Week of 3 June
1. Flower art at PALLAS (The Netherlands)
Isn’t the picture below of a tulip field next to the PALLAS site in Petten really cool? Our colleagues at the Pallas construction site are working next to a true work of art! It’s also a really good shot of the foundation works carried out by Franki Grondtechnieken from a pontoon.
The excavation work for the construction pit of the PALLAS reactor building has been underway since early 2023. A collaborative effort between Franki Grondtechnieken and BESIX Nederland, the foundation works are expected to be completed by the end of 2024, paving the way for the next phase: the reactor’s actual construction.
The Petten Dunes in North Holland have been home to a nuclear reactor dedicated to researching and producing medical isotopes since the 1960s. The reactor is now 60 years old, posing a risk of shutdown that could disrupt medical treatment for thousands of patients. To address this, PALLAS has initiated the construction of a new reactor in Petten, ensuring a reliable supply of medical isotopes for the 30,000 patients who depend on them every day.
2. Procurement Sustainability Workshop on alternatives to cement and concrete (Belgium)
As part of its sustainability roadmap, Procurement organised a workshop on May 21 with the theme “What are the alternatives to cement and concrete in construction?”, in the offices of the HOUSE OF CODESIGN in Jette. HOUSE OF CODESIGN is one of Procurement’s external partners which supported them in organising and running the workshop.
The day was an opportunity to brainstorm between different BESIX Departments like Tendering, Engineering, Operations, QHSE, and Procurement), customers (like BESIX RED), and suppliers on sustainable alternatives for cement and concrete which are the main contributor of greenhouse gas emissions of scope 3. Suppliers that brought their precious insight were among others BuildUp, one of BESIX Technology’s start-ups specialised in offsite steel construction and energetic renovation, HOFFMANN, which produces cement without clinker, WIEHAG, a specialist in timber engineering and construction, and BC Materials, a company which produces clay-based concrete blocks.
The input collected during the workshop will help the Procurement team shape its next actions across 2024 with its internal stakeholders and suppliers.
3. F Tower rising high (Ivory Coast)
The F Tower has reached 200 metres, about half its total height. Work started in July 2021 with structural work based on existing foundations. The BESIX team has progressed to level 50 with the tower’s core, while floor construction has reached level 46. Encouraging progress indicates that structural work is slated for completion of the core by the end of 2024, with the tower soaring to a height of 333 metres across 74 levels. Overall, the tower will stand at 421 metres, including the spire.
At the initiative of the Ivorian Ministry of Construction, Housing, and Urban Development, in partnership with PFO Construction, the project's developer, BESIX is actively involved in erecting the F Tower in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. BESIX is responsible for both structural works and site management.
4. Junior sailors meet the captain of the ship (Belgium)
On 20 October 2023, the BESIX Young Community from Belgium held their BYC Party with 100 young colleagues attending. To make the evening even more memorable, the attendees were challenged to take the best team picture in the photo booth and vote for their favourite. The winners of this competition and some lucky colleagues who won in the prize draw had the opportunity to ‘meet & greet’ with BESIX Group’s CEO, Pierre Sironval. Last Monday, nine of our young colleagues could enjoy lunch together. The discussion covered BESIX’s strategy, innovation, company culture, professional development, and the impact of emerging technologies in our industry.
The BESIX Young Community, or BYC, brings together BESIX employees under the age of 37, through the organisation of activities aimed at creating a network and a community. Such communities exist in several countries where the group is active.
And then this… Cycling for the fight against cancer (Belgium)
This year again BESIX participated in the 1,000 km race for ‘Kom Op Tegen Kanker’ (= ‘Fight against cancer’). In a period of four days, from 9 to 12 May, two BESIX teams of 8 colleagues each cycled a total of 1,000 km, 8 loops of 125 km each done by a member of the team in turns! The participants organised several activities to raise the fee to participate in this unique cycling event for the much-needed cancer research, also with sponsoring from the BESIX Engineering and BESIX Europe departments.
