Gloucester EFW

Gloucestershire EFW makes use of residual waste which would otherwise go to landfill. Where previously this material would have released greenhouse emissions and gases into the atmosphere, it can now be used for energy production.

The facility will repurpose the waste to create enough energy to power 25,000 homes in the region, reduce carbon emissions by 40,000 tonnes and save the county over £125 million in landfill tax.

This project raised many challenges, as it was essentially built ‘from the inside out’. In the usual course of events, FK is one of the first contractors on site after steel erection. In this case there were already a number of contractors on site – resulting in limited access, firewall areas and logistical constraints. As a result we tailored a range of bespoke solutions to overcome and work within these limitations.

We employed innovative new methods to get materials to work areas, and new equipment. A Magni 6.46 Telescopic Telehandler – one of only two in the UK – was used to assemble the wall panels. The usual method would be to use a crane, but this would have blocked access and disrupted the work of other contractors, the telescopic handler proved an ideal solution.

The Magni 6.46 allowed us to install six meter Kingspan panels to a height of 46 meters, and also enabled access to the highest part of the build at 51 meters. Such a reach would normally involve the rigging time and disruption associated with using a 75 ft crane. The Magni unit’s small footprint and mobility added speed, flexibility and cost-saving to our installation, and dramatically reduced the impact on other sub contractors’ activities.