Cladding crisis: landmark ruling puts liability on building contractor

by ConstructionFeatured NewsIndustry Sectors

The High Court in London has delivered a landmark judgment that establishes legal liability for remedial safety work on buildings in a ruling that could help resolve one of the biggest unanswered questions from the Grenfell Tower fire.

In a ruling last week, Mulalley & Co, an Essex-based contractor, was ordered to pay damages towards the cost of removing cladding it had fitted to four residential tower blocks in Gosport on the south coast of England which had been deemed to unsafe after the Grenfell blaze.

The ruling marks is the first time financial liability for remediation work on unsafe cladding has been established in court. It is thought that the outcome could have far-reaching ramifications for leaseholders, building owners and contractors in England.

Andy Hulme, chief executive of housing association Hyde Group which brought the claim via its subsidiary Martlet Homes against Mulalley, said the case had ‘massive implications for the market’.

He said it should help unblock disputes between leaseholders living in blocks fitted with flammable cladding and the buildings’ owners over who should pay to have it removed.

“It’s the first time a contractor has been held accountable for the quality of work and the materials they have used,” he said. ”Based on this case we now know where the lines of accountability lie.”

The court has yet to decide what the extent of the damages will be. According to Financial Times Hyde is looking to recoup as much as much as possible of the £8mn it spent fixing the blocks.

Criminal proceedings are expected to follow. Ahead of the inquiry laying out its conclusions, the High Court’s ruling could provide a legal precedent and a new path for leaseholders and property owners to recoup the costs of fixing blocks found to be unsafe in the aftermath of Grenfell.

Mary-Anne Bowring, a fire safety expert and group managing director at property consultant Ringley Group, said of the ruling is: “A landmark that gives hope to millions of residents living in unsafe buildings by opening the potential for legal action against other construction contractors who installed unsafe cladding”.

She added: “However, it is not enough to simply expect developers and housing associations to launch further legal action off the back of today’s judgment in order to recover the money spent on fixing unsafe buildings.”

Trade association calls for stricter pipework fire safety checks

by ConstructionFeatured NewsIndustry Sectors

The Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) and the Thermal Insulation Contractors Association (TICA) have issued a joint statement raising questions about the suitability of pipework that is normally used for underground and buried applications, such as primary heating networks, that is now being deployed inside buildings.

The statement calls this a “fundamental change in product application” and takes the products outside the scope of the quality standards that are normally applied to their performance.

They explain that building services pipe insulation specifications typically reflect the requirements of BS 5422 to ensure full compliance with the Building Regulations. However, pre-insulated pipework systems typically use either PUR or PE insulants, which do not meet the fire performance criteria typically specified for buildings.  

The joint statement said: “In addition, the one-size-fits-all approach to insulation thickness typically undertaken by manufacturers of pre-insulated pipework simply does not allow for the required flexibility to meet individual specification requirements.”

Both associations have highlighted concerns over the use of coiled flexible polyethylene insulated piping systems. “We have increasing evidence that these systems are being installed in high-risk buildings, such as large multi-residential buildings,” they said. 

The statement reminded manufacturers, distributors, and installers of pre-insulated polyethylene pipework systems that they had a responsibility to provide evidence of the suitability of these products for the specific application in question. 

It also urged specifiers to check the thermal performance of the polyethylene system and to ask the supplier how it would meet the heat loss/gain requirements of BS 5422 and Part L of the Building Regulations. It is also vital that each product has the appropriate Euroclass fire rating.

BESA’s Head of Technical Graeme Fox commented: “This is a critical fire safety issue and both bodies were determined to present a united front to help protect best practice in building services installations.

“One of the important lessons learned from the Grenfell tragedy was that products may have been tested and certified, but not necessarily for the particular application in question. We would, therefore, expect all responsible supply chain firms to be able to provide details of how the Euroclass fire rating of the PUR/PE system was achieved and the arrangement of the insulants in the test to determine their exposure to heat and flame.

“We would also expect them to be able to provide clear evidence of compliance with BS 5422 heat loss/gain tables.” 

