8 December 2011

Costain and Laing O’Rourke, a joint venture working on the redevelopment of Farringdon Station in central London, has won a prestigious Gold Green Apple Environment Award for its sustainable approach to building and construction.

The Green Apple Awards recognise environmental best practice and the business reasons behind employing environmental initiatives in order to safeguard the environment.

The project won by demonstrating how sustainable development can have both an environmental and economic benefit. For example, the team diverted 100% of the demolition waste from landfill which saved £365,000 in landfill tax, while reusing the rubble from the demolition removed the need for approximately 850 lorry movements which saved 30 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions and approximately £70,000 on the cost of additional materials. For the new ticket hall, instead of using what would have amounted to 500 tons of steel, the team used an eco-reinforced alternative that was 95% recycled and responsibly sourced.

The project – a £189million contract which includes lengthening the platforms, refurbishing the existing listed station building and building a new entrance and integrated ticket hall, is now preparing for 12-car Thameslink trains to arrive on 12 December 2011. From 2018, Farringdon will become London’s newest transport hub and the only interchange between the north/south Thameslink and the east/west Crossrail route.

The initiatives at Farringdon illustrate the successful implementation of Costain’s long-term operational strategy, Costain Cares, which aims to promote a more sustainable business by addressing the growing needs of its stakeholders. Costain is trying to reduce the environmental impact of its work by minimising the amount of material it uses and waste it produces.

Daniel Powrie, Construction Director at Farringdon, said: “Being green is no longer an expensive add-on. This award demonstrates the commercial benefits which can easily be built into construction projects. We are proud of our Environmental credentials at Farringdon and hope the lessons learnt here will be utilised throughout Costain.”

 

Ends