Obtaining LEED certification for the new passenger terminal at Kuwait International Airport (KIA) was a project requirement proposed by the Kuwait Ministry of Public Works and designers Foster + Partners. This LEED certification is promoted by the US non-governmental organisation USGBC (United States Green Building Council), which awards the final certificate to the building upon completion of the independent review of the entire project documentation. The London-based architectural firm was commissioned to design the project in accordance with these sustainability strategies. Subsequently, the Turkish construction company Limak, winner of the construction competition, is executing the design in accordance with the best construction practices required by the certification.

The project aims to generate at least 10% of the energy consumed inside, and reduces overall consumption by 27% compared to a reference building

Ineco is providing project management services for the three work packages into which the project has been divided, aimed at significantly increasing the country’s passenger transit capacity, and establishing a new hub in the Persian Gulf. The project consists of a state-of-the-art infrastructure, which will set a new environmental benchmark for airport buildings. Its design responds to the local climate, one of the warmest inhabited environments on earth, and is inspired by local building shapes and materials.

The passenger terminal has a floor plan with three symmetrical wings, where each façade is 1.2 kilometres long, all extending from a spectacular 25-metre-high central space. The project aims to achieve LEED Gold certification for environmental design, and to being one of the largest passenger terminals in the world to do this.

Energy consumption is optimised through efficient mechanical systems, from lighting to air conditioning. Pictured here is a detail of the 8,000 skylights on the roof that maximise natural light. / PHOTO_MPW (MINISTRY OF PUBLIC WORKS)

LEED certification, which stands for Leader in Energy Efficiency and Sustainable Design, means that the building or project to which it refers is built according to eco-efficiency standards and meets sustainability requirements. This certification is voluntary and rewards the use of sustainable strategies in all the building’s construction processes, through a design aimed at maximising energy efficiency, water savings, waste reduction and the use of sustainable materials, as well as optimising the health and well-being of the terminal’s occupants and visitors.

INTEGRATED WATER CYCLE. In Terminal 2, potable water consumption will be reduced by 45% through the use of low-flow taps and the reuse of grey water.

Total potable water consumption will be reduced by 45% through the use of low-flow taps and the reuse of grey water.

The project has been designed to reduce its impact on the environment by minimising the ‘heat island effect’, which is a rise in temperature in cities caused by an increase in impermeable and heat-absorbing surfaces such as concrete and asphalt. This effect can be reduced by providing a green roof over the parking building and an oasis at the entrance to the terminal that welcomes passengers with a microclimate several degrees below the surrounding environment. All landscaped areas have been designed with native species and/or those adapted to Kuwait’s desert climate, incorporating light, heat-rejecting materials in the exterior cladding and canopies.

The building’s thermal envelope includes a roof structure with an air gap with high thermal inertia and a glazed façade that is shaded by a 60-metre cantilever. This reduces the thermal gains that must be abated by the air conditioning system, reducing energy consumption while improving the thermal comfort inside the terminal.

Natural light is maximised through the 8,000 skylights incorporated into the roof design, and energy consumption is optimised through efficient mechanical systems, from lighting to air conditioning.

The roof incorporates 81,444 photovoltaic panels with an installed peak power of 29.4 MWp that will generate 49.98 GWh annually, representing 10% of the total energy consumed by the building. This is the largest photovoltaic installation in an airport terminal.

Thanks to this and other energy efficiency measures, the project manages to reduce overall energy consumption by 27% compared to a reference building designed under the ASHRAE 90.1-2007 standard, according to energy calculations made by the US consultancy firm The Spinnaker Group.

Total potable water consumption will be reduced by 45% through the use of low-flow taps and the reuse of grey water collected from sinks for toilet flushing. Water from the toilets is treated and reused to irrigate the landscaped areas, thus completing the integral water cycle and reducing by 100% the potable water needed for irrigation. Materials in Terminal 2 have been specifically selected so that a significant proportion of them contain recycled or rapidly renewable materials from regional suppliers, aiming to reduce the use of finite resources by 20% and minimising transport distances. To ensure a healthy indoor environment, building materials such as paints, sealants and adhesives have been specifically selected with a low level of VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds), while air conditioning systems have been designed to increase outdoor air ventilation rates by 30%.

View of the floor plan of the new terminal divided into three packages.

Finally, construction sites often produce large amounts of solid waste, increasing the burden on dwindling landfills and causing soil, water and air pollution. In the construction of Terminal 2, the aim is to recycle, reuse or donate at least 75% of the waste produced on site.

Saudi Arabia, like other countries in the region, is rethinking its future as an economy less dependent on its main natural resource, oil, of which it is a world leader in production and export. Consequently, starting in 2016, the Government has been implementing social and economic reforms such as those contained in the National Transformation Plan and in ‘Vision 2030’, a national strategy in which sustainable development, understood in the broader sense –to include social, economic and environmental development– is one of the pillars. This is the context of the Sustainability Plan for the country’s third airport, King Fahd of Dammam, which Ineco developed in 2019 for the Dammam Airports Company (DACO).

The work consisted of carrying out an environmental assessment, identifying the objectives and proposing the actions and measures to achieve them, in addition to monitoring implementation and supervising the actions. This is Ineco’s second project for Dammam airport, following the Master Plan completed at the end of 2018, and it is currently working on an automated baggage-management system. Ineco has extensive experience gained over more than 15 years working in Spanish airports.

In order to develop the Sustainability Plan, Ineco’s team’s first step was to gather information, which included visits to the facilities and meetings with both airport staff and other stakeholders involved: airlines, handling companies, cleaning and service companies, etc.

The information collected was used to draw up an assessment of the environmental situation at the airport and to define the key aspects to be studied and the level of risk presented by each one: water and energy consumption, soil contamination, noise and air quality, impact on cultural heritage and the landscape, waste management, biodiversity, etc.

Once all of these elements had been analysed, the five key topics were outlined and the sustainability objectives to be achieved for each of them were defined, with a time horizon of 2030, the same target year as the national strategy ‘Vision 2030’. After the objectives of the plan had been defined, the most appropriate actions to achieve them were proposed and planned.

Lastly, the implementation, tracking and monitoring of the plan, which is vital to its success, were planned. The proposed tools to achieve this include a website developed by Ineco and hosted on DACO’s systems, which covers the different monitoring indicators of each of the actions, and the creation of several monitoring groups, made up of both technical and management staff.

