In an exclusive conversation with Middle East Construction News (MECN), the Sustainability Committee at contractor ALEC said there are “several great opportunities” for the built environment to tackle GHG emissions. The committee pointed to improving the energy performance of built stock, reducing whole-life cost, prioritising retrofit support, and reducing embodied carbon as key opportunities.

MECN caught up with the committee on the back of an announcement by the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), which said there is a 50:50 chance of the annual average global temperature temporarily reaching 1.5C above pre-industrial levels for at least one of the next five years.

Reacting to this, the committee stated, “It is well known that the construction industry contributes significantly to global carbon emissions, and thus we have a huge responsibility to ensure that sustainability and the reduction of our overall carbon footprint are among our industry’s highest priorities.”

It added, “Achieving sustainability in the sector requires commitment and collaboration across the entire ecosystem, with all stakeholders – from designers and contractors, to building owners and operators – playing their part.” These sentiments were shared by KEO’s Ioannis Spanos in an exclusive discussion with MECN recently.

Recognising the need for a more sustainable approach to development, in 2021 the contractor established a Sustainability Policy that is linked with its Sustainability Framework – the latter is said to be laying the foundations for the company’s route towards Net Zero.

Discussing how it is reducing energy consumption on jobsites, the Sustainability Committee explained, “We’ve begun utilising renewable energy generation sources where applicable, such as employing mobile Solar PV panels to power on-site offices. What’s more, we have begun a transition to energy-efficient, electric/battery powered construction equipment, including battery powered equipment, when exhausted equipment has reached the end of its life. This will directly reduce our on-site diesel consumption and utilise the onsite Solar PV panels.”

The committee added, “In addition to our own efforts, we also see the clients we work with demonstrating a firm commitment to more sustainable operation of their built assets.”

ALEC is firmly committed to helping its clients achieve even their most ambitious sustainability goals, the committee remarked. It also highlighted its work on the Saudi Arabia Pavilion at EXPO 2020 Dubai, which the firm notes was the first pavilion at the mega event to receive LEED Platinum accreditation.

It concluded, “At the new Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) headquarters, ALEC Energy, a subsidiary of the ALEC Group, is working on a solar photovoltaic solution which will generate 4.8MW of power, helping to ensure the new headquarters will reach its Net Zero targets. This impressive building has been designed with sustainability as a focus from the onset as it will look to seek the LEED Platinum rating.”

Read more about the region’s journey to Net Zero development with insights from four regional experts here. Sustainable development will also be discussed at the forthcoming Future of Architecture Summit on 7 June, and at the Energy & Sustainability Summit on 21 June. Both events will take place in Dubai and are free to attend.

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Source: ME Construction News

ACCIONA has operated a tower crane with a portable zero-emission electricity generator based on hydrogen, the first of its kind in the construction sector, said the company. Until recently, a common solution in projects where it was not possible to connect to the grid was to use generators powered by fossil fuels, mainly diesel.

In this case however, the company used the prototype generator, which has a power range of 100kW and can feed auxiliary equipment and site machinery, on a construction site for the new Norte III Penitentiary Complex in San Sebastián, northern Spain. The project was awarded last year to a joint venture involving ACCIONA, and the crane will continue to operate for the next three months with the help of the hydrogen-based electricity generator.

“The development and validation of this first prototype of a 100kW portable electricity generator based on hydrogen is part of the demonstration phase of the ‘Everywh2ere’ innovation project, in which the company is participating together with another 12 European partners,” said ACCIONA.

The project, financed by the European Commission through the FCH JU (Fuel Cell Hydrogen Joint Undertaken) initiative, consists of the development of portable generators that use hydrogen instead of oil-based products to generate energy. In the process, this helps reduce noise and fumes created by current electricity generators.

