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Last updateFri, 06 Mar 2026 9am

Siltbuster tackles groundwater problem as part of £1bn renewable energy project

Siltbuster, the UK’s leading water treatment company, has created and installed a processing plant in just seven days to help remove dissolved iron from groundwater as part of the £1 billion project commissioned by National Grid and Scottish Power Transmission. The project to build the Western Link is bringing renewable energy from Scotland to homes and businesses in England and Wales and is being delivered by a Consortium of Prysmian Group (responsible for cable manufacture and installation) and Siemens (responsible for converter stations).

The dissolved, iron contamination arose when below ground, high voltage, power cables were being installed. The complex cable routes, spanning a distance of 420 Km, pass within TATA Steel’s works at Shotton. When installing the 400kV A.C cables on this land it was found that the groundwater generated was in parts heavily contaminated with dissolved iron. Such contaminated water would pose significant risk to aquatic life if discharged without treatment.

Read more: Siltbuster tackles groundwater problem as part of £1bn renewable energy project

Survey shows major building sector unfazed by Brexit

New poll finds building services sector confident following EU referendum result, but that it prioritises Single Market.

The building services engineering sector - which makes up 40 per cent of the UK’s construction and maintenance industry - believes it will successfully weather the outcome of Brexit over the next few years. That's according to major new survey findings from the Electrical Contractors' Association (ECA), the Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) and Scotland’s trade association for the electrical industry SELECT.

Almost half of survey respondents (46 per cent) believe Brexit will have a positive impact on their company in just five years’ time, with less than one in five (19 per cent) saying it will have a negative impact. (23 per cent said it would have no discernible impact). However, the largest contractors in the survey (with over £20 million turnover) are slightly less optimistic about the short term business prospects than smaller contractors.

Read more: Survey shows major building sector unfazed by Brexit

Finance provider doubles staff in 12 months

A number of key appointments at specialist financial services broker Midlands Asset Finance means the company has doubled its staff to 15 in the past 12 months.

The firm, which is run by husband and wife team Dave and Sue Chapman, has experienced year-on-year growth since it was founded in 2009, which has led to the firm increasing its employee headcount and purchasing its own premises, just off junction 28 of the M1 motorway.

Read more: Finance provider doubles staff in 12 months

Landmark installation delivers heating and passive cooling for RAGT Seeds

Renewable heating expert Finn Geotherm, has completed a landmark installation for leading European agricultural plant breeder RAGT Seeds in Cambridgeshire, to deliver both heat and passive cooling with significant energy savings.

RAGT's initial brief was to reduce the heating costs for its six glasshouses, which are used for developing new crops. LPG had previously been used to heat the glasshouses which, with a U value of around six, meant the boiler was in constant use in winter, leading to issues with fuel supply and heat distribution as the system couldn't keep up with the heat being generated. RAGT needed a new system to work with its existing grow tubes.

Read more: Landmark installation delivers heating and passive cooling for RAGT Seeds

NASC launch new membership certificates in three tiers

The NASC has created new membership certificates for its three tiers of membership – full contracting, full non contracting (hire, sales and manufacturing) and information only members.   

The colourful new certificates have a professional appearance and carry a brief explanation setting out the requirement for achieving and maintaining compliance with NASC membership status, along with a statement that NASC member companies are expected to comply with confederation standards.

Read more: NASC launch new membership certificates in three tiers