Environmental analysis of King Fahd Airport

The following elements, ranked in decreasing order of environmental risk, were analysed:

1. Key points: soil, waste and water 

• Soil

  Goal: to preserve soil resources and prevent pollution and degradation of the subsoil and groundwater.
  Situation and proposed actions: the King Fahd airport is constructed on ground that is made up of sandy limestone, marl, gypsum and beachrock (a type of sedimentary rock), porous materials that allow pollutants to pass through in the event of a spill. It is therefore recommended that all fuel storage tanks be checked and monitored to prevent any leaks or potential spills.

• waste

  Goal: to reduce waste generation and improve management.
  Situation and proposed actions: for solid waste, increasing the efficiency of storage, collection and separation is recommended, in addition to encouraging waste reduction and recycling. With regard to hazardous waste, the execution of an appropriate inventory of the type, storage, flow and quantity of waste is recommended in order to control and improve the disposal process.

• water

  Goal: to improve water management and control to reduce consumption.
  Situation and proposed actions: the airport is supplied by five wells, each with a capacity of 8,200 m3 per day, one of which is used exclusively for irrigation, drawing directly from the groundwater. The water from the four main wells passes through the Water Treatment Plant (WTP) and is then distributed to all of the facilities via the central pumping station (UBB). According to data provided by DACO, the total consumption of the airport in 2018 was 4.3 million m3, of which almost 3 million m3 was previously treated. With regard to the wastewater, the airport manages this very well through its sewage net which ends at a Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) to treat wastewater for subsequent reuse for irrigation.
  One of the airport facilities with the highest water consumption is a large plant nursery covering more than 215,000 m2, where all of the plants used for the landscaping of the airport are grown. This nursery is supplied mainly from the STP.
  management of groundwater in arid countries is an important factor in sustainable development and, to this end, recommends monitoring consumption as much divided as possible to control over the use of this resource. DACO is currently working on a new water meter installation project for each facility (phase one has already been completed and phase two is planned and underway).

2. Medium risk: air quality, fauna, energy, climate change and mobility

• air quality

  Goal: to comply with the air quality limits established in air-pollution legislation.
  Situation and proposed actions: the main sources of emissions at the airport are aircraft, auxiliary power units (APUs), followed by ground support vehicles, as well as private cars for employees and passengers. All of these emissions are generated by third parties. Activities carried out by DACO that generate emissions are mainly the emergency power units (which run on fossil fuels), the vehicles used by its staff, and fire training activities. The readings collected by the monitoring stations are verified for the air quality assessment. In the case of King Fahd airport the closest stations are more than 30 kilometres away, so the Plan proposes an air quality monitoring station located closer that would make it possible to collect information that is more representative of the airport.

• Fauna

  Goal: to minimise the impact on natural areas and protected species.
  Situation and proposed actions: due to its location in a desert area, the main terrestrial species that live around the airport are camels, birds, reptiles, snakes and lizards. The most recent records provided by DACO, from 2018, regarding the presence of animals within the airport premises include cats and foxes. Since there is a wetland within the airport limits that attracts animals, including migratory birds, the Plan recommends the implementation of a wildlife control service to avoid potential incidents with aircrafts.

• energy

  Goal: to increase energy savings and efficiency.
  Situation and proposed actions: the approximate electricity consumption of the airport in recent years is 230,000 MWh/year, according to DACO data, with 30% attributed to the cost of the air-conditioning plant. In terms of fuel, the main consumers are the vehicles owned by DACO, power units and fire exercises. The main recommendation of the Sustainability Plan is metering and controlling energy consumption with the installation of individual meters, at least for the largest consumers.

• Climate change

  Goal: to monitor and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
  Situation and proposed actions: in order to combat climate change, it is essential to reduce the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions generated by the airport’s installations and activities. The Plan recommends measuring energy consumption and monitoring possible refrigerant leaks in air conditioning systems.

• Transport and mobility

  Goal: expand the mobility options to connect the airport to the city.
  Situation and proposed actions: since King Fahd airport can only be reached by private transport or private vehicles, the implementation of some form of collective transport system is recommended, providing significant advantages for passengers and airport staff, as well as generating environmental benefits in terms of air quality and climate change.

3. Low-impact: noise, biodiversity, land use, landscape and cultural heritage

• Noise, flora and protected areas

  Goal: to prevent and reduce damage to human health and ecosystems caused by noise pollution and to preserve flora and protected areas.
  Situation and proposed actions: in all three aspects, the environmental risk is considered low since there are no residential areas around the airport; the natural vegetation cover is less than 10% of the surface area and the nearest protected areas (the Jubail marine area and the Bay of Kalij) are located 35 and 96 kilometres away, respectively.

• Land use

  Goal: to ensure the compatibility of the airport development with urban planning.
  Situation and proposed actions: all of the land belonging to the airport is classified as an airport/sea port, so no environmental improvement measures are required.

• landscape

  Goal: to minimise the impact on the landscape.
  Situation and proposed actions: the airport buildings and facilities are well integrated into the environment.

• Cultural heritage

  Goal: to ensure the preservation of cultural heritage.
  Situation and proposed actions: there are no places of cultural interest near the airport, so the airport activity is therefore considered to have no effect on such places. The closest UNESCO cultural heritage property is the Al-Ahsa Oasis, which is located 124 kilometres far from the airport.

Every activity, both individual and collective, regardless of whether it is the manufacture of a product, the provision of a service or the operation of an organisation, generates a measurable impact on the environment due to its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions: this is what is known as the ‘carbon footprint’. Specifically, GHG emissions are the cause of global warming and, therefore, of climate change, which is why the 13th objective of the United Nations Sustainable Development Agenda 2030 is Climate Action. The first step is to measure these emissions and, from there, to define and implement the necessary actions to reduce or offset the emissions, all in accordance with the methodologies established by international organisations.

According to 2019 data from the Ministry for Ecological Transition, the transport sector is responsible for 26% of greenhouse gas emissions in Spain, with 3.5% of those emissions attributed to aviation. In the current situation, and despite the inevitable impact of the pandemic on the air sector and tourism, the need for connectivity still remains. Airports are planning to begin the recovery gradually and will have to adapt to the new demand, without losing sight of environmental factors in airport management.

