Heathrow flies into the future

The sustainability objectives of the expansion of Heathrow Airport were set out in Heathrow 2.0, launched last year. The strategy sets out the Airport’s aims for sustainability leadership that goes beyond simply reducing negative impacts to delivering positive impact in a way that enables others to thrive as the airport grows.

The report sets out a series of goals that will guide the future of the airport as it expands, as well as guiding plans for the development of the new northwest runway.

As part of the policy, earlier this year Heathrow Airport launched a search for partner logistics hubs to aid in the expansion of the airport.

Heathrow will be the first major infrastructure project in the UK to pioneer the large-scale use of logistics hubs – aiming to build as much of the project off-site as possible. The hubs will work by pre-assembling components off-site before transporting them in consolidated loads to Heathrow, as and when required. This method will boost the project’s efficiency and cut emissions by transporting components to site in fewer lorries.

Research by WPI Economics revealed that integrating an off-site manufacturing supply chain into a major project has the potential to reduce the overall cost of the project by as much as 25% whilst speeding up delivery by up to 30%.

Lord Deighton, Chairman at Heathrow Airport, said: “Heathrow Expansion is a once in a generation opportunity to transform the UK construction industry, build for the future and deliver a lasting skills legacy for future generations. All of this comes at a pivotal time for our country, as it prepares itself to leave the EU and where we need to build for our future in both travel and trade.

“An expanded Heathrow is for all of Britain and the Logistics Hubs are instrumental in our aim to ensure that expansion spreads the huge potential of its £187Bn in economic benefits across the UK, whilst minimising the impact on the airport’s local communities. Off-site construction is an innovative way for these balances to be met and we can’t wait to see for ourselves the opportunity we have in working with the best businesses in the country.”

UK Construction Media (UKCM) spoke to Matt Palmer, Heathrow Expansion Development Director, about the plans for the airport and how they aim to ensure sustainable development.

UKCM: What are the sustainability objectives for Heathrow’s expansion?

MP: Heathrow 2.0 is the airport’s plan for sustainable growth and our commitment to encourage sustainable aviation. Heathrow’s plan is to expand in a way that creates a positive impact on our community, environment and economy.

UKCM: How are you implementing this?

MP: Heathrow 2.0 details our aspiration that, as Heathrow grows to meet demand, with a new runway, there would be no net increase in carbon emissions: “carbon neutral expansion”. The initiative attempts to decouple aviation growth from climate change – a world first.

We have developed a carbon plan as part of the overarching strategy. Heathrow is committed to a range of measures including operating a zero-carbon airport, reducing carbon in Heathrow’s supply chain, increasing UK access to Heathrow via sustainable means and addressing the challenges of passenger transportation and vehicles.

As we prepare for Heathrow’s expansion, we plan to work very closely with the teams delivering other large infrastructure projects, such as HS2 and Crossrail, to bring this vision to life.

UKCO: How has sustainability affected the plans for Heathrow expansion?

MP: Sustainability will play a key role in the expansion project. We want to deliver sustainable growth and we stand by our ‘triple lock’ guarantee to deliver expansion in accordance with the UK’s legal air quality obligations. This includes meeting our existing commitment to improving air quality by not increasing the amount of airport-related vehicle traffic on the road and supporting improved surface access connections, ensuring further measures are ready to be introduced if required to reduce traffic, and binding our commitment by guaranteeing that extra capacity at an expanded Heathrow will only be released when it is clear that the airport’s contribution will not delay compliance with legal obligations on air quality.

The objectives are both environmental and economical.

The Logistics Hubs are essential in ensuring Heathrow expansion delivers for the whole country by spreading jobs, boosting productivity and modernising the construction industry outside London and the South East. They will ensure that 60% of procurement spend will be outside London, spreading the benefits of local investment up and down the country. As well as the direct benefits, new research from WPI Economics shows that, if adopted more widely, the approach could spur growth in off-site construction and lead to a productivity boost worth £30Bn for the industry outside London by 2025.

UKCO: Are there any new technologies you are implementing through the sustainability initiatives?

We’re still in the early stages of the expansion programme, having recently closed the UK’s largest consultation on the options that will be used to develop the preferred masterplan. Although we’re refining our plans, we’ve made clear that the businesses interested in helping to deliver the new runway will need to demonstrate a complementary commitment to sustainable innovation in order to be considered. Suppliers and successful hubs will need to show consideration for local communities and the environment, will need to help ensure the project delivers for the whole of UK and use innovative techniques and cutting edge technology.

UKCO: What are the aims and objectives of the Logistics Hubs? How will they work?

MP: During the site tours the Logistics Hubs will have the opportunity to demonstrate strengths in a range of areas. Bidders will not only need to illustrate the merits of their site, but they will also need to demonstrate a skilled and dedicated workforce, capability to collaborate on the nationwide project and good connectivity, allowing output to be easily transported to Heathrow.

UKCO: What will be delivered by the Hubs?

MP: For this project, we will need sites that can be used to pre-assemble the components of an expanded Heathrow. These components could be a range of things including materials within the terminal buildings themselves or on the expanded airfield. Other sites will be used to consolidate loads before they are transported to Heathrow. With the two types of sites working together, we can reduce the number of vehicles on the airport’s surrounding roads, cutting congestion and emissions.

UKCO: What are the benefits of off-site construction?

MP: These Logistics Hubs will help ensure that businesses across the UK can form part of the airport’s supply chain, enabling Heathrow’s new runway to deliver a legacy of construction excellence across the UK. The sites will play a key part in helping to spread the £187Bn in economic benefits and 180,000 in new jobs that the expansion is expected to bring.

The hubs will also play a key role in supporting expansion’s efficient delivery, helping us to deliver the new runway on time and on budget whilst mitigating the impact that concentrated construction activity would otherwise have on the airport’s local communities.

UKCO: How will this affect the skills market in the UK?

MP: Heathrow expansion will be the first major infrastructure project to pioneer the large-scale use of Logistics Hubs and these sites will play a key role in developing skills and boosting growth outside London and across Britain.

The Hubs are just one of the ways that Heathrow is working to develop construction skills across the UK. In 2017, we announced the launch of the Heathrow Skills Taskforce, chaired by Lord Blunkett. The taskforce was a UK-wide online forum to gather independent views on the airport’s future education, employment and skills strategy. The expansion project is expected to create as many as 100,000 jobs outside London and the South East, and we set out to identify the best teaching, employment and career progression opportunities to make the airport a role model for social mobility and diversity.

UKCO: What legacy do you want to leave with the project?

Heathrow expansion is a major national infrastructure project and a once in a generation opportunity to transform the UK construction industry, build for the future and deliver a lasting skills legacy for future generations. All of this comes at a pivotal time for our country, as it prepares itself to leave the EU and where we need to build for our future in both travel and trade.

The Logistics Hubs feature in the Government’s Industrial Strategy, listed as an example of how to develop skills across the UK and create conditions where successful businesses can emerge.

UKCO: Do you think larger infrastructure projects should embrace this method?

We believe that this method is instrumental in our aim to spread the benefits of expansion up and down the country and have begun working with other major infrastructure companies to explore how the final sites could be used for future projects. When looking for the final four Logistics Hubs we will be considering their longevity and potential to collaborate with other projects in the hope that other large infrastructure projects embrace this method.

If you would like to read more articles like this then please click here.

The post Heathrow flies into the future appeared first on UK Construction Online.