up to 13.000A DC, two BALTO 6.000A systems are parallel connected, in a master-slave configuration.

AC application Concerning the AC applications, STEVO Electric has a gamma of test equipment at its disposal for controlling the AC Vacuum Circuit Breaker 50Hz for traction vehicles.

In the fi rst instance, the intention of STEVO Electric was to distribute test equipment for the energy sector – high and low voltage – in Belgium, Luxemburg and for some representatives in the Netherlands.

The contacts in the transport sector showed a need for mobile test equipment for testing high-speed DC breakers. Representatives at international congresses and venues have equally put these needs forward.

Stefaan Volkaert is founder and General Manager of STEVO Electric, which was founded at the end of 1999. Volkaert previously spent five years working with ABB in the robotics domain. Since 1989, he has been part of the sales team working in the domain of highvoltage equipment, such as security, net control and SCADA.

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ASK THE EXPERT

Interoperability gains momentum Interoperability of the European railway network is seen as the necessary condition to support the liberalisation of the railway market, says Frank Walenberg, former Director of KEMA Rail Transport Certification.

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he opening sentence of the Progress Report on the Implementation of the Railway Safety Directive (2004/49/EC) and the Railway Interoperability Directives (96/48/EC and 2001/16/EC) that was published by the European Commission on September 8, 2009 says: “Recent difficulties notwithstanding, rail plays a significant part in the European economy. In 2004 in EU-27, rail transport had an estimated turnover of €60 billion and brought €34 billion added value to the economy, accounting for over 900,000 jobs.”

The report gives an excellent overview of the state of affairs and summarises the development. It is therefore not my intention to repeat it here. I would rather like to look ahead at some particular issues that require focus in the next period of time.

Legal framework Progress has been achieved in establishing the legal framework. Today we may conclude that the legal framework is almost complete.

Almost, because some very important TSIs are missing. The TSI for Conventional Rolling Stock is urgently needed. Step one is to complete the TSI. In freight transport the success of the corridor approach becomes visible. Locomotives are now being operated over complete corridors.

KEMA Rail Transport certification is very proud of its contributions in this area. But the experience of using Cross Acceptance criteria based on the MoU for the DACHINL Corridor and BENEFLUCH Corridor shows us that it still requires a very high degree of discussions with all the national safety authorities on a corridor. The TSI Rolling Stock can end this, at least for new rolling stock.

In one or two years the legal framework will be sufficiently complete. It will include everything that is necessary to create and operate a safe, reliable, in short, interoperable railway system. This is a good job done. But it is based on a somewhat artificial structure of the so-called ‘Structural Subsystems’. In the real world the interfaces between the Structural Subsystems do not corre-

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spond with the interfaces between the stakeholders, which effectively form the market. Therefore my suggestion for step two is to rearrange the legal framework to reflect the market conditions.

Implementation The momentum for implementation of interoperability is increasing rapidly. But why am I left with the idea that the introduction of ERTMS/ETCS as one of the main drivers of interoperability is still very much a national argu-

“The momentum for implementation of interoperability is increasing rapidly” ment and not a European one? Numbers of rolling stock put into operation with ETCS are growing. In particular in the Netherlands, for instance, virtually all freight locomotives now have or will soon have ETCS. These locomotives are meant to cross borders, not to stay in the Netherlands. Could we not improve the introduction by giving ETCS an important, and maybe for now in many countries, sole function to man-

age the STMs? EYCS on board equipment receives the information that is necessary to manage the STMs from the trackside balises. So this can be achieved simply by putting transition balises at the borders between the national railway networks in Europe. This should be included in the European ETCS deployment plan as the first activity. Step three is to make use of the existing ETCS function to manage the STMs.

Sustainability Where the railway system is seen as a solution for sustainable transport, it is very interesting to see the important progress report, to which I referred above, start with the economic perspective. Sustainability and how the essential requirement for environmental protection is met, is not a topic in the progress report.

Sustainability must be created and improved through innovation within the boundary condition of the legal framework. The current legal framework for interoperability defines some concrete goals for emissions. It does not recognise sustainability as part of an essential requirement.

Here is an opportunity for improvement. Step four is therefore to introduce the concept of sustainability into the essential requirements.

And now we are working to create the progress that will be detailed in the next report. n

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INTELLIGENT TRANSPORT

Caroline Visser of the International Road Federation details the benefits intelligent transportation systems can bring, both for travellers and the environment.

Can you give us an idea of how ITS solutions are evolving to meet the challenges of congestion, safety and transport efficiency?

Caroline Visser. From a congestion and efficiency standpoint, I would say that nowadays, managing a road network without an ITS infrastructure is unimaginable. So for road operators, it’s a really vital tool. There are so many ITS applications in either monitoring and data collection to see what’s happening on the road, options to guide traffic through dynamic signaling and travel information. Road operators are very much dependent on ITS for not only congestion management and demand management, but also road safety.

How is the IRF contributing to research and deployment of ITS systems?

CV. Today we’re at the stage that it’s more the deployment or the implementation side that seems to be hampered. Th is was the reason the European Commission set up an ITS action plan. For me, research is

no longer the problem. It’s more about taking your research results and making them deployable on a large scale.

We have set up a policy committee, which is an IRF working group dedicated to transport policies, and the relation with ITS. It is necessary because our feeling was that the positive impacts of IRS are sometimes overlooked. Personally, I’ve been working with the Dutch government on ITS implementation, and although it has many good benefits related to the transport policy objectives, it is somewhat lacking visibility, and it’s not usually a very sexy topic with politicians.

So what we tried to do with the policy committees to raise the profi le of ITS with really the high-level decision makers, so I’m talking about ministers, transport secretaries, and their immediate advisors, the high-level civil servants responsible people for policy decisions.

That is raising awareness also for having enough budget for ITS research, but it’s mainly focusing on explaining the benefits of ITS. It’s also about kind of demystifying it. ITS has a technology label attached to

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it, which can frighten people a bit. It’s such a wide concept. There are so many applications and technologies which are encompassed in the single word or single acronym ITS. So that’s how we try to influence the decisionmaking community, which also includes decisions about research.

So do you think the technology side of it is pretty much there and it’s now really more a case of raising awareness and persuading people to adopt ITS? CV. The technology is there, and it’s everevolving, so that shouldn’t be our main worry, so to speak. That’s the motivation and intention of this policy committee, and we have now. We launched it last year during the ITS World Congress in New York, which was in November, and we’re now kind of structuring the work and what topics we are really going to address.

For ITS specifically, we have a policy committee where we not only link among IRF members, but we also opened it up to ITS associations, either national or global regions, like ITS America or ERTICO, the European association. We work closely together with the network of national ITS associations, which is sort of a global forum of ITS associations, and policy committees also open to representatives from international institutions like the World Bank, United Nations, who are now embarking on something in ITS, especially from their role in standardisation. We have close contacts with European Commission. So it is the IRF, in general, that brings together already quite a number of stakeholders to exchange these best practices and then, specifically in the policy committee, we link also to some outside the IRF membership from organisations which are very relevant, to share this knowledge.

“The technology is there, and it’s ever-evolving”

What are you doing to establish best practices and exchange ideas of what works and what doesn’t in what particular context?

CV. That is actually the core business of the IRF as a federation, but we don’t only do that for ITS. We also do that for fi nancing roads, for environment, for road safety, which is a very important pillar of our work.

The IRF brings together stakeholders from all angles, so have many governments, ministries of transport as members. We have many industry members from the road sector, research institutes and associations. Our mandate is to organise knowledge management activities and share best practice among our members.

Go slow One of the key applications for Intelligent Transportation Systems is reducing urban congestion. A quick look at Europe’s most traffic-clogged cities suggests that better implementation of ITS is long overdue.

Rank

City

Average vehicle speed (km/h)

1

London

18.9

2

Berlin

24.1

3

Warsaw

25.9

4

Manchester

28

5

Edinburgh

29.7

6

Rome

30.1

7

Glasgow

30.5

8

Bristol

31.5

9

Paris

31.8

10

Belfast

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Are there any countries that particularly stand out in their use of ITS? CV. Each country has its focus, so I wouldn’t be able to give you a top three of successful countries because it differs very much between countries and even regions. I’m sure you’re aware of the London condition charging scheme – but there’s also an active traffic management project near Birmingham, where they are using the hard shoulder during peak hours and all kinds of ITS applications around it to monitor so that it’s being done safely, to inform travellers of what is coming up, to tell them what the speed limit is.

Some emerging economies, like South Africa, Brazil, Chile and India are developing. For South Africa there’s sort of an artificial deadline for ITS implementation because of the World Cup. For example, it’s now introducing electronic fee collections throughout the public transport modes, a bus rapid transit system, which is quite challenging because there’s a lot of opposition by the taxi industry.

Latin America has more tolling. There are a lot of toll roads in Brazil and Chile, where they use electronic tolling on a large scale. I come from the Netherlands, so I’m quite familiar with the situation over there, and I think it’s also an interesting case because of its physical characteristics. I mean, the Netherlands is a small country, densely populated, and we don’t have room to expand the network just like that. So the Netherlands – the Dutch government has been forced to look into efficiency gains on the existing road network already for some decades.

They also have invested a lot in incident management systems to clear the road quickly after incidents occur and to reduce congestion. I think everybody’s eye is now on the Netherlands also because they’re planning to introduce a national road-charging scheme, which adds another dimension to ITS in the Netherlands. I don’t know all the details of it, but it is planned to be a scheme where you pay based on the type of vehicle you drive, so it’s like an environmental classification of your vehicle, where you drive and at what time. It would replace some of their existing vehicle taxes. So in the end, the plans of the ministry are that it shouldn’t cost more for travellers, the objective is that it rationalises the demand, the mobility demand, so to speak. So heavy users pay more and light users pay less, while different charges are levied between peak and off-peak hours.

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It’s from the point of view of demand management, I would say.

And these are just some examples. The Alpine countries have a policy specifically focused on getting freight off the road, and so both Switzerland and Austria have electronic truck tolling in place. So there are many examples, but I think it’s important to point out every country and region has its own context in terms of policy, but also in terms of needs and priorities.

With environmental considerations currently enjoying such a high profile, what’s the IRF doing to promote a green and more sustainable use of the road network, and what role is ITS playing in this regard?

CV. IRF is quite active in this field. Road transport doesn’t have a very good image. It contributes to 74 percent of all transport emissions of CO2.

But the road industry is very proactive in this sense, and many of our members embark, on voluntary basis, on initiatives to reduce their own carbon footprint and to come up with all kinds of innovations to make road construction, maintenance, and operation greener. We have several initiatives within the IRF itself. We’re developing a greenhouse gas calculator, which is an instrument that monitors emissions during the lifecycle of a road, and it is a tool that will enable members to calculate their emissions.

For example, when they make a bid to construct a road, they can already include an assessment of the emissions that it will give. Th is could

also become a factor for competition, because we already see that some countries, such as New Zealand, impose these kinds of assessments in the bidding process.

So I think that’s a very important tool, it’s modular and we have I think one or two modules already in place, but it’s in continuous development. We have our working group, a bit like a policy committee for ITS, but this is a working group focused on greener roads or environment, which is really a forum for exchange of best practice and experience. Th is working group also just published a compilation of best practice, which is called Innovative Practice for Greener Roads. It’s a CD-ROM with around 60 best-practice cases on it in all stages of the lifecycle of a road.

From the road infrastructure point of view, ITS is helping because we think that traffic management and congestion reduction where ITS plays a big role is a very important way to make roads and road transport more efficient and sustainable.

The technologies I already mentioned, especially electronic tolling, these traffic management systems combined with emissions monitoring have a high potential in contributing to this.

Also, to a certain extent, road-user charging has a part to play. It’s under discussion in quite a few countries. It rationalises the mobility demand.

It will not be a miracle solution for addressing transport growth, for example, but it might do something. It’s proven in Stockholm, where they introduced user charging in the city, that there have been substantial gains in reducing emissions.

Finally, looking at private and public transportation, we are expecting to see exponential growth in both over the next decade. How do you think this will impact policy decisions around the implementation of traffic management solutions?

CV. First of all, it’s very important to note that we have not succeeded in decoupling economic growth with growth in transport demand. Although we’re currently in an economic crisis and transport is slightly down, the world will come out of it and transport will go up again. That’s very important to take as a starting point. We have to look at realistic options to handle this growth in transport demand.

And this would also mean a bigger shift away from hardware considerations. Rather than just extending roads to accommodate this transport growth, we need to look more to soft ware and more ITS-geared and efficiency-geared measures and mobility management. In our point of view, this will have a great impact on policy decisions, because it will be all about efficiency of the road networks in place, or the transport networks in place. ITS and traffic management can contribute to that, but maybe it is only part of the solution.

Caroline Visser is Road Finance and ITS Programme Manager for the International Road Federation.

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ASK THE EXPERT

Full of fibre Wim D’Hooghe of OTN Systems explains the importance of secure telecommunication networks in transportation

T

he most important telecom subsystem for metro organisations, intelligent motorways, bridges or tunnels is the fibre optic backbone. It carries all the information needed to run the daily operations. Needless to say that the network should be extremely reliable and provide maximum resilience to cope with the inevitable faults that will occur, such as cable breaks.

Another important requirement of the network is that it should be easy to manage. Actually, it should be child’s play. Unlike enterprise equipment, network (soft ware) upgrades should be avoided. In most cases there’s simply not enough time to switch back to the ‘old’ configuration, so why take the risk? Also, make sure the backbone has a guaranteed life span of at least 10 years, preferably 15.

Not to mention the legacy equipment that still might be out there with its traditional (analogue) interfaces. To make things even more complicated, you don’t want any of these applications to interfere with one another.

Imagine a surveillance system bringing your SCADA down due to unforeseen high traffic – completely unacceptable. Hence, choose a system that can guarantee 100 percent separation between every single application.

Superiority of fibre optics

Installing fibre has become nearly as easy as pulling a copper cable. The connectors available on the market today make a fibre installation really plug and play. The benefits of fibre are numerous. The bandwidth provided is virtually unlimited, as are the distances that can be spanned. We are no longer talking about Gbps (Gigabits per second) but Tbps Wim D’Hooghe is co-founder and CEO (Terabits per second), far beyond the bandwidth that of OTN Systems. Prior to that he was Connect all applications is currently needed to run the daily operations. But in charge of all indirect business and the industrial market at Nokia Siemens The last thing you want to do is install multiple who knows what the future will bring?

Networks and, at Siemens, was in charge of the OTN Business Unit. networks for the different applications. It would not Also, fibre cable is immune to electromagnetic only cost an arm and a leg but it would also become interference. EMC is often a nightmare for equipment very hard to manage and lead to a high OPEX (Opmanufacturers as well as for end users. So, keep copper erational Expenditures). Keep things simple and choose a network that cable to a minimum, for the short distances only. Today, fibre cable has can combine all the applications without jeopardising the performance become a no-brainer in the industry. of any of them.

A metro environment is probably one of the most complex ones beTransport network cause of the wide variety of applications encountered, including safety It should operate round-the-clock and be impossible to break into. applications, security, train control, passenger information, station The latter is easier said than done. Open standards have brought us inmanagement and so on. Moreover, each of these applications have their teroperability and the internet, but also hackers and fi rewalls. The train own specific requirements towards the transmission network. The CCTV operator’s worst nightmare is that someone breaks into the network and application can only tolerate a maximum delay of 150 milliseconds (from accesses the train signalling or safety applications. Not only could it stop camera to control room display – for pan-tilt-zoom purposes), the radio the system from operating but it could also put lives in danger. My recnetwork might require synchronous links, the SCADA system might ommendation: take all possible precautions and select a system that is need a process control type of connection. designed for the worst case scenario.

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INDUSTRY INSIGHT

HOLD THE LINE Maj. Gen. (Ret) Herzel Iosub, Co-Owner and Manager of El-Far, points out that a multi layered protection approach to perimeter and intrusion detection systems could prevent or at least, alert authorities to potential threats before they happen. El-Far’s industry-leading patented technologies, real world experience,

vast experience in implementation provides us with a substantial competitive edge,” he concludes.

El-Far ranges of products includes smart fence solutions that are capable of detecting any attempted intrusion of the fence whether by climbing, cutting or opening of the structure within a +/-10 metre resolution, and provides visual and audible alarms against any such unauthorised access.

Making sensors work in the outdoor environment is the hardest challenge. To maintain uninterrupted coverage with a low false alarm rate, outdoor sensors must face up to extreme environmental conditions. El-Far’s smart sen-

impressive install base and application of advanced technologies make them a world leader in their field. In 2003, El-Far’s systems were authorised by the Israeli Defense Force’s Technological Unit, having undergone rigorous testing in radical environmental conditions and severe operational scenarios.

Iosub believes that El-Far maintains a competitive edge across its product line. “Our products are designed to provide customers with reliable, accurate and cost effective perimeter protection solutions. The products are presented as modular systems that allow for efficient installations or integrations with existing infrastructures.” Clients do not want to replace perfectly good equipment or entire systems due to compatibility issues, he says. “El-Far’s technological leadership and expertise and our

sors (vibration, seismic and ultrasonic sensors) incorporate smart technology that overcomes this challenge. “They add a significant protection layer to any existing solution,” says Iosub.

“The amalgamation of technologies and ensuing data fusion with other sensors results in data that is more accurate, complete and reliable,” he concludes.

In addition, El-Far offers a range of perimeter security products to provide a complete solution to a wide range of applications including command and control soft ware, video management, analytics and recording, access control systems, and other perimeter infrastructure security products.

Founded and managed by a team of Israeli defence community veterans, El-Far is a global company that delivers its advanced perimeter security technologies and integrated solutions to customers around the world, in a range of military and civilian applications.

Herzel losub explains why protecting critical infrastructure

from security breaches has never been more important.

U

sing the correct technology to defend against potential threats is essential. The rising threat of global terrorism in the last decade has undoubtedly increased awareness of perimeter security and security in general, especially for key sites such as critical infrastructure, airports, train stations and borders to name a few.

Global terrorism is not the only threat. Sabotage, vandalism and other criminal activities continue to challenge site security. An example of such an incident occurred when Greenpeace activists broke onto the grounds of a Dutch nuclear reactor and painted a giant crack on its outer shell – a protest aimed at exposing the danger of nuclear energy. Around 30 demonstrators climbed a fence and scaled the walls of the high-flux Borssele reactor, the focus of decades of protests in the Netherlands. This example demonstrates how easily a security breach can occur in even the most sensitive of sites.

The main challenge facing perimeter security applications is the fact that these sites typically encompass a wide area and pose a physical challenge to security personnel, as the perimeters require efficient monitoring to enable a rapid respond to any security breach.

In addition, each application differs enormously in their individual security requirements.

For example, airports are multi-jurisdictional, making airport perimeter security a daunting task while borders need to manage the legitimate flow of people and assets while countering smuggling, economic migration and other illegal activities.

Maj. Gen. (Ret) Herzel Iosub is Co-Owner and Manager of El-Far. He held senior executive positions in the Israeli Police Force and the Israeli Ministry of Public Security. As Head of the Planning and Budget Department at the Homeland Security Office and Israeli Police, Iosub was responsible for the budgeting and planning of a wide range of installations and projects.

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INDUSTRY INSIGHT

HOLD THE LINE Maj. Gen. (Ret) Herzel Iosub, Co-Owner and Manager of El-Far, points out that a multi layered protection approach to perimeter and intrusion detection systems could prevent or at least, alert authorities to potential threats before they happen. El-Far’s industry-leading patented technologies, real world experience,

vast experience in implementation provides us with a substantial competitive edge,” he concludes.