At the 29th Annual Congress and General Assembly of the Airports Council International Europe (ACI Europe), held in June 2019 in Cyprus, most European airport operators formally committed to the goal of zero carbon emissions by 2050 and to work towards accelerating the decarbonisation of the aviation sector. Aena, Spain’s airport operator and one of the largest in the world, also joined this initiative, called NetZero2050. This agreement marks a significant milestone in the actions that airports are taking to combat climate change, and requires the aviation sector to set ambitious targets for emission reduction. These targets, in line with the ones established in the Paris Agreement, must support the EU’s climate change strategy, which is aiming for carbon neutrality by 2050.

ACI Europe issues the only existing certification in the airport field dedicated to the recognition of voluntary efforts to reduce CO₂ emissions, the Airport Carbon Accreditation (ACA), created in 2008 and with a total of 297 airports around the world currently accredited. Ineco is carrying out the carbon footprint calculation and verification work for Aena in order to obtain this accreditation, which to date covers eight Spanish airports, including the two with the largest number of passengers: Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas (for which only the verification is being carried out) and Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat.

Four levels of accreditation have been established within the ACA programme, from the lowest to the highest level of action on an airport’s emissions: level 1 ‘inventory’; level 2 ‘reduction’; level 3 ‘optimisation’ and level 3+ ‘neutralisation’.

Currently, the airports in Alicante, Menorca and Santiago de Compostela have renewed their level 1 ‘inventory’ certification; and Madrid, Barcelona, Lanzarote and Palma de Mallorca have renewed their level 2 ‘reduction’ certification.

Level 2 accredited airports have implemented a Carbon Management Plan with measures to reduce their CO₂ emissions, which in turn forms part of the framework of Aena’s Climate Change Strategy. These measures include the Photovoltaic Plan, which will make it possible to generate 70% of the energy for self-consumption by the network starting in 2026. According to Aena, the percentage will avoid the emission of 167,000 tons of CO₂ into the atmosphere each year.

The purchase of energy from renewable sources and other actions to improve energy efficiency, together with the offsetting of the remaining emissions, will make the main Spanish airports, Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas and Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat, carbon neutral by 2030, giving them level 3+ accreditation, the highest level of the ACA. Ineco is collaborating with Aena on the preliminary studies to achieve this objective.

In practice, this accreditation indicates that the airport that has obtained it has managed to neutralise its carbon footprint, both by reducing its emissions as much as possible and by offsetting any remaining emissions. This requires investment in carbon sequestration or reduction projects.

How the carbon footprint is calculated

The carbon footprint must be calculated according to international standards. In order to obtain the ACA accreditation, emissions must be calculated using the GHG Protocol (Greenhouse Gas Protocol) methodology developed jointly in 1998 by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and the World Resources Institute (WRI), together with companies, governments, and environmental groups around the world. This methodology complies with the requirements of the UNE EN ISO 14064-1 standard, for the quantification and declaration of greenhouse gas emissions and reductions.

Emissions accounting is performed on the activities included within the organisational boundaries based on the criteria of the GHG Protocol. In the case of Aena’s airports, this refers to the activities over which it has authority to introduce and implement its operational policies.

Aena aims to make the Madrid and Barcelona airports carbon neutral by 2030, giving them the highest level accreditation: 3+

Three scopes are defined based on the limits of the organisation, the operations it carries out, and its influence on those limits.

Scope 1 includes direct emissions such as stationary combustion, mobile combustion and process emissions such as leakage of refrigerant gases from air conditioning equipment.

In this approach, direct emission sources include those for which the airport management is responsible: stationary combustion, which includes generators, portable generators, boilers and fire extinguishing service (FES) drills; mobile combustion, which includes both light and heavy vehicles belonging to the airport itself; and lastly, processes, which include emissions from possible leakage of refrigerant gases from air conditioning equipment and emissions from water treatment.

Scope 2 comprises emissions deriving from the generation of the electricity acquired and consumed by Aena at each airport.

Scope 3 includes emissions that correspond to third parties, or in other words, the remaining indirect emissions. These include, among others, the emissions produced by airline aircraft operating at the airport during the LTO cycle (landing and take-off cycle); vehicles and machinery providing handling or assistance services to passengers and aircraft; energy consumption by concessionaires, ground access and employee work travel, among others.

Once the calculations have been completed, a final carbon footprint report is generated, containing all the results, factors used, activity data, etc. According to the GHG Protocol, all data provided must be documented and calculations must be made in accordance with recognised methodologies. The report must be certified by an external entity and include proposals for improvement.

Some key questions

CARBON-FREE HORIZON: 2050. Image of the 29th Annual Congress of ACI Europe,
held in 2019 in Cyprus. / PHOTO_ACI EUROPA

• What is the carbon footprint? The carbon footprint of an organisation measures the total direct and indirect emissions of GHG (represented in carbon dioxide equivalent, CO₂e) generated by the organisation’s business activity.
• What is it for? The carbon footprint is used to measure the impact of human activities on the environment. Once an organisation’s carbon footprint has been determined, it provides data that can be used to plan steps to reduce it, making it a useful method to quantify, reduce and neutralise carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions and contribute to the mitigation of climate change.
• What are GHGs (greenhouse gases)? According to the Kyoto Protocol, greenhouse gases are: carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), which comes in 61% from agriculture and livestock, about 31% from waste and about 8% from fuel combustion; nitrous oxide (N₂O), which comes in 74% from agriculture, 16% from fossil fuel combustion and 4% from the chemical industry and wastewater management; hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), which are generated entirely by refrigeration, air conditioning and fire extinguishing equipment; perfluorocarbons (PFCs), which originate 100% from the production of aluminium and fire extinguishers; sulphur hexafluoride (SF₆), which is produced by electrical equipment; and nitrogen trifluoride (NF₃), which is generated during the manufacture of semiconductors, LCDs and photovoltaic cells. Of these, the most important is CO₂, because its contribution to the greenhouse effect is greater than that of other gases emitted directly by human activity. The tonne of CO₂-equivalent is the universal unit of measurement that takes into account the global warming potential or GWP of each of these gases.
• How are the calculations made? After the activities to be studied have been selected, and the data has been compiled and the period of time for the analysis defined –usually the calendar year immediately prior to the year being calculated– the data for each activity (for example, electricity consumption) is multiplied by its corresponding emission factor (adjusted periodically in official sources). This factor indicates the amount of CO₂ produced by the activity. The result of this formula is a certain amount (usually tonnes) of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO₂e).

