Case Study

United Utilities

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Background

Contractors working on multi-million-pound water and wastewater treatment projects currently underway for United Utilities in Cumbria, North West England, UK, have discovered how Prolectric’s solar lighting technology can help them to deliver project goals in environmentally sensitive locations. The project will see the construction of a 100km pipeline to bring water from Thirlmere reservoir to West Cumbria via a new treatment works, two new pumping stations and two new service reservoirs.

Challenge

With the project being delivered across environmentally sensitive locations it was critical for the team to find equipment that aligned with the project goals. The units also needed to support operational health and safety and provide reliable, bright lighting. To align with the project objectives the units needed to be sustainable and emission-free. Furthermore, the units needed to limit or negate the risk of spills associated with conventional diesel generator alternatives. With the locations being remote the lighting required needed to work autonomously as there’s no access to mains power.

The Solution

Trials of the innovative *ProLight mobile solar lighting tower have been concluded at two sites by United Utilities’ delivery partner Advance – a Joint Venture between Balfour Beatty and Stantec (MWH). The ProLights successfully protected onsite operations, health and safety with reliable, bright lighting, without the emissions or risk of spills associated with conventional diesel generator alternatives during a 6-month period ending in May 2018.

ProLights have been used to illuminate access routes and pedestrian walkways at the Williamsgate construction compound, near Cockermouth, where 80 staff are currently employed between 7am to 7pm every day to construct a 48 mega litre underground service reservoir as part of United Utilities £300m West Cumbria Water Supplies Project.

*ProLight is an alternative to our ProRXM tower light

The Result

The Advance JV deployed ProLights successfully at United Utilities’ £40 million wastewater treatment upgrade project at Bowness-on-Windermere where a new 6.5km large diameter rising sewer main is being built to reduce the risk of sewer flooding and overflows at the lakeside pumping station during heavy rain. Solar lighting provides illumination for vehicle and pedestrian access around the construction compound where there is no access to mains power.

The Advance JV further used Prolectric ProTemp LED Solar Lighting Columns to provide powerful and reliable lighting around the Windermere compound. The ProTemp is mounted on a concrete block and easily maneuvered into place by forklift or sack barrow. As it does not use mains power, the ProTemp dispenses with the need for a contractor to dig trenches, install trunking or cables and saves significantly on groundworks and installation costs.

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United Utilities Case Study

What our clients
have to say

The JV welcomed the opportunity to participate in the trial of this new sustainable power solution, confirming it as a viable and more sustainable alternative to traditional generators, and look forward to working with Prolectric again in the future.

Jon Muff
Project Manager at Balfour Beatty

We have approximately 50 Prolectric Solar Tower Lighting Units in use. We have a high level of confidence in both Prolectric as a business and the products they produce as well as the after sales service and support they provide. As an Approved Vendor, the growing number of units across the business has had the added benefit of removing a large amount of Diesel powered equivalents from the site. I would recommend Prolectric as I have found them to be both amenable and professional to deal with and look forward to doing further business with them in the future.

Richard Thompson
Reliability Engineer – Infrastructure Utilities

Using the lights has saved hugely on our diesel costs and just as important have been the savings in manpower. The ProLights operate automatically, so we have saved the costs of paying two workers to return to a diesel light and switch it on and off. With no diesel, there was no danger of an environmental impact through spills and no need to move temporary lights away from sensitive areas such as watercourses, before refuelling.

Vinny McCabe
Senior Works Manager, Highways England