ACCIONA is taking an active role in diversity and combating climate change. In February 2022, the firm said it was promoting leadership of women in climate science and in March 2022, it along with local partners in Saudi Arabia closed green loans worth $480mn for three Independent Sewage Treatment Plants (ISTP). The firm also announced in April 2022 that it achieved financial close for a 90,000cu/m per day ISTP in the Kingdom.

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Source: ME Construction News

Genie has announced the global rollout of its Spill Guard hydraulic oil containment System, a factory-fit option for E-Drive scissor lifts that can help reduce costly leaks at worksites

The new system, which works with standard, square pads, does not need cutting or fitting but instead requires a one-time factory visit where the easy-access, swing-out and bolt-in trays are installed. This delivers a durable, economical solution that will not vibrate during transport and saves costs by protecting against hydraulic leaks on the jobsite, said the company.

“An increasing number of jobsites, such as data-centers and environmentally sensitive areas, require a hydraulic oil containment system,” says Christian Dube, Genie Product Manager. “Spill Guard is an economical solution that fulfills these requirements and mitigates the risk of costly clean-ups on finished floors.”

Genie E-Drive scissor lifts can deliver increased runtime per charge and due to maintenance-free AC electric drive systems, they have a low environmental impact. Although hydraulic leaks are rare on Genie E-Drive machines, the environmental impact is further reduced with the Spill Guard system, which covers the single point of possible leakage, the company noted.

In September 2021, Genie announced a tool kit for Load Sense calibration and in November 2020, the firm introduced its E-Drive system across its GS slab scissor line. The firm was also recently recognised at the first edition of the Construction Machinery Middle East Awards for its Z- 45 FE Hybrid Articulated Boom Lift.

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Source: ME Construction News

Sustainable design, resilient transportation and youth will be amongst the key focuses at the second edition of the Future of Architecture Summit (FOA Summit). The event will take place on 7 June at the Oberoi hotel in Business Bay, Dubai, and will bring together construction stakeholders from across the region.

The FOA Summit is free to attend for construction professionals and will open for registration and networking at 8.30am. The day will feature several presentations and panel discussions and will also host the first edition of the Future Talent Awards for students of the American University in Dubai.

The best students will be recognised across six categories: The Sustainable Future Award; Commitment to Community Award; Urban Infrastructure Award; Cultural Identity Award; The Shape of the Future Award and Tomorrow’s World Award. Hear more about the event from Paul Godfrey, Editor of Middle East Consultant.

Organised by Middle East Consultant, the event will bring together a number of regional personalities including Joe Tabet, Kouroush Salehi, Hassan Ali, Naser Raed Fakhouri, Ralf Steinhauer, Amer Mneimneh, Ahmed Khadier, Luca Vigliero, Professor Mohannad Abu Suhaiban, Professor Dr. Anna Cornaro, Martin Dufresne and others.

The summit’s key partners include: Bronze Sponsors: AECOM, JT+Partners, KEO; Education Partner: American University of Dubai; Supporting Partners: Bainona Engineering Consultancy and RSP.

Read more about the region’s journey to Net Zero development with insights from four regional experts here. Sustainable development will also be discussed at the forthcoming Energy & Sustainability Summit on 21 June – the event is free to attend for construction industry professionals.

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Source: ME Construction News

Manitowoc has introduced the Potain MCT 565 A, a more compact version of the 32 tonne capacity MCT 565 M32 – the second-largest topless crane produced at its Zhangjiagang, China facility, after the Potain MCT 805.

Since its launch three years ago, the China-made Potain MCT 565 topless crane has surpassed expectations on jobsites worldwide with a focus on emerging markets, said the company. The first units of the latest version, which can now work with shorter jib and counter-jibs but has higher lift capacities, have already been sold to a project in Singapore.

In 2021, the company introduced a raft of new tower cranes. In March, the firm launched its Potain MCT 185 topless tower crane and in July, the company introduced the Potain MCT 135 topless tower crane. In June it also introduced the Potain Igo T 99 self-erecting tower crane.