Sources: Guide for calculating the carbon footprint and for drafting of improvement plans organisations (Ministry for Ecological Transition of Spain); Aena.

Focal points of wildlife attraction (water points, landfills, dovecotes, etc.), favourable habitat environments in airports and their adjacent areas, aspects related to bird migration or any other circumstances that encourage the presence and concentration of wildlife in and around airports must be properly managed to prevent conflicts with aircraft operations.

Aena, as an airport manager, implements measures at its aerodromes to monitor and control wildlife populations in order to reduce the risk of animal strikes. These are implemented in accordance with the regulations of technical guides produced by the Spanish Aviation Safety and Security Agency (AESA), in particular CERA-09-GUI-001 for the preparation of Airport Manual AUP-17-ITC-113 Preparation of wildlife and habitat studies in airport environments and CSA-14-IT-025-1.0 Special technical instruction for the drafting of airport wildlife strike risk studies.

Ineco has produced information guides describing the most common birds for Aena’s staff at the airports of El Hierro and Jerez (pictured). / PHOTO_ MIKEBERT4 (FLICKR)

Airports and heliports, in turn, manage risks by implementing the guidelines in these guides, as established by Procedure 4.12 of the Airport Manual and in the respective wildlife control programmes. The scope of use includes aerodromes covered by Commission Regulation (EU) No 139/2014 of 12 February 2014, which establishes aerodrome requirements and administrative procedures in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 216/2008 of the Parliament and of the Council, and by Royal Decree 862/2009 of 14 May, which approves the technical standards for the design and operation of aerodromes for public use and the certification and verification regulation for airports and other aerodromes for public use.

In order to manage wildlife, it is necessary to implement methodologies that provide data for understanding basic population dynamics, habitat selection and movements within the airport

Within this context, since April 2017, Ineco has provided technical assistance to Aena for the implementation and monitoring of programmes that offer different alternatives for wildlife population management at airports. The company has also drafted training documents to help staff at certain airports to identify species and improve the reporting of sightings of birds that could interfere with air operations.

Wildlife monitoring methodologies

In order to manage wildlife populations, it is essential to implement methodologies that provide data for understanding basic population dynamics, habitat selection and wildlife movements, mainly of birds, within the airport. Ineco’s technical assistance includes the implementation of methodologies for the monitoring of wildlife based on basic parameters related to abundance, density, distribution, flows and sampling of focal points of attraction in order to assess their significance in terms of potential risk of collisions with aircraft. Census methodologies for birds and mammals are currently being designed in compliance with AESA’s instructions. The idea is to carry out repeatable and comparable standardised samplings over time to enable analysis of the evolution of animal populations and determination of wildlife flows/movements that could affect operations.

Since 2017, Ineco has been providing technical assistance to Aena to implement and monitor programmes that offer different alternatives for wildlife population management at airports

The target animal groups are diverse and their significance varies depending on the airport, but they are essentially birds and mammals. Mammals may pose a risk to operations as in the case of ungulates (roe deer and wild boar) or may cause strikes because they themselves constitute focal points of attraction by representing a food source for other animals such as birds of prey. This is the case with lagomorphs –small herbivorous mammals such as hares and rabbits– a group on which work is being carried out to develop methods of monitoring and control in places with this type of problem, through standardised censuses and population control protocols.

Habitat management

To a large extent, control of wildlife at airports involves adequate habitat management. Airport habitats should be as unattractive as possible to wildlife. It is important to identify elements that attract wildlife, such as plant species that encourage nesting, feeding and shelter, the presence of roosting spaces, puddles etc. Different technical notes have also been developed regarding the application of new vegetation cover using hydroseeding or, for example, responses to airports about the suitability of the implementation of certain vegetation cover in the airport environment, analysing its suitability and proposing alternative crops that are less attractive because of reduced palatability or method of cultivation.

Monitoring and management of lagomorph populations

The presence of lagomorphs can cause various problems, from damage to infrastructure due to burrow digging to broken wiring or creating foreign object damage (FOD) due to animals being run over by vehicles or aircraft taxiing on the runway. These prey species can also themselves be a focal point of attraction for predatory species that pose a risk to operations, such as birds of prey. Standardised methodologies are currently being developed to monitor lagomorph populations where this wildlife group is identified as the protagonist of risk, and management plans are being implemented to adapt to the population dynamics of these species in order to reduce their density on the air side of airports. Other proposals include the capture of animals during periods of the year in which successful reproduction decreases, with the ultimate goal of causing a negative population trend; management of crops in airports that require it to reduce habitat suitability; management of burrows by ploughing; and new methods of capture when needed.

Ineco works on improving lagomorph monitoring and control systems at the affected airports. / PHOTO_ARTHUR CHAPMAN (FLICKR)

All large works project inevitably have an impact on the environment: vegetation, fauna, water and relief are affected by the work during the execution of the project and also later, after the infrastructure is put into operation. Ensuring the prevention, elimination, or mitigation of this impact is the objective of environmental project management, which emerged in Spanish legislation in the 1990s, along with legislation requiring environmental assessment of plans and projects.

“Participating in the entire process, from evaluation to operation, has given us a comprehensive, integrated view of the implementation and deployment of linear infrastructure. The experience gained with the Spanish high-speed railway lines has been applied to other international railway and highway projects”.
Sergio Mora, biologist and environmental engineer (Ineco)

Ineco began developing its project environmental management departments in 1999, on the Madrid-Zaragoza-French Border high-speed railway line for the Gestor de Infraestructuras Ferroviarias (GIF), which later became Adif. Since then, it has continued to work on different high-speed lines throughout Spain, with a multi-disciplinary team made up of professionals from various fields: forest engineering, forestry, environmental sciences, biology, chemistry, geology, archaeology and cultural heritage.

“It is very satisfying for all the staff who form (or have formed) part of the team, to visit the places where they have worked years later and be unable to distinguish where the landfill was or where work was done on a river that appeared impossible to restore”.
Ignacio Pandelet, technical forest engineer (Ineco)

The next section describes some of the team’s more important projects.