TICA’s technical policy manager Chris Ridge added that all responsible companies should be able to provide current Euroclass fire test certification for “the complete range of polyethylene pre-insulated pipework products”.  

“Looking ahead, we seek to challenge the wider industry to ensure that all pre-insulated systems meet the required standards,” he added. “This should not stop at pre-insulated pipework but should also include pre-insulated ductwork products.” 

Considerations for creating aesthetic fire-safe office spaces

by Building ManagementFeatured NewsIndustry Sectors

Peter Long, Fire and Certification Director at Optima Products, discusses considerations for creating aesthetic, fire-safe office spaces

I frequently hear concerns about specifiers in the world of office development and fit-out doing the bare minimum when it comes to safety standards due to increased competition in this sector. This will undoubtedly cause issues later down the line when product fire ratings and safety records will be needed by architects, building inspectors, owners and building safety managers. We will inevitably see new requirements around competency, collaboration and digitally presenting joined-up information as the strict new ‘golden thread’ digital documentation is expected to become mandatory in the near future.

In the meantime, it is certain that office interiors specification coupled with ongoing checks and a robust understanding of fire safety ratings for things like interior doors, panels and partitions are likely to become increasingly scrutinised in the coming years and cutting corners could be a costly mistake.

Grenfell’s legacy

Grenfell was a wake-up call for the construction industry, especially those whose product could be influenced by fire or has involvement in protecting people and property from the effects of fire. Before this tragic event, everyone was confident that their products were safe and that their practices were faultless. This tragic event forced the industry to look inwardly at our methods of production, the effectiveness and relevance of testing and certification, and the marketing of the product performance characteristics, resulting in a complete cultural overhaul. Before Grenfell, there was not enough questioning. Post-Grenfell we are questioning everything – Are we doing it right? What is the risk? How do we mitigate that risk?

Grenfell may have been a turning point for all of us in the industry, but the Building Safety Bill still mainly focuses on the residential built environment. In spite of everything, commercial buildings are not receiving the same level of scrutiny, and there is ambiguity around what good fire safety systems management should look like, and indeed how to be prepared for incoming building and fire safety regulations. I strongly recommend, going beyond current standard building regulations when selecting materials for office spaces, to future proof and keep occupants safe.

Keeping up with higher standards

Five years on from the Grenfell fire, the interpretation of evidence, be it direct fire test evidence or third-party assessment, has sharpened up considerably – and rightly so. Designers and contractors are paying closer attention to the evidence being used in support of proposed products and applications and product manufacturers are reappraising their use of evidence in line with post-Grenfell thinking.

The suitability of test evidence for a particular application is now scrutinised to a far greater extent and the methods of testing are also being questioned – does this test adequately demonstrate the effect in a real-world scenario? The increased need to have test evidence of fire resistance rather than simply accepting an assessment has been exponential to the extent that testing facilities have become overloaded, leading to greatly increased waiting times. Assessments are now heavily aligned to appropriate fire test evidence, meaning evidence needs to be gathered and a greater degree of analysis is required to get an assessment. The whole process has become necessarily more complex.

Innovative office solutions

We have seen great improvements across the industry regarding the development of fire safety rated products and materials. With suppliers working alongside designers and fire regulatory bodies there has been an increase in the number of project-specific developments. As a result, projects are now being offered bespoke fire solutions as opposed to simply installing the best fit.

Continued R&D has led us at Optima to look ahead and anticipate the changing needs and trends for built environments. The outcome is more testing and more product development for applications not already covered by existing systems. This commitment to providing projects with the best performing fire solutions generates a constant drive for new, improved products.

Expertise and CPD are essential

Another big challenge that we have to manage is to integrate fire safety compliance into a space without compromising its visual feel. Designers are increasingly looking to open up the space to bring in natural light and foster a sense of well-being for the occupants, meaning walls that would previously have been solid are being specified as glazed. This often means expanses of glazing that are outside of the capacity of fire test facilities need to be managed sensitively with bespoke approaches taken far more frequently. This requires close liaison with certifying authorities to determine what can be assessed from the available test evidence.