El-Far ranges of products includes smart fence solutions that are capable of detecting any attempted intrusion of the fence whether by climbing, cutting or opening of the structure within a +/-10 metre resolution, and provides visual and audible alarms against any such unauthorised access.

Making sensors work in the outdoor environment is the hardest challenge. To maintain uninterrupted coverage with a low false alarm rate, outdoor sensors must face up to extreme environmental conditions. El-Far’s smart sen-

impressive install base and application of advanced technologies make them a world leader in their field. In 2003, El-Far’s systems were authorised by the Israeli Defense Force’s Technological Unit, having undergone rigorous testing in radical environmental conditions and severe operational scenarios.

Iosub believes that El-Far maintains a competitive edge across its product line. “Our products are designed to provide customers with reliable, accurate and cost effective perimeter protection solutions. The products are presented as modular systems that allow for efficient installations or integrations with existing infrastructures.” Clients do not want to replace perfectly good equipment or entire systems due to compatibility issues, he says. “El-Far’s technological leadership and expertise and our

sors (vibration, seismic and ultrasonic sensors) incorporate smart technology that overcomes this challenge. “They add a significant protection layer to any existing solution,” says Iosub.

“The amalgamation of technologies and ensuing data fusion with other sensors results in data that is more accurate, complete and reliable,” he concludes.

In addition, El-Far offers a range of perimeter security products to provide a complete solution to a wide range of applications including command and control soft ware, video management, analytics and recording, access control systems, and other perimeter infrastructure security products.

Founded and managed by a team of Israeli defence community veterans, El-Far is a global company that delivers its advanced perimeter security technologies and integrated solutions to customers around the world, in a range of military and civilian applications.

Herzel Iosub explains why protecting critical infrastructure

from security breaches has never been more important.

U

sing the correct technology to defend against potential threats is essential. The rising threat of global terrorism in the last decade has undoubtedly increased awareness of perimeter security and security in general, especially for key sites such as critical infrastructure, airports, train stations and borders to name a few.

Global terrorism is not the only threat. Sabotage, vandalism and other criminal activities continue to challenge site security. An example of such an incident occurred when Greenpeace activists broke onto the grounds of a Dutch nuclear reactor and painted a giant crack on its outer shell – a protest aimed at exposing the danger of nuclear energy. Around 30 demonstrators climbed a fence and scaled the walls of the high-flux Borssele reactor, the focus of decades of protests in the Netherlands. This example demonstrates how easily a security breach can occur in even the most sensitive of sites.

The main challenge facing perimeter security applications is the fact that these sites typically encompass a wide area and pose a physical challenge to security personnel, as the perimeters require efficient monitoring to enable a rapid respond to any security breach.

In addition, each application differs enormously in their individual security requirements.

For example, airports are multi-jurisdictional, making airport perimeter security a daunting task while borders need to manage the legitimate flow of people and assets while countering smuggling, economic migration and other illegal activities.

Maj. Gen. (Ret) Herzel Iosub is Co-Owner and Manager of El-Far. He held senior executive positions in the Israeli Police Force and the Israeli Ministry of Public Security. As Head of the Planning and Budget Department at the Homeland Security Office and Israeli Police, Iosub was responsible for the budgeting and planning of a wide range of installations and projects.

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SECURITY

Security’s next wave Ron Louwerse tells Marie Shields about the futuristic technology that is helping to Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport fight terrorism.

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I

n these times of heightened terror threats, one of the toughest jobs has got to be that of an airport’s director of security. How to thwart a potential attack while ensuring customers are not unduly inconvenienced?

One answer is to invest in up-to-the-minute technology, something that is in evidence at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport, where advanced body scanning machinery called the ‘Security Scan’ was introduced in 2007. The machines produce an image of the body contours using millimetre wave reflection technology, which alerts security staff to the presence of unauthorised items on the body.

Schiphol’s Director of Security Ron Louwerse explains the advantages of this technology: “The main benefit is that the machine scans all objects that people have on their body. A metal detector only scans metal, and then we have to do a random search to look for explosives. This machine looks for metal, explosives and non-ferrous items. The big advantage is that, with the scan, you deal with all possible threats people can carry with them.”

He points out that it is also very fast. “The actual screening only takes three seconds. In the current system, the agent needs about nine to 10 seconds to look at an image if there’s something he has to go investigate further. This is a different agent from the one standing next to the machine. They communicate through a wireless system, and when something is not okay with the ankle or whatever, he only has to say, ‘It’s not okay with the ankle.’ The actual body frisking can be minimised to a specific location, in this case the ankle, which makes it much more passenger-friendly because it doesn’t involve a search of the whole body.”

Some passengers were understandably a little apprehensive about the machines when they were first introduced: Louwerse says they were viewed like “some new science fiction thing, like something from Star Trek.” Now, however, they have become used to it and airport staff have found the system to be very passenger-friendly, with a normal throughput of about four passengers per minute, a speed Louwerse calls “acceptable”.

Airline passengers have been taking the machines in their stride, but that hasn’t stopped privacy-related questions being asked about them in the European Parliament. “They were wor-

All the world’s a stage Security theatre consists of measures aimed at giving the feeling of heightened security while doing little or nothing to actually improve it. The term was coined by Bruce Schneier in his book Beyond Fear, but has come to be used particularly for describing airport security measures. It is also used by some experts such to describe the security measures imposed after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

Mutual cooperation The International Air Transport Association’s Steve Lott explains the association’s role in international airport security.

One of the International Air Transport Association’s main objectives is to ensure that international security requirements are mutually accepted between European member states. How do you go about doing this?

Steve Lott. IATA proposes that states carry out a detailed comparison of their security measures, to assess whether their security levels are equivalent or not. This can be accompanied by audits at each other’s airports. Should they prove to be at equivalent levels, they should conclude Security Recognition Agreements that can then lead to one-stop security.

One-stop security has been in place in Europe for a decade now, but the system has not moved outside of this area. What benefits would one-stop security bring and how could the concept be expanded outside of Europe?

SL. Europe is indeed a specific case, because the security rules here are set jointly by the EU member states, and kept under supervision by the European Commission. However, IATA is convinced that onestop security can expand beyond the EU’s borders, between likeminded countries and based on equivalence of measures. The EU is currently negotiating one-stop security agreements with the US and Canada, for example. We believe the main airports in Asia should also be a test-bed for one-stop security.

Where does the responsibility lie for aviation security and funding?

Are there any actors you believe should be playing an enhanced role regarding security?

SL. As a principle, IATA believes that security measures that are set by lawmakers to protect people against terrorism should be paid for by the state – anti-terrorism is a key government function. In practice, this is not done. Too often, the aviation industry and passengers are asked to bear the cost of security measures. The aviation industry fully understands the role it needs to play in implementing strict security standards – but the responsibility for funding should be more justly shared with governments.

Will it be possible to achieve a harmonised implementation of globally recognised security standards?

SL. Harmonisation is a fundamental objective in aviation security, but we recognise that states can be under different threat levels and may have to implement additional measures to cope with higher risk. Since global security is as strong as its weakest link, all states should at least adhere to the baseline security standard set

by ICAO Annex 17. Beyond this, we encourage states that have different security regimes to at least recognise each other’s systems and cooperate closely. The response of a number of key states to the liquids and gels threats in August 2006 is an example of international cooperation and mutual recognition.

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Look me in the eye Privium, Schiphol’s service programme for frequent fliers, offers members the opportunity to travel by plane without the need to show their passports, thanks to its futuristic iris-scanning equipment.

On joining the programme, both of the passenger’s eyes are scanned. Their iris details are saved on a chip on the Privium membership card, and at border passage the data on the chip are compared to the eye of the person travelling. If the information matches, the passenger is allowed to proceed.

According to Schiphol authorities, scanning the iris does not pose any risk to eyes or health. The iris scan can read information if the person is wearing glasses, contact lenses or coloured contact lenses, although it does not work through sunglasses.

The iris scan was developed by Schiphol according to the airport’s specifications. The required software was developed in close cooperation with the Department of Immigration and Naturalisation, and the Dutch Military Police.

ried about the image being seen by other agents,” Louwerse explains. “That’s why, with the company who manufactures the machine, we have tested new software in which there is no image for an agent to see. It’s a fully automated detection device: on a kind of outline next to the machine it bleeps up on the ankle or on the knee or on the shoulder or whatever. There’s no communication with the two agents and there’s no agent who looks at it.”

Human error When airport security breaches do happen, they are often blamed on human error, which may be why Schiphol’s motto, as quoted by Louwerse, is “technology where possible and people where necessary”. “That’s the way we try to fulfill all security obligations,” he says. He cites 100 percent control of staff when they enter security-restricted areas, and the use of a central location to minimise the number of agents required to look at X-rays, as being vital to maintaining high levels of security.

One of the big issues facing airport staff is how to keep passengers happy during increasingly lengthy security procedures. What are the challenges in maintaining security but also maintaining a good customer experience?

Louwerse says that the most important element is passenger-friendliness: “When we train our people, we always emphasise the need for being friendly and polite and showing respect,” he emphasizes.

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No matter how advanced the technology gets, there will always be a they feel they’re being treated like criminals. He notes the difficulty of finding human factor in making sure the customer experience is a good one. “It can a balance between those two feelings. be a difficult task, because you have to screen a lot of passengers on a daily Despite these challenges, in 2007, the British Business Traveller magazine basis. Not all passengers act friendly towards you, and it can be difficult somevoted Amsterdam Airport Schiphol ‘Best Airport in Europe’, based on passentimes to maintain your composure. The main chalger experience. Schiphol also earned fourth place for lenge is to keep the whole process passenger friendly, ‘Best Airport in the World’ on the same list. And in FACTS & FIGURES but still it has to be a security process.”

June of this year, it was designated best airport in (2008) Although our awareness of terror threats reEurope by the European airport association, ACI mains relatively high, Louwerse admits that there is Europe. When asked what part he thinks security has Annual passenger capacity always a danger that complacency can creep in. In played in this recognition, Louwerse says, “One of the order to combat this, Schiphol uses ‘mystery’ pasadvantages we have is that we are responsible for the sengers and other programmes to ensure staff reactual carrying out of the measures and the legislamain alert to possible breaches. “I think it’s a normal tion, so we are able to integrate them in our other Aircraft parking stands human reaction. When the threat is not immediate, processes. it could slip in. If we see this happening, we act im“It’s the government that’s checking on the commediately,” he says. “We’re on a good level.”

Car parking spaces In addition to preventing threats introduced by “Louwerse pins his hopes on new passengers, there are other crucial areas where secudevelopments in technology to ease rity needs to be maintained, including the airport’s Shops the stress during current airport perimeter. Schiphol has about 55 km of fencing, security procedures” which Louwerse says is a large area to maintain. The airport uses modern radar and camera technology to Catering outlets prevent intrusion, and also works closely with the pliance and the level and the quality, but it’s up to us local police authority, which carries out surveillance to determine how and where we put in the security. I around the whole area. think that’s an advantage over other airports that Aircraft movements have a lot more government involvement.

Acting out “We have very good cooperation with governAirport security is often accused of being reactive ment institutions. We are both aware of the need to in nature, and this does appear to be true. After 9/11, deal with security in a proper way – efficient, not too Passenger movements more control was introduced around cockpit doors costly, and passenger friendly. That’s also the govand sharp objects were banned from cabins. Following ernment’s concern.” the ‘shoe bomber’ incident, many airports started reThe difficulty with European legislation, Scheduled quiring certain types of shoes to be scanned. A threat Louwerse says, is that it’s an advantage and a disadfrom liquid explosives materialises and suddenly rules vantage at the same time. It applies to all European relating to liquids are tightened up. airports and all European countries, attempting to Non-scheduled It’s easy to point fingers and say these measures apply one standard to a very diverse industry. have come too late, but how can we protect against “National governments are allowed to put in things we haven’t even thought of yet? “You have to more stringent measures than the EU states,” he Transit-direct think the unthinkable,” Louwerse says. “That’s a points out. “This can make it difficult for some pasparadox I can’t solve. It’s very difficult. You should sengers to travel between certain countries. For exbe alert; you should look not only for compliance ample, in some countries, it’s always necessary to take with regulations, but as a security agent or a security your shoes off; in others it’s not. That’s the disadvanTotal department, you should look for the actual threat. tage of having one European legislation on one hand That’s just being aware at the spot, at the time, at the and still the freedom for local governments to put in moment of what’s happening. Then we’ll be okay. their own measures on the other.”

Scheduled destinations “You could say a lot of this is theatre. Which in a Louwerse pins his hopes on new developments in way is true, because 99.9999 percent of our passengers technology to ease the stress that can often exist durare not the ones we are looking for. But you still have ing current airport security procedures, moving toto check and control them. It looks like theatre, but in the end, there’s a reason ward a time when passengers won’t even notice they’re being screened. you’re doing it. It’s not really theatre at all.”

“We’re not there yet,” he says. But with its forward-looking approach, there’s Louwerse agrees that part of the function of security checks is to make no reason why Schiphol shouldn’t continue to lead the field of airport securipassengers feel as though something is being done. He says this works both ty into the future. ways: it makes some passengers feel secure, but then others complain because Ron Louwerse is Director of Security for Amsterdam Airport Schiphol.

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LONDON IN FOCUS A closer look at the people and projects reshaping the UK Capital

INSIDE P86 JOHN ARMITT Chairman, Olympic Delivery Authority

P92 TERRY MORGAN Chairman, Crossrail

P96 AILSA BEATON CIO, Metropolitan Police Service

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Race for the The Olympic Games are a serious business. EU Infrastructure talks with the Olympic Delivery Authority’s John Armitt about London’s run to the 2012 finish line.

prize THE OLYMPICS

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n 27 July 2012, the starter’s pistol on one of the world’s biggest sporting events will be fired in London. The Olympics are coming to the UK capital and preparing the city for the massive influx of participants and spectators is the biggest game in town. Venues, transportation and accommodation all need to not only be built but connected into a seamless whole. It is an undertaking with global significance and one not without its controversies. From an original budget of €2.6 billion, the anticipated cost has risen to €10.2 billion. There has also been a huge debate about what becomes of the Olympic facilities in the long term. The memory of London’s generally unloved Millennium Dome has not faded and nobody wants to end up with a series of expensive white elephants once the athletes have headed home.

As Chairman of the Olympic Delivery Authority, the body tasked with making sure the games happen as planned, John Armitt is mindful that world’s eyes will be concentrated on London in 2012, watching closely for any slip ups. He is also conscious that a project with so many disparate elements presents a similar number of opportunities for things to go wrong.

But perhaps the most significant feature of a project like the Olympics, when compared to other major construction works, is the finality of its deadline.

If you’re building a hotel or shopping centre, overruns are costly, inconvenient and best avoided. If you’re building the venues and infrastructure for a giant international sporting event, flexibility is not an option. When the Olympic torch is lit you simply have to be ready.

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“Time is the one thing that we don’t have,” agrees Armitt when we meet up with him in London. “One of our fundamental drivers is ensuring that we are not held up for decisions and, given that government is funding the bulk of everything that we’re doing, it is obviously important for government to be involved in those decisions. To be fair, government has not held us up, but I think without that absolute end date people could prevaricate their decisions.” Despite a career spanning more than 30 years which has included stints as Chief Executive of Network Rail and Costain, Armitt freely admits to being in unknown territory as Chairman of the ODA. “London 2012 is the first project I have been involved in where it absolutely has to be finished to a fixed deadline,” he says.

However, operating under the pressure of immutable delivery dates has not been without its benefits. “It’s interesting to see what good discipline that brings to the process,” he continues. “Agreeing the budget was one of the most challenging areas early on, as it was perceived as an increase on the price in the bid book which didn’t include inflation and VAT. Since achieving a budget, which included contingency, we’ve been able to work within it.”

While wrangles over the budget have been extremely visible in media discussion of London 2012, Armitt is adamant that the biggest challenges from his perspective have been logistical rather than financial. “The Olympic Park workforce will peak at about 11,000 in 2010, and we have a lorry coming into the site every minute,” he explains.

Peo “We have created off site holding centres so lorries canp c urre le not come direct to site but go to a logistics centre outside of wor ntly London to be registered and given a delivery slot which is con king fo tracked and managed to prevent congestion.” t on t ractor r To cope with the flow of traffic the ODA has split the s h Oly e mp project up into a series of island sites such as the Olympic ic Par k Stadium or a particular bridge. “Knitting that all together through the services and through the road layouts, for example, has been a challenge but has proved to be quite a sensible solution,” says Armitt. “It is a massive project and certainly people that are unfamiliar with the industry have difPeop ficulty comprehending the volume of activity, but by breaking it up le p lace into a series of manageable chunks we are proving it can be achieved.” d

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Green goals Aside from just getting the work done, the Authority also has a stated aim to make London 2012 the first sustainable games, setting a new standard for events of this type. As a result, the entire undertaking has been laid on a sustainable foundation.

“We’re building it in through a whole series of targets which we set fundamentally right at the outset to the designers of each individual building,” Armitt explains. “Rainwater harvesting for grey water usage is something which we’ve focused on to reduce the amount of potable water that’s required in the buildings. We’ve got a 40 percent reduction target and the CO2 footprint is to be kept down by 50 percent on 2006 levels.”

The use of rail and waterways for transportation was another specific target, as well as asking suppliers what they could do to help limit the project’s energy use. Armitt reports some impressive responses to this request, with the aggregate industry standing out in its pledge to provide 25 percent

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Figure recycling. “It was the first time I had actually seen that in action,” he says, visibly impressed. “Even the cement manufacturers were looking at ways in which they could reduce their CO2 footprint in terms of the firing up of the plants necessary for producing the cement. It has been interesting that when you ask people to help they do respond.”

In fact, this response to the sustainability challenge has been one of the most striking features of the Olympic project for Armitt so far.

Organisations are more open to new ideas than has traditionally been the case, recognising that a company’s record on these matters is taking on ever

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“The stadium’s legacy will probably focus on the athletics side with a sporting academy associated with the stadium so it’s used by schools as well as by elite athletes”

greater significance. “In the current environment companies are probably more willing to listen because they know it’s good for them in terms of their corporate responsibility and to how they’re perceived in wider society,” Armitt confirms. “Young people can see that a company is engaged with the green agenda, they’re more likely to want to work for them.”

Outside of the ODA’s responsibility to bring Olympic facilities in on time, Armitt also sees the project as an opportunity to promote better practices across the construction industry. A job of this scale gives a client like the ODA a huge amount of leverage over its suppliers, allowing them to play a vital role in effecting change. “For example, in training, if you were to say as a client, ‘Look, I want you to have three percent of your employees in training,’ then contractors will do their best to achieve that,” says Armitt. “But if nobody says anything, then you take the softer option,

which is just to use the agencies and get in labour as required. That is just one of the big problems and challenges that the construction industry has.

We have an ageing workforce so getting more young people in through training schemes is vital, and you can in fact change that through your procurement processes.”

This focus on training is a big issue for Armitt and the ODA, tying into the wider idea of ensuring London 2012 is sustainable in every sense. The games themselves only go on for a couple of weeks, but it is hoped that their effects will be felt for much longer. “It’s a major objective for us, particularly because of the area in London that we’re building,” he explains. “There is a lot of expectation, that the games are going to bring lots of jobs. Well, yes there are, if you’ve got the skills, and that is why to a certain extent we’ve had to say that we’ll take unskilled people and provide skilled training. We’ve

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put several hundred now through plant operator training. They haven’t all joined the project. Some of them have gone to work on other sites, but that doesn’t matter. At least they now know how to drive a back actor and they can get a job, which before they wouldn’t have been able to do.”

Built to last Just as important as establishing a long-term skills base are efforts to ensure a durable legacy for the venues and facilities that will play host to athletes, spectators and members of the media in 2012.

