01st Mar 2010 - Motherwell Bridge secures multi-million pound storage tank contract

Motherwell Bridge, the Lanarkshire-based engineering contractor, has secured a multi-million pound contract and announced that it is to create a new division to capitalise on opportunities in the emerging anaerobic digestion (AD) sector.

The company's Bulk Storage division will design and build two storage tanks for INEOS, the world's third largest chemicals group. The 31 and 35 metre diameter floating and fixed roof storage tanks will be installed at INEOS's Grangemouth refinery, with the largest having a capacity of 9,600 cubic metres.

Motherwell Bridge formed the Bulk Storage division, which has a strong focus on the AD sector, after amalgamating its existing storage tank and gasholder subsidiaries. AD is the process of converting organic matter into biogas which can be used to generate electricity.

Russell Ward, chief operating officer of Motherwell Bridge, said, "AD has emerged as one of Europe's fastest growing renewable energy sectors and the UK government, via its recent "Anaerobic Digestion - Shared Goals" report, has outlined its commitment to making greater use of AD technologies to generate electricity.

"There will be increasing pressure on companies to adopt AD technologies and given our extensive experience in gas storage systems and storage tank design, we are well placed to take advantage of the numerous opportunities that lie ahead, particularly when we combine it with our Materials Handling and Process Engineering division to offer a complete engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) turnkey solution.

"It's for this reason that we've made a number of structural changes and established our  Bulk Storage division which is a significant part of the Motherwell Bridge group."