I am often reminding office designers that specifying fire-rated products does not inherently make the space fire-safe. A systematic approach must also be put in place so that the installation and risk assessment of fire-rated products are regularly overseen once the building is in use. Fire-rated products can be compromised with even the slightest alteration, such as changing an interior door’s access control system or switching stainless-steel handles. So detailed training and CPD for specifiers, and the accountable person managing office buildings, must be factored in.

The sheer complexity of the day-to-day office functionality is a difficult issue that confronts us. Aesthetics are often a requirement that is added to the fire resistance of fire doors, but often the suitably certified hardware simply does not exist. I am a firm believer that fire safety and design can harmoniously co-exist in an office space, but it comes down to managing expectations.

This article was originally published in the June edition of IFSJ. To read your FREE digital copy, click here.

C-TEC sheds light on the new evacuation systems in high rise buildings

by Breaking NewsBuilding ManagementIndustry Sectors

In June 2017, a fire broke out in a fourth floor flat in the 24 storey Grenfell Tower block of flats that spread quickly and claimed the lives of 72 people, injuring 70 others. Following this, the Scottish government formed an expert review panel to consider whether the Scottish Building Regulations or the Technical Handbooks supporting the building regulations required change.

The expert review panel recommended that for all new blocks of flats of more than 18 metres above ground, facilities should be provided for the use of the fire and rescue service to initiate an evacuate alert signal within flats. It was considered necessary that a standard be produced to allow the technical handbooks to refer to a specific document and this led to the publication of BS 8629 in 2019.

Andy Scott, Projects Director at C-TEC, a leading UK manufacturer of life-safety systems, discusses the recent changes to legislation and what it means for fire safety professionals.

In November 2019, BS 8629, a new British Standard, was published for evacuation alert systems in the UK. Can you explain how it came about?

After the Grenfell Tower fire, the Scottish government quickly brought in a law requiring manual evacuation systems to be installed in new residential buildings taller than 18 metres. This meant a standard was needed to ensure these systems would be effective, so BS 8629 was written quickly so it would be available when the law came into effect.

Following this, the Grenfell Tower Inquiry phase 1 report was published, and it recommended that evacuation systems should be installed in all new and existing high-rise residential buildings, which has led to much more interest than was originally expected.

What is an evacuation alert system?

An evacuation alert system is a manually controlled alarm that allows the fire service to set off evacuation alert sounders in groups of flats, usually a floor at a time.

Currently, the only way the fire service can evacuate a building that does not have a communal fire alarm is to knock on the door of each flat, which puts firefighters at risk and, in a serious fire, may not even be possible, leaving residents unsure of whether it is safer to stay put or leave.

The fire and rescue service will only use the evacuation alert system if they do not have enough resources to fight a fire effectively or if a fire is getting out of control, so it is a last resort that may be used hours after a fire first starts. This is in contrast to a normal fire alarm system, which incorporates automatic fire detectors and operates shortly after a fire starts.

Are fire alarms currently installed in purpose-built blocks of flats?

Many people think that fire alarms are installed because they can see smoke detectors in corridors. However, these are not normally linked to a fire alarm; rather they control ventilation systems that are used to clear smoke from corridors.

When modern high-rise blocks were first built, the BSI’s CP3 guidance said that, provided fire-resistant construction was used, people would be safe in their flats, but they should be able to leave safely if they wished. Later, automatic fire detection and fire alarms were installed in common areas of some blocks of flats, but problems occurred such as false alarms and vandalism.

After this, domestic smoke alarms were introduced, which warn occupants and give them the opportunity to leave their flat and call the fire service, which will normally extinguish the fire before it breaches compartmentation, although these alarms do not help people who are unable to call for help or self-evacuate.

Domestic fire alarms definitely save lives, but they do not warn anyone outside a flat that is on fire, or which flat it is, which they could if they were connected to a communal fire alarm. However, there are still concerns that false alarms from automatic fire alarms will cause unnecessary evacuations, which may be more dangerous than staying put, hence the introduction of the evacuation alert system.

What are the main benefits of having an evacuation alert system installed for landlords and their tenants?

It gives peace of mind that there is a Plan B if everything else goes wrong, not just for occupants, but also for the fire service. We have all heard about the problems with cladding, but other problems are being identified, mainly to do with poor fire compartmentation, and it may not be possible to fix all of them so there will be a continuing risk, which an evacuation alert system can help mitigate.

