Shell & Mercury together working to secure our energy future

Corrib Natural Gas General Overview
The Corrib gas project is one of the most significant engineering projects ever undertaken in Ireland. Located some 83 kilometers off the northwest coast of County Mayo, this medium sized gas field will be developed as a subsea ‘tie-back’ facility, connected by a pipeline to an onshore processing terminal located approximately 9 kilometers inland. Mercury Engineering is currently undertaking the complete Mechanical, Electrical and Instrumentation services on the new Bellanaboy On-Shore Gas terminal for Shell. The Corrib gas field was discovered in 1996, located 83km off the coast of Co. Mayo. It is a medium sized gas field – smaller than Kinsale. The Corrib gas reservoir is located 3kms below the sea bed in 350m of water.

At a glance;
• Corrib will supply up to 60% of Ireland’s gas needs at peak production
• 50% of Irelands electricity is generated from natural gas
• Over 1500 jobs have been created during the construction phase
• It will provide 130 permanent jobs in the locality
• Erris Development Fund launched 2009 with a €5m budget for 2009-2012
• Extensive community investment programme – spend in excess of €600k in 2007/8


Securing our Energy Future
Ireland is at the end of a very long pipeline. We import almost 95% of our gas supplies from Europe via an interconnector pipeline from the UK. The importance of securing Ireland’s energy supply has never been greater. Renewable energy sources will take many years to develop; therefore, as energy consumption increases, bringing indigenous gas supplies to market has become increasingly more important. Once in production, gas from the Corrib field will be distributed to homes and businesses throughout Ireland via the Bord Gáis Eireann (BGE) national grid. As a result of the Corrib project the BGE distribution network is being extended to an additional 12 towns in County Galway and County Mayo.


The Corrib project is made up of four parts: the offshore operations including the wells and subsea facilities, the offshore section of pipeline, the onshore section of pipeline and finally the gas processing plant at Bellanaboy Bridge, County Mayo.

1. Bellanaboy Bridge gas terminal
Once it comes ashore, the gas will be processed or dried at the terminal at Bellanaboy by removing liquids so that it is suitable to flow into the Bord Gáis Eireann pipeline network. The terminal, still one of the largest construction sites in the country, is now over 75% complete.

2. Onshore pipeline
Following a recommendation from Mr. Peter Cassells in his 2006 mediation report, Shell E&P Ireland Limited agreed to modify the route of the onshore pipeline. The rerouting process involved 11 months of public consultation. The new route is twice as far from housing as the originally approved route and half the original design pressure.



3. Offshore development programme
Preparatory works for the offshore programme, which involves laying 83 kilometers of pipeline from Glengad to the Corrib field, began with construction of the landfall site in April. Once the necessary near shore works have been completed, the offshore pipeline will be welded together onboard the Solitaire pipe lay vessel and will be laid on the seabed.

4. Wells and subsea facilities
The offshore equipment for Corrib has been placed on the seabed in a water depth of about 350 meters using remotely operated vehicles (ROVs). To date fi ve wells have been drilled and made ready for production.


Corrib controversy
The Corrib gas pipeline was at the centre of much controversy in 2005 when a small number of local landowners refused to allow Shell E&P Ireland Limited (SEPIL) to proceed with construction work relating to the onshore section of pipeline.

In an effort to resolve the situation, the Irish Government appointed international consultants, Advantica, to conduct an independent safety review of the onshore pipeline. In their report published in May 2006, Advantica concluded “proper consideration was given to safety issues in the selection process for the preferred design option and the locations of the landfall, pipeline and terminal”.
The Corrib Gas Partners accepted the findings of the Independent Safety Review and committed to fully adhering to all recommendations which included limiting the pressure in the onshore section of the pipeline to 144 bar - less than half the original design pressure of the pipeline.

Also in 2005, the Irish Government appointed an independent mediator, Mr Peter Cassells. His report recommended that the route of the onshore section of the Corrib Gas Pipeline be modified. The Corrib Gas Partners again accepted this recommendation and appointed RPS consultants to identify a suitable modified route. A new route for the onshore pipeline was identified following a 14-month selection process, which involved 11 months of public consultation. The modified route is twice as far from occupied housing compared to the original route.

In 2008, local fishermen raised concerns regarding the treated produced water leaving the terminal and entering the bay where they fish. This produced water will be cleaned to the highest standards and our plans had full regulatory approval and are consistent with the highest international and EU environmental standards. Nevertheless, following discussions with the fishermen, the Corrib gas partners agreed to discharge the water at the Corrib field 83km offshore at an additional cost to the project of several million euro.
In these three instances, the Corrib Gas Partners have shown a real willingness to respond to genuine community concerns. We believe that we have done everything reasonable to address issues raised by local community and will continue to listen their concerns.