Fifty percent of the Olympic Village accommodation has already been sold into a housing association while the remaining half will be sold on the open market.

“The design of that housing has focused on the long-term use and we’re actually temporarily fitting out the accommodation for the games,” says Armitt. “The individual homes will then be reconfigured in legacy to what is required by families, so there will be a lot of four and three bedroom flats there post the games. A lot of attention is being given to the design of the village to try and ensure that it is a successful regeneration project.”

Work continues on the Olympic Stadium

A different question is posed by some of the other facilities being put in place for the games, notably the sporting venues. Armitt is confident that both the aquatics centre and the velodrome will be viable in the long term, citing the success of similar facilities in postCommonwealth Games Manchester.

However, the issue of what becomes of the Olympic stadium “We’re on has proved more problematic.

“The agreement with the IOC was that we would leave an We’re on international quality athletic stadium,” he says. “That we will do. The question is, what else do you do with the thing and how do you get maximum usage from it? It’s not proved possible, so far, for example to finalise football or rugby as tenants. The legacy will probably focus on the athletics side with a sporting academy associated with the stadium so it’s used by schools as well as by elite athletes.”

The Olympics’ status as a genuinely global event actually means that representatives of the media will outnumber athletes by almost two to one through the course of the games. This has necessitated the building of a truly massive broadcast centre. At nearly 100,000 square metres it is the second largest structure on the site after the Olympic Stadium. Ensuring that this centre has

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a life beyond 2012 has required a great deal of forward planning.

“The challenge has been to try and design it in a way which gives maximum flexibility post games for subsequent use,” says Armitt. “The other area is the parklands. We’ve got over 100 acres of parklands, and there it’s been an interesting question. What level do you pitch the quality? We have gone for a very high level quality, particularly of the hard landscape, trying to create a benchmark, because not all the Olympic Park will be developed for the legacy. There will be areas which subsequently commercial developers will come into, and so by setting a high level of design for gone up as much as we expected. On our landscaping areas, we will influence the one hand we’ve got some benefits the quality of the green spaces to be crePOLITICAL CONSIDERATIONS because demand has been less. Prices ated when the rest of the Olympic Park is JOHN ARMITT explains why an anticipated change in have held out. On the other hand, developed. The challenge becomes UK government ahead of the Olympics isn’t causing we’ve had to finance several hundred maintenance cost, as high quality landhim too much concern. million pounds of work out of the pubscaping does require a higher level of lic purse, which we’ve been able to do maintenance cost.”

“We’ve kept very close contact with the through savings, and by not using as The issue of cost cannot be overConservatives, particularly and the Liberal Democrats, much contingency as we’d expected.” looked. The build up to London 2012 has and we brief them regularly so there are no surprises With less than three years to go coincided with another event of global sigfor them in terms of what’s going on. We had the until the games get underway, Armitt nificance in the shape of the financial coltransition of course from [Mayor of London] Ken could be forgiven for feeling the preslapse and subsequent downturn. What Livingstone to Boris Johnson, and Boris has been as sure. However, he insists that everyimpact has this had on the Authority’s supportive as Ken ever was. Different styles, but the thing remains on schedule and the solid work? “The major impact was on how we level of support has been just as great. progress is being made. The structural finance the village and broadcast centre,” Of course by that time, assuming the election steelwork for the Olympic Stadium was Armitt replies. “Originally, they were going doesn’t take place until next year, we’ll be within completed a few days prior to the three to be privately financed. When the finana year of completion and on track to complete all years to go celebrations and the roof for cial offers came in, the cost of guarantees the construction by 2011, a year before the games. the aquatics centre has swiftly followed that were being sought, particularly by the So the opportunity for somebody to come along suit. “We’ve now got all the permanent banks, just made it nonsensical. If I’m and say that they want massive changes will just buildings started and our target for the going to pay you and guarantee your risk, not be possible.” next 12 months is to actually have all then I might as well fund it myself and that the major buildings structurally comis what the government has decided to do. plete,” he says. After that, the work Government is funding for the time being moves inside, as a growing workforce arrives to fit out all the structures. and when the financial climate is better we will go back to the private sector.”

There’s a long way to go before London 2012 is ready to open its doors to In fact, the slowdown actually brought a few benefits along with its the world, but this kind of project is a marathon rather than a sprint. Armitt inconveniences. “Inflation has been less than we forecast,” Armitt conat least is confident that the ODA has paced itself correctly for a successful tinues. “Worker availability is easier than we might have expected if the finish. “We’re on time. We’re on budget,” he says. boom had continued in the construction sector. Material prices have not

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CROSSRAIL

As projects go, running a new rail link right through the heart of London is as big as they come. Crossrail Chairman Terry Morgan explains why all the hard work is worth it.

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he city is a living organism. The way humanity flows through its roads and tunnels mirrors the circulation of the human body and, just as within our own bodies, clogs and congestion can have a serious impact. As anyone who has had reason to cross London during rush hour can attest, sometimes the UK capital’s overloaded transport arteries most closely resemble those of a fast-food addicted couch potato. This is an image at odds with London’s status as a modern, fast-paced and internationally significant place to live and work.

It is also one of the key reasons why Crossrail Chairman Terry Morgan sees the project he leads as so important. “London is the global city,” he says. “In the last 10 years it’s just been a fantastic period of growth.

There’s obviously been an economic challenge over the past 18 months, but I’m still very confident that London is going to remain a powerhouse in the world economy. But London has to improve its infrastructure and its transportation. Previous to Crossrail, I worked on the underground, so I know what the pressures were there. It’s carrying record numbers of

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passengers. It’s been going through a huge amount of additional investment, but when you look at the forward projections that take you out to 2015, 2020, there is insufficient capacity to meet the demand.”

London just keeps on growing. Already home to 7.5 million people, the population is forecast to rise by a further 600,000 by 2016. Existing infrastructure, stretched to breaking point by current inhabitants and visitors, simply cannot cope with this new influx. If traversing the city becomes ever slower and less efficient, its economic development will be stifled. London needs a transport system that can match its ambitions. “What Crossrail brings is 10 percent more capacity,” says Morgan. “It deals with one of the constraints of moving across the centre of the city to the east, and as we develop the southeastern route that’s obviously got huge potential. Going to the west, Heathrow to Canary Wharf is often used as an example. Travel time will be cut quite extensively from around 70 minutes to around 40 minutes.

It’s a big efficiency driver, which makes London more attractive to international business.”

There is a huge amount of work to be done before Crossrail opens its doors to passengers in 2017. The biggest civil engineering project in the UK, it is going to have to bring in some concrete benefits if it is to justify

its €17.9 billion price tag. Morgan is confident that this investment in the city’s transport infrastructure will ultimately provide these benefits. “This is a huge project, and whilst the need for the railway is the primary need in terms of justification, it also brings with it huge opportunities in terms of regeneration,” he says. “It’s a well known fact that railways in themselves bring regeneration with them. It’s also true to say that with the huge amount of money we have to invest on the central stations, that this also creates opportunities to redevelop those areas too. There’s a combination of meeting a transport need and regeneration opportunities that is something Crossrail brings to London.”

Quite aside from its huge costs, the project poses some major logistical and organisational challenges.

Running a new rail route directly through the centre of a city as densely populated and heavily developed as London is an extremely complicated process. “There are a lot of stakeholders and I don’t think anybody should be surprised, given the scale of this project,” Morgan continues. “Part of my role is to try and understand the different needs of each of the stakeholders and to best serve the interest of the project by engaging with those stakeholders in a positive way. Have we had challenges? I think there’s a common purpose within London that this is a project we need to do, and a lot

Crossrail will cut journey times by up to

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Visions of the future: how Crossrail should look by 2017

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of people making very positive comments about the criticality of whilst I’m confident we could get the skills, I’d like to make sure we get as Crossrail. It’s less easy sometimes to explain to people who perhaps are much from London as we can because that for me is a double whammy. not close to the railway itself what benefits it brings but it does, and the You’ve got the skills and people development opportunities bringing ecoreality would be that Crossrail will employ a lot of people, bring economic regeneration to the difficult areas.” In his previous role as Chief nomic wellbeing to lots and lots of different parts of London. I’ve heard Executive of Tube Lines, Morgan oversaw a similar initiative centred the mayor of London talk many times about the sense of opportunity that around signalling, so he is confident such programmes are worth the efexists for London and those that really touch the edges of the city.” fort. “I just know the value it brings, both from the point of view of giving Building support and enthusiasm about Crossrail among the people young people opportunities, and from helping people have the opportuniof London is almost as important as the actual engineering work. In ties to grow their skill set. It’s very important. If you do it in the the current climate, an expensive undertaking such as this proper way, you improve retention. You get a higher quality could quickly lose the local backing which is so important of individual. Retention rates are better. It just makes sense to it, especially as it will be the best part of a decade bethat we’re going to invest in people.” fore many of its biggest benefits will be demonstrated.

In addition to providing opportunities for the peoMorgan acknowledges the difficulty: “There is the ple of London in the short term, the Academy will pressure of trying to create some excitement around offer an invaluable pool of talent for future tunnelling the program to get some understanding of what we’re projects, both in the city and elsewhere. “I think the doing,” he confirms. “It’s very difficult when you’re in need for infrastructure investment continues to be a 2009 to try and get people excited about the prospect of a high priority,” Morgan continues. “In terms of our tunnel program that’s going to get delivered in 2017.” Recognising academy, we want to develop it as a standalone business that that this is a long-term process, the organisation has set up Young is able not just to depend on Crossrail, so when you talk to the Crossrail. This initiative engages local schools with curriculum approved likes of Thames Water or you talk to EDF or BAA, there are opportunities learning materials and design-based contests related to the project. In adto broaden this into an industrial capability and there will be programs. dition to building an immediate sense of community engagement, Young Who knows what London’s needs will be in the future because I think that Crossrail is designed to have other, more long-term effects. “We just think what’s available above ground is very limited, but there are still solutions that by actually reaching out to to be found underground.” young people, first of all, it crePreliminary work on ates a level of interest and unCrossrail is already underway, derstanding,” says Morgan. but the project will really kick “In many regards, we’re hopinto gear in 2011 when the tuning that by increasing the nelling begins in earnest. knowledge of what Crossrail Morgan explains that there is BILLION BUDGET represents, it might also influstill plenty of work to be done ence people in what they’re before the tunnelling machinOF NEW TUNNELS thinking about in terms of ery is fired up. “In terms of tuntheir career, where they live, nelling, we’re doing an awful and how they can make a conlot of work,” he says. “As you BILLION ESTIMATED BENEFIT TO UK ECONOMY tribution to Crossrail.” would expect in a project of It’s a bold move that this nature, there were a numDAILY COMMUTERS INTO demonstrates the multi-year ber of assumptions made with LONDON BY 2025 planning at the heart of the proregard to how the tunnelling TONNES OF WASTE TO ject, but it is not the only one. would be done. What we’re tryBE REMOVED BY RIVER Space above ground in London ing to do right now is to put a is extremely limited, so for lot more meat on the bone in Crossrail, the only way is down. All in all, the project will carve out 42km terms of actually understanding in detail the conditions that we’re going to of tunnels below the capital’s streets. Such a feat of engineering requires an have to deal with. There will be surprises, but what we’re trying to do right extremely skilled workforce, one that doesn’t necessarily exist right now in now is to take away as many of the unknown factors with regard to the tunsufficient numbers. To counter this, Crossrail is setting up a Tunnelling nels as possible.”

Academy that will not only provide skilled employees for the project but But as well as the project is progressing, there remains one threat that also serve as a centre of excellence for the global tunnelling industry. “In a has the power to derail things. The coming general election is widely exmarket environment of the sort we operate, skill shortages frequently will pected to put a new government in power within the next year. Speaking resolve themselves but maybe not quite with the levels of solutions that of the project, likely future Prime Minister David Cameron said, “I back you’re looking for,” says Morgan. “Crossrail brings economic regeneration.

Crossrail. I want Crossrail to go ahead. I think Crossrail has that transforIt brings job prospects to areas that have not had those advantages, so mational capability to make London a more effective and economically

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FOR THE BIRDS successful city.” However, he also offered the qualification that, “Everything has to pass the value-for-money test. But we want it to go ahead.” This is a slightly lukewarm endorsement from the leader of a party not known for its deep commitment to the funding of public transport. Morgan remains bullish that, come 2017, Crossrail will be rolling through the city, but understands that it is vital that the project keeps making a case for itself. “I think the importance of ensuring that the arguments for Crossrail are prosecuted as hard as they can

“Infrastructure investment, the jobs and the regeneration opportunities that come with it are all part of a recovery programme. They are more than just a project” be is critically important,” he says. “It’s very easy with a long-term program of this nature to assume that you can delay things. We’ve started the program and we have to make sure that we put this project in the best possible light to those who will have to make some difficult decisions in the future. My viewpoint is that infrastructure investment, the jobs and the regeneration opportunities that come with it are all part of a recovery programme. They are more than just a project.”

From left: Transport Secretary Lord Adonis, London Mayor Boris Johnson and Prime Minister Gordon Brown inspect plans for Crossrail’s Canary Wharf station

A key spoke of Crossrail’s sustainability strategy centres around a collaboration with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds to create a wildlife sanctuary at Wallasea Island in Essex using excavated spoil from the construction. Five million tonnes of chalk, clay, sand and gravel will be transported by boat to help transform an area of arable land back into coastal marshland. When finished, the reserve will cover nearly 6.5 square kilometres and provide an invaluable habitat for threatened species of birds and animals, as well as mitigating the effects of anticipated rises in sea level.

Speaking of the project, Graham Wynne, Chief Executive of the RSPB said: “Wallasea will be the RSPB’s most ambitious and innovative habitat recreation scheme. It will create a huge new area for birds and other wildlife whose existing habitats are being damaged and lost because of climate change. This is a ground-breaking deal between one of the UK's leading enterprises and an environmental charity. It is absolutely wonderful news for wildlife.” It’s an excellent example of how the business of construction and sustainability can actually work together, with both getting something out of the deal. Simon Phillips, Crossrail’s Construction Liaison Manager echoed the RSPB’s enthusiasm, saying: "We have been looking for a good way to reuse the excavated material from Crossrail for some time and we believe that we could not have found a better home for it than the RSPB scheme at Wallasea Island. Crossrail is the largest civil engineering project in Europe and we believe that by contributing towards Europe’s largest new coastal wetland we will leave an appropriate and fitting legacy.”

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E OLIC P N TA POLI O R T ME

ROBO COPS

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Pounding the beat is only part of policing London’s streets. As Metropolitan Police Service CIO Ailsa Beaton tells Diana Milne, it also requires a €350 million IT budget and some of the world’s most advanced technology infrastructure.

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here aren’t many CIOs who spend their spare time pounding the beat on the streets of London. But for Ailsa Beaton there’s no better way to understand the IT requirements of her organisation than to volunteer as a special constable. As CIO of London’s Metropolitan Police Service (MPS), Beaton’s remit is vast, and includes supporting 50,000 employees with 30,000 desktops, controlling a €350 million IT budget and ensuring officers are equipped with the technology they need to fight crime. She describes IT as the “lifeblood of the organisation”, underpinning modern policing methods from the control room to the street patrols. Its growing importance within the organisation comes at a time, however, when the organisation is facing tight economic constraints and Beaton admits one of the most challenging aspects of her role is balancing increasing demands with depleting resources. “The biggest challenge is for us to make the police service the best it can be with shrinking resources. In absolute terms, the money may not have been cut. But we’re being asked to do more with it than we’ve ever done before.”

Project pipeline The “more” Beaton refers to includes being tasked to deliver service improvements and savings in the region of €58 million and spearheading a major overhaul of the Met’s IT and communications infrastructure. This was the aim of the C3i programme, which was completed in 2006 and involved integrating the force’s communications and monitoring systems, including its 32 borough control rooms. Describing the project, Beaton says: “We’ve taken five call receipt centres, 32 borough control rooms and integrated them into three operational centres that handle the 12 million inbound calls each year, whether they are 999 or non emergency calls. The centres also co-ordinate the dispatch of officers whether it’s an immediate blue light situation or less urgent scenario. We despatch not just by voice, but through mobile data terminals in police vehicles and we monitor alarms across London. It was very complex and as such, took a great deal of time from the inception of the idea

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THE ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE OF THE MET Territorial Policing: London’s local police Following a recent restructuring, most of the day-to-day policing of London is the responsibility of 33 borough operational command units (BOCUs).

Specialist Crime Directorate In addition to policing London’s streets, the Met has various specialist units dedicated to reducing all aspects of serious and specialist crime.

The intention of Specialist Crime Directorate is to place a renewed emphasis on working collaboratively with communities, boroughs and partners to identify effective solutions to serious crime problems.

Specialist Operations The Met has various specialist units that work across the capital or which fulfill a national role.

A number of these are grouped into a section of the organisation known as Specialist Operations. They deal with tasks such as intelligence, security, protection of politicians, embassies and royalty, and the investigation of certain categories of serious crimes, including racial and violent crime and terrorism.

Central Operations Central Operations consists of a number of specialist units that provide a broad range of policing functions.

These units effectively provide an integrated, collaborative and community focussed service to London.

With Capital City Policing at the forefront of its responsibilties, it also has the remit for delivering the security arrangements for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games in London.

Administration and support An organisation the size of the Metropolitan Police Service could not function without various management, administration and support functions. For this reason The Met has thousands of staff, including police officers as well as civilians, who work behind the scenes to ensure that the front line units can do their job. Their functions include recruitment, training, personnel management, provision of information technology, publicity and communications. Some functions, such as vehicle maintenance and aspects of information technology and telecommunications, have been contracted out to the private sector.

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through to delivery. But as a project it ran to time and budget and we’re very pleased with the outcome.”

As well as C3i, another huge focus for the MPS is mobility and ensuring police officers on the beat have easy access to all the information they need when they attend an incident. With this in mind, the Metropolitan Police is rolling out PDAs to officers so that they can get information on the move rather than having to return to their patrol car to the mobile data terminal or radio a colleague. “Through mobile data terminals the information we’re able to give police officers has changed beyond all recognition,” says Beaton. “But although the information is available over the radio, and they may have mobile data terminals in the cars, we were left with a bit of a gap for officers on foot. So we’re rolling out PDAs to officers which will allow them to conduct various business processes such as checking people’s details on the PNC (Police National Computer) while they are on the street.”

“Being a special constable makes me feel much more connected to the frontline business than I would if I was just a board member” The bigger picture Although her main focus is on the Metropolitan Police area, Beaton is also involved in implementing nation-wide improvements to policing and is a member of the Association of Chief Police Officers and Head of the Information Management Business Area. One of the biggest projects she is involved in within that capacity is the migration from the PNC to the Police National Database (PND). The PNC has been used since 1974 and consists of several databases containing millions of police records that are accessible 24 hours a day. The PND is a new and improved version which, says Beaton, will provide access to more data about individuals, detailing not just criminal records but police intelligence about a person, including ongoing investigations and suspicious activities. She explains: “The PNC will tell you if somebody has a criminal record. It will know if they are wanted or missing or if a vehicle is stolen or missing. But what it can’t tell you is about intelligence that has been gathered through investigative work we’ve done. For instance, if we think a person may have been linked with the sale of illegal weapons. The PND will give broader picture of what we know, for example that someone is suspected of conducting illegal activity with underage children, or being involved in a paedophile ring. When you know that additional information you might take some different actions or ask some different questions to help in the investigation.”