How will this system tie in with other active fire precautions? For example, can it be integrated with domestic fire alarms or with communal fire alarms?

The fire service is concerned that the fire alarm industry will not understand how an evacuation alert system differs from a normal fire alarm and may install systems that don’t work properly when needed, so BS 8629 says the evacuation alert system should be standalone.

From C-TEC’s perspective, the type of integration that would improve safety is important. For instance, certain types of domestic fire alarms could be connected to the evacuation alert system and their status could be monitored offsite and analysed, so that any potential risks can be identified.

Also, heat detectors in flats, which only trigger in a real fire, could be connected to the system, which could then signal to an alarm receiving centre, resulting in the fire service being called out sooner.

Andy Scott is Projects Director at C-TEC and sits on several BSI, CEN and ETSI committees and is currently working on projects to improve safety in high-rise residential buildings.

This article was originally published in the June edition of IFSJ. To read your FREE digital copy, click here

UK building safety reforms come into force

by Breaking NewsConstructionIndustry Sectors

Many leaseholders will for the first time be legally protected from unfair bills to make their homes safe as measures in the Building Safety Act 2022 have now come into force.

Those responsible for historical safety defects, and those who own buildings, will instead be required to fund essential repairs.

So far, 45 of the UK’s biggest homebuilders have agreed to fix life-critical fire-safety defects on all buildings 11 metres+ that they have played a role in developing or refurbishing in the last 30 years.

Stronger measures in the act include new powers for the Secretary of State to restrict irresponsible developers’ ability to build new homes, an extension of the Building Safety levy worth an estimated £3 billion and improving building owners’ rights to launch legal action against developers.

Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove said: “Today marks a major turning point for building safety in this country, as we introduce a tough new regime to make homes safe and help rid the sector of bad practice once and for all.

“Hundreds of thousands of innocent leaseholders now have the legal protection they rightly deserve, freeing them from a financial burden they should never have faced.

“I’m pleased that most of the largest developers have agreed to play their part in solving this.

“But there is more to do – we are focusing intensively on work with lenders to unlock the mortgage market and empower leaseholders to take their next step on the property ladder, and we will remain vigilant if anyone fails to act on the pledges they have made.”

Where freeholders or owners of buildings over 18m with cladding related issues do not have clear plans to address these issues, they must have full assessments ready to submit to the Building Safety Fund, which will reopen for new applications shortly, helping to ensure applications can be handled in good time, reducing the disruption and stress to leaseholders.

They must inform and consult leaseholders throughout. If they do not do these things, responsible authorities now have the legal powers to compel them to remediate their buildings, and to ensure that they meet the costs.

Alongside this, the government has signed contracts for a new Professional Insurance Indemnity Scheme. This will help assessors conduct EWS1 assessments to identify whether buildings have fire safety risks, ensuring professionals can make sensible decisions and restoring common sense and proportionality to the market.

Leaseholder protections

For the first time, qualifying leaseholders living in buildings above 11 metres tall or with at least 5 storeys will be legally protected from building safety costs:

  • Qualifying leaseholders (those living in their own homes, or with up to 3 UK properties in total) will be protected, in full, from the costs associated with the remediation of unsafe cladding. They will also have robust and far-reaching protections from the costs associated with non-cladding defects, including interim measures like waking watches.
  • It will be illegal for freeholders to pass on the cost of historical building repair works or the removal of cladding to any of their leaseholders, including non-qualifying leaseholders, if they are or are linked to the building’s developer.
  • It will be illegal for freeholders to pass on any historical building safety costs to qualifying leaseholders if they pass the wealth test set out in law.
  • Where a developer cannot be held responsible and the building owner is not required to meet the costs in full, leaseholders with non-cladding related issues will also be protected by a cap on how much they can pay for these costs. The cap will only apply to non-cladding related work for those whose property is valued at more than £325,000 (London) and £175,000 outside London (owners of properties below this ceiling will pay nothing). Where leaseholders have bought through shared ownership, their cap will reflect their share of ownership in the property.
  • Any costs that are not recoverable from leaseholders will need to be met by building owners and landlords.
  • Buyers of new build homes will be able to hold their developer responsible for safety and quality issues under a new scheme from the New Homes Ombudsman.