In November 2008, the Irish Government established a Community Forum for Development in North West Mayo to bring together politicians, community groups, protesters and Shell representatives. While some local groups have not yet participated in the forum, the initiative did lead to face to face talks between Government ministers, Shell and two community groups; Pobal Chill Chomain and Pobal le Chéile.
We continue to seek dialogue and a way forward that allows us to complete the project – which has the necessary legal approvals and community support and is in the wider interests of Irish society.


Community benefits
In order to demonstrate our commitment to making sure the project benefits the local community, the Corrib Gas Partners have launched various social investment initiatives including a 3rd Level Scholarships Programme, a significant Local Grants Programme and the Erris Development Fund – a long-term fund that will operate throughout the life of the Corrib gas field.


In late 2007, Goodbody Economic Consultants carried out an assessment of the project. They concluded that Corrib would create over 800 jobs during the construction phase and approximately 130 permanent jobs would be created in the local area thereafter.

As a result of the Corrib project, Bord Gais Eireann plans to connect 12 towns in Mayo and Galway to the national gas grid.



Information taken from www.shell.ie

Brookfield Europe & Mercury Engineering secure the €740m contract to build the iconic New South Glasgow Hospital Campus

VITAL STATISTICS`
• The footprint of the development area will be the equivalent of more than 11 football pitches.
• 1109 beds in the adult hospital – with the vast majority of patients in their own single en-suite room with a view.
• 256 beds in the new children’s hospital over five floors with overnight accommodation for a parent or guardian at every bedside (with the exception of intensive care.)
• There will be around 2000 beds on the site including new adults and children’s hospital together with maternity beds, Neurosciences Unit beds and Langlands building providing care for older patients.

Today the iconic design of the New South Glasgow Hospital Campus has been unveiled. The inspiring design was unanimously agreed as the outstanding contender from three strong bids. While the £670million contract was not the lowest of the three bids it did represent the best value for money in delivering, and in many cases surpassing, the Board’s ambitions for a gold-standard hospital campus that will serve the West of Scotland for generations to come. The company behind the successful bid, Brookfield Europe, is a major international builder with vast experience in world class healthcare developments. The project which will be the largest single NHS hospital build project ever undertaken in Scotland, will cost in excess of £840million in total. The additional costs will include investments in internal roadways, patient transport terminuses and state-of-the-art advanced equipment.

Robert Calderwood, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Chief Executive, said: “We are delighted that Brookfield Europe shares our vision to create high standards of excellence in healthcare and design. The three companies bidding for the project offered a range of innovative and creative designs but Brookfield captured the best of all worlds in their proposal. We are proud to confirm they are now our preferred contractor. “A key consideration for us has always been ensuring economic benefit to the local community. Brookfield has agreed to our requirement that they will offer jobs and training to locally recruited apprentices and people who are currently unemployed which will be of huge economic benefit. “They have also agreed that wherever possible, sub-contracting opportunities will be advertised to local small to medium businesses.” Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said: “Today marks a major milestone in Scotland’s biggest ever hospital building project. Selecting Brookfield Europe as the preferred bidder is an important step towards creating a world-class new hospital campus on the Southern site. “This is not only good news for patients but for the community as a whole – every penny of the cost will be met from the public purse and the jobs created by the construction will provide a major boost for the local economy. “The existing Southern already provides world-class care. The designs I’ve seen today for both the new adult and children’s hospitals will provide them with world-class facilities. For example, all the beds will be single rooms in the adult hospital wards– an important weapon in our fight against hospital infections. I look forward to seeing this radical design transforming the Govan skyline.” Ashley Muldoon, Executive Director for Brookfield Europe and Managing Director for Brookfield Construction, said: “We are absolutely delighted to have been chosen as the contractor for the new South Glasgow Hospitals design and construction project which will be one of the most advanced medical facilities in Europe.



This project marks Brookfield’s first major development project in Scotland and we are looking forward to expanding our presence north of the border working with our teams here and creating new employment opportunities for the local community and Scotland as a whole. “Brookfield has considerable experience in the delivery of healthcare projects of this scale and stature, both in the UK and internationally. We are already working on high profile developments such as Peterborough City Hospital, which is on schedule for completion next year and the Fiona Stanley Hospital in Murdoch, Australia.” The plans for the complex will see a brand new 14-floor adult hospital with 1109 beds. Every patient in the wards will have their own single en-suite room and Brookfield’s creative design means that every room will have excellent views of either the Campsie Hills or out onto the Clyde or Paisley and not one will look in one another. The single room accommodation will be of fantastic benefit in the fight against healthcare associated infection and the tremendously flexible design of the whole project will, from a nursing perspective, provide unrivalled flexibility as nursing care develops into the future. A brand new children’s hospital, with a separate identity and entrance, will be adjoined to the adult hospital. With 256 beds over five storeys it will replace the existing Royal Hospital for Sick Children. Stunning designs include a covered roof garden where young patients can enjoy a range of activities in the fresh air including their own stage where they can put on theatrical productions! Brookfield have ensured a design so in tune with the needs of patients that children can even be brought out to the roof garden in their beds.



