PowerCrete is a specialist heat-conducting concrete developed as a bedding and infill material for use in the energy sector. It enhances heat dissipation to maximise the power capacity of underground cables, its manufacturer claims.
Heidelberg Materials supplied 242 cubic metres of PowerCrete from its Glasgow concrete plant with delivery windows dictated by tidal conditions.
Inch Cape is set to be one of Scotland鈥檚 largest offshore wind farms and is expected to generate enough energy to power 1.6 million homes when it becomes fully operational after 2027.
It will have 72 turbines that are planted 15km off the Angus coast. The power generated will be transported 85km to a new onshore substation at Cockenzie in East Lothian before connecting to the National Grid.
Running power cables underground generates heat and, as the temperature rises, so does the resistance, resulting in capacity loss. Using PowerCrete as a bedding material and infill material at the landfall site, enhances heat dissipation to maximise the power capacity of the underground cables.
Heidelberg Materials (formerly Hanson UK) supplied 242 cubic metres of PowerCrete from its Glasgow concrete plant. Tidal conditions dictated delivery windows and coordinating the timed pours required collaboration between the operations and distribution teams.
Main contractor for the project was Belfast-based Charles Brand, whose commercial manager Michael Kelly said: 鈥淧owerCrete was exactly what we needed for Inch Cape and handled the technical demands of the cable installation really well.
鈥淭he tidal schedule added some complexity but the Heidelberg Materials team coordinated deliveries seamlessly. It鈥檚 reassuring to work with a supplier who truly understands site pressures and partners with you to deliver.鈥�
Heidelberg Materials UK area general manager Robert Grant added: 鈥淭his was a great example of how close coordination between our plant, logistics, and site teams can make a real difference. PowerCrete is a specialist product, and getting it to site on time 鈥� especially with tidal constraints 鈥� meant we had to be really sharp on planning and communication. The team at Charles Brand were excellent to work with, and together we kept everything moving smoothly. It鈥檚 always rewarding to see our products play a part in such a significant renewable energy project."
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