The advancement of infrastructure projects in the UK is always a sign of growth and development. A prime example is the progressing plans of Anglian Water’s ambitious 68km pipeline, set to connect Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk to Colchester in Essex. This project has recently made significant strides, securing the nod of approval from Babergh & Mid Suffolk District Councils.
11
Oct
2023
7
Jun
2023
In the heart of Ethiopia, a colossal dam construction project is taking shape – The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). This mammoth structure is no ordinary dam either; it’s a mega-dam towering twice the height of the Golden Gate Bridge, and covering a reservoir expanse almost as big as London. With its ability to generate over 5,000 megawatts of electricity, the dam holds the potential to lift millions out of poverty.
14
Jan
2017
Nearly 2 years after the project confirmed equity funding, the Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon has just been backed by a government commission review.
Former UK energy minister Charles Hendry has been gathering evidence for the independent enquiry for almost a year and as part of that review has visited all the potential sites and held various discussions with the industry. That report says that the project would make a strong contribution to the UK’s energy supply.
There were a host of other conclusions in the report, but some of the headline ones were:
7
Oct
2016
The recent approval for the new nuclear plant at Hinckley Point had businesses across the region breathing a sigh of relief. Hundreds of companies locally and further afield pre-registered to become part of the supply chain solution for EDF Energy and its contractors with the aim of securing long term work in the region. With 90 major tier 1 contractors requiring further supply chain contracts of their own, the opportunities for businesses in and around the region are huge.
Many smaller local businesses took the step to improve their own staff development and training and internal processes with the aim of being ready and able to meet the demands of the project. The project which will take approximately 10 years to complete will provide more than 25000 jobs and have more than 5000 people working on site at any time. It is anticipated that it will provide 900 permanent jobs on completion.
10
Jun
2016
After nearly 2 decades of construction work, the Gotthard Tunnel, the world’s longest and deepest rail tunnel opened in Switzerland earlier this month.
The tunnel is expected to revolutionise travel between northern and southern Europe by providing a high speed rail link underneath the Swiss Alps, moving freight traffic off the road and onto the rails. It is estimated that more than a million lorry loads of freight will move from road to rail.
Whilst the tunnels have been officially opened scheduled services will not begin until December 2016 when up to 265 freight trains and 65 passenger trains a day are expected to run.
14
May
2016
Hot on the heels of the reported success of the Crossrail project comes the news that Crossrail 2 has been awarded £80m to develop the project. The project has been identified as a priority and has been endorsed by the National Infrastructure Commission.
What is Crossrail 2?
Crossrail 2 is a proposed new railway serving London and the South East. Its proposed route will serve stations throughout the South East linking South West and North East London as well as brining benefit to other towns and cities across the South East. Many places across the region will benefit from faster or more frequent journeys into London on Crossrail 2 trains and also the National Rail Services on mainline stations.
15
Aug
2015
We’ve written before about the electric car market, its development and how the battery life in some models of car have improved. However, the biggest barrier to people buying electric cars is still the battery life. It doesn’t matter how green the vehicle is or how good the tax benefits, the bottom line question that people need an answer to is ‘How far can I travel on a charge?’ And for many electric cars, that’s not very far. They are great for running around the city where you’re not doing many miles, but for longer road journeys, the fear of running out of power is still a huge barrier to buying an electric car.
There are many research projects going on around electric cars. Some trying to improve and extend the life of a battery charge, others like Highways England feasibility study looking at charging on the go. The result of which is the first UK trial at a testing site that will allow cars to charge on the go.
10
Jul
2015
Will this be the way to solve overcrowding in big cities?
For years there has been concern over the space available for new buildings, whether it’s housing or industrial. Skyscrapers have got taller and taller and the space between buildings has reduced. But still, this isn’t solving the problem of overcrowding and in some countries planning authorities are becoming uncomfortable with the higher structures.
Living like the fictional Wombles, ‘underground’ is increasingly looking as though it could become a reality at some point in the future. We travel underground regularly, even using tunnels to get to other countries, so why not take that next step?
11
Mar
2015
A report by Oil & Gas consultant Mark MacArthur of EC Harris Built Asset Consultancy detailed the difficulties of decommissioning in the North Sea. In it he talks about the risks and the cost burdens on operators. The strains of balancing the intricate engineering
He also predicted that of the 600 plus offshore platforms in the North Sea, approximately 50 of these would cease production by 2016, with a further 250 also scheduled to be decommissioned in the coming years.
However, an article in The Engineer yesterday moves things on a step announcing that almost a thousand North Sea oil wells will be decommissioned over the next decade. This is going to be one of the biggest technical challenges in recent years involving large scale engineering.
There have already been several decommissioning projects in the North Sea and industry body Oil & Gas UK is pointing out the dangers of decommissioning too early based on falling oil prices. However, the questions about what happens when the hydrocarbons run out are already being asked and it’s clear we’re closer to the end than the beginning. But how do we manage the end of this era?
26
Jan
2015
The United Kingdom’s rail industry can afford to smile with the news that the first completed pre-series Class 800 train is on its way.
The train, built by Hitachi in Japan, is the first of a fleet of 122 trains set for the Great Western Main Line and the East Coast Main Line, as part of the Department for Transport’s Intercity Express programme.
Even better news for the rail industry in the UK is that the bulk of the fleet will be manufactured in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham. The factory is currently under construction and will employ over 700 staff.
Simon Jones, managing director of PRV Engineering www.prv-engineering.co.uk said; “It’s good news all round for the rail industry and manufacturing industry in the UK.”
The current pre-series Class 800 comprises many parts and components, manufactured here in the UK.
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