Construction firm Kier is the first UK business to mandate the use of Battery Storage Units (BSUs).

It is working in partnership with its supplier, Sunbelt Rentals, to achieve this.

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.

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

This all contributes to Kier's targets laid out in its Building for a Sustainable World framework. To achieve net zero carbon, Kier has pledged to introduce new technologies and ways of working which reduce and eliminate carbon emissions from its business operations and reduce and rebalance carbon emissions from its value chain. This includes Kier’s target to have a 65% reduction in business operations carbon by 2030.

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."