While Beaton is satisfied with the improvements that are being made to the information that can be accessed by police officers, she admits there are gaps that must be bridged in terms of accessibility to information by the public. This particularly applies to witnesses and the victims of crime: “I think the information available to victims and witnesses has improved tremendously, but more can be done. The gap we’ve got is that face-to-face interaction is not always the way people would prefer to receive that information. Currently we are unable to provide information to the public electronically so people can see how their case is doing for example. That’s

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largely because we haven’t separated what the police need from what the public need in the case process and we are unable to give members of the public access to absolutely everything there is about a case, because we would jeopardise the case.”

Policing efficiency In her role as ACPO member, Beaton is also involved in efforts to better co-ordinate working practices across the UK’s 43 independent police forces as part of the nationwide Information Systems Improvement Strategy (ISIS) programme. “This is about all 43 independent forces working together to get the most out of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in policing, and in the most cost effective way.

We’re working very closely with the ISIS lead, the National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA). We’ve got to the stage where we’re starting to find solutions to help support local policing, without having the cost implication of all 43 local forces doing their own thing.” Achieving this sort of efficiency and cost effectiveness within the police service is an integral part of Beaton’s role. However, to free up the group to focus more on information management and using technology to meet the Met’s objectives on the frontline, backoffice IT procedures were outsourced to Capgemini in 2005 as part of a seven-year £50 million deal. “What we outsourced to Capgemini was what I called the standard IT, such as phones, desktop computers and applications.” She goes on to say that the contract has resulted in both cost savings and service level improvements. She reveals that a previous outsourcing deal didn’t take account of the round the clock requirements of the Metropolitan Police: “Our first generation outsourcing didn’t take as much account as I think it should have done of us being a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week, 365-day-a-year business and was far too geared to what I would call a standard office way of working.”

On the frontline Understanding the unique needs of the police service is key to successfully aligning information management with crime fighting. Beaton’s secret weapon is her voluntary work as a special constable which she says gives her the best possible insight into the IT needs of the police and whether the systems her team have put in place are really working: “Being a special constable makes me feel much more connected to the frontline business than I would if I was just a board member. When I’ve done an upgrade to mobile data terminals or I’m putting out PDAs or talking about how good the radio service is I’ve experienced it all first hand so have a greater appreciation of how technology is meeting the needs of the service.” As well as keeping in touch with the technology used by officers on the front line, an important part of Beaton’s role is understanding the technology that is being used by criminals to commit offences: “We must keep aware of all the things that are being made available through the internet whether it’s deceiving people into parting with money or setting up various scams around it. It’s also a way of criminals communicating with each other maybe without ever meeting, which changes the way that we investigate crime.”

Beaton’s passion for her role should, she hopes, serve as an inspiration to other aspiring female CIOs in an industry which remains heavily male dominated. She is keen to encourage women to follow her example

and is involved in initiatives in the UK such as Computer Clubs for Girls: “I don’t think it’s been particularly more difficult for me than for anybody else,” she says. “But we’re in a challenging position, and I think only about 15 percent of the British Computer Society is female. So the numbers of women going into computing is frighteningly low. I sit on the Sector Skills Council for Information Technology (e-skills) which supports activities like Computer Clubs for Girls to try to get girls when they are at school to realise that this isn’t just a boy’s thing.” They need to know that it’s actually very interesting and it’s not just about computer games. There are lots of ways of using technology that are useful and worthwhile,” a point she has proven very successfully herself.

Above: Met Police adverts to raise awareness of terrorism

THE BOYS AND GIRLS IN BLUE The Metropolitan Police Service is by far the largest of the police services that operate in greater London (the others include the City of London Police and the British Transport Police). Founded by Sir Robert Peel in 1829,the original establishment of 1000 officers policed a sevenmile radius from Charing Cross and a population of less than two million.

Today, the Metropolitan Police Service employs 31,000 officers, 14,000 police staff, 414 traffic wardens and 4000 Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) as well as being supported by over 2500 volunteer police officers in the Metropolitan Special Constabulary (MSC) and its Employer Supported Policing (ESP) programme. The Metropolitan Police Service covers an area of 620 square miles and a population of 7.2 million.

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CONSTRUCTION

STANDARD ISSUE EU Infrastructure sits down with Skanska’s Petter Eiken to hear about the company’s efforts to standardise its processes and the need for greater specialisation.

What have your key priorities been of late? What big projects have you PE. It’s quite hard to implement standards in a construction company. People been working on? basically do what they want, so it’s a huge effort, but I expect the output to be Petter Eiken. We have been working hard on reducing capacity. Not only reof enormous value. I think it’s like the car industry if you go back to the 1920s. ducing capacity, but also improving the efficiency of the organisation, taking Every car then was different so they had a huge range of potential problems out levels of administration and improving the performance. We are workand were very expensive. Today they are efficient, not that many defects and ing hard on productivity because the productivity has not been improved in they are cheap. I think it’s the same thing that will happen in the construction the latest year, so it’s time to focus on that. One of the industry, but it will take time to make it change in other important issues then is standardisation, so we people’s minds.

SKANSKA BY NUMBERS are – especially when it comes to residential construcThe benefit that comes to cost and quality is obtion, working hard on standardisation. The last thing I vious, but I think the biggest challenge is to still keep Founded in 1887 would like to mention is the green initiative because we architecture attractive so people want to buy what we have to include our knowledge when it comes to lifecyare building. People don’t want to buy a box.

Established first international cle’s impact, in what we are doing. operations in 1897 Construction has been one of the areas hardest In your recent speech at the FIDIC conference in hit by the economic downturn. Skanska has had 60,000 employees in Europe, US London, you spoke about Skanska’s work on stanto make layoffs and there are apparently more and Latin America dardisation. What are the challenges of this process coming. What sort of impact has this had on your and what will its ultimate benefits be? business?

12,000 projects delivered annually €13.7 billion in revenue in 2008

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Petter Eiken

Have there been any challenges involved in these efforts to increase diversity?

PE. It’s not hard to recruit women but it’s harder to keep them. We have to careful where we put them. We have to put them together with leaders that really want to work for diversity. This is not easy.

I have to admit that.

How are you at Skanska working to build greener and more sustainable processes? You mentioned the modular planning of the building, what are the other things that you’re doing in your construction and planning processes?

PE. We are doing a lot of small things like educating people on economical driving. You have a green toolbox on the internet with the various ideas for the sites, so it’s all aspects and the bigger and smaller issues using IT tools as an indication platform.

“The biggest challenge is to still keep architecture attractive”

PE. We had to lay off approximately 30 percent of the people, and it’s not over yet. I think next year will be even harder than 2009, and the worst thing here is that some of these people will start to leave the industry and never come back again. If we suddenly have an upswing, then we have a lack of capacity.

A lot of experience is gone from the industry, which could lead back to bad productivity and bad quality. We are trying as hard as we can to keep young people, to keep the most talented people, but that’s a hard job. We are trying to do that in cooperation with the unions but it’s not always that successful, I have to admit.

You’re currently changing your approach to leadership and looking for new types of leaders. How is this process progressing and what advantages is it bringing for the company?

PE. We are focusing hard on diversity, and that’s to get rid of the hierarchical, martial type of organisation that we are used to having because in a martial organisation people don’t learn from each other. Also we are hiring a lot of women these days. We have been doing that for many years, and that is to create a more diversified and more innovative organisation that is suited for young women as well as for young men.

You mention IT tools. How are you using IT to make the way you work more efficient?

PE. When it comes to Building Information Modelling (BIM), we are demanding that of all projects that we are developing ourself.

We are controlling the whole value chain and ensuring that they use BIM as the tool in the program. For us, it’s quite obvious that BIM will revolutionise the construction industry. BIM is something that we’re really pushing at the moment. We don’t develop any software in Skanska. We use standard software so that we have a global initiative driving through the company and during this year, it will be the standard tool in all self-developed projects.

Finally, what do you think Skanska’s priorities are going to be over the coming years?

PE. I think you will see an even more specialised Skanska. We used to say that we build everything everywhere, but we have to focus more on our really core competence and workflows to survive. For instance, our consultants can’t look at things as one-off agreements. We have to make long-term commitments.

Is this a direct result of perhaps the difficult economic situation, or is it something that you think would’ve been happening anyway?

PE. I think it’s easier to drive change during these conditions, but the challenge is that knowledge from a project evaporates and doesn’t transfer that easily to the next one, and that’s something we have to solve. n Petter Eiken is President of Skanska Norway and previously held the role of Executive Vice President of Skanska AB. He is responsible for the company’s construction activity in Sweden, Norway and Finland as well as being in charge of procurement and IT in the Senior Executive Team.

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INDUSTRY INSIGHT

Officine Maccaferri’s Claudio Ferracuti explains how the engineering principles that inspired the design of a motorway in Albania demonstrate that structures built using reinforced earth technologies can be large and safely inserted into complex environmental situations which need to be protected.

SAFE AND ENVIRONMENTALLY SOUND

T

he motorway connecting Durazzo – the main Albanian encased in a protective polyethylene sheath. Having been in use for over 25 port on the Adriatic Sea – with Kosovo is the largest projtears, Paralink has excellent performance and durability credentials. ect ever fi nanced in Albania. The motorway will enable Of the retaining walls built so far, with various heights and lengths, the border to be reached in just two hours instead of six Wall 6-7 in section 1 at km 19 is particularly interesting, both from a techalong hazardous mountain roads, and it will be a major nical point of view – with its height of 40m – and from an aesthetic one, as stimulus for the development of this area. it fits perfectly into the mountainous landscape.

The 64km section from Rreshen to Kalimash was During the design – and once the assumption of a awarded to the international construction consortium new bridge had been rejected – the contractor appointed Enka Bechtel. Th is section, which included 70 retainOfficine Maccaferri to design the support works that ing walls with a total length of 6.4km, was substantially would enable the motorway to run at the design elevation completed in June 2009 after a construction programme along the mountain slopes. The result was a reinforced of just over one year. earth structure in which Maccaferri used its considerable Officine Maccaferri SpA has been a global reference know-how and demonstrated the feasibility of a strucpoint over the last 130 years for the design and constructure, which, at first sight, might have appeared somewhat tion of state-of-the-art solutions for erosion control and unachievable.

Claudio Ferracuti is a civil engineer who has specialised retaining works. It was responsible for the design, supply During the design of such structures it is absolutely in geotechnical, basal and installation (the latter through its local sub-contract essential to correctly identify the potential failure mechareinforcement, paving, rockfall protection system and landfill partner Albania Draht) of 30 reinforced earth walls with nisms in the soil in order to assess the stability contrithroughout his career. Over the 2 last 12 years he has branched a total surface area of approximately 35,000m . bution offered by the presence of the reinforcements. A into the commercial sector These walls were designed and constructed as hybrid correct design of a reinforced earth structure therefore in Europe, Africa and the Middle East, now working reinforced earth structures with the combination of two implies a correct choice of the length and vertical spacing as the Export Manager for Officine Maccaferri S.p.A, Maccaferri products. The fi rst, Terramesh System – as of the reinforcements necessary to guarantee stability, responsible for coordinating the secondary reinforcement – consists of horizontal flat with known geotechnical parameters for the structural solutions related to strategic development across the reinforcement elements, made from double twist hexagoembankment (friction angle, specific weight) and the Maccaferri export business. nal wire mesh (8x10 cm) and 2.7 mm diameter steel wire mechanical characteristics of the reinforcements (failure protected with Galfan alloy and coated with a polymeric load, soil adhesion factor). layer to guarantee the maximum service life of the project.

The examination of the stability conditions of the embankments The second, Paralink 300 – as the primary reinforcement – is a uniaxwas carried out using the limit state methods. The evaluation of the ial geogrid (produced by Linear Composites Ltd. of the Maccaferri Group) stability safety factors was carried out with the MacStar2000 soft ware consisting of strips of densely packed, high tenacity polyester filaments, package (developed by Officine Maccaferri for reinforced earth structures) in which the search for the critical surfaces is carried out by the automatic generation of a high number of potential slip surfaces.

Moreover, on the slopes above the walls, rockfall protection, erosion control and re-vegetation measures were installed to protect the motorway below. High tensile strength, Steelgrid MO150 was used for rock face surface stabilisation in conjunction with anchors and rock bolting. Th is was supplemented with Maccaferri MacMat R16822GN in locations where rapid establishment of stabilising vegetative cover was required. In critical locations where installation of these measures was not feasible, the 500kJ high-resistance rockfall barrier CTR 05-07-B was installed as rockfall protection. Specialist design assistance was provided by Maccaferri.

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ROUNDTABLE

THE PANEL

POSITIVE COVERAGE Dave Russell is Regional Director for Protective Coatings at Jotun Paints Europe Ltd., responsible for mainland Europe and Russia. Previously he worked for Sigma Coatings and prior to that as a specialist in business transformation and new territory implementations at various companies worldwide. Currently he is developing Jotun’s presence in the protective coatings market.

Petri Järvinen works as a Vice President in Tikkurila's SBU Industrial Coatings and he is responsible for Technology and Business Support functions. He has undertaken different tasks and positions in the paints and coatings industry and has close to 30 years’ experience in this specific area.

Stephen Drew gained a first-class honours BSc in Colour Chemistry in 1977 and a PhD in Organic Photochemistry from the University of Leeds in 1980. He was also awarded a Degree in Business Administration from the University of Northumbria in 1986. He joined Akzo Nobel in 1980, and now has more than 25 years’ experience in powder coatings. He has held a number of senior management positions in Akzo Nobel, and is currently Global Sales Manager for Functional Powder Coatings.

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EU Infrastructure asks three industry experts how the protective coatings industry is stepping up to the challenges of sustainability, durability and education.

There is currently a trend towards sustainability and greener construction throughout Europe and beyond. How is this trend reflected in the paints and coatings industry?

Dave Russell. I believe it’s a trend that’s here to stay and it’s having a huge impact on what we are doing already. Jotun has developed several new products that meet the challenge head on. For example, our heat reflecting paints help save energy and our water borne, lead free and solvent free coatings are not only technically brilliant, they are also better for the environment. One leading project Jotun is heavily involved in is supplying Masdar City near Abu Dhabi – headquarters of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and the world’s first carbon-neutral, zero-waste city.

Petri Järvinen. There are big differences in Europe when talking about trends towards sustainability and greener construction concerning paints and coatings. Nordic Countries have been the forerunners with environmentally compliant products for several years and the majority of the products used in construction industry are based on water-borne or high-solids technology.

However, these products are not so commonly used in the Eastern European

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market area. This unbalance in the European paint market allows some paints and coatings manufacturers to expand their geographical market area, while the rest need to focus on the development of new economical and environmentally compliant products to defend their market shares.

ing time between paint layers and the reduction of the number of layers in the protective paint system. In addition, new high-solids products have enabled us to reduce the number of paint layers without sacrificing the durability and the corrosion protection performance.

Stephen Drew. AkzoNobel Powder Coatings is working with all its stakeholders towards a sustainable future. Powder coatings are an attractive alternative to liquid coatings through their inherent sustainability since they contain no solvents and have application levels up to 99 percent. We are constantly sourcing more sustainable and renewable raw materials and energy resources from our suppliers. We are also developing innovative product technologies based on sustainability and energy efficiency. These include our patented particle management technology, low temperature cure products, and also dry-ondry technology to reduce the overall curing time of multiple coatings.

We recognise that our customers have tough sustainability objectives and we are working with them to provide a sustainable alternative in order to meet these targets. Our ecological footprint has been recognised as amongst the lowest in the coatings industry Dave Russell and we use ecological efficiency analyses (EEA’s) to reconfirm for our customers that powder coatings are a sustainable coating material.

SD. The cost of many infrastructure projects has until recently risen steadily over the past decade and the design lifetime of such projects has also increased. This has required coatings suppliers to evolve their product development to meet the increased coatings performance specifications, and has become a global trend in the infrastructure industries. In the oil and gas industry, major pipelines are now expected to last up to 40 years in service before rehabilitation.

AkzoNobel continues to be at the forefront of coating developments and testing to ensure that pipelines are protected both externally and internally with its Resicoat anti-corrosion FBE product range to meet these requirements. In the architectural aluminium industry for building construction the most demanding coatings standards now require guaranteed performance for 25 years.

Akzonobel Powder Coatings has driven such developments with its Interpon D3000 novel fluoro-polymer product range which easily exceeds these requirements.

Infrastructure applications put a huge amount of stress on paints and coatings.

How are companies like yours working to create ever more durable solutions for users?

PJ. The demand for long lasting high-quality systems to protect infrastructure has increased year by year. Facility owners have started to realise the total lifetime costs of protecting infrastructure and prefer to invest in more durable paint systems in the beginning to achieve savings from reduced maintenance painting costs in later phases.

Tikkurila has a strong focus on developing and marketing environmentally compliant and high-quality products, not forgetting the total economy of the painting process for painting contractors and facility owners. We are also able to offer a waterborne paint system for the C4 corrosivity category that is fully cured in eight hours, with the help of our dry tech technology. Alongside the environmental aspects, we take into account the cost efficiency of our products, meaning shorter overcoat-

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Petri Järvinen

Stephen Drew

DR. Jotun delivers long-lasting coating systems to the infrastructure market. Longer life coating systems increase maintenance cycles leading to less time and cost in maintenance and refurbishment, reduced energy consumption on recoating and less impact on the environment.

The difďŹ cult economic situation is having a big impact on the construction industry and putting budgets under a great deal of strain.

Why would it be a mistake to target industrial coatings as a potential area to cut costs?

SD. Although in the current economic climate it is inevitable that new construction projects will focus on cost, it is important to recognise that coatings perform the important role of protecting steel from corrosion and that their cost represents only a tiny fraction of the cost of the overall project. Therefore if the focus on cost-cutting is applied to the coating system, the cost savings will be minimal and, more importantly, it is inevitable that many coatings suppliers will aim to develop less expensive products to fit with the new commercial environment. This has potentially serious implica-

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tions for the long-term anti-corrosion performance of the coatings offered and hence large potential costs in the future for repair and rehabilitation of the coating.

supplier. Alongside product availability with a variety of colours, professional distribution networks can offer local service and support resulting in high customer satisfaction.

DR. To my mind, any decision to use coatings containing low quality, harmful chemicals is short-sighted. The future safe removal and disposal of toxic coatings is likely to be costly, not only in monetary terms but also to health and to the environment.

SD. In a truly market-driven process of developing new technologies and solutions the coatings manufacturer will have identified the specific needs of his target end-user group. This ensures that new product introductions will have good market acceptance. However for such introductions to be successful long-term, the coatings manufacturer also needs to understand the needs of his end-users’ clients so that these are also met. The new product must be able to demonstrate real benefits in terms of, for example, higher performance or lower costs. If the new technology is industry-changing and sets new performance standards it is useful to form an industry group of market-leading endusers to define the new standard and to set up a quality-circle organisation.

AkzoNobel Powder Coatings has successfully followed this route over many years through its involvement in numerous industry organisations. For example the renowned GSK group in Germany was formed to establish a quality standard for FBE powder coatings on drinking water pipeline accessories such as valves and fittings. n

PJ. Due to the current difficult economic situation, many customers have started to look at low cost materials, which is an alarming trend that will cause higher maintenance costs for facility owners in the future. If a protective paint system with the estimated service lifetime of 15 years is replaced by a system lasting five years, the material cost saving might be 30-50 percent, but the total lifetime cost for corrosion protection including in maintenance painting costs might be two to three times higher.

Alongside increased costs the lifetime carbon foot print of construction will be two to three times higher meaning higher VOC emissions, more waste and heavier stress for the environment and nature. By selecting more durable systems from the beginning you can save both money and the environment.

Developing ever more sophisticated technologies and solutions is only one part of the challenge facing paints and coatings manufacturers. Another is educating and promoting the value of these solutions to the end user. How do you approach this and what unique challenges does product promotion pose in Europe?

