The contractor is working with procurement partner, Sunbelt Rentals, to harness the flywheel energy storage technology to power the tower crane at its Shakespeare North site.

Trails are showing that the PUNCH Flybrid flywheel technology reduces energy required to power a static crane.

The innovative flywheel energy storage system decreases fuel usage by reducing the generator size needed to power the crane on site, while still providing enough power for it to be used correctly.

PUNCH Flybrid Energy Store and flywheel technology

The trial showed that the fuel consumption was reduced by 40%, which also resulted in 40% less carbon being produced and far less air pollution.

Tobias Knichel, managing director at PUNCH Flybrid, said: “Deploying a single flywheel system with this tower crane removes the equivalent emissions of 17 road cars from our city centres.

“I applaud Kier and Sunbelt Rentals for being the very first innovators to operate the flywheel energy storage system on a live construction site. Such forward-thinking leadership deserves the very positive results achieved during this trial.”

Mark Bown, national account manager at Sunbelt Rental, said: “Sunbelt Rentals and Kier have been working together in partnership to reduce CO2 impact and provide social value to local communities of Kier sites. This technology is a large step in the right direction to move towards net zero carbon.”