Green HS2 sites arrive ahead of schedule
7 December 2022
HS2 reports that ten construction sites on the project have become 100 per cent diesel-free ahead of schedule.
Seven sites in the Chilterns and Colne Valley, and three in London have eliminated the fuel from their operation by using alternative energy sources for generators, welfare facilities, crawler cranes and piling rigs.
Earlier this year, the Canterbury Road Vent Shaft in South Kilburn, managed by Skanska Costain STRABAG joint venture (SCS JV), became HS2’s first diesel-free site. Also managed by SCS, the Euston Approaches and Victoria Road Crossover Box sites have achieved diesel-free status.
Align, a joint venture formed of Bouygues Travaux Publics, Sir Robert McAlpine and VolkerFitzpatrick, have announced that seven of their 14 sites are now diesel-free. These include five vent shaft sites along the route of the ten-mile Chiltern tunnels in Buckinghamshire, and two sites involved in the construction of the Colne Valley Viaduct.
To further explain its plans to make all its sites diesel-free by 2029, HS2 has published its ‘Diesel-free Plan: Building a net zero future’ report. Each project has been ranked from diamond to bronze, so progress can be mapped over the next few years.
Measures adopted include improving efficiencies, switching to cleaner fuels, adopting renewable power such as solar and using fully-electric machinery.
The South Kilburn site is connected to mains electricity on a 100 per cent renewable energy tariff which powers one of the UK’s first 160-tonne emissions-free fully electric crawler cranes, as well as other electric plant such as electric compressors. Other machinery uses sustainably sourced HVO biofuel.
One of the tower cranes at the Euston Area project has been fitted with the PUNCH Flybrid ‘flywheel’ energy recovery system, which stores kinetic energy to use when needed to downscale peak energy demand and therefore cut energy consumption.
SCS’s Victoria Road Crossover Box site has completed trials using two GeoPura 250kVA hydrogen power units.
Adetunji Lawal, Align JV’s carbon and energy manager said: “Our strategy is to move to diesel-free operations across all of our construction sites, so we’re thrilled to say that half are now diesel-free. In addition, on our extensive Chiltern Tunnel South Portal site, all of the earthworks activities that represent 70 per cent of our fuel consumption are now 100 per cent diesel free.
“We estimate that Align will be able to deliver carbon savings that equate to 80,000 tonnes by the end of the project, supporting HS2’s zero carbon ambitions.”
