Construction giant Kier is the first UK business to mandate the use of Battery Storage Units (BSUs) on building sites.

Generators are widely used to provide temporary power on sites across the construction industry, creating significant greenhouse gas emissions from the fuel consumption, which have a detrimental impact on the environment.

A BSU works alongside a generator as the main source of electricity to site operations. When the battery is running low, the generator automatically starts and recharges it, turning off once fully charged. This means generators can be downsized, leading to significant fuel savings, reducing both costs and carbon.

Following a strategic trial of ten battery storage units on Kier sites in partnership with its supplier, Sunbelt Rentals, Kier has established a monthly saving per unit of seven tonnes of carbon, an overall reduction in generator run time of 59 per cent, and a cost saving of over £2,000, after BSU hire costs are accounted for.

Chris Lilley, Kier Group health, safety, wellbeing and sustainability director, said: "This is a positive step forward for us to achieve the commitments laid out in our Building for a Sustainable World framework. It will help us to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions in line with our pathway to net zero, outlined in our carbon reduction plan. Not only that, but it will allow us to significantly lower our fuel costs.

"We are grateful to be working alongside Sunbelt Rentals on our combined business journey to create a cleaner future within the construction industry."

Mark Bown, national account manager at Sunbelt Rentals said: "This BSU agreement between Sunbelt Rentals and Kier dovetails with our on-going strategic capital investment in clean energy solutions. It also allows us the scalability to be able to provide cost-savings for our customers while lowering noise and carbon emissions.

"As a business we have the desire, the belief and the evidence to demonstrate that our clean energy solutions are not only market leading, but commercially, environmentally, and operationally successful. The agreement with Kier certainly aims to deliver just that."

In recent times Kier has also won the contract for a new £15m Community Diagnostic Centre in Gloucester, the A417 'Missing Link' and the re-cladding project at Shire Hall in Gloucester.