Energy giant BP has awarded two front end engineering and design contracts for its planned £1bn-plus power station and carbon capture and storage scheme on Teesside.

Net Zero Teesside Power’s carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) project is a world first for a new gas-fired power station with a built-in process to capture and pump waste CO2 into a North Sea abandoned gas field cluster.

The first contracts for a design and development competition have been awarded to two engineering consortiums.

Front End Engineering Design dual contract awards

Technip Energies and General Electric consortium – led by Technip Energies and including Shell and Balfour BeattyAker Solutions Doosan Babcock and Siemens Energy consortium – led by Aker Solutions and including Aker Carbon Capture

The design contracts involve both the flexible gas-fired power station with CCUS capabilities and the Northern Endurance Partnership’s facilities to gather and compress CO2 and export it offshore for storage.

The scheme aims to be up and running within the next five years and could create 5,500 direct jobs during its construction.

Over the next 12 months the bid teams will draw up comprehensive FEED package, led from their UK offices.

They will then submit proposals for the execution phase. As part of the final investment decision expected in 2023, a single consortium will be selected to take the project forward into construction.

The scheme is the Government’s preferred project to lead the UK’s net zero ambitions and will see up to 10million tonnes of CO2 emissions captured each year – equivalent to the emissions associated with the annual energy use of three million homes – and store it under the North Sea via a series of pipes.

Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen said: “Just days after local firm Thompsons carried out a large-scale explosive demolition project, and we lodged plans to clear the site on Teesworks where Net Zero Teesside Power will sit, we now have this incredibly welcome news.

“This announcement shows how fast our plans are accelerating to deliver this game-changing facility on Teesside. Net Zero Teesside Power is a flagship project to put our region front-and-centre in delivering the cleaner, safer and healthier industries of the future.

“It has been recognised by Government as a key project needed to drive the UK’s net zero ambitions and it will also put us on the map for other businesses looking for locations for their own low-carbon projects. What’s more, it’ll do all this while creating the thousands of well-paid, good-quality jobs people from across Teesside, Darlington and Hartlepool people deserve.”

Louise Kingham, bp’s UK head of country and senior vice president of Europe said “Moving to Front End Engineering Design is a major step forward for Net Zero Teesside Power and the development of the Northern Endurance Partnership.

“This first-of-a-kind project has the potential to deliver enough low carbon, flexible electricity to power around 1.3 million homes, and can help secure Teesside’s position at the green heart of the country’s energy transition.”

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Industrial and logistics building specialist Glencar Construction is on track for further strong growth next year after securing a £300m order book.

St Albans-based Glencar revealed it was looking forward to another good year after reporting profits up to £2.3m from revenue up two-thirds to £160m in the year to September 2021.

Over the period, its average contract value jumped 40% to £9.5m from £6.8m, thanks to notable jobs in Harwell, Andover and Bicester.

Glencar managing director Eddie McGillycuddy said the firms had been recruiting strongly with the average headcount up to 135 staff.

He said: “Glencar continues to invest in its people and infrastructure to support our rapid growth.

“We have hired over 80 new employees in the year, of which three are members of the senior leadership team.

“The company opened a new office in Manchester and moved to larger premises in Birmingham, as part of the regional growth plan”

He added:“We have identified other growing sectors and will seek to expand into these, taking advantage of the opportunities available.”

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Shinfield Studios, part of Blackhall Global Partners, has gained full planning permission to begin construction near Reading of one of the largest film and TV studios in the UK

The 85,000 sq m TV and film complex designed by Scott Brownrigg will consist of 18 sound stages that will be will be built in Shinfield, Berkshire within the Thames Valley Science Park.

This will include four sound stages that have already been completed, following accelerated planning permission.

Four sound studios built over the summer are now ready for operation, with a Disney production confirmed to start in 2022.

In October, Wokingham Borough Council’s planning committee voted unanimously to award planning permission. Following receipt of confirmation of no objection to the permission from the Secretary for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities, full planning consent has now been granted.

Work will now get underway immediately on the bulk of the £200m planned studios as well as workshops, offices and a post-production facility.

The design team includes M&E consultant Hoare Lea, and Abley Letchford Partnership as civils and transport consultant.

Shinfield Studios has been designed to embrace sustainable production with all buildings due to be constructed to BREEAM excellent standards, this includes a fabric first approach and the use of air source heat pumps and photovoltaic arrays.

In meeting these standards, the site will not be using any natural gas.

Mechanical engineering specialist Strucktor has won a major package from Ardmore on its £111m redevelopment of the former Whiteleys shopping centre in London’s Bayswater.

Ardmore is currently delivering residential fit-out works at The Whiteley which will be home to 139 luxury residences across 300,000 sq ft of exceptional space.

Strucktor has secured the high end spec fit-out mechanical package and will start on site in Q2 2022 with a workforce of 40 employees,

The deal is a continuation of a five-year relationship between Strucktor and Ardmore and follows their collaboration at the iconic Old War Office project in Whitehall where Strucktor have undertaken the infrastructure works and fit-out mechanical works.

At The Whiteley Ardmore will also deliver up to 20 new shops, cafes and restaurants, a central public courtyard, a cinema, a gym and London’s flagship Six Senses hotel and spa with 110 rooms, as well as a social wellness club, all set behind a retained and restored Grade II-listed façade.

Construction has already commenced on the main works, with fit-out works scheduled to complete for 2023.

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Enabling works will start in the New Year on the proposed new £80m Merseyrail train station on Headbolt Lane in Kirkby.

Knowsley Council has granted planning permission for a new station which is planned to open by Spring 2023.

The scheme is being delivered by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority in partnership with Knowsley Council, Network Rail, Merseyrail and Northern.

The new station plans include:

Step-free access throughout the stationA bus interchangeCycle parkingLinks to local cycling and walking networksPassenger waiting facilities and toiletsApproximately 300 park and ride spaces

The full scheme includes the extension of the Merseyrail network beyond the existing Kirkby station and will see Merseyrail services run into the new station.

Northern services from Wigan and Manchester will also operate to and from the new three-platform station.

It will be the first station to benefit from battery technology on the new trains for the Merseyrail network, removing the need to extend the third rail beyond the existing Kirkby station.

The scheme is also designed to support future plans to build a new rail link to Skelmersdale, on which the Combined Authority is working closely with Lancashire County Council, West Lancashire Borough Council and Network Rail to support.

Developer Far East Consortium (FEC) has confirmed contractor CR Construction (UK) as winner of the latest three-tower phase of Manchester’s largest regeneration project.

The main works contract at Victoria Riverside will see CR Construction deliver three waterfront residential towers at the Victoria Riverside development on the banks of the River Irk.

Victoria Riverside is one of the first developments being brought forward as part of FEC and Manchester City Council’s Victoria North project, which will create 4,000 new homes over the next 15 years.

Anthony Payne, commercial director at FEC, said: “We’re hugely excited to start bringing to life the vision for Victoria North with this landmark development that will bring additional green living to Manchester city centre.

“CR Construction’s experience and 50-strong local team will no doubt stand us in good stead for the delivery of this complex project at the heart of a fast-emerging neighbourhood.”

Mark Peatfield, MD at CR Construction (UK), added: “We are delighted to have been appointed as the preferred contractor to deliver FEC’s Victoria Riverside development, as we look to further grow our portfolio in Manchester.”

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