DR. Improving awareness is a vital part of what we do at Jotun.

That’s why we spend time presenting safe solutions to the challenges faced daily by architects, industry leaders and local authorities. With a little education we are gradually winning over owners by asking them to look beyond the initial coating cost to the future costs and risks associated with poor coating selection.

We are also actively involved in developing green standards and legislation to promote the use of better, longer-term coatings for the benefit of everyone.

PJ. The importance of traditional marketing like advertising in the trade press and the professional magazines has been decreased during this decade. Product promotion is still needed, but in different forms than earlier. Our customers including architects, engineers, painting contractors and facility owners are keener on reading articles, case studies and references. The availability of technical information is important for them and that is why the importance of the internet is increasing all the time, especially as the younger generation prefers the internet as a main information source. Keeping information up-to-date in different language versions is a challenge in a region like Europe, but the internet as an information channel offers a cost efficient way to do it.

As customers want to focus on their core businesses, they require more support and services from their paints and coatings

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EXECUTIVE INTERVIEW

HIGH AND MIGHTY Rüdiger Zollondz of Terex Cranes explains the importance of cost savings, increased efficiency and innovation in large-scale industrial construction.

Europe’s growing need for power is necessitating big investments in new generation and transmission capacity. What technical challenges do such large projects hold for those charged with building them?

Rüdiger Zollondz. Those big investments include the refurbishment of existing power plants, the building of new ones and the erection of wind turbines. Most projects run on a very tight schedule, and we notice a clear trend toward modularisation. This helps ensure the quality of the installed components and saves time on the construction site. Components that previously had to be assembled in the air, or that had to be installed very early in the power plant construction process, nowadays get delivered to the construction sites as modules.

Those modular systems are getting both heavier and larger, requiring cranes with a higher lift ing capacity. Often, these giant loads need to be moved from one place to the other which is a typical application for our Terex crawler cranes. Crawler cranes have the capability to pick and carry, whereas other lift ing solutions, such as ring lift or pedestal cranes are stationary.

In the current economic climate, controlling costs is of paramount importance. How can advanced construction machinery, such as cranes, create savings through increased efficiency?

RZ. Increased lifting capacity can lead to substantial savings in the construction process.

Now one crane can often do lifts that previously required two large cranes. For example, our CC 9800 lattice boom crawler crane with a maxi-

mum lifting capacity of 1600 tonnes can be configured to lift 6 MW wind turbines by itself – up to 375 tonnes – to a hook height of 147 metres.

Also, the modular design and adaptive capabilities of our cranes are key to saving money on the construction site. For example, a narrow-track chassis is available for our CC 2800-1 crane, which allows it to travel fully rigged on roads that are not wider than 5.3 metres. Th is greatly reduces set-up time on site, allows our customers to erect more wind turbines in less time and helps to protect the environment, since special road work is not necessary.

It is also important to have equipment that provides the flexibility to adapt to diverse requirements during large-scale industrial construction. For example, our CC 8800-1 crane can be upgraded to the biggest pick-and-carry unit in the world, the CC 8800-1 TWIN, with a maximum lifting capacity of 3200 tonnes.

The need for innovation remains constant, no more so than during a downturn. What major developments in the construction equipment industry do you envision in the coming months and years?

RZ. Upcoming developments will improve all aspects of What attributes and capabilicrane safety operations. Terex ties do cranes require to be is committed to the design and able to cope with the specific manufacturing of our cranes needs of large-scale industo best-in-class product safety trial construction? standards. Another trend inRZ. Mobility is one decisive volves high expectations regardRüdiger Zollondz leads the factor. Cranes need to be ing equipment efficiency. Our global product marketing team at Terex Cranes. His focus is on transported between construccustomers want to generate high capturing customer input for product developments, as well tion sites. Th rough intelligent return on their investment. We as product-related analysis, design of the components, large are focused on supporting them support and literature. He holds a degree in Mechanical savings are possible in transthrough intelligent application Engineering and has been working in the cranes industry portation costs. For example, solutions that help to increase since 1989, when he joined the counterweight slabs for the uptime of our cranes. The Demag as a calculation engineer. our crawler cranes are offered goal is to deliver machines that in 7.5 tonne, 10 tonne and 15 tonne sizes and get jobs done safely while having a low total cost are identical through the whole CC product of ownership during their lifetime. It is a big adline. Th is allows our customers to optimise the vantage for Terex Cranes that we bring together payload of each truck during transportation. diverse crane experts from within the company, Counterweights can be stocked in different loin order to exchange knowledge, learn from cations and then transported from the closest each other and make the best solutions available location to the construction site. to our customers.

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ASK THE EXPERT

IN SAFE HANDS Employers may understand that protecting workers is essential to productivity and well-being but construction workers need to be made more aware of safety and risks on construction sites, says Ansell Healthcare’s Agnès Berthault.

A

lthough the building and construction industry trile) gloves offer new options in high-performance work in the UK is said to be one of the safest in gloves engineered to fit the specific needs of construction Europe, one third of all work fatalities happen professionals. in this sector. In the UK, the cost of occupaConstruction has a wide range of jobs and applicational accidents accounts for an astonishing 8.5 percent of tions. To respond to this complexity, Ansell has deterconstruction project costs. According to Eurostat- European Statistics on Accidents at Work (ESAW), the ‘upper extremities’ (hands and arms) are the parts of the body most injured, accounting for 43.2 percent of all non-fatal accidents at work. In Europe 38 percent of construction injuries are on hands (51 percent on fingers). Some 26 percent of injuries are hand injuries and cuts are the first amongst them.

Today more and more employers understand that protecting their workers against falls, cuts, musculoskeletal strain, harmful chemicals and harsh environmental conditions is essential to productivity and well-being. But, despite mined a comprehensive range of products that are adapted the fact that major players in the industry have understood to the majority of jobs and risks and therefore make things this and have introduced intensive trainsimple. Overall, cuts are the number one ing and quality products, research indiinjury in construction. They concern alcates that a large majority of construction most all construction trades: carpenters, workers do not wear work gloves while masons, painters, tilers, roofers, plasterperforming their jobs. And those who are ers and labourers. provided gloves by their employers often Today, manufacturers are developcomplain that they cannot work in them. ing solutions made of new technology fiMoreover, construction workers still bres more and more resistant to cut choose leather gloves more than any other (Kevlar, Dyneema, glass fibre, etc.). But type of glove despite the fact that leather these new developments need to be assogloves do not offer very high cut protecciated to the understanding of needs and tion and age very poorly. of the applications themselves. The adAgnès Berthault is EMEA Business Development Construction workers need to be junct of such fibres often results in comManager in charge of the Construction & Public made more aware of safety and underpromised wearer comfort. Ansell’s special Utilities industries for Ansell stand the risks on construction and knitting techniques isolate potentially irHealthcare, a global leader in barrier protective products. building jobsites. Effective hand protecritating steel or glass fibres in the yarn Before joining Ansell, Agnès was active at Saint-Gobain tion in the form of safety gloves consticore; cotton is carefully added to maxBâtiment Distribution. She tutes a key component of PPE (personal imise softness and comfort against the focuses on the role that safety equipments play in protective equipment) for the construcskin. Better-designed cut-resistant protecting contractors and their workforces. tion industry. Along with safety helmets, gloves translate to increased worker aceye protection, protective footwear, ceptance. Education remains critical as safety harnesses and protective clothing, workers tend to use inadequate hand gloves complete the panoply of PPE. Ansell’s synthetic (niprotection in a high proportion of cases.

“Education remains critical as workers tend to use inadequate hand protection in a high proportion of cases”

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3/12/09 14:19:40

ASK THE EXPERT

THE ‘ROYAL LEAGUE’ OF COMPACTION BOMAG’s Hans-Josef Kloubert explains how modern, intelligent asphalt compaction techniques significantly improve quality.

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herever roads are built across a continent, Today a great part of this can be provided by systems using intelpeople’s lives become connected to econoligent compaction – vibration systems that automatically control, optimies thereby supporting economic growth. mise and document compaction – a technique in which BOMAG has led The compaction of asphalt in particular has the way for many years. The core of these systems is based on directed demands of very high quality applied to it. vibration, offering an enormous range of compaction performance and Asphalt roads, like highways or causeways, have to meet demands depth effect from low-vibration surface compaction up to enhanced concerning evenness and durable grip. They must be able to cope with depth effect vibration. the expected transport loads as well as load burdens resulting from To control, optimise and document compaction, BOMAG develweather and temperature stress. oped the Asphalt Manager. A system that in automatic mode monitors Asphalt layers of a road surface should be able to reliably carry the compaction progress and adjusts compaction performance many times a traffic loads. They must be able to discharge these loads second – no adjustments must be made by the driver. to the substructure or sub-base, in order to prevent Th is eliminates drum bounce and operator error. harmful deformation. Besides the mix composition Asphalt Manager requires no special user-trainand the paving, the compaction of the mix is of utmost ing as the control panel is self-explanatory. During importance with respect to the quality and the service compaction the dynamic energy lead into the pavelife of the road. For asphalt compaction you need the ment is optimally and continuously adapted to the right technique, knowledge and experience. actual conditions. Grain damages and disturbances of Compacting asphalt starts with the fi nisher. If the asphalt layer are effectively prevented. The system you use a fi nisher with low pre-compaction you will automatically limits compaction power where there is probably need breakdown rolling as rollers that are too a risk of over-compaction. heavy or early compaction with vibration might affect At the same time asphalt mix stiff ness and the evenness of the layer or even cause undesired discompaction progress, surface temperature, travel placements and misplacements in the material. speed, exciter frequency and selected amplitude are Hans–Josef Kloubert, Civil Engineer However, if you use a fi nisher with high initial continuously displayed to the roller operator and (P.E.), is Head of Application Technology at BOMAG. He has previously worked compaction you can start using vibratory rollers earcan be printed out on-site using the data recorder. as a Geotechnical/Project Management engineer. For the past 20 years he has lier. Final compaction can thus be achieved with just Due to this adaptability and continuous control been BOMAG’s application expert a few roller passes. This is because vibratory rollers are and optimisation, rollers with Asphalt Manager are in soil and asphalt compaction and compaction measurement and is deeply very powerful, versatile and require considerably less highly suitable for the complete spectrum of asphalt involved in the development of new technologies. passes than static rollers. The vibration reduces the applications. internal friction of the aggregates in the mix, so that Drivers can also select a manual mode. Th is can the interaction between deadweight and dynamic load be the case for the compaction of layers on bridges or increases the density. pavements close to buildings, where low-vibration compaction might be Besides the static linear load, other factors like vibrating mass, frerecommended. But for up to 90 percent of all applications drivers are quency and amplitude are also decisive for the compaction effect. But using the automatic mode. also the number of passes – too many might cause harmful loosening of Asphalt is the ‘royal league’ of compaction where quality depends material and disturbances in the structure of the asphalt layer. Therefore on a huge variety of factors. Modern intelligent compaction vastly imknowledge and experience is necessary. proves quality.

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ASK THE EXPERT

Hot stuff Dynapac’s Ronald Utterodt explains how hot-on-hot asphalt laying is the way forward.

T

he Compactasphalt hot-on-hot asphalt laying method offers big advantages to roadbuilders and their clients. Roads surfaced using this method last longer and are cheaper to maintain.

The method was patented in 1993 by Professor Elk Richter at Erfurt, Germany and is now becoming recognised as standard practice.

The main difference with conventional asphalt laying methods is that the binder and wearing course are applied to the loadbearing layer, one after the other in a single pass. Regular asphalt paving involves two separate passes, with the wearing course being applied after the binder has cooled.

With conventional paving methods, the binder layer cools before the wearing course is applied. Especially in bad weather, where the asphalt temperature falls rapidly, this can cause problems and lead to uneven compaction. Also water, snow or dirt can come between the layers and negatively influence the end result. According to the official ZTV Asphalt regulations in Germany, these problems can be eliminated by using the new method. Not only does it cut construction time by half, helping to reduce motorway tailbacks, it also brings tangible technical benefits. It makes use of the heat in the thick binder layer that has just been laid to gain time for the compaction of the two upper layers.

Good compaction takes time Good compaction of the asphalt is crucial in road building, but the rollers take time to do their job. The cooling of the asphalt during compaction reduces the degree of compaction and with it the durability of the road surface.

By laying the binder and the wearing course at the same time, a total of 12 centimetres of asphalt is applied. Because the applied asphalt is thicker, the useful compaction time is extended by a factor of at least seven.

When the two layers are applied ‘hot-onhot’, it is possible to reduce the thickness of the uppermost layer to two centimetres, as opposed

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“Over the entire lifecycle of a road, the operator saves one relaying every 25 years” to four centimetres with the conventional method. Since the wearing course mix is particularly costly, this means substantial savings for the contractor and ultimately for the taxpayer.

Compared with the conventional method, Compactasphalt also gives better bonding between the individual layers, helping to prevent crack formation in the road surface.

On average, the load-bearing layer of a road needs to be replaced after 40 to 50 years, the binder layer after 15 to 25 years and the wearing course after 10 to 15 years. So the wearing course needs replacing at least once during the normal service life of a binder layer.

“This isn’t the case with ‘hot-on-hot’ asphalt laying,” says Ronald Utterodt, Application Manager for Dynapac Competence Center for Paving Applications in Wardenburg, Germany.

“With this method we can extend the service life of a wearing course to match that of the binder layer. Over the entire lifecycle of a road, the oper-

ator saves one re-laying every 25 years. Road owners should be interested in this information.”

Successful long-term trial Evaluation of a long-term trial on a stretch of road in Alabama, USA, provides firm evidence of the method’s benefits. The trial stretch was driven over continuously by 60-tonne trucks, simulating an 18-year service life in just two years. The trial stretch showed not the slightest sign of fatigue in the form of tracks or cracks.

Environmental benefits The ‘hot-on-hot’ laying method also provides a number of positive effects on the environment. The opportunity to reduce the mix temperatures will reduce pollutant emissions.

Also, by reducing the mixed good temperature at 10°C, approx.0,23l heating oil per one ton can be saved. No bitumen emulsion is needed (which is sprayed on the binder layer in case of the conventional laying method). An additional reduction of the asphalt binder course from 10cm to 8cm (highway projects) is possible. n Ronald Utterodt is a recognised authority in the field of road construction with more than 20 years of experience.

He is an expert in asphalt paving and has been instrumental in the successful development of Dynapac Compactasphalt method, which is becoming a standard for sustainable hot-on-hot asphalt paving.

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2/12/09 14:07:19

RENEWABLE INSIGHT

Michael Lewis, European Managing Director for E.ON Climate and Renewables, talks about the challenges of offshore wind, the need for new transmission infrastructure and fossil fuel’s place in the future energy mix.

POWER STRUGGLE Michael Lewis.indd 116

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O

ffshore is a very important area for the future of the European Union renewables targets. If you look at all the work that has been done around how we get to 20 percent of primary energy from renewables by 2020 or beyond, this will require a large investment in offshore technology. If you look at where we are today, we’re around something like 1.5 to two gigawatts of total installed offshore capacity. If we’re going to meet the target, we need to get to something like 40 to 50 gigawatts. That’s a huge increase and that’s within a short period of 10 to 15 years. That means we’ve got to prove the technology capable of operating in the harsh marine environment and get the supply chain focused on delivering solutions so we can actually install them quickly and efficiently. What we’ve tried to do is build the renewables offshore strategy, which attempts to take the easier locations fi rst.

It’s a question of the physical nature of the projects because offshore is not just offshore. There are varying degrees of difficulty. For example, the first project we did, Scroby Sands off Great Yarmouth in the UK, is a very near shore project, three kilometres from the coast, in relatively shallow water only five metres deep. That is comparatively easy both to install and to operate because of the proximity to the shore, and also to put the foundations in place because of the relatively shallow water. We’re now moving into larger projects like Rødsand in Denmark, which is much bigger than Scroby Sands, with 207 megawatts as compared to 60 megawatts. It is still in relatively shallow water near Denmark about five kilometres from the shore, in 10 metre deep water, and that means we can use the skills we learned at Scroby to build a bigger wind farm with larger turbines and a bigger capacity. So what we want to do is bring the skills we learned at Scroby in the easier offshore environment to the slightly more difficult and challenging environment at Rødsand and build a much bigger project, with a larger number of foundations and different turbine types.

We want to prove that we can do this on a large scale and not only at Rødsand. We also have another project in the UK, 180 megawatts at Robin Rigg in the Solway Firth, again proving that we can install at a large scale but still in the relatively near shore, shallow water environment. When we’ve mastered those projects and we’ve proved that we can install efficiently, that we can get the right vessels to the sites so that we can have a reduced cycle time and reduce the capital costs, and when we’re happy that the turbines can operate well in that environment, we then intend to move into the larger, far shore, deep water projects. These are projects outside of the 20 metre depth and 20 kilometres from shore and below. Those projects will be a bigger challenge both in the installation and in the operational phase, so we want to learn our trade in the light projects before we move to the difficult ones. The London Array, which we recently approved, will be the largest offshore project in the world once it is constructed with 1000 megawatts.

It’s a much bigger proposition, but, again, it’s about learning the trade, learning how to build a project of that size, and making sure we can operate it efficiently and get the high levels of availability that we need to make it a viable economic proposition. All of our projects so far, are they are not only there to create value in themselves, they’re also part of a learning curve to enable us to get to the larger offshore projects, for example, in Germany where you might be 45 kilometres from the shore and in 35 metre deep water. There are some very big potential projects out in the North Sea, not just in Germany and in round three of the UK. Before we build those, we want to make sure we can cope with the easier projects, and that’s very much our offshore strategy. There are still massive challenges there, but it’s absolutely critical we deliver if we’re to meet the EU targets.

Transmission There are two aspects to the whole transmission debate. The first one is how do we connect up all of these new projects? It’s clear the wind resource we have in Europe is not in the same place as where the conventional generation is located. If you take the UK as an example, most of the conventional generation is in the north of England, places like Yorkshire where you’ve got thousands and thousands of megawatts of capacity on the old coal fields. Most of the wind capacity is not in the same place, which means we’ll have to create new transmission systems to link up the sources of demand in the south of England and the production, which is in the north, or indeed, Scotland. The other major challenge is of course offshore, where we’ve got to create a completely new infrastructure network where it’s never existed before.

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57 MW

Installed Generation Capacity

192 MW

1

E.ON Climate & Renewables’ installed capacity is more then 2.8GW.

Nordic Wind Germany Wind Bio natural gas 43 MW

Rest of Europe Wind Solar 1668 MW

351 MW 278 MW

Other

9C

Wind

2744

245 MW

North America Wind

1

Iberia Wind Biogas Small hydro

UK Wind Biomass

Italy Wind Installed Capacity (MW)1

E.ON Equity MW (Figures rounded, excl. large hydro power). Source: E.ON

The transmission network is not yet in a position where it can cope, but the good news is we have a number of years to get there, and that means we have to take a strategic approach to building a transmission network. We need to get away from the old model of just connecting when the demand appears, where we approach the national grid and have to work to their timetable. They give you a date and tell you when it can be connected, and if you’re lucky, you get a date that fits with your project development plan. If you’re unlucky, you might have to wait, not necessarily because they can’t connect you to the grid but because there’s a knock-on effect on the grid somewhere else, where strengthening has to take place, and it might not be scheduled for a few years.

We know where the wind resources are.

We know where the offshore wind locations are. These are all set out in government policy by the crown estates. For example, for round three, where the bulk of the new capacity will be built, we know exactly where they are. That means we can start thinking about where the grid needs to be now. We can start thinking about where the grid needs to be strengthened in the future, and we can do that on a proactive basis to anticipate capacity coming on rather than waiting for it to come on.

