See that little bottle of clear liquid in Ana Mills hand? That’s HVO - 100 per cent renewable diesel - which we’re about to trial in our Franna cranes.

HVO is typically made from used cooking oil has the potential to reduce lifecycle emissions by 95% compared with mineral diesel!

It’s not currently produced in Australia so we imported it from overseas for the trial.

It’s another important step on our Carbon Reduction Roadmap and our goal to be operationally net zero by 2030.

McConnell Dowell_HEB Joint Venture awarded the Wellington Sludge Minimisation Project, by Wellington City Council

McConnell Dowell and joint venture partner HEB are pleased to announce the imminent construction of Wellington City Council’s Wellington Sludge Minimisation Project located at Moa Point.

Over the last seven months, the joint venture team has worked through an Early Contractor Involvement (ECI) process with the design team from Beca, and cost estimators Bond CM to develop the design for the new Sludge Minimisation Facility.

“We are excited to be working on such an innovative project. The new facility will generate power from the waste treatment process, and we think this sustainable approach is the way of the future. We’re proud to be working with the Council to deliver this project and help make life better for Wellingtonians”, says Fraser Wyllie, Managing Director - New Zealand & Pacific at McConnell Dowell.

This new facility will use Thermal Hydrolysis – heating under pressure - to sterilise and reduce the volume of the sludge, making it more biodegradable. Biogas will be captured and used to power the facility, substantially reducing carbon emissions. The sustainability benefits of the chosen design include:

• Reduced sludge volumes by up to 80%
• Reduced carbon emissions from the treatment and processing process by 60%
• Minimises the amount of waste going to landfill
• Produces a low odour stabilised (inert) product
• As mentioned above, offers the potential for sludge to be used productively, including as a soil conditioner, fertiliser, and fuel for industrial heat

The biosolids produced are significantly smaller in volume than the current methods and are safe for reuse.

The joint venture has previously delivered two of the country’s largest wastewater treatment plant upgrades (Mangere Wastewater Treatment Plant Biological Nutrient Removal Upgrade and The Pukekohe WWTP Upgrade) on time and on budget and those strong relationships, the expertise and innovations will be applied to this new challenge.

Ahead of site works commencing, 1,500 native lizards living at the site were carefully trapped and relocated to protected sites at Moa Point, and in the Miramar Peninsula, like Rangitatau Park, Tukanae Street Reserve, and Centennial Park.

Following the recent site blessing by Taranaki Whānui, construction work will now get underway with completion expected mid- 2026.

To find out more information on the Sludge Minimisation Project, click here: https://wellington.govt.nz/your-council/projects/moa-point-sludge-minimisation-facility

This is what Australia’s transition to renewable energy looks like, up close and personal. It’s the powerhouse cavern under construction, 250 metres below ground at Genex Power’s Kidston Pumped Hydro Power project in remote Far North Queensland.

Once complete, the cavern will be 80m long, 18m wide and 45m high. It will house the turbines capable of generating 250MW of rapid response renewable energy to power 100,000 homes. All powered by water from the dams above. 

To learn more about this amazing project, click here.

McConnell Dowell is gearing up to deliver another impressive wastewater plant project after being awarded Stage Three of the Shotover Wastewater Treatment Plant Upgrade by Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) last month.

Stage Three includes building an additional reactor tank and clarifier which will double the capacity of the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). It will also enable the plant to complete the switch, which began in 2019 with Stage One, to the more modern ‘Activated Sludge’ treatment method.

Once the new facilities are in place, we will carry out other works, including decommissioning the old oxidation ponds and installing a third drum screen to improve the quality of the treated effluent.

McConnell Dowell, Managing Director New Zealand & Pacific, Fraser Wyllie is proud to say that "over the last five years we have delivered two of New Zealand’s largest WWTP upgrades".

"The team have applied learnings from Pukekohe and the multi- award-winning Māngere upgrade projects to develop methodology that minimises carbon emissions and maximises efficiency.

It’s fantastic that this upgrade will help provide a better life for communities - by improving environmental outcomes and facilitating future growth - as they’re two of our key values."

The winning methodology draws on experience from similar jobs, rehabilitating challenging ground conditions, working within an operational plant safely and using innovative techniques to minimise the carbon footprint.

By reusing 10,000m3 of spoil onsite the team will save the emissions that would have been generated by transporting it. Along with recycling and using sustainable materials, the team are also using steel and concrete as efficiently as possible. 

Work is scheduled to commence in August 2023 and will be carried out within the existing plant alongside the Kimi Ākau (the Shotover River).