A DINOSAUR UNDER THE TRACKS

‘LO HUECO’ PALAEONTOLOGICAL SITE

Coordination: Pepa Ferrer, environmental engineer and Emilia de Aragón, archaeologist
Location: Madrid-Levante high-speed line (Fuentes, Cuenca)
Subject area: arqueología/paleontología
Date: 2007-2008

CHALLENGE: in 2007, earthmoving for the construction of a cut-and-cover tunnel in Fuentes (Cuenca) for the high-speed line to Levante uncovered more than 8,000 fossils from the Late Campanian-Early Maastrichtian (Late Cretaceous) (see IT47) including 23 large sauropod specimens. 80 million-year-old flora and fauna were found in the palaeochannel.

“It was undoubtedly the most interesting palaeontological site we encountered during the construction of the high-speed lines in Spain. So much so that some of the 23 dinosaurs found have been presented in different international forums”.
Pepa Ferrer and Emilia de Aragón, coordinators

SOLUTION: due to the infrastructure’s requirements, more than 60 archaeologists and palaeontologists and 40 assistants had to carry out the excavation in shifts, working day and night. An emergency excavation was done to meet the project’s tight deadlines and also protect the site, which covered more than 10,000 m².

INTENSIVE CARE

WATER MANAGEMENT AND HANDLING IN THE PAJARES TUNNELS

Coordination: David Luengo, environmental engineer biologist
Location: Pajares bypass
Subject area: wastewater management
Date: 2004-present

CHALLENGE: the excavation of the Pajares tunnels represents one of the biggest civil engineering challenges in Spain. It is also challenging in terms of the environment, since the project is located inside the Las Ubiñas-La Mesa Natural Park, a Biosphere Reserve, a brown bear habitation area, and the Peña Ubiña SCI in the Natura 2000 network.

As a result of the difficult geography and geotechnical conditions of the Cantabrian mountain range, during the tunnel excavation (twin-tube tunnel 25 km long), the volume of water generated during the excavation with the tunnel boring machines exceeded the predicted amounts. In addition, due to the environmental importance of the Huerna River where the water is discharged, the Hydrographic Confederation of Cantabria requires very strict discharge parameters. Another difficulty is the limited space and lack of definition of the construction plans to determine the placement of treatment facilities.

SOLUTION: new hydrogeological studies were carried out during the execution of the work. These indicated that the water supply inside the tunnels would be higher than initially estimated, and that extraordinary measures should be taken to protect the hydrological system, and treat the water from the tunnel excavations. The project’s environmental management department is coordinating the improvement of the original measures included in the construction project, and several industrial wastewater treatment plants (IWWTP) will be constructed, with successive expansions to treat 100% of the flow from the tunnels and ensure that the treated water discharged to the river complies with the parameters required by the Confederation in the discharge authorizations. A monitoring and analytical control program is also being implemented and coordinated to verify that effluents comply with the specified values.

RISING TO THE OCCASION

ENVIRONMENTAL INTEGRATION OF THE VIADUCT OVER THE ULLA RIVER (OURENSE-SANTIAGO LINE)

Coordination: Luis Álvarez-Pardiñas, biologist
Location: Galicia high-speed line. Ourense-Santiago Axis. Silleda (Dornelas)-Vedra-Boqueixón section
Subject area: environmental integration and restoration
Date: 2008-2011

CHALLENGE: of the 38 viaducts that were built on the high-performance axis between Ourense and Santiago, in service since 2011, the Ulla river viaduct stands above the rest. The construction of the viaduct, 117 metres high, 168 metres long and with pillars more than 90 metres high, was a major challenge, both technically and environmentally due to the high risk of erosion and the extreme difficulty of environmental integration and restoration of the area. The bridge is located in an area of high ecological value, protected as a Special Protection Zone of the Natural Values of the “Ullla-Deza River System”, whose well-conserved banks provide a magnificent example of Atlantic riverbank habitats, with alders, willows and ash trees, and a wide abundance of fish species, such as Atlantic salmon, sea lamprey, and trout living in its waters.

“The result was a model integration that received the ‘Aqueduct of Segovia’ award for the high level of environmental protection achieved during its construction, among other achievements”.
Luis Álvarez-Pardiñas, coordinator

SOLUTION: the Ineco team coordinated all the preventive, protective and corrective measures established in the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) in regard to earthworks, occupation of space, construction waste, noise and impact on vegetation, and general actions to protect the historical and cultural heritage, before, during and after the viaduct work, in addition to the final replanting and landscape restoration work.

BETWEEN THE RIVER AND THE MOUNTAINS

RENOVATION OF THE RONDA-ALGECIRAS TRACK

Coordination: Iñaki G. Seoane, mountain engineer
Location: Ronda-Algeciras railway line
Subject area: impact on protected natural areas
Date: 2009-2010

CHALLENGE: the railway line between Ronda and Algeciras is a conventional line that is strategically important for freight transport in Spain as it provides the only rail outlet from the country’s largest port in Algeciras. It is also unique from the environmental point of view, as it crosses steep and mountainous terrain, enclosed in the canyon of the Guadiaro River, passing through the Natural Parks of Sierra de Grazalema and Los Alcornocales. The renovation work therefore had to be carried out as quickly as possible, but at the same time, had to be compatible with the environmental protection of these valuable natural spaces. Numerous protected species, such as the imperial eagle (Aquila adalberti), vulture (Neophron percnopterus), griffon vulture (Gyps fulvus) and mountain goat (Capra pyrenaica) are native to the area.

“The biggest challenge was working with the platform access limitations associated with the geography in the vicinity of the Guadiaro River and the restrictions of the Natural Parks through which the track passes. Coordination between the people in charge of these spaces and the project managers was essential to avoid irreparable impacts on the environment”.
Iñaki García Seoane, coordinator

SOLUTION: the management of both natural parks was involved in the handling and resolution of incidents and incompatibilities between the use of the land and the works. Biological stoppages, the location of auxiliary facilities and accesses were defined based on the actual data on the species present and the needs of the agencies responsible for the parks. Railway service was shut down during most of the work, which affected freight transport, but allowed compliance with the EIS.