Making industry pay

New powers for the Secretary of State have been granted to restrict irresponsible developers’ ability to build new homes, including if they refuse to take responsibility for fixing life-critical fire safety defects on all buildings 11 metres+ that they have played a role in developing or refurbishing in the last 30 years.

The Building Safety Levy has been extended to be charged on all new residential buildings. Expected to raise an estimated £3 billion over 10 years, this will fund a new government scheme to pay for the removal of unsafe cladding on buildings of 11-18m where the developer cannot be traced or has failed to agree to cover the costs upfront.

Building owners now have enhanced civil liabilities, enabling them to launch legal action against developers, contractors and manufacturers for shoddy construction works and defective products which have caused homes to be unhabitable in the past 30 years.

Extra powers for the courts in England and Wales have been granted to go after associated companies, meaning businesses who have hidden behind shadowy shell companies within their corporate structures can now be pursued to pay.

These new laws will allow the government to consider appropriate action to pursue these companies as part of a new Recovery Unit that is based in the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.

Improving building standards

New regulations for the industry will enforce a higher quality of building standards – ensuring homes are made safer and that a proportionate approach is taken to safety:

  • A new Building Safety Regulator – overseen by the Health & Safety Executive – will enforce a new, more stringent regulatory regime on the safety and performance of high-rise buildings in scope, in England. It will also consult and respond to safety concerns raised by residents through a new Residents’ Panel.
  • A National Regulator for Construction Products will implement stronger standards on construction manufacturers in the UK. Part of the Office for Product Safety and Standards, this new regulator will conduct vital market surveillance to spot and remove unsafe materials faster, as well as confront poor practice by taking action against those that break the rules.

Welsh government launches cladding crisis support scheme

by Breaking NewsConstructionIndustry SectorsProjects

A new support scheme for those facing significant financial hardship as a result of the cladding crisis has been launched by the Welsh Government to provide tailored, independent advice to leaseholders in affected homes.

It is currently targeted at leaseholders who are owner occupiers and those who have become displaced residents, but the Minister confirmed applications would be monitored and eligibility kept under review to ensure ‘those who need support most have access to the scheme’.

Climate Change Minister Julie James, who confirmed the Leaseholder Support Scheme would open at 10am on Monday, June 27, said: “Today, we are launching the Leaseholder Support Scheme which will help those who need support the most.

“I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the external partners and sector experts who have assisted us in developing this scheme at pace.

“Their support and hard work have been critical to establishing the right qualifying criteria and support processes.”

All leaseholders eligible for this scheme will now receive advice from an Independent Financial Adviser, with the costs fully covered by the Welsh Government.

The advice will support them in making the right choice for them and, if the sale of their property is the right route, the Welsh Government will enable them to sell their property at a fair market value.

Full guidance on the scheme, including the eligibility criteria, will be published on the Welsh Government website at 10am today.

The Minister continued: “Addressing fire safety defects in medium and high-rise buildings must go beyond cladding to make these buildings as safe as they can be.

“This has been our premise from the outset and, although it makes identifying, addressing and resolving issues significantly more complex, it is the right approach.

“There are no quick or easy fixes, but we cannot compromise on achieving the right, sustainable solutions. 

“Anything less leaves the door open to the risk of further issues arising and it is important to me that, once these issues are resolved, they remain resolved.

“We must do this properly, to get it right now and for the future.”

Fire protection system market to grow 6.7%

by Breaking NewsConstructionIndustry SectorsProducts

The global fire protection system market size, which was valued at USD 72.72 billion in 2021, is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.7% from 2022 to 2030.

In recent years, the market was negatively impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic and knock on supply chain disruption across countries and regions. However, the post-pandemic market is expected to grow as the rising urban population which will likely boost demand for fire protection systems.