The new children’s hospital will be a mix of four-bedded and single-bedded accommodation as it’s been shown that a child’s health benefits from being around other children. The new children’s hospital will not only be linked to the adult hospital but also to the redeveloped £28million maternity wing which has just been handed over by the contractors and will be opened, after commissioning, in early 2010. A subterranean link will connect the new adult and children’s hospital to a brand new laboratory to ensure round the clock support. The full business case for the new laboratory was approved this week by the board and Brookfield will begin construction for the laboratory next year as one of the first pieces in the campus jigsaw.





TIME LINE
1st Quarter 2010 Construction starts on the New Laboratory Development
1st Quarter 2012 Completion of New Laboratory Development
4th Quarter 2010 Submission of Full Business case for New Adult and Children’s Hospitals
1st Quarter 2011 Construction anticipated to start on New Adult and Children’s Hospitals
1st Quarter 2015 Construction of New Adult and Children’s Hospitals anticipated being complete



Taken from the official NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Website http://www.nhsggc.org.uk/content/default.asp?page=s1192_3&newsid=10309&back=home

QUESTION: Who does a Fortune 500 Company turn to when they want to deliver their first mega Data Centre outside the United States? ANSWER: Mercury

Microsoft has opened a new "mega datacentre" in west Dublin to support growing demand for online services. The centre is part of the company's strategy to build its cloud computing capacity and network infrastructure to meet the demand generated from its Online, Live, and Cloud services.

Mercury Engineering executed the complete electrical, fiber optic and copper cabling infrastructure on this mega 303,000 square-foot facility which represented an overall investment of $500 million. Speaking at the centre's official opening, Taoiseach Brian Cowen said the economy needed dynamic, innovative companies to help rebuild the economy.

"We envisage a high-value, export-led economy with companies creating the products and services of tomorrow and providing high quality employment for our people,” he said.


In a statement Microsoft said: "The facility covers 303,000 square feet and can generate up to 5.4 megawatts of critical power, with the potential to expand to a total of 22.2 megawatts of critical power. Making use of the low ambient air temperatures in Ireland, the facility uses ‘free air’ cooling almost exclusively. This means the operating environment can be maintained without mechanical or refrigerated cooling systems for over 95% of the time. Mechanical cooling typically represents ~38% of the power consumed in traditional data centres. This cooling system eliminates the necessity for chilled water cooling systems, used in traditional data centres. This saves ~18 million litres of water each month. The facility uses latest generation IT hardware, designed through tight collaboration with manufacturers to deliver the highest performance, lowest power consumption and least heat generation.



The data centre has been officially recognised by the European Commission’s Sustainable Energy Europe Campaign as a “best practice” in environmental sustainability design through its innovative design which has made it 50% more energy efficient than traditional data centres built three years ago. The data centre increases hardware utilisation, reduces use of resources like water and electricity and reduces waste material.

The data centre is the next evolutionary step in Microsoft’s commitment to thoughtfully building its cloud computing capacity and network infrastructure throughout the region to meet the demand generated from its Online, Live Services and Cloud Services, such as Bing, Microsoft Business Productivity Online Suite, Windows Live, and the Azure Services Platform.

“The opening of the data centre is a milestone in our ongoing investment in Europe and provides the critical infrastructure to support the delivery of our next generation of online services for both businesses and consumers. This facility will play a central role in our promise to deliver computing experiences that seamlessly connect people, data, devices and applications across the digital workstyle and lifestyle – a vision we call Software plus Services,” said Jean-Philippe Courtois, president, Microsoft International.


“The opening also celebrates Microsoft’s long-term commitment to Ireland. As we approach our 25th anniversary of being part of the local economy, I would like to thank the Irish Government and its agencies, particularly the Investment and Development Agency, IDA Ireland, for their on-going support and to express Microsoft’s commitment to continue to work closely with government, education and local businesses to help contribute to the local software ecosystem and to help Ireland achieve its goals around building a Smart Economy,” he concluded.

The data centre – one of the largest construction projects in the Republic of Ireland over last 12 months – has taken approximately one million man-hours to complete and involved a workforce close to 2,100 at peak. The facility covers 303,000 square feet and can generate up to 5.4 megawatts of critical power, with the potential to expand to a total of 22.2 megawatts of critical power.




Source: Irish Times Newspaper and DataCentreDynamics Focus Magazine Issue 6