“Topless cranes are an increasingly popular choice on jobsites across Asia and elsewhere because of the efficiencies they offer when working alongside other tower cranes. The MCT 565 has demonstrated this through its exceptional lifting performance on a range of projects,” said Brian Wang, Senior Vice President of Emerging Markets for Manitowoc.

He concluded, “We’ve also seen the emergence of these cranes spawn new ways of working in emerging markets. Through our ‘Voice of the Customer process’, we saw an opportunity to add increased appeal to the range. By introducing the compact MCT 565 A, we are now offering greater choice in this class. The new model is positioned alongside the existing three MCT 565 options, allowing customers to choose the right crane for their specific job.”

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Source: ME Construction News

Volvo Construction Equipment has delivered the world’s first construction machine built using fossil-free steel to a customer, the company said.

In the latest step as manufacturers globally move towards carbon neutrality, the A30G articulated hauler was handed over by President of Volvo CE Melker Jernberg to long-standing customer NCC at a ceremony hosted by LeadIt – the Leadership Group for Industry Transition – in conjunction with the United Nations environmental meeting Stockholm +50. It was attended by John Kerry, US Special Presidential Envoy to Climate and Annika Strandhäll, Swedish Minister for Climate.

In October 2021, Volvo CE launched the world’s first vehicle made with fossil-free steel.

“We are sure that to succeed in decarbonising the construction industry, actors in the value chain will need to collaborate and act. Thanks to our strong partnerships with other driven and forward-thinking companies, we are now able to lead the change towards fossil-free construction and be the first to deliver a machine built using fossil-free steel to a customer. Turning commitments into actions is key to building the world we want to live in,” said Melker Jernberg, on the announcement.

As part of reducing its carbon footprint across its entire value chain raw materials used in its products, of which steel is a major component, will be a key focus. The production using fossil-free steel in Volvo CE’s machines and components will be gradual and depend on aspects such as steel availability, the company added.

In March 2022, the company launched its EC550E crawler excavator in the Middle East.

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Source: ME Construction News

“The reduction of emissions required to achieve the 1.5-degrees Celsius target needs to, and must, include a coordinated approach from all parties that are associated with the construction industry,” explained Ioannis Spanos, Director Sustainability & Environmental Services. Spanos made the comment to Middle East Construction News (MECN) in response to an announcement by the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), which said there is a 50:50 chance of the annual average global temperature temporarily reaching 1.5C above pre-industrial levels for at least one of the next five years.

The MWO’s announcement is significant as the Paris Agreement, which was adopted by 196 Parties at COP 21 in Paris, on 12 December 2015 and entered into force on 4 November 2016, set out to limit global warming to well below 2C, preferably to 1.5C, compared to pre-industrial levels.

Commenting on the construction industry’s output of GHG emissions, Spanos noted, “Depending on the region and the specific country, the built environment is responsible for circa 40% of the emissions, when the full cycle of operations, construction, and the full supply chain is considered.”

Spanos also pointed out that efforts to combat GHG emissions are well underway: “Significant efforts have been undertaken and further actions will continue the elimination of emissions. The UAE, in real terms, is reducing its emissions, and globally the renewable energy contribution is increasing year by year.”

When MECN asked Spanos about why GHG emissions continue to rise despite their being a concerted effort to cut them, he responded, “To move to zero carbon within the next 30-years is a greater challenge that includes coordinated actions beyond national borders. Globally, the emissions are increasing as the population is increasing, developing counties need more energy and at the same time the introduction of alternative, green fuels, is still relatively slow, while the total energy demand increases. Global issues require global commitments, and it is a great pleasure to see the UAE and KSA making decarbonisation commitments.”

Discussing some of the biggest challenges the built environment faces in terms of tackling GHG emissions, he cautioned, “For new buildings, the question is how far and how fast the new developments need to be near-zero-emissions. The existing building stock, during the next 30-years, will still produce the same emissions under a business-as-usual scenario, unless there is a big driver and push for remodeling and energy reduction strategies that will focus on the deep, and long-term, solutions.”

