Paddy Leonard, 27 Jan
NI Water’s project team working on the new Ballykelly Wastewater
Treatment Works has been awarded the Institution of Civil Engineers
(ICE) NI Sustainability Award. This ICE award is presented to a project
that demonstrates sustainability through innovation and is the third
award for the Ballykelly project in recent months, with recent wins at
the Green Apple Awards and Construction Excellence Awards organised by
the Construction Employer’s Federation (CEF).
BSG was the main contractor for the Ballykelly project, with RPS
providing project management and technical support.
Receiving the award at the ICE’s recent annual dinner, NI Water’s CEO
Sara Venning said: “We are delighted to receive this prestigious award
from the ICE, which is the third award for the Ballykelly plant. I
would like to pay tribute to the wider NI Water project team
for leading the way with sustainable solutions to wastewater treatment.
“The Ballykelly project involved utilising more eco-friendly wastewater
treatment approaches, including reed beds and maximising the use of
renewables as part of the treatment process. This forward-thinking
design will provide a natural, long-term and resilient solution for
customers in the Ballykelly area well into the future.
“As custodians of the environment, we are proud of the work completed
at the Ballykelly plant, and look forward to continuing a similar
approach on other schemes across NI as we continue our ambitions to
pursue a net zero sustainable future. The new solar panel system has
now been upgraded with the addition of NI Water’s first battery energy
storage system, which has now been switched on!
“Developed in-house, this innovative battery system is the first of its
kind for NI Water and will bring many efficiency benefits and cost
savings to the company in light of rising energy prices.”
The Ballykelly project beat off stiff competition and was shortlisted
alongside six worthy projects, which demonstrate excellent community
and environmental benefits.
This award showcases some of the current civil engineering projects in
the region that are demonstrating excellence in sustainability based on
the following criteria: innovation, community and environmental
benefit, economy of materials and labour, value engineering, as well as
health and safety.
NI Water has an ambitious strategy to address the climate emergency and
become carbon neutral by 2050. Find out more
at www.niwater.com/climatechange/