ON DANGEROUS GROUND

MANAGEMENT OF CONTAMINATED SOIL FROM THE PLOTS OF THE NEW HIGH-SPEED STATION IN MEDINA DEL CAMPO

Coordination: Sergio Mora Alonso, biologist and environmental engineer
Location: Medina del Campo, Madrid-Galicia high-speed line
Subject area: waste management
Date: 2015-2016

CHALLENGE: during the initial phase of the works, the area chosen for the station was found to be contaminated by illegally-dumped debris. According to the official documentation pertaining to this land, the expropriated plots were involved in sanctions proceedings as a result of the dumping of hazardous wastes containing mercury (Hg) prior to the work. In addition, to make matters worse, large areas with fibre-cement sheets containing asbestos were also discovered. Asbestos is a fibrous mineral that was widely used for many years in construction for its high flame-retardant and insulating properties. It was later found to be highly carcinogenic through the inhalation of the fibres.

“Once the surplus earth containing mercury or asbestos had been identified and classified, it was taken to safe dump sites, controlled or inert landfills, by an authorized waste management company”.
Sergio Mora, coordinator

SOLUTION: the biggest challenge was to adequately classify and manage the surplus earth coming from the works, to ensure proper traceability and separation of the soil based on hazard levels, and also, to make this work compatible with the current work plan. The problem was approached with caution, carrying out representative analyses of the affected area to detect the possible presence of both mercury and asbestos.

DETONATING FACTOR

Contamination caused by the use of ANFO for blasting

Coordination: Esther Izquierdo, biologist / Enrique Martínez Agüera, forest engineer
Location: La Canda tunnels, (Ourense)
Subject area: water quality management
Date: 2014

CHALLENGE: during the excavation of the railway tunnel (see IT53), blasting of rocky terrain was required to loosen the rock and facilitate drilling. One of the explosives used in this process was ANFO, an explosive that combines ammonium nitrate and petroleum-derived fuel oil. It was discovered that the traces of this toxic compound would eventually end up in the waters of nearby rivers, posing a risk for both aquatic wildlife and humans.

SOLUTION: the first step was to inform and educate all workers in order to avoid unnecessary dumping on the land that would eventually reach the waterways. They also began to use cartridge (instead of granular) explosives to facilitate handling. Water monitoring and treatment measures were strengthened, and aerators were installed in the settling ponds, in order to promote denitrification and removal of ammonium ions from the water.

SAFE GARDENS

RESTORATION OF AGRICULTURAL LAND IN THE AGRICULTURAL PARK OF CATALONIA

Coordination: Martí Segret, environmental engineer
Location: Madrid-Zaragoza-Barcelona-French Border high-speed line (Sant Boi and El Prat de Llobregat, Barcelona)
Subject area: landscape integration and restoration of agricultural land
Date: 2006-2008

CHALLENGE: the Baix Llobregat is one of Catalonia’s oldest and most fertile agricultural areas, with a climate that is well-suited for vegetable cultivation, outdoor fruit trees and protected crops, particularly in the delta and lower river basin of the Llobregat River. The construction of a 1,740 metre underground section as part of a cut-and-cover tunnel affected this agricultural area with its significant cultural, economic and ecological value: the Agricultural Park of Baix Llobregat.

“The agricultural land was restored by spreading and levelling layers of sand, silt and topsoil taken previously from the farmlands themselves”.
Martí Segret, coordinator

SOLUTION: the work consisted of levelling the ground with sand and conditioning to the surface level of the ground with two layers of assimilable silts and topsoil, previously taken from the property affected by the track.

GETTING BACK ON TRACK

ECOLOGICAL AND LANDSCAPE INTEGRATION ALONG THE LLOBREGAT RIVER AND THE SURROUNDING AREA

Coordination: Rubén Segura, biologist
Location: Madrid-Barcelona-French Border high-speed line
Subject area: landscape integration–corrective /compensatory measures
Date: 2003-2010

CHALLENGE: the construction of the platforms for the Papiol-Sant Vicenç dels Horts and Sant Vicenç dels Horts-Santa Coloma de Cervella sections of the high-speed line affected the area surrounding the Llobregat River. Both the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and local regulations required that the necessary measures be taken.

“Some of the more important actions carried out included the naturalization of the rockfill riverbank protection, the expansion of the Aiguamolls of Molins de Rei, the construction of fish ladders and other actions, such as the construction of access roads and a riverbank road”.
Rubén Segura, coordinator

SOLUTION: one of the more important actions carried out was the naturalization of the rockfill protection along the banks of the river by adding topsoil followed by revegetation with hydroseeding and planting, the expansion of the Aiguamolls (wetlands) of Molins de Rei and the construction of fish ladders. In addition, works were undertaken to maintain and enhance the river’s morpho-hydrodynamic conditions, as well as others aimed at ensuring longitudinal connectivity, such as the construction of access roads and a road along the riverbank.

ROCK-SOLID STABILITY

WATERPROOFING AND REVEGETATION OF EXCAVATED EMBANKMENTS WITH GEOTEXTILE AND GEOCELLS

Coordination: Javier Cáceres Martín, biologist
Location: Córdoba-Málaga high-speed line; Puente Genil and Herrera
Subject area: stability and revegetation on embankments for line infrastructure
Date: 2006

CHALLENGE: in one of the hillside clearings for the Cordoba-Malaga high-speed line, near the towns of Puente Genil and Herrera, the clayey slopes were in danger of collapsing. It was essential to avoid the gradual deterioration of the slope, which could generate risks for the railroad traffic and high costs during the maintenance.

“In addition to the stabilization of the entire slope, a three-layer coating was installed every 200 metres: a waterproofing bentonite sheet, and over that, two geotextile support elements to secure a middle layer of sodium bentonite”.
Javier Cáceres, coordinator

SOLUTION: in addition to stabilizing the entire slope, a three-layer coating was installed every 200 metres: a waterproofing bentonite sheet, and over that, two geotextile support elements to secure a middle layer of sodium bentonite. A polyester voided geocomposite structure 10 cm thick was then laid over that, with the hexagonal cells filled with topsoil. This made it possible to carry out the planned hydroseeding treatment to ensure the germination and maintenance of the vegetation.

Ineco has participated in the United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development, Habitat III, which took place in Quito (Ecuador) from 17-20 October 2016. This event, which is held every 20 years, brings together the greatest authorities from almost 135 countries to lay the foundations for the urban development agenda. Among the event’s activities, the former subsecretary of the Spanish Ministry of Public Works, Mario Garcés, and the president, Jesús Silva, participated in a conference entitled Crises as an Opportunity to rethink urban and housing policies, in which Silva underlined the importance of planning and mobility as pillars of sustainable urban development.

