Smaller carbon footprint for M6 Link Road

Costain is working with supply chain partner Lafarge Tarmac to reduce the carbon footprint of the construction of the Heysham to M6 link road in Lancashire.

The project, which will connect Heysham and Morecambe to a new Junction 34 of the M6, includes a 4.8km dual carriageway with a combined footway and cycleway along its entire route.

Lafarge Tarmac is supplying Costain with key materials such as aggregate, ready-mix concrete and asphalt. It is reporting its CO2e (CO2 equivalent) figures for all materials supplied to the project, with the aim of reducing their embodied carbon emissions by 20 per cent.

Said Andrew Langley, Costain Project Director: “Both Costain and Lafarge Tarmac have identified climate change as a key feature of their sustainability strategies. This project is a great example of the benefits and cost savings that can be achieved.

“As part of this contract, Lafarge Tarmac’s Sustainability Department provides us with a monthly ‘carbon tracking service’. This captures carbon data that shows both waste reduction and environmental benefits. It also shows the significant cost savings that result from reducing the carbon footprint of materials.

“Additionally, getting our aggregates, concrete and asphalt in a single supply package means we have managed to ensure zero mineral wastage of produced materials. We have also benefitted from the supply quarry being located just five miles from the project, leading to further carbon and cost saving benefits.”