Shipping the best choice for the Commonwealth Games

Limiting the carbon footprint and being as sustainable as possible was one of the key aims of the organisers of Glasgow 2014, so when the organisers had to decide on the best way to get their furniture, fittings and equipment (FFE) from where it had been in storage at Tilbury, South East England to Grangemouth, they decided to check out the environmental impact of each option before making a decision.

The team used state of the art carbon footprint calculation software to compare the carbon cost of sea, rail and road transportation and estimate the potential CO2 emissions for delivery. The CO2 emission assessment results showed that moving everything by sea would work out almost three times as environmentally friendly than shifting it by rail would have done and a hefty six times more eco-friendly than transporting it via road.

The decision was made! The Organising Committee went ahead and shipped 260,000 items of Furniture, Fittings and Equipment from the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games all the way to Scotland for use in the Athlete’s Village. It took a total of 350 shipping containers to move everything from the London Container Terminal in Tilbury to the Port of Grangemouth.

The containers, which were first used in the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, were enough to hold all the FFE for the Games, and after a successful, eco-friendly journey, they made their way to the Games ready for the opening ceremony in July.

For more information on shipping, or to find out about our shipping containers for sale, contact t.ward…

Scottish renewable energy figures are impressive!

We have a keen interest in renewable energy at t. ward, so we were really pleased to read that Scotland’s renewable electricity output is looking so impressive – the nation’s overall output hit record levels during the first three months of 2014.

The figures, which were released by the Department of Energy and Climate Change at the end of June, revealed that Scotland generated a record 6,678 GWh of renewable electricity in the first quarter of 2014, partly as a result of a record quarter of hydro output. Hydro power output was 9.2 per cent higher than it was at the end of 2011, when we saw the previous record. It’s not just hydro – wind generated power is performing exceptionally well too and output is at record levels, four per cent higher than previous records.
Scottish Energy Minister Fergus Ewing said:

“The record high hydro output shows that we are contributing to a balanced mix of energy generation across Scotland which could see hydro power account for up to a quarter of Scotland’s generating capacity in the next decade.”

The good news was revealed at the same time that the Renewable Energy Association (REA) called on David Cameron and other EU leaders to recognise the importance of national 2030 renewable energy targets in maintaining energy security.

The REA said that putting in place national targets for increasing home-grown renewable energy by 2030 would help reduce the risk of Scotland being affected by any potential volatility in energy markets, and that renewables were also the best option for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Both of these are excellent reasons to keep up the good work with renewable energy and recyclates, something that we’re happy to be a part of at t.ward.

Demolition in progress at Cockenzie Site

ScottishPower carried on with the restructuring of the old Cockenzie Power Station site in June, with the demolition of two more steel ‘Precipitator’ structures by controlled explosion. The demolition was a big project; the 300 tonne structures were 34 metres high with a width of 10 metres by 12.5 metres.

The removal of the steel structures was managed by Brown and Mason, and ScottishPower worked closely with East Lothian Council and Police Scotland to make sure that no road closures were needed during the demolition.

The structures were located on the seaward side of the main building, and members of the public watched the demolition from the Greenhills. This demolition is another chapter in the ongoing story of Cockenzie, which looks likely to be transformed into a vast renewable energy park involved with the construction of offshore wind turbines.

At t. ward we’re very much looking forward to finding out about the plans for the proposed development – if they go ahead they will create a modern industrial landscape between Prestonpans and Port Seton, complete with giant turbines being manufactured 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This can only be an advantage for the area, not simply because of the possibility of job creation, but also because the generation and consumption of renewable energy is something Scotland should be rightly proud of; Figures published last month showed that Scotland generated a very impressive 6,678 GWh of renewable electricity in the first quarter of 2014, which represents an increase of over 50 per cent on the same quarter in 2013 and is also 10.4 per cent higher than the previous record.

A deep water port in the area is also likely to encourage additional investment to the area, and there are even rumours that a cruise ship terminal is being proposed for the site.

We’ll keep you up to date on any news about the development.