Wind farms are much more expensive to build than the transmission network that takes the power to customers. That means there is going be a slight mismatch if one is built slightly before the other. It’s better to have the

transmission network in place before the wind farms come along than vice versa. We’re not there yet, but with sound policy and the right strategic approach we can get there.

The second issue is how do you integrate wind into the transmission network, and this is all about intermittency. You often hear people saying, “Well, wind is fine. The trouble is, it’s only blowing X percent of the time,” which is true, and you do have to manage that intermittency.

The good news is you don’t normally get a position where all of the wind is not blowing at the same time. You get geographical differences, whereby one part of Europe might be windy and another part might have zero wind. In fact, wind farms have a load factor of 25 to 30 percent. That’s an annualised number

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and it doesn’t mean the wind is only blowing 25 to 35 percent of the time.

They are actually operating for a very large proportion of the time, just not at full output. What you do need to do is ensure that when the wind does drop and there are sudden changes in output, you have enough of what we call ‘spinning reserve’.

That is a conventional fossil plan operating below full capacity, which can ramp up quickly to cover a reduction in renewables. This means that we also need replacement of existing fossil capacity, which we’ll gradually fade out over the next few years as various pieces of environmental legislation come into place. The corollary is we need existing coal-fired capacity and gas-fired capacity to be replaced, because wind does not provide a huge amount of capacity. It’s a slightly technical issue; it provides the energy to displace coal and gas but it doesn’t count very much for capacity because you can’t guarantee it’s going to be there when you might need it. As a rule of thumb, if you were to reach your target and you had 40 to 50 gigawatts of intermittent wind capacity on the system, it would only displace five to 10 gigawatts of conventional capacity, so roughly 10 to 20 percent.

That’s the challenge. That means you have to maintain that level of fossil capacity to provide the reserve and spinning reserve. I’ve heard the argument made by anti-wind campaigners that wind is useless because it only displaces five to 10 percent of coal. It only displaces that much capacity, but it displaces a lot more energy, and that means it does significantly reduce CO2 emissions. That’s an important distinction.

We currently have around 60 gigawatts of installed capacity. We aim to increase that to 90 gigawatts by 2030 to cope with increased energy demand. What we want to do over that period is move to a much lower carbon portfolio, and in fact, we have a target to reduce our specific carbon emissions by 50 percent.

That means the emissions per megawatt hour of electricity produced, so at the same time as growing the portfolio by 50 percent we’re going to shrink the specific carbon emission by 50 percent. That is a big challenge, but the first phase is to make renewables a key leg of the new growth, and that’s what we’re doing.

We’re investing over €6 billion. That’s point number one. The second thing is we’re replacing old fossil-fired plants with new fossil-fired plants with a significant increase in efficiency.

The latest generation of coal-fired plants are close to 45 percent efficient compared to 34 percent for the average of the really old ones, and that makes a huge difference to the CO2 emissions. The third thing is we need to have other low carbon technologies, nuclear being one of the prime ones. E.ON is looking to develop its nuclear business in the UK in the future, and that will be another key lag in supporting a reduction in CO2 emissions. Finally there is gas-fired technology, which is already extremely efficient, but again, we’re pushing the boundaries to make that even better.

Clean coal is probably not going to be commercial until after 2020, but we’re doing a lot in the meantime to help develop it. We’re doing various pilot studies. We’re building new highly efficient coal plants as a fi rst step that are carbon capture ready. That means they have the right plant specification and they have the right plant logistics whereby there’s room to install a carbon capture facility when the technology becomes viable. Yes, it is a tricky period, yes, we do have a challenge, but there are clear pathways of how we can get there using existing technologies.

Technology challenge

talked about clean coal. We’ve talked about renewables and what technologies like offshore are going be successful in the future. Nuclear as well is one of the key challenges, so technology shouldn’t be ignored. That’s obviously a massive challenge, but I think there are other components.

Firstly, it’s a huge policy challenge to coordinate how the globe responds. It’s not enough for the UK, Europe and the US to win the battle. You need a global solution and that means a policy that can effectively limit carbon emissions across the world. The means of achieving a reduction in carbon emissions will be technological, but the policy has got to be in place first to make sure that those technologies can be applied.

The other thing is a behavioural issue. We shouldn’t underestimate the role that changing patterns of energy use and improved energy efficiency will play in solving this problem.

There may be solutions looking at demand side management, looking at significantly improving the efficiency of how we use energy.

Those things again will also partly be driven by technology, but will also be partly driven by people’s behaviour and what they accept as societal norms. There is a complex interaction between policy, behaviours and technology.

We certainly have to win the technological battle and that’s a necessary but not sufficient condition to win the overall war.

There is certainly a huge technological component to the challenge. We’ve already

This article is drawn from an interview given to EU Infrastructure’s sister media outlet www.meettheboss.com.

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EXECUTIVE INTERVIEW

All tooled up

curate measuring results and requires many reference point markers.

API Sensor’s Steffen Linnemann explains the importance of being equipped with accurate and efficient tools for the job at hand.

Turbines need to be both durable and reliable. What are the implications if even the smallest errors are made during their design and construction?

SL. Even small errors could lead to less efficient engines, which means less energy to harvest and therefore less money for the operating company.

What are your main areas of interest and what recent product developments have you been involved with?

Steffen Linnemann.Automated Precision Inc. develops, produces and drives world-wide metrology products such as lasers trackers and laser interferometers, which rank among the most efficient systems of their class. Founded

by Dr. Kam Lau in 1987, API has pioneered progressively higher standards of accuracy for coordinate measuring and machine tool operation. Over its two-decade history, API’s products have been installed and used by all of the world’s leading automotive, aerospace, machine tool and CMM manufacturers.

API’s is best known as the inventor of the laser tracking interferometer and holds the basic patent on tracker technology. Working with Boeing, API developed the first commercial laser tracker through extensive field trials and testing in aircraft manufacturing applications.

API Laser Tracker Systems have been supplied to leading companies worldwide.

In addition, API has pioneered the development of many advanced measuring and sensing systems such as commercialised high precision 2D and 3D digital scanning and probe systems, as well as an articulated CMM probing wrist. API’s innovative patented, XD Laser interferometer systems, which were developed alongside the Laser Tracker, simultaneously measure linear straightness as well as pitch, yaw and roll. Use of the XD systems reduces the time required for machine tool or CMM alignment down to three hours.

Building new energy infrastructure is an expensive business. What impact can using the correct tools have on upfront costs and overall profitability?

SL. Verification of rotor blade production has a direct influence on the efficiency of a wind energy engine. It also increases long-term stability and reliability. Currently available solutions for large-scale object scanning, such as laser radar or laser scanning, are fairly limited in accuracy and/or resolution. Additionally, these techniques are quite time consuming. Systems using photogrammetry combined with optical 3D scanners are only applicable if the object size does not exceed 10 meters (approx.). For larger object dimensions this method achieves only inac-

What developments and innovations do you see emerging in your business area in the coming months and years? Do you have any exciting new products or solutions in the pipeline?

SL. We have recently presented our latest solution for the 3D digitising of large-scale objects, which we developed in collaboration with Steinbichler Optotechnik GmbH. Th is new development guarantees the highest accuracy and resolution within extremely short time frames. The

“Verification of rotor blade production has a direct influence on the efficiency of a wind energy engine”

combination of the long-range tracking accuracy of API’s Tracker3 laser tracking system and the high resolution and accuracy of Steinbichler’s 3D scanner COMET 5 allows the 3D digitising of objects featuring dimensions of 80 metres and larger with the highest precision. This new measuring method is especially targeted for applications requiring freeform surface information of large-scale parts, for example in wind power, aerospace or yacht building industries.

Also our augmented reality-based factory planning prevents the digital factory mockups from deviating from the real building. The wrong basis for further planning and construction work leads to planning errors and late modifications lead to high costs and may cause production downtimes.

In the future we are hoping to achieve 100 percent verification of every single blade that is manufactured in an efficient time frame.

SINCE 2005, Steffen Linnemann has been Account Manager at Automated Precision Europe GmbH, Heidelberg, Germany and Representative of API Europe in North Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands. He is also a key contact in applications such as wind energy.

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2/12/09 13:59:13

RENEWABLE ENERGY

POTENTIAL ENERGY

GE Energy’s Markus Becker explains how the technology for renewables is ready for deployment; all that remains is a push on the policy side.

W

hen GE Energy announced in September that it had acquired ScanWind, adding direct drive train turbine technology to its portfolio and allowing it to expand into the offshore wind sector, it became pretty obvious that the energy giant is taking its renewable portfolio seriously.

“Renewable, is a vital part, not only for Europe’s energy future and the world’s, but also for GE’s energy portfolio,” says Markus Becker, GE’s Energy Policy and Government Affairs Leader for Europe. “I think it is important to point out that there’s not just one technology. There’s also not just one fuel or one policy that will do

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the trick. So if you look at GE’s portfolio you will see, quite clearly, that we strongly believe you need a portfolio approach to be able to manage the threefold challenges of climate change, competitiveness and security of supply.

“We are investing on all fronts, but in renewables in particular. Proof of this is the wind turbines that we manufacture in Germany. Over the past several years, we have invested over US$100 million in the new 2.5 megawatts machine, which is now being considered the workhorse for our fleet out there,” explains Becker.

Wind energy is clearly one of the major focuses of GE’s attention right now and Becker explains that in some regions it is almost as costcompetitive as conventional sources of energy. At the end of the day, he says, it is about bringing cost down and the energy market is deeply rooted in economies of scale.

Commenting on the ScanWind acquisition, Becker says that venturing into the offshore wind business is something he believes is critical if Europe is to achieve its 2020 targets. He also believes that it is a clear indication that the necessary legislative framework that was needed to allow private companies like GE to play a more prominent role in helping Europe to meet its targets now exists.

“With the adoption of the energy and climate change packet last year by the EU it can now be observed how markets, participants and private companies react and follow once policy makers have decided on the direction that is to be taken,” says Becker.

Another example that Becker cites is that of clean coal technologies such as GE’s Integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC). “It was important that the EU agreed the carbon capture and sequestration directive as part of the package because without the legal framework it would not have been possible, for example, to transport CO2 across borders. CO2 was considered a waste so it needed to be taken out of the scope of the waste legislation. These steps, taken along with fi nancial incentives put in place by policy makers will now have an impact on clean coal projects in Europe and will allow them to go ahead.”

Becker admits that the recent EU legislation regarding renewable energy did play a role in GE Energy’s decision to pursue this sector as fiercely as it has done. “It defi nitely helped to make the decision. We can clearly see, with regard to offshore wind, that initial developments will be in Europe because of the legislation. It was a key prerequisite for GE making that investment. The onshore wind business is also a good example. Since we acquired this business in 2002 out of Enron’s bankruptcy, we have grown it 10 times and we hope to see a similar success story with offshore wind,” explains Becker.

However, he admits that the generation of renewable energy is only half the battle, as without adequate transmission infrastructure the potential will be lost. “The renewables, given their intermittency, will put a lot of stress on the current infrastructure, which is ageing. In fact 50 percent of the network assets in the

50%

Turbine technology GE has invested more than US$100 million in launching its 2.5xl wind technology and expanding its Salzbergen facility in Germany. As GE’s European Renewable Energy Center of Excellence, the Salzbergen site is the base for the serial production of the 2.5xl wind turbine - a high reliability machine specifically designed to meet the immediate requirements of Europe, where the lack of available land can constrain the size of projects.

The 2.5xl wind turbines represent GE’s most advanced wind turbine technology in terms of efficiency, reliability and grid connection capabilities. The 2.5xl has been designed to yield the highest annual energy production in its class, and builds upon on the success of GE’s 1.5-megawatt machine, which is the world’s most widely deployed wind turbine.

With a rotor diameter of 100 meters and GE’s advanced grid integration technology, the 2.5xl is enabling power plant operators to meet the latest stability and availability standards of European distribution networks.

UK are more than 38 years old and 20 percent of them are over 50 years old.

“The grid, and the way we transport energy, needs a massive change if we are to cope with the larger renewable share. One way is to deploy what is called a ‘smart grid’ and GE is a thought-leader in smart grid technologies. Our European business in the UK is playing a major role in shaping the deployment of the smart grid,” he says.

The truth of the matter is that the necessary technology already exists. What is needed is the right policy framework. “The EU now, as part of the third liberalisation package, has agreed to roll out smart meters to 80 percent of European households by 2020. Th is is a very good

UK power infrastructure that is more than 38 years old

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first step because the smart meter is the entrance to the smart grid as we see it.”

But what is now required, according to Becker, is for this policy to be put in place and for regulation to make this happen. “The technology is available today and it’s not a matter of further R&D. Of course you can always improve technology, but to get the smart grid deployed today and really merge IT with the electricity sector, policy implementation is the key.”

As the new European Commission comes on board there will be developments in this direction. In particular, energy efficiency is high on the agenda and Becker points out that smart grid is justone technology that can help contribute to a greater energy efficiency.

Although GE is working hard on this, there are areas that still need further development, such as storage technology. “GE is working with a German customer to develop compressed air storage systems and these types of technologies will eventually become part of the smart grid solution,” he says.

Aside from energy storage, another area that GE Energy is focusing its efforts is on the technology for offshore wind, which Becker says needs to be adapted to cope with the harsh environments out at sea. The development of new materials and sub-sea power foundations are a priority.

Taking a longer-term view, Becker believes it is important to continue being innovative in order to meet future targets that may be set for 2050 or 2080. But he points out that there are already obstacles that are proving difficult to overcome. “Some of the barriers that are being put up, such as

local content requirements in the US, are not helpful in driving innovation,” he says.

He also explains that tariffs on green goods and services make the creation of green jobs difficult. What is required is a global trade agreement that allows technologies to be moved from country to country, allowing countries and governments, as well as companies, to be more open and to learn from each other. “The EU, with its recent adoption of the Strategic Energy Technology Plan, is showing that it is learning in terms of streamlining its R&D agendas,” says Becker.

“The EU has set out road maps for key technologies that it thinks will help achieve the targets and make Europe more competitive, and it has finally realised that if it does not coordinate its efforts it will lose out against countries like the US or Japan, which in the past have had more success in some of the R&D spaces highlighted in that plan,” he explains.

“On the other hand, Europe has done a lot of things right and I hope that countries in other parts of the world will learn from it. But don’t forget that all the EU can do is set framework legislation; hen it is up to the individual Member States to turn that into a good national action plan.”

Becker emphasises that even within the EU it is easy to see that there is room for improvement and member states can learn from one another.

Taking wind as an example he says: “Those countries that opted for feed-in tariff schemes have seen much higher penetration rates or deployment rates of wind technology than those countries that opted for more market-based, tradable schemes.”

“The grid, and the way we transport energy needs a massive change if we are to cope with the larger renewable share”

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ENERGY POLICY

ACTION ON ENERGY

EU Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs talks to Stacey Sheppard about the progress Europe is making in its pursuit of sustainable, competitive and secure energy supplies.

The EU has set the target of 20 percent renewable energy by 2020. What is the likelihood that all 27 member states will be able to achieve this target by the deadline? What will happen if any of the EU members fail to reach the target and in what ways is the EU supporting the efforts of the individual nation states?

Andris Piebalgs. The 2020 national renewable energy targets set by the new directive are not political objectives, but legally binding targets. Based on a detailed assessment of the European Commission, these are achievable, and we assume that they will be realised, as member states have a legal obligation.

The Commission has provided assistance to member states in the preparation of the National Renewable Energy Action Plans. We will also assist with the monitoring and follow up of implementation. In addition to that there are several community programmes (7th framework Programme for Research, dissemination activities in the framework of Intelligent Energy for Europe programme) that are also supporting member states in the implementation of the directive.

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What is the Intelligent Energy Europe programme?

AP. The Intelligent Energy Europe (IEE) programme supports the deployment of sustainable energy and contributes to the achievement of the general goals of environmental protection, security of supply and competitiveness. The programme stands for the removal of market barriers and the creation of a more favourable business environment with the aim of increasing energy efficiency and strengthening renewable energy markets (including clean transport).

The IEE programme also seeks to raise awareness and change behaviour thereby fostering the understanding and better implementation of EU energy policy in Europe’s cities and regions.

Intelligent Energy Europe (2007-2013), with a total budget of â‚Ź730 million, builds on the experience gained from its predecessor, the first Intelligent Energy Europe (2003-2006) Programme. Since 2007, Intelligent Energy Europe has been included in the overall Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme (CIP) in order to tackle EU energy policy objectives and to execute the Lisbon Agenda.

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Specific actions eligible for IEE co-funding are detailed in the annual IEE work programmes adopted annually by the Commission after opinion of the programme committee and scrutiny of the European Parliament. The operational objectives and the priorities set out in the annual work programmes tie in with the most recent EU energy policy developments.

The implementation of the IEE programme is largely based on two means: grants (call for proposals) and procurement (calls for tenders). Until now, the largest share of the IEE budget was allocated to small-scale projects (around €500K). Projects are selected and managed on behalf of the Commission by EACI (the Executive Agency for Competitiveness and Innovation).

One of the main criticisms of renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind energy, is the fact that production is unreliable, supply is not particularly secure and it is very difficult to store the energy. What is the Commission doing to help overcome these challenges and appease the doubts of the critics?

AP. The new directive requires member states to improve their energy infrastructure and the operation of it with the view to accommodating higher shares of renewable energy sources in the energy mix.

Reinforcements, intelligent network solutions, new storage capacities, new interconnections, and revision of operational and market rules will all support this objective. It is true that certain sources are variable, but the difficulties can be overcome as we can see in the Danish and Spanish wind integration experience.

In what ways is the Commission working to improve the regulatory framework with a view to ensuring that the EU can benefit from a liberalisation of the internal market in terms of secure, competitively priced and sustainable energy?

AP. The third liberalisation package adopted this summer is a big step in providing a proper regulatory framework for the EU electricity and gas markets. Firstly, the national regulatory authorities will become more independent from the member states’ governments and their powers will be enhanced. This is the backbone for the energy market regulation in Europe. Secondly, for the cooperation of regulators at the European level a regulatory agency will be created. This agency will have the important tasks of monitoring how the markets work, giving opinions on the work of transmission system operators and making binding decisions on European infrastructure. The agency will rely on its own staff as well as the resources of the national regulators. Finally, the third package provides a system to make detailed legally binding rules for the European energy markets.

The Internal Energy Market increases the interdependence of member states in energy supply. In what ways would the development of a truly pan-European electricity super highway help to ensure solidarity between member states in the event of an energy crisis?

AP. It is true that there is an interdependence of member states in energy supply in the Internal Energy Market. Interdependence means that a country does not take energy decisions in isolation but takes the opportunities provided by other member states into account. This is where huge welfare gains have already been reached and can further be developed. In electricity, an effi-

“The goal of the Commission’s SET Plan is to step in and support the technologies’ R&D and their deployment until this maturity is reached”

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AP. The diversification of energy sources, transport routes and suppliers is crucial for ensuring energy security; its importance has been underlined by the gas crisis in January 2009, but it has been recognised also before the crisis. In the Second Strategic Energy Review ‘An EU Security and Solidarity Action Plan’ adopted by the Commission on 13 November 2008, the Commission proposed a number of initiatives aimed at increasing EU energy security.

Despite the fact that at the EU level, gas supply is reasonably well diversified; at a national level, a number of member states rely on a single supplier for 100 percent of their gas needs and a number of others on just a few suppliers. Diversification is thus important to spread and reduce individual risk, as well as to fully benefit from an integrated and interconnected market-based system.