The company also participated in two presentations at BIMEXPO, which was held in Madrid last October. The aim of the event is to evaluate the solutions, services and knowledge industry for the professionals involved in the use of BIM (Building Information Modelling) in the design, planning, construction and maintenance process. Ineco is the coordinator of es.BIM, a commission established by the Spanish Ministry of Public Works for the implementation of BMI methodology in Spain.

Ineco was also present as a co-exhibitor at the Microsoft pavilion in the Smart City Expo World Congress, held in Barcelona last November. At the exhibition, Ineco presented the new CityNECO platform and its solutions for mobility, real-time traffic data collection and car-park reserve management.

Ineco also took part in the 2nd International Conference, organised annually by the PPP for Cities forum and held in parallel with the Smart City Expo.

The study, commissioned by the Metropolitan Environment Secretary of the Mayoralty of Quito and financed by the Development Bank of Latin America (CAF), aims to meet the local needs to manage the approximately 2,000 tonnes a day of waste with a high level of organic material produced in the city. The Government and local authorities have taken various actions to ensure integrated waste management under the concept of ‘Zero Waste’, based on managing efficiently, effectively and innovatively the processes of generation, collection, use and final disposal.

With this programme, Quito wishes to transform the management of the waste generated by the more than 2.5 million inhabitants of its Metropolitan District (DMQ), which is the most populated area in the country. For this, the Environment Secretary has drawn up a strategy to reduce the total amount of waste currently taken to the city’s landfill site by 10% by 2025.  This landfill site, referred to as ‘El Inga’, is approaching its capacity limit and will soon no longer be able to hold all the waste produced, hence the need for an imminent solution to the problem.  Among the plans laid out are ‘containerisation’ of waste (a technique consisting in mechanisation and automation achieved using containers), construction of sorting and treatment plants, and the implementation of citizen-oriented awareness-raising campaigns on recycling and waste reduction.

The city government has entrusted Ineco with leading the drawing up of the master plan

To deliver these plans, the municipal government has commissioned Ineco to lead the Master Plan for Comprehensive Waste Management for Quito for 2016-2025, which it has carried out in collaboration with Tragsatec, also a Spanish company. The main aim of this environmental consultancy has been to set out a realistic, economically sustainable waste management system that is flexible in its organisation and supported by a new, stronger legislative framework. The plan is a comprehensive update of that developed in 2012. Some of its main targets are: to increase mechanised collection by 40%, to boost new alternative models for handling waste by 60% by 2019, and to reduce production of solid waste per capita by 5% by 2025, the target date set for the plan.

The document defines management models for different types of waste: domestic, special (including demolition and construction), dangerous (including sanitary) and industrial. It also includes an economic and financial analysis, a proposal for organisational remodelling and a proposal for the legislative framework that regulates the provision of public ‘containerisation’, transport, and waste treatment and disposal services, as well as the activity of private agents.

Diagnosis of the current situation

The city of Quito’s current waste management system is insufficient to cope with current demand, therefore it is necessary to expand services and facilities for proper waste collection and treatment. Such is the case of containers, mobile means or specific treatment centres. Regarding waste from construction and demolition (debris), citizens do not have enough disposal sites for debris arising from small projects or domestic refurbishment.

Additionally, the use of illegal tips persists, and current tips do not have sufficient capacity in the medium term.  To the practical aspects such as the lack of freight lorries and sorting containers we might add citizens’ lack of awareness of how to sort waste at the source: with the lack of a recycling culture, citizens and companies dispose of waste in unsuitable places or give it over to unauthorised agents.

Local authorities are aware that, in order to make the necessary means available to citizens, it is vital to establish in parallel a new organisational and legislative system that protects the most disadvantaged, defines land use and establishes the obligations and functions of the agents involved.

Environmental regeneration in Quito

The plan put together is an ambitious environmental project spanning several aspects of great importance: from citizens’ education and awareness raising  –a fundamental aspect in any initiative towards sustainability– through acquisition of plants and recycling systems or the construction of an incinerator for deceased urban wildlife, to the elimination of all illegal tips and construction of new clean points and treatment centres.

The aim is to be able to serve 98% of the population with waste collection services by 2025

Among the 48 action lines planned are included: building a treatment plant for organic matter to obtain compost, an anaerobic digestion plant for organic matter to obtain biogas, and four manual plants for the sorting and classification of recyclables for their subsequent treatment; and all adhering to social inclusion principles.

Achieving the ‘Zero Waste’ targets also means changing the culture, which will require active participation from politicians, public sector workers, public and private employers, and all citizens. In drawing up the comprehensive management model, Ineco’s experts have taken into account current and future types of waste, so as to determine their components and establish the policies to pursue with each of them. The aim is to be able to serve 98% of the population with waste collection services by 2025.

For the plan to succeed, the Metropolitan District of Quito (DMQ)’s recruitment policy will include standards promoting the use of products manufactured using recycled and/or reused materials, such that there will be new legislation in 2018. The economic sustainability of the waste management system will require a system of taxes and cost allocation that pays heed to the various strata of buying power.

How did the ‘Cero Basura’ programme arise?

Climate change, greenhouse gas emissions, excessive exploitation of resources, growth in consumption and waste generation demanded that we think about new avenues to explore.

The project comprises an ensemble of simple actions to ensure that the negative impact on the environment of our day-to-day activities is reduced. The end goal is the reduction and exploitation of resources based on a circular economy for resources: waste generation is reduced and waste is exploited to the maximum in the form of materials and energy.

How have companies and industries reacted to the plan?

The aforementioned unceasing changes are our driving force to promote and integrate environmental action into companies, which can make them more competitive and derive many advantages. Environmental policies, such as this expanded responsibility to which companies must adapt, will boost product sustainability at all stages of the production chain in a positive way. It is also important to note that companies, education institutions and other representatives of the public-private sector have taken part in the construction of the Master Plan, contributing a great deal and getting involved in meeting this target.

Recently you promoted the recovery of recyclable waste at the wholesale market in Quito. How was this experience?

