Week of 28 February
1. Excel in creating sustainable solutions for salmon farming (UAE & Belgium)
Traditional salmon production is an industry that has often been heavily criticised. However, this sector is also beginning to make efforts to become more virtuous, particularly in terms of sustainability and animal welfare. BESIX is participating in this change through pioneering projects. In Abu Dhabi, BESIX has officially entered into a partnership with Tech Group and Ocean Harvest to provide key technical expertise in the fields of civil engineering and water treatment processes, as well as project structuring and financial advisory support, for a high-tech land-based salmon farm. The project's primary objectives are animal welfare, elimination of wastewater discharges, protection of ecological systems, and reduction of carbon dioxide emissions. This is also the case in Belgium, where BESIX has entered into an Early Contractor Involvement in 2021 with a leading Norwegian company for the development of high quality land-based facilities, maximising animal welfare and minimising the environmental footprint of salmon farming. A final contract could be signed in 2022. In short, we strive to excel in creating sustainable solutions for salmon farming!
2. The state-of-the-art renovation of the Annie Cordy tunnel (Belgium)
This is the longest tunnel in Belgium, an underground structure of 2.6 km in the heart of Brussels. BESIX and its partners delivered the completely renovated tunnel on 28 February. It was a complex project. Our teams worked exclusively at night, leaving room for daytime traffic between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. Notable exception: during the months of July and August, which correspond to the school holidays, and during the first lockdown, our teams worked day and night. The tunnel’s surroundings are also complex, as the tunnel crosses a metro line, the city's sewage system, a water table, passes under a canal, boulevards and a listed park. Digital technologies used during the renovation process are also worth discovering (more information here and here). Our teams have excelled: congratulations to all colleagues who have contributed over the past few years. And it's not over yet, as we are also responsible for the maintenance of the tunnel for the next 25 years!
3. The structure of the Zayed National Museum (UAE)
Do not share the images below externally, in particular on social networks!
The Six Construct team in charge of the construction of the Zayed National Museum shared with us the impressive pictures below. They show parts of the structure of this architectural gem designed by Foster + Partners. To give a better idea of the final building, we also share the architectural render. The construction of the building was 30% carried out by Arabtec before it went bankrupt and was therefore taken over by Six Construct and its partner Trojan in 2021. We wish our colleagues all the best in the realisation of this extremely complex project.
4. United... in person!
The BESIX Group Annual Meeting took place in Brussels last week. This is the first time in 3 years that this traditional group event could be organised in person again, thanks to the downturn in the Covid-19 pandemic.
The event brought together the members of the Executive Committee and a group of senior managers, e.g. the directors of the group's entities, the heads of departments, some country managers, etc. The Annual Meeting is an opportunity to bring all these colleagues together to discuss the Group's main strategic directions, share the successes and lessons of the past year, to discuss and foster meaningful contacts.
As for the presentations made this year, in addition to those of the Executive Committee members and those on the traditional themes of safety or finance, the stage was made available for part of the day to young colleagues who came to present the progress and challenges on their projects. Presentations and videos used during the event will shortly be shared with the participants so that they can cascade the information to their teams.