The first of the five priorities of the Second Strategic Energy Review was ‘Infrastructure needs and the diversification of energy supply’. Within this priority, concrete actions have been proposed at EU level, including: the interEuropean transmission infrastructure is currently unable to maximise connection of isolated energy markets (including a Baltic Interconnection the benefits of renewable energy resources. What improvements need Plan covering gas and electricity), the development of the Southern Gas to be made to our infrastructure and how will this be funded?

Corridors, the increasing of the capacity of gas storage and LNG to ensure sufAP. Our electricity system has to be adapted to the new circumstances: more disficient liquidity and diversity of EU gas markets, and the development tributed generation, more variable generation, more large-scale distant of North-South gas interconnections within Central and South(and variable) generation. The electricity transmission and disEast Europe. A Communication on the Mediterranean Ring tribution infrastructure has to be reinforced and new lines has also been announced for 2010. have to be built, incorporating intelligent solutions, buildBy 2020 renewable

cient transmission system is vital for reaching these welfare gains. In the history of electricity transmission the evolution has been to use higher and higher voltages in overhead transmissions lines. Currently it is the 400kV network that provides the backbone for electricity transmission. New transmission challenges are coming from integration of wind energy, in particular offshore wind, which needs to be transported long distances to the customers. Similar challenges face projects such as bringing solar electricity from North Africa to Europe. As these new transmission needs include transporting electricity in seas, cables using direct current technology seem suitable for this purpose.

Some people think that direct current could also be interesting on land. As a result, a meshed direct current network could become a new pan-European electricity super highway, ensuring our renewable energy goals and enabling solidarity between member states.

ing new interconnections, using operational measures.

By means of the Economic Recovery Plan, the EU has designated community funds for interconnections and offshore wind energy and other electricity links. The future financing of European energy infrastructure is also being discussed in the framework of the Trans-European Energy Networks (TEN-E) revision.

energy should represent

By 2020, it is estimated that the necessary capacity expansion for power generation will amount to approximately 360 GW, which corresponds to about half of the current installed capacity. As renewable enof total capacity ergy will only account for 20 percent by 2020, this obviously leaves 80 percent of power generation from alternative sources. What are the main priorities for the EU in Which of the member states are demonstrating the highest comterms of capacity expansion outside of the renewable energy sector? mitment to increased generation of renewable energy and improveAP. Fostering the transition towards a low carbon power generation system is ments in transmission infrastructure and how can they help those a high priority for the European Union. The massive deployment of renewmember states that are currently lagging behind to come up to the stanable energy in the electricity sector will require a lot of investment, both in dards required to meet the EU targets? power generation capacities and in transmission networks. By 2020, accordAP. I mentioned before the Danish and Spanish experience in wind energy ining to the scenarios prepared by the Commission in 2008, renewable energy tegration. The two cases are different: Denmark is strongly interconnected should represent 33 percent to 58 percent of the total power generation cawith other Scandinavian countries, making use of their hydro capacity in balpacity necessary to meet the future demand and to replace ageing facilities. ancing power. On the other hand, Spain can be considered as an island from Appropriate policies are needed to support this deployment. National plans the point of view of electricity infrastructure. for the promotion of renewables – to be adopted by member states in 2010 – But there is something common: they both have transmission system opwill be crucial. Any investment or choice of technology contributing to deerators (TSO) strongly committed to finding solutions and adequate answers carbonising the electricity sector will be relevant. to the challenges they face. They can serve as models, and the active participation of these TSOs in the European Network of Transmission System Renewable energy is currently quite a costly investment. What role will Operators for Electricity (ENSTO-E) in European research programmes, certechnology play in reducing the cost of renewable energy and how is the tainly gives an opportunity to make others aware of these activities. The Commission helping to support research and innovation in technology?

Commission is also planning to launch a concerted action with the member AP. Renewable energy sources have traditionally gained the reputation of states on the implementation of the renewable energy directive, which will enbeing a costly investment. In the 1990s, this was true, as the oil price was low. courage exchange of experiences between member states.

It is however important to realise that costliness is relative to the alternatives.

33-55%

In light of the gas crisis that we experienced last winter, how important is it that EU member states promote diversity of energy sources, suppliers and transport routes?

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As the oil price rose, even in the years before the financial crisis, renewable energy sources became more and more attractive.

Another important factor is the price of carbon and its meaning. Carbon allowances are issued to or bought by those who emit greenhouse gases. This

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Electricity from renewable sources Share of electricity from renewable energy sources in total electricity consumption (%) – EU27 EU-27 BE BG CZ

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EE IE EL ES FR IT CY LV LT LU HU MT NL AT PL PT means we place a price on emissions. Conversely, renewable energy sources have low or no emissions at all and therefore do not carry with them the price of carbon, as no allowances have to be bought.

Technology is nowadays helping to reduce the production costs of equipment used to generate renewable energy sources. Production processes become mature and their costs are lower, while raw materials meet an increasing demand and factors of scale are reducing their market price. As a result, these types of product become commonplace, with more producers and a growing market putting pressure on price.

We are, for instance, seeing this chain of maturity have its effect in the wind sector and some biomass areas. Solar photovoltaics are also likely to approach this level of maturity soon. The goal of the Commission’s SET (Strategic Energy Technologies) Plan is to step in and support the technologies’ R&D and their deployment until this maturity is reached. As such, we will be able to cover the cost-gap to traditional generation options until renewable energy sources are fully competitive, thereby mitigating the risk for market entrants.

Today, we see the need to accelerate our work on technology. This

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implies an increase of the R&D budget level. In the Communication on Investing in Low Carbon Technologies adopted by the Commission on 7 October 2009, we set out the needs and technology roadmaps that can take us there. We estimate that we will need to spend €8 billion per annum, by public and private sectors combined, on the technologies identified in these roadmaps during the next 10 years. The debate on this is just beginning. Mobilising these resources will make a crucial contribution to achieving our 2020 objectives.

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RENEWABLES

LEADING

LIGHT Marie Shields talks to Christine Lins about the progress Europe has made towards reaching its ambitious renewable energy goals.

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ccording to Christine Lins, Secretary General of the European The aggressive pursuit of a renewable energy policy can have other beneRenewable Energy Council (EREC), Europe is already well on its fits apart from the obvious environmental ones: job creation, for example. Lins way to achieving the ambitious goal of having 20 percent of its enpoints out that Germany, for example, which has had a strong record of proergy generated by renewable sources by 2020. “We have exceeded moting renewables for a number of years, is benefiting not only in terms of en10 percent of renewable energy in final energy consumption within the ergy share from renewables but also in terms of new employment opportunities.

European Union,” she says. “We are on track, and we believe that with “There are around 450,000 people employed in the renewable inthe Renewable Energy Framework Directive, which was adopted dustry sector in Europe,” she says. “Out of these, probably in May 2009 but was only recently published, we will see fur285,000 are employed in Germany. This shows that the rether impetus that this development will happen. newables industry is a factor for growth and sustainable “The challenge is going to be that this 10 percent development. has mainly been achieved by five or six EU Member “We also see more and more big companies from people work in the States. We need to make sure that all 27 Member States various industries investing in renewables, because in European renewable are taking renewables seriously and developing them the long-term their operating costs are lower and more energy sector today; this to their full potential. predictable than those of conventional fuels. Together is expected to rise to 2 “Much of the development in renewables at the with energy efficiency, investment in renewables is somemillion by 2020 moment is coming from certain countries, such as thing we also see when analysing different businesses.”

Germany, Spain, Denmark, France, Italy and Sweden.

However, there is a lot of potential in the other Member States Getting smart and we attach a lot of hope to the national renewable energy action plans Along with renewables, another main factor in the energy efficienthat countries have to submit to the European Commission by June 2010. cy/environmental sustainability equation is modernising electricity grids to “This is one of the major outlines in the renewables directive, that counmake them more ‘intelligent’. To this end, EREC runs a project called the thetries by June next year have to come up with strategies outlining how they matic network on ICT solutions, which aims to foster and promote the largeforesee reaching their binding national renewable energy targets. These acscale integration of domestic and distributed micro-generation, and to tion plans will provide the stability and framework for making sure that the promote an improvement in energy efficiency through the implementation objectives are achieved.” of a novel ICT solution into local smart power grids.

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“Very clearly, the rapid deployment of renewables will require some changes in power grid infrastructures,” Lins explains. “Decentralised generation needs to be taken up, and this means not only looking into the most feasible technical solutions, but also looking at non-technical barriers, because we know that often the lack of information about distributed generation is one of the main reasons utilities can still be resistant to adopting these technologies.

“There is another project in decentralised generation, called MASSIG, in which we elaborate marketing concepts and technological approaches on how to best sell electricity generation by distributed generation in the power range of up to several hundred kilowatts. The focus is on renewables and small co-generation in these projects.”

When it comes to environmental sustainability, EREC isn’t afraid to put its money where its mouth is. Its Brussels headquarters building, Renewable Energy House, is a showcase for the latest smart energy technologies. The council has completely refurbished the 140-year-old building and has equipped it with a series of energy efficiency and renewable energy measures.

“100 percent of our heating and cooling comes from renewables,” Lins points out proudly. “A Christine Lins large part of the electricity is generated onsite through photovoltaics and the rest bought as green electricity from the grid. This is an example which, in the framework of the New4Old project, we are trying to duplicate all around Europe in both the private and public sectors. Everyone is welcome to come and have a look at how these technologies were integrated into the building.”

Challenging times Lins believes there is a lot at stake in the European power sector. “We are confronted with the fact that much of the current power generation capacity needs to be refurbished in the next few years. We need to get these decisions right, and the way we take them now will influence our attitude towards energy for the next 10-20 years.

“Renewables are the fastest growing new installed power generation capacity. More than half of the newly installed capacity in 2008 was renewables, with 57 percent from wind, photovoltaics and hydro together, followed by natural gas.

“It is going to be a challenge to increase the percentage of renewables in the electricity grid. There we will need to collaborate closely with utilities, GSOs and so forth. Another challenge is to make sure that renewables are properly used in houses on a large scale basis, so that the buildings of tomorrow on the one hand respect energy efficiency standards to a maximum, and on the other hand meet a large percentage of their energy needs from renewable energy sources.

“It is also key that the renewables directive is properly implemented and that we put in place ambitious national renewable energy action plans. All this is something that we are quite intensively working on. There are also other important aspects; for example, the training of installers for renewable energy installations is crucial, so that the installations are of high quality and generate the desired output.”

Of course, Europe is not alone in its drive towards greater energy efficiency and sustainability – the US, not traditionally known for its forwardthinking energy policies, is also forging ahead, thanks to the renewed interest generated by the election of a more environment-oriented government.

The consensus seems to be that while the European renewable energy industry is ahead of its American counterpart, the US could make up this disparity in a relatively short time – a view with which Lins concurs: “The Americans are catching up, because there is now a lot of political ambition, and we all know that

“More long-term, a very high percentage of 80-100 percent renewable energy share in final energy consumption can be envisaged” if things start moving in the US they move rather quickly. It’s going to be the challenge for the European industry, but we see this as a very positive competition.”

New developments In terms of the future, Lins points to the binding commitment given by the 27 heads of state that by 2020, 20 percent, or one-fifth of Europe’s final energy consumption, will be generated by renewable energy. EREC’s aim is that this 20 percent renewable energy will result in 33-40 percent of electricity coming from renewables by 2020, to about 25 percent renewable share in heating and cooling, and then 10 percent renewables in transport, most of this coming from biofuels.

“This is something that we think is absolutely feasible,” Lins says. “We will do everything to make this happen. And I think we can go far beyond. We are currently starting the discussion in Europe about the perspective of 2050.

More long-term, there is communication coming out of the European Commission that a very high percentage of 80-100 percent renewable energy share in final energy consumption can be envisaged.

“We expect a rapid increase in turnover figures. At the moment, the European renewable energy industry has an annual turnover of about €45 billion. We expect this to grow exponentially, and coupled with this will be the creation of a significant number of jobs. We have around 450,000 people working in the sector today; this figure is estimated to rise to two million by 2020. So I think the sector offers good prospects for a sustainable economic development, and the desired sustainable recovery of the economy, which we all need.” n Christine Lins is Secretary General of the European Renewable Energy Council.

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WASTE MANAGEMENT

Wasted As waste management works its way up the EU agenda, increasing amounts of legislation is being passed to regulate practises across Europe. However, these efforts will be for nothing if the issue of compliance is not given top priority.

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n inevitable consequence of European society growing wealthier is of course the generation of increasing levels of waste. In 2006 alone the EU-27 produced around three billion tonnes of waste.

Th is figure includes mining waste as well as some 89 million tonnes of hazardous waste. Relative to population the total amount of waste was over six tonnes per capita. As the pressure from increased waste levels intensifies, the need for improved waste management practices and waste prevention strategies has become an important priority for the European Union.

Former MEP Caroline Jackson, who acted as rapporteur on the Landfi ll Directive in 1998 and on the Waste Framework Directive in 2008, has a unique insight into the issue of waste management at EU level. In 1997, the European Parliament received a draft of a directive on landfi ll reduction from the European Commission. Due to her experience in environmental matters, which dated back to 1984 when she joined the Environment Committee, Jackson was asked to become rapporteur and steered the directive through to an eventual agreement in 1999.

During her time as an MEP Jackson has seen vast changes in waste management practice within the EU. “Waste management as an issue has come up the agenda enormously. For the fi rst time the European Union now has, in the Landfi ll Directive, defi nite targets for the reduction of waste going to landfi ll, although the directive doesn’t actually spell out what alternative methods should be used and it didn’t contain a specific waste hierarchy.”

Over the past 25 years Jackson has seen the issue of waste management become increasingly important due to concerns surrounding

climate change and global warming and the contribution that landfi ll makes to this through methane emissions. Th is has required the EU to look closely at various types of waste disposal in order to gauge their connection with carbon emissions.

As a consequence of this and following on from the Landfi ll Directive, the Commission has produced a number of specific directives on electronic waste (WEEE), end of life vehicles (ELV), incineration of waste and the shipments of waste, which has seen waste management take a more prominent role on the EU’s agenda. Then in 2008 the revised Waste Framework Directive entered into EU regulation.

“The importance of the Waste Framework Directive lies in the fact that it framed, for the fi rst time, general recycling targets for bio-degradable municipal waste. It also looks towards waste recycling targets, which the Commission will have to produce within the next five to seven years and it defi nes, and puts into community legislation, the waste hierarchy and states that this must be adhered to insofar as is practicable,” explains Jackson.

One other benefit that the Waste Framework Directive has brought is that it is helping to change the attitude towards energy from waste, making it possible to designate energy from waste operations as recovery operations, where they fulfi l certain energy efficiency criteria, Jackson explains. “So energy from waste is lifted off the bottom

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of the hierarchy, becomes potentially a recovery operation and possibly becomes a more popular option. But we have to wait and see if that actually happens.”

One consequence of the Waste Framework Directive therefore, could be the proliferation of waste-to-energy plants, says Jackson. But in many countries she believes the main encouragement for diverting waste from landfi ll and into waste-to-energy will be the introduction of an effective landfi ll tax, as we have now seen in the UK, and the recognition that waste which is difficult to recycle can be a fuel for many Member States which are fuel poor.

The Waste Framework Directive now has until the end of 2010 to come into operation and Jackson believes that there are lessons to be learnt from the Landfi ll Directive. “The principal lesson is that it is absolutely essential that the European Commission keeps a tight hold on who is doing what in terms of implementation,” says Jackson.

“I think the Commission has learnt the lesson of that and with the Waste Framework Directive it will be much more on the ball in following up on compliance” She recounts a story of how she went to a follow-up conference on the application of the Landfi ll Directive some seven years after it was adopted and supposedly put into effect in the Member States, only to fi nd that the Commission had no information at all from six or seven Member States who had simply not communicated what they were doing. “I think the Commission has learnt the lesson of that and with the Waste Framework Directive it will be much more on the ball in following up on compliance.”

Jackson believes that the issue of compliance has gathered momentum over the past 25 years as the EU now has about 10 or 15 key directives

Analysed relative to the size of the population in the EU-27, the data presented in this section show that total municipal waste generated grew by some seven percent between the years 1996 and 2006 to reach 517 kg per inhabitant; over the same period the growth of income and production was considerably higher (25 percent).

A more significant change, however, was in the way waste was treated. Landfilling was the common option for a long time. About 60 percent of municipal waste was landfilled in 1996, this proportion dropping to 41 percent by 2006. Alternative ways of treatment, however, have become more important. About 14 percent of municipal waste was incinerated in 1996 but this proportion had risen to 19 percent by 2006 and the amount of waste recycled or composted more than doubled in the same period.

MUNICIPAL WASTE Municipal waste produced in EU-27 reached 258 million tonnes in 2007, 14 percent higher than in 1995: around 40 percent was sent to landfill (a big decrease from 62 percent in 1995).

Municipal waste treatment varies widely between Member States: less than 5 percent is landfilled in some countries – Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden and Belgium – while more than 85 percent is disposed of in this way in others – Latvia, Lithuania, Cyprus and Malta.

In 2007, each EU citizen produced an average of 522 kg of municipal waste.

In 2007, 103 million tonnes of municipal waste was recycled, twice as much as in 1995. Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and Austria lead the recycling of municipal waste, with more than 50 percent.

Denmark has the highest share of municipal waste incinerated (53 percent).

Source: European Commission

in place regarding waste. It is useless adopting legislation unless we follow-up on the compliance of it. But despite the progress made, Jackson stills sees the issue of compliance as the biggest challenge for European waste policy. “My great sorrow is that the European Environment Agency in Copenhagen plays no part in investigating or policing progress; it can’t do that. But I’m very interested in that the Commission has gone out to tender on a contract regarding the feasibility of establishing a European waste inspectorate,” admits Jackson. If the EU were to dedicate more resources to the issue of waste management, Jackson believes that this should be in the form of more people being drafted in to enthusiastically pursue the issue of compliance.

But although the situation is less than ideal in terms of compliance, there are aspects that have been a great success. “I think the biggest achievement was the introduction of the waste recycling targets into the Waste Framework Directive, which I simply drafted on the proverbial back of an envelope,” says Jackson. And she sees no reason why EU Member States should struggle to comply with legislation in this area.

“I personally don’t see why any country should have difficulty in reaching the 50 percent biodegradable municipal waste targets by 2020.

I think that these are attainable targets and are really quite mild.” But an area that she believes needs further attention and tougher targets is that of demolition and construction waste.

And now that she has relinquished her role as MEP, Jackson only hopes that the good work in waste management will continue without her. “I pray that someone will continue it, but my own experience shows that MEPs are always happier to add to the new legislation on the statute book rather than go back over what has happened. Th is is always a danger in any elected body, but I will be outside the Parliament encouraging them to continue the work of oversight.”

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EXECUTIVE INTERVIEW

Scrapheap challenge Andreas Zöllner explains how Metso is helping the recycling industry prepare for a more efficient, cost-effect and sustainable future.

The products and services you provide cover a variety of industries. What are the main challenges that these industries are facing today and how are you helping your customers to overcome them?

Andreas Zoellner. Our equipment is sold primarily to steel mills, scrap yards and to the automotive industry. There is currently an oversupply of steel worldwide, which has resulted in a drastic reduction in demand for shredded and cut scrap as well as baled scrap. We are using this down time in the market to work with our customers to do refurbishments and upgrades to their equipment. We are also developing value added equipment to allow our customers to diversify their operations.

Sustainability is an issue that is very high on the agenda of most governments at the moment. In Europe in particular the member states are facing strict targets designed to promote a more sustainable form of development. In what ways is Metso involved in furthering this goal of sustainability?