Fire protection systems include equipment such as fire detectors, fire response systems, fire analysis software, fire suppression systems, and fire sprinkler systems. These systems are installed in various infrastructures, including industrial buildings, residential buildings, and commercial buildings, to safeguard people and reduce the loss of destruction from fire hazards.

The adoption of fire protection systems in several developing countries was initially slow compared to developed nations due to the lack of awareness among consumers regarding the product as well as reduced regulatory pressure. However, the launch of fire safety programs and the use of targeted marketing explaining the benefits of a fire protection system have drawn the attention of large as well as small and medium enterprises, leading to steady market growth in recent years.

Construction of new properties, including residential and non-residential, is expected to offer new opportunities for installing fire alarm and detection systems. An increase in the number of property damage due to fire accidents is also driving the market.

The market for fire protection systems is also being driven by the regulations, standards, and codes imposed by different regulatory bodies as the growing standard has resulted in organisations installing up-to-date fire protection systems. These factors are expected to boost the growth of the market over the forecast period.

Detection

The fire detection segment accounted for more than 50.0% share of the global revenue in 2021. A fire detection system comprises various devices working collectively, which help detect and warn people through video and audio equipment during an incident involving smoke, carbon monoxide, fire, or other emergencies.

The fire analysis segment is expected to register the highest CAGR of 13.6% from 2022 to 2030. The segment growth can be attributed to the increasing need for fire analysis, which helps make proper decisions during fire prevention.

Installation and maintenance

The installation and design service segment accounted for more than 40.0% share of the global revenue in 2021. This refers to the practice of outsourcing the solution for design, development, upgrades documentation and installing processes of the fire protection system. Fire protection systems are being installed across buildings of all sizes as inhabitants increasingly understand the benefits they offer in small, mid-size, and large buildings.

The maintenance services segment is expected to register the highest CAGR of 6.8% from 2022 to 2030. Fire protection systems play a vital role in detecting and alerting people in the event of smoke or fire; however, any fault in the system may lead to accidents and asset losses.

Application Insights

The commercial application segment dominated the market and accounted for more than 45.0% share of the global revenue in 2021, which includes applications for retail, BFSI, government, healthcare, and telecom and IT educational institutions. The demand for fire protection systems in commercial applications is increasing due to the formulation of stricter government rules for fire prevention and control being put in place across the globe.

The industrial application segment is expected to register the highest CAGR of 7.8% from 2022 to 2030. The industrial application covers major sectors such as oil and gas, mining, energy and power, and manufacturing. The need to safeguard automated systems from fire accidents is expected to fuel the growth of the segment.

Regional Insights

North America dominated the market for fire protection systems and accounted for over 35.0% share of the global revenue in 2021, which can be attributed to the rising demand for intelligent houses and smart buildings.

Asia Pacific is expected to register the highest CAGR over the forecast period, with countries including as India, China, and Japan expected to drive the regional market. Growing urbanisation and rising awareness among the consumers are also expected to contribute to the growth of the market in this region over the forecast period.

Europe to suffer as Freeport LNG extends outage predications after fire

by Featured NewsIndustry SectorsUtilities

Freeport LNG, operator of one of the largest US export plants producing liquefied natural gas (LNG), which initially said it would be shut for at least three weeks following an explosion at its Texas Gulf Coast facility, raising the risk of shortages especially in Europe, now expects to see a delays of up to six months until full operation resumes.

The explosion occurred from a breach in pressurized pipes that transfer LNG from storage tanks to nearby dock facilities, the company said. The incident is being investigated by the company, US energy and pipeline regulators, and the US Coast Guard. A company spokesperson declined to comment on whether investigators are looking at potential design or structural flaws.

The extended delay of about six months in the return to full operation is an indication that investigators want to understand the cause of the explosion to avoid another fire, according to outside experts said.

Natural gas prices slumped in the United States and soared in Europe on news of an extended shutdown. The facility accounts for about 20% of US LNG exports and has been a major supplier to European buyers seeking alternatives to Russian gas since its invasion of Ukraine. US natural gas markets have fallen as traders anticipated the outage would lower domestic demand.

