Utilities contracts awards help shape ‘backbone’ of Olympic Park for 2012 and beyond

The latest contract awards mean contractors are now in place for the majority of the utilities work needed in the Olympic Park site.

The ODA put several contracts out to tender for companies to deliver the utilities that will serve the Olympic Park site during 2012 and leave the legacy of a new network of services for the long-term regeneration of the area. The new facilities will help transform the area, enabling it to support the new communities that will develop after the Games.

Contracts for the water, gas, telecoms ducts and electrical civils networks across the Olympic Park site received high market interest but following a competitive procurement process, McNicholas secured all four contracts. By delivering four packages of works, all through a common utilities ‘trench’ across the Olympic Park, McNicholas will bring greater efficiency to the utilities programme, generating cost savings.

A further contract award for a Primary Sewer and Pumping Station was awarded to Barhale Construction. The utilities contracts that have been awarded are:

Barhale Construction:

Primary Sewer and Pumping Station - The design and construction of 1.8km of a 1.2m diameter tunnel connected to a pumping station that will collect, convey and discharge foul flows from the main venues and buildings in the Olympic Park in Games-time, and from the legacy venues and residential developments after 2012.

McNicholas:

Water - The design and construction of a mains water network within the Olympic Park comprising of approximately 6km of pipe work and associated equipment.

Gas Networks - The design and construction of 6.5km of gas networks within the Olympic Park.

Electrical Civils - The construction and installation of approximately 18km of trenching, civils and ducts for high voltage electrical cables to connect the primary electrical substation in the Olympic Park to local substations in venues and buildings.

Telecoms Ducts - The design and construction of approximately 22km of telecommunication duct networks allowing the installation of fibre optic and data cabling during the Games and providing key connections for legacy developments.

ODA Director of Infrastructure and Utilities, Simon Wright, said: 'These utility networks and infrastructure are not just for a summer of sport in 2012 but will serve the long-term regeneration of the area for many years to come and show that we are planning Games and legacy together from the very beginning.

'The utilities networks will form the backbone of the world-class venues we will construct in the Olympic Park. Bringing first-class companies on-board to deliver this essential infrastructure is a significant step forwards and with the majority of the utilities contracts now awarded we are firmly on-track.'

Gareth Blacker, director Olympic Legacy Development Team at the London Development Agency, said: 'The utility infrastructure being put in place now is an important part of the lasting legacy of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. The London Development Agency has been working closely with the ODA to ensure that the utility infrastructure will support more than just the 2012 Games and will benefit the longer-term proposals for this part of east London. Our Legacy Masterplanners are currently working with the host boroughs and other partners to plan what will be built around this infrastructure beyond 2012.'

The latest contract awards follow the contractors already selected to deliver other key utilities works and mean that contractors are in place for the majority of the utilities work needed in the Olympic Park site.

EDF Energy have been appointed to design and build an electrical substation and electrical distribution network that will supply electricity to the 2.5sq km Olympic Park as well as the Stratford City development. A preferred bidder, the SUEZ Group through its subsidiary Elyo, have also been selected to build the Energy Centres and Community Energy Networks which will provide an efficient power, heating and cooling systems across the Olympic Park and Stratford City development.

The energy centre and electrical substation will be located in the west of the Olympic Park and will form the heart of the new utilities infrastructure. They will be connected to the various utilities networks which will run across the Olympic Park site in designated utilities corridors.

The remaining utilities contracts currently being procured are for a wind turbine to be located in the north of the Olympic Park to play a key role in delivering renewable energy to the site; and contracts to own and operate gas, water and wastewater networks serving the Olympic Park and Stratford City site.

Work is well underway to remove, divert or disconnect disused pipes and cables across the Olympic Park site and the site of the electrical substation has been cleared. The construction of the new utilities networks and infrastructure will begin in the summer, to coincide with the start of work on the main venues.

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For further information please contact the Olympic Delivery Authority Press Office on +44 (0)203 2012 700.

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