Pressed about what quick fixes the industry can put in place to cut GHG emissions in the near term, he counters, “Start measuring; collect data; and analyse data. GHG reduction and decarbonisation are partially accounting issues; if an organisation doesn’t fully understand within which operations and supply chains the GHG emissions are, then it is difficult to focus on quick fixes. There is industry consent, however, that quick fixes may not solve the problem; a basket of appropriate solutions can provide better added-value benefits.”

Read more about the region’s journey to Net Zero development with insights from four regional experts here. Sustainable development will also be discussed at the forthcoming Future of Architecture Summit on 7 June, and at the Energy & Sustainability Summit on 21 June. Both events will take place in Dubai and are free to attend.

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Source: ME Construction News

The price of diesel has been set at 4.14 dirhams per litre in June, a six fils increase from the 4.08 dirhams pricing in May.

Overall the price of topping up diesel trucks, cars and equipment has risen by 35% since January 2022, where it was priced at 2.56 dirhams per litre. It is also a 45% rise since June 2021, a time when oil prices were still recovering from the peak of the Covid pandemic crisis.

The hike in the diesel price has been matched by further increases in fuel pump prices for petrol blends, including a new price for the popular Super 98 petrol which will now cost 4.15 per litre, a rise of 36% from January.

The challenge of dealing with ongoing fuel cost rises was high on the agenda of last week’s Truck and Fleet Middle East Conference in Dubai.

Several solutions to keep fleets moving and profitable were suggested during the centre-piece roundtable, including better driver training, the latest trailer technology and alternatives to relying on fossil fuels, such as LNG, CNG and electric drivelines. Ultimately fleets will need to tighten control on all their costs to remain profitable.

“Fuel is not the only challenge we see. There is the challenge of ensuring the complete” maintenance of your fleet, including the lubrication system, your brakes, and your tyres. Everything is becoming a challenge,” said BG Middle East’s Gagan Kalra.

In response to rising fuel costs and a drive to reduce GHG emissions, manufacturers have been unveiling more efficient vehicles. Most recently at the T&F Middle East Conference in Dubai, Mercedes displayed its recently launched Econic for airport ground services, municipality and waste management applications.

On the consumer side, the increasing fuel costs have resulted in one in two UAE car buyers saying that they want to switch to electric vehicles.

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Data on Dubai Land Department’s website shows there were 6,651 real estate sales transactions worth $4.98bn in May 2022 according to Allsopp & Allsopp. The firm notes those figures are the highest on record for May in the last 13 years in terms of both sales volume and value.

The figures represent a 51.5% increase year-on-year for sales volume and a 65.4% increase for sales value when compared to May 2021, the firm pointed out.

“The Dubai real estate market continues to consistently show steady growth month-on-month when compared to last year. Also, just like last month, we saw a repeat in trend with May being the second highest on record for sales volume and value, with May 2009 being the highest,” said Lynnette Sacchetto, Director of Data and Digital Transformation at Allsopp & Allsopp. Sacchetto recently joined the firm after a stint at PropertyFinder.

She adds, “To break it down further, 58.5% of the sales transactions were in the secondary/ready market with 3,894 sales transactions worth $3.29bn and 41.5% were in the off-plan market with 2,757 sales transactions worth $1.68bn.”

When the data is compared to April 2022, there was a 5.11% decrease in overall sales volume and 0.1% decrease in sales value month-on-month. The secondary Dubai property market saw a 7.97% decline in sales transactions with the off-plan market seeing a 0.7% decline month-on-month, Allsopp & Allsopp explained.

Lynnette remarks, “As the months progress, we still haven’t seen the effect of rising interest rates and inflation in the real estate market. Petrol prices rose by 13% in June but yet the residential sales market still seems to be unscathed. Sales volumes dip marginally, and sales prices still hold strong and even grow in high demand areas and segments.”

