Costain news

Progress at London's Major Waste Contract

4 February 2010

With the Riverside Resource Recovery Limited (RRRL) Energy from Waste Facility at Belvedere now looming large along the south banks of the River Thames, the Cory Environmental Limited tug /barge crews are eyeing with anticipation the day when they can berth at the facility.

Works progress at pace with delivery of the first waste and subsequent hot commissioning due to commence later in the year and a final take over certificate obtained before the middle of May 2011. Construction of the 270m long jetty and 200m long access bridge is virtually complete and first of the two large waste container handling cranes manufactured in Scotland has been delivered by barge from Tilbury docks and is being erected on the jetty.

During 2008 nearly 2,500 CFA piles (25,000m3 concrete) were installed for the foundations and in 2009 over 25,000m3 of structural concrete placed in pile caps, floor slabs walls and columns of which 4000m3 was poured in the non-stop slipform operation to construct the waste bunker. The bunker will store the delivered waste until placed into the feed hoppers and subsequently into the three Boiler grates.

Three boilers will then produce steam to drive the single turbine which will generate over 66MW of electricity. This electricity will be distributed to the national grid through a new substation currently being built on the site.

Out of a total of 5,700 tonnes, over 2,200 tonnes of steel is being erected for the building envelope and structural supports and the external steel cladding and roof panels, 50m height at its highest point, are now being installed.

The Costain design and build contract also includes the building services for the plant and the installation of these and the fit out of the accommodation area, control room and electrical rooms is well underway. The drainage, roads, hard standings, flood defence works and landscaping will all be completed in 2010.

One of the many challenges on the project for the Costain team is the successful coordination of all their activities with those of VonRoll Environmental Ltd, the EPC contractor for the project. The logistics of managing the many deliveries with over 700 people now working on site has also been a difficult, but a successful challenge.

Some 1.7million Costain manhours have been worked to date with much on site training of the Costain workforce and those of our supply chain. Frontline Supervisor, Behavioural Safety, Working at Height to name a few also with Drugs and Alcohol testing and a programme of health screening which has just been completed.