8 April 2015

Costain celebrated the people and projects successfully reducing the business’s carbon footprint at its very first Low Carbon Innovation Awards.

The day at Costain's head office in Maidenhead began with test drives on two great examples of low-carbon innovation - three Tesla electric cars.

Then senior sustainability professionals from customers Centrica, National Grid, UKPN, Crossrail, Eight2O and Thames Water, along with a director from the Carbon Trust judged the ten entries shortlisted for two awards: Resource Efficiency, and Infrastructure Carbon Review case study.

Winner of the Resource Efficiency award was the London Bridge Station Redevelopment project for office energy management. By reducing waste and improving the power management of its printers and desktop terminals, the project saved almost 570 tonnes of carbon and £160,000.

The installation of LED site lighting at C412, the Crossrail Bond Street Station Main Works, took second place, with London Power Tunnels’ connection to the grid in third.

Winner of the Infrastructure Carbon Review case study was the Heysham M6 link road project for its collaboration with suppliers to reduce embodied carbon. The project team was able to identify considerable savings in the quantity of materials required, achieving carbon savings of more than 5,000 tonnes and cost savings of £2.9 million.

In second place was the M1 Smart Motorways’ design change to reduce embodied carbon, and in third place was the A556 project’s redesign of precast bridge beams to reduce embodied carbon.

The judges were impressed by all the entries.

Said Dominic Burbridge, Associate Director, The Carbon Trust: “We saw ten really good examples of resource efficiency - managing operational energy, waste and water - but also what Costain is doing in regards to engaging with its supply chain and clients to come up with more innovative solutions and to design out consumption of natural resources in the first place.”

Will Teale, Group Environmental Reporting Manager, Centrica, agreed. “Emissions associated with suppliers and emissions associated with embedded carbon are becoming really interesting areas, and they’re areas I think Costain is leading on.”

For Damien Canning, Costain Carbon Manager Group, the awards were “a great way to celebrate Costain’s achievements to date, and recognise the many successes we’ve had on our contracts.

“What’s important is that people go away from these awards and share good practice among the contracts, challenge traditional thinking and work with our partners to deliver a better carbon solution and a better, resource efficient future.”

Plans are already being drawn up for next year’s Low Carbon Innovation Awards, with the aim to broaden the number of categories.

 

Ends

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