Kier has mandated the use of battery storage units (BSUs) as the main source of electricity for its site operations, backed up by generators.
The BSUs, provided by Sunbelt Rentals, mean that Kier can downsize the generators it uses on site, cutting fuel costs and greenhouse gas emissions.
The BSUs work alongside the generator. When the battery runs low, the generator starts automatically and recharges it, turning off once fully charged.
The move to mandate BSUs comes after Kier trialled 10 units on its sites. It saved more than £2,000 overall after BSU hire costs were accounted for. It also reduced overall generator run time by 59% and saved seven tonnes of carbon per unit.
Under its Building for a Sustainable World framework, Kier has pledged to reach net-zero emissions by employing new technologies and ways of working. The contractor has set itself a target of a 65% reduction in business operations carbon by 2030.
Chris Lilley, Kier Group health, safety, wellbeing and sustainability director, said: “This is a positive step forward for us to achieve the commitments laid out in our Building for a Sustainable World framework. It will help us to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions in line with our pathway to net zero, outlined in our carbon reduction plan. Not only that, but it will allow us to significantly lower our fuel costs.”