“The off-plan market continues to thrive with high demand and new launches continuing to be released. With the summer months coming upon us, it will be interesting to see how travel trends, both outbound and inbound, will affect the Dubai real estate market.”

Lewis Allsopp, CEO of Allsopp & Allsopp commented, “Our data shows the trends and a true pulse of what is happening in the real estate market today, from the front line. Following on from the trends of the year, May was also a very busy month for us and sales value performance grew in Allsopp & Allsopp by 57% year-on-year.”

He stated, “This could be the result of buyers purchasing properties before we see the increases in interest rates, which will have an effect on mortgages. We must also take into consideration the appeal of Dubai on a global scale. The city has consistently attracted overseas buyers but now more than ever, we see a lot of interest from buyers who are looking for properties in the city has not yet made the move to the city or have been here for only a short period of time.”

Allsopp recently noted that Dubai is well placed for the future, following the approval of the virtual assets law and the establishment of the Dubai Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority.

The top three areas for May sales were the Dubai Marina, Downtown Dubai and The Springs and 52% of Allsopp & Allsopp’s buyers were financed, while 34% were cash purchases and the rest opted for developer incentives in the off-plan segment, the firm concluded.

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Source: ME Construction News

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) has been signed by Diriyah Gate Development Authority (DGDA) and Saudi Arabia’s Oil Sustainability Programme (OSP). The MoU will see the firms collaborate on the use of sustainable polymer construction materials in DGDA’s projects and providing the required technical and logistic support with relevant entities in the field.

The OSP was launched in 2020 with the participation of multiple government agencies, research institutions and companies in Saudi Arabia. It’s goal is to maximise the added value of hydrocarbons through developing innovative hydrocarbon-based materials, promoting new and sustainable uses for these materials, such as using polymer-based materials, said the statement from DGDA.

The MoU is said to reflect the interdependence and integration of the Saudi Vision 2030 programmes, given that OSP and DGDA are outcomes of the vision. The OSP aims to sustain and grow demand on hydrocarbons, whether as a competitive energy source or raw materials used to produce various important products, while maintaining the highest levels of economic and environmental efficiency, DGDA noted.

The MoU is to foster strategic cooperation between the OSP and DGDA on hydrocarbon-based materials, explained Engineer Mohammad Hitham Al Tayyar, the Programme Director of OSP, after signing the deal with Jerry Inzerillo, Chief Executive Officer of DGDA in the presence of Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the Energy Minister and Chairman of the Supervisory Committee of OSP and Ahmed AlKhateeb, the Tourism Minister and Secretary General of DGDA Board.

The MoU includes identifying opportunities that would improve the construction and operation processes in DGDA’s projects and developing plans to assess and implement these opportunities, as well as to develop awareness strategies to highlight common goals, Al Tayyar stated.

The cooperation also includes providing the required technical information and support for materials evaluation, coordinating between manufacturers, suppliers and relevant entities, and providing the required support when implementing these opportunities, he pointed out.

Inzerillo pointed out that the agreement supports the localisation of the associated supply chain in the Kingdom and explores opportunities to maximise the use of raw materials that use Saudi oil, as part of the feedstock value chain both regionally and globally.

Within the framework of Saudi Vision 2030, the DGDA was established in 2017 to preserve the history of Diriyah, celebrate its community and develop At-Turaif historic district, which is listed among UNESCO World Heritage sites, to be one of the world’s largest gathering places and a center for Saudi culture and heritage, he concluded.

In March 2022, SSH unveiled the concept design of the Diriyah Sales Centre in Riyadh, while in April, the developer awarded Egis the contract for project management services for part of its retail and heritage masterplan. In May, the developer also announced plans to transform Wadi Hanifah into a nature-focused getaway.

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Source: ME Construction News