AZ. We are moving our product offerings to be more environmentally friendly and to make our business more recession proof. We are implementing development training programs for our talented younger managers to prepare them for future leadership roles. In addition we are creating an in-depth succession plan for all mid-level and senior management positions.

What are some of the recent projects you have been involved with? What can you tell us about the technologies currently be used or developed for use by those you supply?

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AZ. We developed a new scrap shear called LUC. The word most frequently heard during development was ‘efficiency’. The LUC, which reduces the volume of scrap by cutting, has been specially developed to process medium production volumes with minimum energy consumption and costs.

Another factor is flexibility, which is essential in cases where the recycler has to cope with changing types of scrap.

We also provided a prototype air filtration system for EMR-Northern Recycling to allow them to meet very rigid emission standards in their consent decree with the city of Minneapolis, MN. No other competitors offered a solution.

Andreas Zöllner has worked for Another example of Metso since 2003 fulfilling numerous different roles. He is Metso’s drive to create new currently Vice President Europe and state-of-the-art technology is Africa and Head of Marketing Metso Recycling Business Line. He formerly the new series (TSH) of shredheld the role of Product Manager Scrap Shears, Country Manager ders that Metso Recycling South Africa and prior to this he was North America has just deSales Engineer France for Metso Lindemann. He studied Mechanical signed, introduced to the marEngineering at the RWTH in Aachen, Germany. ket and sold in the US. We are

working with Carolina Metals Recycling in Garner, NC and Southern Metals in Charlotte, NC to install and start the first prototype machines.

In October this year, Metso took over M&J Industries A/S, Denmark, a leading provider of machines and plants for the recycling of solid waste. Through the acquisition of M&J, Metso’s Recycling Business Line has expanded its position to become a high-performance global provider of technology and services uniting the metal and waste recycling market segments under one roof, thus becoming an important partner for the entire recycling industry.

“We are moving our product offerings to be more environmentally friendly” Given the current economic climate and enhanced interest in green issues many companies are increasingly interested in solutions that preserve the environment and cut costs.

How does Metso meet this need?

AZ. Metso is expanding into solid waste recycling and waste-to-energy technology. As stated earlier we are developing new emissions technology for shredder plants and have partnered with ILG-Industrielaermschutz GmbH, a manufacturer of sound proofing equipment for scrap yard applications.

What do you think the future trends for your sector will be and what challenges will this entail?

AZ. The future for recycling is the development of systems that recycle as many materials as possible and provide environmentally safe disposal of non-recyclable materials. Furthermore, we will continue focusing on value added technology for separation and retrieval of nonferrous metals and material. n

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WASTE MANAGEMENT

LEADING BY EXAMPLE

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Greg Vogt, Managing Director of the International Solid Waste Association, explains why he believes Europe is out in front when it comes to waste management.

T

he International Solid Waste Association (ISWA) is a global network of waste management professionals, with a strong following of members based in the EU. In part, ISWA’s goal is to gather those people with common interests in the waste industry from different region of the world so as to allow for good networking and sharing of experiences. Those who join ISWA appreciate case studies and real world examples of waste management practices so they can draw conclusions and ascertain what works and what doesn’t.

Currently, an interesting aspect of the waste sector is the EU legislative model and how it is viewed by other regions of the world. I find it to be a powerful example of leadership when judged by its success in effecting change in human behaviour and waste practices.

In brief, through national level adoption of EU legislation, the framework for significant change in practice and standards has been set. And with that framework, a transition period is currently in place for the next two or three decades in which the member states will strive to adopt practices that resemble those already in place in Germany and to a lesser degree in Denmark and Austria. Several thematic approaches are included, but a principal theme is the shift away from the landfill model in favour of waste prevention, waste reduction, recycling, composting, incineration or waste-to-energy as the new model and the new hierarchy for Europe.

As the shift away from landfilling is coming about through ‘top-down’ legislation, the situation becomes a model approach towards accomplishing change in waste management planning. Where the political will is strong, and you have the support of the technical sectors, the approach appears to be on track to achieve its early goals. Adequate capital funding being pushed forward to bring in or construct new facilities also helps support the process.

There will be some regions or countries that will take a little longer for implementation, but this is to be expected during the transition period. For example, several Southern and Eastern European countries are in the planning stages for changing what today is primarily waste management through landfilling. In my view, what has already been accomplished is a mental change, or acceptance of the change in practices. Yes, delays and the need for time extensions will occur as siting, construction and start-up operations for large waste management facilities take several years.

There will of course be obstacles that the EU entities will have to face in terms of adopting this new model and reducing the amount of waste that is sent to existing landfills. One obstacle, perhaps as an interim approach, is the need for modern, engineered landfill capacity, which not only provides the necessary environmental performance, but also costs significantly less to build, own and operate than alternative technologies. The second will be in finding the financial resources to build and operate the waste handling

facilities that EU legislation favours, namely composting, digestion, waste-toenergy and advanced sorting and recycling plants.

Targeting recycling The EU recycling targets are ambitious on one hand, yet achievable on the other. With the 50 percent recycling target for household waste and the 75 percent target for construction and demolition waste, a fascinating change in performance will be needed for some regions and countries. There are already two or three countries at that level or just about to reach it. This demonstrates that targets can be reached with the right will, the right change of behaviour and with capital funding. To me this is a tremendous model for the waste management sector on a very large scale. It demonstrates a form of leadership and allows others to examine how the approach might be transferred to their regions or countries.

Clearly, such an approach costs a lot and there’s a large, in-kind shift of resources away from other public needs, but if you want to get it done, it can be done.

There are several inherent challenges when attempting to reach higher and higher levels of recycling. For example, capturing the bio-waste portion of the waste stream has high organic content and has value as a resource if used correctly. Collection unit costs are relatively high for separation programmes, and local participation is essential for success. As the composition of the waste changes, our industry must adapt so that collection and recycling programmes continue to work well. You can imagine the kinds of adjustments needed when, for example, millions of mobile phones and hundreds of thousands of plasma TVs come into the waste stream. Difficult to recycle waste components constitute the need for some lag time to have our programmes catch up.

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Future priorities One of ISWA’s current priorities is to promote a raising of the standard of waste management globally. Waste practitioners are concerned that in many large pockets of the world waste management practices are well below what we commonly use as the minimum standard for health and safety purposes.

Another priority is to raise awareness about waste quantities present in the seas. Waste reaches waterways and oceans in various ways. Legal and illegal disposing of waste to the seas is not monitored or enforced at basic levels. Sustainable waste practices point to organised waste collection, subsequent re-use or recycling of waste materials where practical and managed disposal of residuals. Using waterways and seas as disposal points is unac-

ceptable, and in part, this problem can be tackled by having adequate facilities at hand on land.

Another notable priority would be waste trafficking. From time to time, case examples have arisen to demonstrate that trafficking of waste (oftentimes hazardous and problematic waste being shipped to other countries where environmental protection standards may be lower or not enforced, or both) continues to occur. This is unacceptable.

Legislation against waste trafficking usually exists on a country by country basis and international agreements such as the Basel Convention provide a framework for enforcement. Better waste management options and practices at the larger ports is one starting point for improvements.

Recognition that waste dumping is a legal offense will also be helpful.

THE GLOBAL SITUATION

F

or several global regions, ISWA has a concern with the effort required to achieve a basic level of sanitation and public health. In the realm of waste management, this includes rapid collection of waste, proper storage and/or transfer facilities, and finding a suitable disposal facility as opposed to the use of open dumping areas. Globally, the number of open dump sites stretches into the hundreds of thousands, and our expectation is that nearby ground water sources or waterways are not being adequately protected. Clearly, ISWA promotes the closure of such global dump sites. In many situations, it makes sense to develop an interim approach for replacing local dumps through the use of sanitary landfills or engineered landfills as a way to address the immediate problem of public health and sanitation. We believe this message of an interim approach is essential for making progress, and based on some of the success stories we hear about, it appears the word is getting out.

Education, training and the transfer of engineering technology for sanitary landfills is improving. In some cases, funds from donor organisations (such as AID and the World Bank) may be linked to the development of modern waste management facility construction and related equipment.

Essentially, new, modern landfills are being sited and constructed, but the pace is slow. Therein lies one of our concerns. The improvements for waste management systems may be moving too slowly, particularly with regard to how much waste is being produced.

It is encouraging to see the debates and discussions about

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waste management when I visit events in developing countries. The concepts of waste prevention and waste minimisation are now within the planning process, along with the development of sustainable recycling programs.

Publishing the recycling goals of different countries around the world and showing the success rate is also helping. Common examples are found where a municipality began at measuring a recycling rate of 10 percent and then once attention and resources were put to the challenge, the recycling rate rose to 20 percent or 25 percent over time. Now numerous municipalities can demonstrate recycling rates achieved of over 50 percent. In the EU, of course, this is the regional target, country by country. This is a tremendous model for other countries to follow.

I recall a presentation a few years ago describing the situation in Israel.

Twenty years ago or so it relied on low standard landfills for most of its waste disposal, similar to what one might call a developing country waste management practice. Strong legislation was then put into effect, similar to EU requirements and coupled with strict enforcement. More than 100 open dumps were closed in a short time, and measures were taken to design and construct large regional sanitary landfills to handle much of the waste flow. Also, recycling targets of at least 25 percent were set forth, which have been achieved. Lastly, it began to implement other waste approaches (processing, anaerobic digestion, composting) as a means to reduce reliance on the landfills. I would say Israel has an interesting success story for other small countries to look at.

INDUSTRY INSIGHT

Waste not want not Toni Reftman explains how Eldan Recycling are stepping up to the challenge of recycling end-of-life tyres and WEEE.

I

ndustrial and municipal waste constitutes a growing global problem. In the EU, the WasteDirective now regulates how we dispose of waste. Further regulations have been introduced for two groups of products – end-of-life tyres and waste electronic and electrical equipment (WEEE). Both groups fall into the category of producer’s responsibility, which means that producers and importers are responsible for the collection and recycling of end of life products.

It was recently announced in several papers that just within the European Union 3.1 million tons of end-oflife tyres are produced per year and 20 kilos of WEEE per capita which equals eight million tons. Whilst a lot has already been done to “Within the European Union 3.1 million deal with the problem, a tons of end-of-life tyres are produced per great deal more still needs to be done. year and 20 kilos of WEEE per capita The industry is evolvwhich equals eight million tons” ing to cope with the challenge of recycling these quantities and organisations like ETRA (European Tyre Recyclers Association) are promoting the use of rubber products made from end-of-life tyres.

Eldan Recycling has expertise in size reduction and separation of waste materials and we have developed equipment to process a large variety of products in large quantities at low personnel and energy costs.

The corporate roots of Eldan Recycling A/S dates back to 1956. Since the beginning, the Denmark-based company has specialised in development, manufacturing, marketing and installation of machines and complete plants for the recycling industry. We persistently observe and comply with market requirements and are one of the most innovative enterprises having installed more than 7000 single machines and 770 complete recycling systems worldwide, which comply with present requirements and are easily adapted to future requirements.

Our field of expertise includes plant and equipment for recycling of: aluminium scrap, scrap tyres, cable scrap, municipal solid waste, WEEE, refrigerators, industrial scrap, shredder light fraction/automotive shredder residuals (SLF/ASR), etc.

During 2008, we considerably expanded our production facilities by adding two new production halls to our premises. Th is step was taken to meet the high demand for Eldan equipment and to shorten delivery times.

We are one of the few companies delivering equipment to the recycling industry which has its own production facilities ensuring the quality of the product and the flexibility of the production program.

We are a turnkey supplier of complete plants. The customer only deals with one partner from the initial contact to being supplied with a customised solution.

Our technical staff are responsible for the design and development of the plant and our project managers and supervisors are in charge of the project work, installation, erection, training and commissioning of the plant.

We build different plants to meet specific end products. Using the modular approach, a large number of combinations can be supplied both with regard to processing volumes and the production of output sizes. The modular approach covers all customer requirements for equipment to process at different levels down the ‘recycling road’. The Eldan plants are ‘multi-size’ plants, which means that it is merely a question of changing the screen combination in the machines, should you wish to produce a different output size. In the recycling of tyres, for example, Eldan equipment is able to produce everything from shreds, chips, granulate down to powder – all products having their own outlet within the recycling market.

The Eldan WEEE recycling plants are designed to process all kinds of electronic waste. The process involves the size reduction of the input material through an Eldan ring shredder, heavy pre-granulator and heavy granulators together with separation equipment that separates the material into the following fractions: ferrous metals, stainless steel, aluminium, plastics/organics and mixed non ferrous suitable for refi ning.

Toni Reftman is Managing Director of Eldan Recycling A/S. He has worked for Carl Bennet Group since 2004 and is responsible for three companies: Eldan Recyling A/S, Proline AB and Eleiko AB. He studied at The University of Lund and obtained a Ph.D in mechanical engineering.

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COUNTRY FOCUS 140

Sweden Capital: Stockholm | Currency: Swedish krona (SEK) | Population: 9.2 million

O

n July 1st, 2009 Sweden took up its six month role at the helm of the Council of the European Union, whilst the 26 other Member States of the European Union watched as the Nordic country proceeded to use the Presidency to trumpet itself as a model for green growth.

The Presidency has represented a unique opportunity for Sweden to lead and influence work on important EU issues and the Swedes are using their six months in the driver’s seat of the EU to promote energy and environmental priorities such as carbon taxes, energy efficiency and green transport.

Sweden is in fact well placed to take on the role of promoting green growth as its own past achievements in sustainable development speak for themselves. Between 1990 and 2006 Sweden cut emissions by nine perw cent, while gross domestic product grew by 44 percent. In 2007, it also had the best performance regarding the use of renewable energy at 31 percent of its totall energy demand.

FACTS & FIGURES

25%

The amount of green house gas which each inhabitant of Stockholm releases is

50% lower than the national average, and emissions per person have, since 1990, been reduced by

25% Sweden Focus.indd 140

69% of all households have access to district heating and the share of renewable energy in district heating is nearly 70%

of the waste produced by Stockholmers is recycled and 73.5% is recovered for production of district heating

Most biogas is currently used as fuel in ecofriendly cars and buses

Collection of food waste for biogas production is to increase from 4500 tonnes in 2008 to 18,000 tonnes in 2012

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COUNTRY FOCUS 141

And the land of the midnight sun has set itself some tough targets for the future, far and above the EU-wide targets. Whilst the rest of Europe strives to meet the target of 20 percent renewable energy by 2020, Sweden already has the highest proportion of renewable energy in the EU at 43.3 percent and is aiming to achieve 50 percent by 2020. Electricity generation contributes most to the proportion of renewable energy in Sweden. In 2006 it accounted for 52 percent of all electricity generation, of which 45 percent was in large-scale hydropower.

The renewable proportion of the energy use of dwellings, excluding electricity and district heating, has increased from 32 percent in 1990 to 75 percent in 2006.

Transportation is another area where Sweden is already ahead of the game in terms of sustainability. The proportion of motor biofuel reckoned in energy content was four percent in 2007. Only two countries in the EU-27 had a higher proportion than Sweden (Austria and Germany). Furthermore the use of motor biofuel in Sweden increased by more than 30 percent between 2006 and 2007. By 2020, it is intended that biofuels will make up 10 percent of total energy use in the transportation sector. By 2030, Sweden should have a vehicle fleet that is completely independent of fossil fuels.

Stockholm

5%

Bus

Car

Light Truck

2007

0

2006

of inhabitants travel by public transport during peak hours

10%

2005

Sweden Focus.indd 141

77%

Transport emissions are relatively low and all inner city buses run on renewable fuels and all subways and commuter trains run on renewable electricity.

15%

2004

A congestion charge was introduced in 2006 for cars traveling in and out of the inner city area during daytime hours. The emission reduction levels from congestion taxes was approximately 30,000 tonnes of C02 in 2006.

Emission levels are down 10-14% and air quality has been improved by 2-10%.

Traffic has been reduced by 20%

20%

2003

It is precisely because of Sweden’s green credentials that Stockholm was recently voted the EU’s first Green Capital. In a new initiative starting in 2010 and headed up by the European Commission, one European city will be selected each year as the European Green Capital of the year. The award is given to a city that has a consistent record of achieving high environmental standards, is committed to ongoing and ambitious goals for further environmental improvement and sustainable development and which can act as a role model to inspire other cities and promote best practices to all other European cities.

Proportion of newly registered vehicles that can be run predominantly on renewable energy, divided into passenger cars, buses, light trucks and heavy trucks

Heavy Truck

Source: Sweden Road Administration

Stockholm was chosen as the city council’s holistic vision combines growth with sustainable development and includes the ambitious target of becoming independent of fossil fuels by 2050.

The Swedish capital also boasts some impressive statistics, which helped it pip the seven other finalists – Amsterdam, Bristol, Copenhagen, Freiburg im Breisgau, Hamburg, Münster and Oslo – to the post for the 2010 title.

The number of people cycling has increased by

75%

over the past 10 years and Stockholm now

760km

has of cycle lanes with more being built.

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IN REVIEW 142

Hot off the press Sustainable development has been a fundamental objective of the European Union since 1997 and something that underpins all EU policies and actions. We take a quick look at what some of the current books on sustainability have to offer.

Promoting Sustainable Electricity in Europe: Challenging the Path Dependence of Dominant Energy Systems

By William M. Lafferty and Audun Ruud With the EU striving to achieve its binding targets by the 2020 deadline, renewable energy currently features very highly on the European agenda. Th is book provides an insightful assessment that compares the initiatives to promote renewable electricity sources (RES) in a number of European countries. The study, which focuses on Austria, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain and Sweden, monitors progress on implementing the EU RES Directive in relation to the impact of the ‘dominant energy systems’ in each country and explores effective policy instruments for achieving sustainable energy policies in Europe.

EU INFRASTRUCTURE SAYS: Th is book is of direct interest to anyone directly involved with renewable energy and sustainable development in general.

An Introduction to Sustainable Transportation: Policy, Planning and Implementation

By Preston Schiller, Eric C. Bruun and Jeffrey R. Kenworthy Reducing carbon emissions and halting climate change are two key priorities for the EU over the next few years. Transportation is one area that is under scrutiny for its contribution to increasing our carbon footprint. Written by three lecturers and experts in transportation policy and planning, this book explores sustainable transportation and development and suggests some innovative solutions regarding mobility management. It contains sections on policy-making and planning and compares and contrasts various modes of transport, from human-powered modes to motorised modes, including marine and air transport. The book also features many international examples and case studies, textboxes, graphics, recommended reading and end of chapter questions.

EU INFRASTRUCTURE SAYS: An informative, authoritative and worthwhile read for all those interested in sustainable transportation.

Sustainable Construction: Green Building Design and Delivery

By Charles J. Kibert As industry attempts to review its construction practices and promote more sustainable buildings, this book provides a handy introduction to the design and performance of commercial and institutional green buildings. Author Charles Kibert uses the book as a way of encouraging the reader to realise the ecological and economic benefits of green building. He uses the US Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) set of standards to help explain these benefits.

EU INFRASTRUCTURE SAYS: Ideal for anyone wanting to learn more about the theory, history, best practices and state of the industry with regards to green building.

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PHOTO FINISH 144

Construction continues for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa

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n aerial view shows building work on Green Point Stadium near Cape Town, in preparation for the arrival of teams and fans from across the globe this summer.

This 68,000 capacity venue is one of 10 around the country that will play host to matches during the finals. Though doubts have been expressed that the country will be ready for the competition in June, South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma is insistent that work will be completed on time and that the country will provide the perfect setting. “Let us display the Rainbow Nation to the world,” he said in a recent interview.

“Let us display that here in the southern tip of Africa, where mankind originates from, we can make the home of everyone.”

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