Tideway resumes work

London’s super sewer Thames Tideway project has resumed work this week after a pause in activity because of restrictions in place due to coronavirus.

Last week saw full safety reviews undertaken ahead of re-starting activities at a small number of sites, Utility Week understands.

Drilling was paused with only safety-critical and essential work carried out, but from this week essential staff in “very small numbers” will be on sites to ensure official public health guidance is properly adhered to.

A spokesperson for Tideway said strict health and safety measures are in place to protect those continuing to work and, following the full review, a small number of activities will resume on some Tideway sites.

They added that steps have been taken to support the supply-chain during the uncertain times.

The massive project to dig and build 25km of sewer under central London reached the halfway point in February with excavations reaching from Fulham to Blackfriars. Digging began in 2016 at multiple points concurrently, with tunnelling scheduled to be completed by 2022 and all works competed by 2024.

Most recently, dredging work had been started on the riverbeds at Deptford Creek and a giant tunnel boring machine is poised to begin work at Greenwich to add a 4.5km connection to Bermondsey.

Tideway, the company delivering the tunnel, is financed by Bazalgette Tunnel Limited, which in turn is owned by a consortium of investors. The cost will be spread across water bills of customers who benefit from the finished super sewer.

Rachel Fletcher, Ofwat chief executive, noted the disruption caused to the Tideway project by coronavirus during the Utility Week #AskUsAnything webinar on 17 April. Listen to the complete broadcast here.

The company was awarded an ESG score of 74/100 by S&P Global Ratings for its environmental, social and governance performance reflecting its high standards for sustainability and the environment.

The evaluation of performance by S&P across 12 categories within ESG noted the company has embedded sustainability into its strategies and operations with the finished tunnel anticipated to deliver environmental benefits by increasing sewage storage capacity and reducing combined sewer overflows into the Thames.

The group also scored highly for governance and social standards, which S&P said was due to its regulated nature and its safety track record, but the general hazards associated with tunnel construction mean the project remains exposed to safety risks.

A lower score of “adequate” was given to the company for preparedness because S&P said the specific purpose of the company with a single large project would limit Tideway’s exposure to long-term strategic risks and its ability to capitalise on future opportunities. Following completion of the project Tideway will transfer daily operations of the tunnel to Thames Water, therefore the score for preparedness has no impact on the overall ESG.

The company received “good” or “strong” scores across all metrics, scoring most highly for environmental impact. S&P said the E score of 82 reflects the agency’s view that the tunnel will improve water quality, support local biodiversity and increase available fresh water in the tidal Thames.

S&P said the score incorporates the company’s “good management of environmental risks associated with the construction of the project”, which it said is driven by the regulatory requirements for such a project.

The social S score was given because of the relatively high exposure to social risks that a tunnelling project involves, especially safety. High safety standards and proven expertise in construction of tunnels in London gave Tideway a strong score. Efforts to minimise disruptions or impacts to the local community that the construction could cause also contributed to the score.