“This is a significant production outage at a major US facility,” said Alex Munton, director of global gas and LNG at research firm Rapidan Energy. Freeport LNG ships about four cargoes per week and a three-week shutdown will take at least 1 million tonnes of LNG off the market, he said. “It’s going to mean one thing: shortages. The competition for spot LNG is going to drive global LNG prices higher.”

The Freeport facility can process 2.1 billion cubic feet per day of natural gas into a supercooled liquid for shipping, and had been running near capacity in recent months, according to consultancy Rystad Energy.

“It’s very serious,” said Alex Munton, director of natural gas and LNG at consultants Rapidan Energy. “We now have a much larger and much more extensive outage at Freeport LNG that will remove more supply from the market than was anticipated.”

“We expect Europe will be the region most impacted by this incident,” analysts at Rystad Energy said this week. The loss of production through September will remove another 2.8 million tonnes from the market, said Alex Froley, LNG analyst at ICIS.

Rosenbauer Brandschutz Deutschland wins huge incineration plant contract

by Featured NewsIndustry SectorsWaste & Recycling

Rosenbauer has been commissioned to plan and build stationary fire protection systems for the Wiesbaden waste incineration plant, which is currently under construction, marking its largest order in history

The order covers all extinguishing equipment in the reception area with a large waste bunker in which up to 7,500 m3 of waste can be temporarily stored. Eleven deluge and four turret extinguishing systems will be installed, among others. Rosenbauer said that the latter was also decisive in winning the contract because Rosenbauer is the technological leader in this field.

The new waste incineration plant, which will go into operation in 2024, is being built to efficiently incinerate waste collected in the Wiesbaden region – while maintaining the best possible environmental and energy balance.

Around 200,000 tons of municipal and commercial waste per year can be utilized thermally with the plant, and around 100,000 MWh of district heating and around 150,000 MWh of electricity can be generated from this via a combined heat and power system to supply Wiesbaden’s households and to operate the power plant.

As a sustainable alternative to burning fossil fuels, it is hoped that the waste incineration plant will make an important contribution to CO2 savings and also supply the city’s commercial vehicles and buses with green hydrogen in the future if, as is currently being reviewed, the plant is expanded to include electrolysis.

 There are currently over 60 waste incineration plants in Germany with a total annual capacity of around 20 million tons. Waste is used as a cheap energy source in refuse-derived fuel power plants and in cement works, coal-fired and industrial power plants after prior processing, but few of them are equipped with the best possible fire protection technology like the future waste incineration plant in Wiesbaden.

A number of new, replacement, and expansion plants are planned, for example to absorb the residual waste volumes that are currently still being incinerated in coal-fired power plants, which will no longer be possible after the planned coal phase-out in 2038.

Rosenbauer added that it sees good sales opportunities for its stationary fire protection solutions in the future as well, above all the highly efficient turret extinguishing systems.

Investigation into Overland Airways plane fire launched

by AviationFeatured NewsIndustry Sectors

The Accident Investigation Bureau – Nigeria (AIB-N) has launched an investigation into the Overland Airways flight that caught fire on its descent on Wednesday evening.

The Lagos-bound aircraft experienced an engine issue on approach to Lagos airport and was forced to make an emergency landing on the international runway.

The aircraft’s 33 passengers and four crew all disembarked unscathed by the incident.

Spokesperson for AIB-N, Tunji Oketumbi, yesterday, said the bureau AIB was notified of the serious incident, adding that investigators had been dispatched to conduct an investigation into the occurrence.

According to the Overland Airways management, at around 7.50pm on the day of the incident the plan experienced high-turbine temperatures on one of its engines.

The airline’s statement said: “This occurred in the approach phase of flight and the aircraft landed very safely as the Crew skilfully implemented their standard procedures for such abnormal situations.

“All 33 passengers remained calm through the process and safely disembarked row by row in accordance with post COVID-19 procedures after the Aircraft came to a halt on the Murtala Muhammed International Airport Lagos runway 18 Right. No passenger was hurt in any way.

“Overland Airways salutes the professional interventions of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and the Accident Investigation Bureau Nigeria (AIB-N) which were very prompt and reassuring.

“Overland Airways regrets any inconvenience to its passengers and assures the travelling public of its full commitment to safety of its services and passengers.”