News 31 January 2018 News from SKAO
Martens en Van Oord: ‘The CO2 Performance Ladder has to be inspiring’
For the Dutch construction company Martens en Van Oord, sustainability is an essential part of business. The company implements the CO2 Performance Ladder as an answer to a growing market demand of sustainability practices and CO2 reduction. However, in order to win the battle against climate change, more concrete action needs to be taken. In this interview, Madeleine Schenk, team leader KAM (Quality, Business and Environment) at Martens en Van Oord, talks about the ladder and sustainable practices that tackle climate change.
In an assignment of Rijkswaterstaat, the operational institution of the Dutch ministry of Infrastructure and Environment, Martens en Van Oord works on the redevelopment of the Heesseltsche Uiterwaarden. This project consist of the redevelopment of a flood prevention system nearby the river Maas. Martens en Van Oord has been certified with level 5 on the CO2 Performance Ladder. For this reason, the construction concern received an award advantage during the tendering process of the project. “The CO2 Performance Ladder has made it possible for us to enter tendering procedures and receive an award advantage. From a commercial and economical point of view, the ladder therefore provides many business opportunities”, says Schenk.
High-water safety
Rijkswaterstaat is responsible for water safety and flood prevention. As a consequence of climate change and heavy rainfall, many flood prevention systems in the Netherlands are being redeveloped. For the project of Heesseltsche Uiterwaarden, Martens en Van Oord will improve the flood prevention system to create more space for the river stream. This should decrease the water level with up to 5,5 centimeters and keep the surrounding environment safe from floods due to heavy rainfall. The redevelopment of the flood prevention system also creates more room for greenery, which will be populated by the local flora and fauna. Martens en Van Oord aims to contribute to sustainability by working on the aspects of water safety and nature of the Heesseltsche Uiterwaarden.
“Martens en Van Oord has often times worked on projects that focus on high-water safety. The motivation behind our work, such as the redevelopment of the Heesseltsche Uiterwaarden, arises from the changing climate. In order to realize these type of projects, it is also important for us to apply sustainable solutions”, says the team leader KAM. “Next to the implementation of the CO2 Performance Ladder, we apply a business model that makes efficient use of resources, fuel and energy. Sustainability can certainly be paired with a lower priced method to conduct business. When we enter tendering procedures, we make clear to commissioning parties that we take effective measures into account to contribute to the fight against climate change.”
Fuel savings
Most of the tasks that need to be conducted for the redevelopment of the flood prevention system consist of digging, transporting and processing soil. This is done by large machinery in which fuel is the main component. In order to save fuel, Martens en Van Oord applies efficient logistics. An example of this practice is the placement of a roadway of 10 kilometers to transport the material. The roadway consist of large plates made of steel, that are 12 meters long and 3,5 meters wide. These plates make sure that regular trucks, the ones that can also be used in road transportation, can be driven around in the area. Without the roadway, Martens en Van Oord would have to use another type of truck that consumes more fuel. By using the regular trucks, the construction company can transport a greater amount of material while consuming less fuel than the trucks that were initially used to conduct this type of work. This leads to enormous fuel savings, which is essential within a sustainable business. Thanks to the roadway, the trucks can also be driven on a hardened ground, which prevents the wear and tear of the vehicles.
For projects such as the Heesseltsche Uiterwaarden, Martens en Van Oord added a few of these efficient trucks to its fleet. The trucks can be compared with regular trucks that are seen on the highway, but the fuel-efficient trucks are provided with a raised chassis. This enables the trucks to transport 55 metric tons of freight instead of 30 metric tons. Moreover, the trucks can also transport a greater amount of freight with less movement. This too causes fuel consumption to be saved.
Martens en Van Oord also makes use of a loading bridge for the trucks to be driven on across water. The loading bridge is made specifically for the trucks to move the freight into the ship without making use of any other machinery. This enab