The Environmental Department of Quito’s commitment was to involve traders, zonal administration and recyclers in a joint project that is enjoying success thanks to the participation of everyone. At the moment, 2.1 tonnes a month are recovered from the wholesale market. This is a goal and commitment for everyone to reactivate the economy of many families exploiting waste and looking after the planet using environmental best practices.

With the new plan, will the 2,000 tonnes of waste a day increase, decrease or remain the same?

The Master Plan for Comprehensive Waste Management coincides with the Metropolitan Plan for Development and Land Management 2015-2025, which plans for waste in production to be reduced by 5% per capita as a minimum by 2025 as compared with the production per capita for 2014. This figure, when compared and calculated alongside the annual growth rate of the metropolitan district, suggests that waste generation will increase over the upcoming years from 2,040 tonnes to 2,340 tonnes.

Comprehensive Management in the DMQ seeks for waste disposal to transition towards the circular economy or management of resources, in which waste is exploited to the maximum in the form of materials or energy for non-recoverable materials. Recyclable products and common waste are collected selectively in modern treatment facilities, sorted and explote.

Recyclable waste will go from 12% in 2014 to 22% in 2025, including recovery of recyclable material from the ET-Sur sorting plant. 19 neighbourhoods of Quito and 300 environmental agents will benefit from this increase.

Apart from laws, what is needed for citizens to collaborate in waste management?

Our waste management policy is to ensure integrated waste management under the ‘Cero Basura’ concept and the circular economy, with the focus on participation, co-responsibility of citizens and environmental and social responsibility. But above and beyond citizen obligations and ordinances, we have got directly involved in the community, neighbourhoods, companies, education institutions and other actors in society to raise their awareness and create environmental best practices. Fundamental to this process have been our education campaigns, whose protagonist is anyone who recycles and sorts their waste.

Waste reduction is based on a circular economy of resources

You have initiated several awareness raising campaigns and even a “tour of waste”. Is the public welcoming these initiatives?

More and more, comprehensive waste management requires tools in the value chain (generation prevention, sorting at source and collection, exploitation and treatment, until eventual disposal). The “tour of waste” was a pilot project to include and demonstrate all these processes. We have provided added value including mechanised collection, cutting-edge technology and open days for the media and the general public to visit the Quito landfill site.

We are delighted by the approval the tour has enjoyed in the press and especially among university students, who are surprised that in this city waste can end up as water and be a new source of energy. This motivates us to keep working and help other municipalities in the country in the same way.

It started years ago with work on projects in marginal neighbourhoods of Quito. Have you planned any special actions to reduce and manage waste in the most deprived and vulnerable areas?

The DMQ currently has 96.5% cover for waste collection. We are working every day to achieve our target, which is to reach all neighbourhoods in Quito.

The UN has chosen Quito to host the Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development (Habitat III) in October 2016. What agreements would you like to see there for sustainable urban development?

On those dates –17th to 20th October 2016– the city will bear witness to renewed vigour behind the global commitment to sustainable development and the setting out of a New Urban Agenda, which it is hoped will have a direct impact on urban policy on national, state and municipal levels. Quito has been chosen as the backdrop for numerous activities regarding the various central topics of the conference, in which all will be able to share experiences and responsible proposals aimed at creating safe, resilient, sustainable cities. This leads us to think about a city with integrated solid waste management, with new concepts such as that of ‘Cero Basura’, a commitment that should be extended to all other cities.

Isn’t reducing consumption in consumer societies a contradiction in terms?

It is a great challenge, which cannot be overcome overnight. Changing the consumer’s mindset and consumer culture will help to compare and choose products that are the greatest friends of the environment. Choosing by their origin, suitable packaging and sustainable manufacture will bring industrial change to companies, focusing on eco-designs, secondary resources and clean production.

Education is the key to sustainability. This is why we work daily to ensure more people find out somehow about our work, with consistent campaigns to care for the planet.

It has been said that there is healthy competition among large cities to be the first to be named among the most sustainable. Is this the case?

Clearly there is competition among major cities in terms of their local sustainability activities, and this can be seen not only from official recognition of various initiatives (such as the WWF City Challenge, the C40 City Climate Awards or the Siemens Green City Index), but also from the benefits this brings to their local governments and, most importantly, to their citizens. Recognition as a sustainable city can gain a city more attention from external investors, as well as providing international standing or cooperation on sustainability; it can generate opportunities for the city as a tourist destination as well as leadership and international positioning that open various doors for integration and exchange of experience.

Quito has not only been recognised as the most sustainable city in Ecuador, but was also selected as one of the 17 world finalists for the most sustainable city in the world award, conferred by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).

Close your eyes. How do you envision the Quito city you hope to achieve with this project?

I dream of – and believe it is possible to achieve – an environmentally responsible city, a time when its growth is in keeping with the natural, rational limit of its ecosystems on land and in the water; a city that thinks about and plans its territory keeping in mind its environmental assets and, as such, minimises the negative impacts of pollution; which preserves and uses in a sustainable way its natural resources and biodiversity, reducing risk; and is resilient to the effects of climate change. Its functioning is based on alternative energies and its mobility motivates citizens to use public spaces, generating collective wellbeing and quality of life for its citizens.

Ineco has completed the Master Plan for Comprehensive Waste Management and the legal framework for the Municipality of Quito, the subject of this edition’s cover story (see report). Quito City Council commissioned Ineco to conduct the study, financed by the Development Bank of Latin America (CAF), which aims to meet the local needs to manage the nearly 2,000 tonnes of waste produced daily in the city.

In the image, Juan del Campo, Ineco project manager; Verónica Arias, secretary of Environment for Quito City Council (see interview) and Constanza Calderón (CAF sub representative in Ecuador).

In April, Augusto Arosemena, Panama’s minister of Trade and Industry visited Ineco’s corporate headquarters. The minister attended along with a representation of Panamanian business leaders and members of the Panamanian government, who visited Spain in order to attend Panama Invest Madrid 2016. Augusto Arosemena was accompanied through the new corporate showroom by Jesús Silva, president of Ineco, Ana Rojo, Engineering and Services managing director, and Ignacio Fernández-Cuenca, Corporate managing director.

Ineco is currently developing the National Collection and Treatment of Waste Plan 2016-2026, which will define the measures necessary to resolve the problems of waste management in the Central American country. Between 2009 and 2010, the company was responsible for defining the strategic plan for the airport development of the country.