R&D. Let s invent the future

Transcription

1 R&D Let s invent the future

2 contents ACCIONA, pioneers in development and sustainability 04. ACCIONA a. Sustainability creates value b. International presence c. Innovation 10. ACCIONA 12. Technological Centre of Madrid ACCIONA is a major Spanish business corporation, a leader in the development and management of infrastructure, renewable energy, water and services. It has a century of experience and employs over 30,000 professionals, is present in over 30 countries on five continents and in 2011 achieved sales of million euros. The company is listed in the select IBEX 35 index (Spanish Exchange Index), and is a reference point on the market. Its status as a pioneer in sustainable development demonstrates its ability to respond to the challenge of achieving sustainable development through all its areas of activity. More specifically, ACCIONA has committed to gradually reducing its carbon footprint, thus spearheading the transition to a low-carbon economy. Consequently, in 2011, ACCIONA reduced its emissions by 11.7 million tons of CO a. Composite material structures b. Railways c. Underground and maritime works 20. Materials a. Road surfaces and concretes b. Environment and Cutting-edge materials 24. Ecoefficiency 26. New technologies ACCIONA s strategy is built on the principles of sustainability and social welfare, as key factors for economic growth, ecological balance and social progress. This commitment has been acknowledged through the company s inclusion in renowned sustainability indexes such as the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index (DJSI World) and the Dow Jones STOXX Sustainability Index (DJSI STOXX), where it has achieved the highest rating in its sector. In 2012, it reached number 37 the first Spanish company to do so in the Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World ranking, which is compiled by Corporate Knights. ACCIONA s commitment to innovation has been strengthened through more investments, projects, programs and human resources, which underscore the Company s goal to continue to lead the way in the development of sustainable solutions and alternatives.

3 4 // 5 R&D ACCIONA Sustainability creates value ACCIONA is a major Spanish corporation with operations in infrastructure, energy, water and services across five continents. The Company s strategy is based on two main concepts: sustainability and social welfare, as key factors for economic growth, ecological balance and social progress. ACCIONA has a workforce of about 30,000 employees and in 2012 its sales amounted to million euros. ACCIONA s success is based on its unique capabilities, meaning not only its capacity for innovation, but also the commitment and expertise of its employees, as well as its ability to design high-value solutions to complex problems within the world of energy, infrastructure and water an ability reflected in its sales history and outstanding credentials. Our goal is to be able to respond to the challenge of achieving sustainable development across all our areas of activity, so that current and future generations are able to enjoy a better life ACCIONA Puente del Matadero (Matadero Bridge) Madrid Río project, Madrid, Spain

4 CANADA GERMANY THE NEDERLANDS SWEDEN 6 // 7 R&D ACCIONA BELGIUM POLAND International Presence USA MEXICO Energy Water CANADA COSTA RICA Real Estate Services USA MEXICO PANAMA COLOMBIA ECUADOR PERU CHILE COSTA RICA REPUBLIC DOMINICAN PANAMA COLOMBIA PERU CHILE SPAIN PORTUGAL VENEZUELA MOROCCO REPUBLIC DOMINICAN UK THE NEDERLANDS CAPE VERDE SPAIN PORTUGAL BRAZIL VENEZUELA GABON ALGERIA MOROCCO BRAZIL BELGIUM UK ITALY CAPE VERDE GABON GERMANY CROATIA UAE SWEDEN SAUDI ARABIA POLAND ALGERIA HUNGAY ROMANIA GREECE S. AFRICA ITALY QATAR HUNGAY ROMANIA CROATIA GREECE S. AFRICA QATAR UAE SAUDI ARABIA INDIA ECUADOR Energy Water Real State Services SOUTH KOREA AUSTRALIA SOUTH KOREA INDIA AUSTRALIA Our mission is to be leaders in the development, enhancement and management of infrastructure, energy and water by actively contributing to social welfare and sustainable development, as well as generating value for our stakeholders Energy Water Real State Services

5 8 // 9 R&D ACCIONA Innovation In a globalized and competitive world where sustainable development is fundamental, innovation and its use in development, business operations and processes is closely associated with value creation. Acknowledging this new reality, ACCIONA sees innovation as the main source of growth for the company, both nationally and abroad. Innovation at ACCIONA integrates the research and work of three different technology centers. The Pamplona Technology Centre focuses on renewable energies; the Barcelona Technology Center conducts research on water management technologies; and the Madrid Technology Center is a leader when it comes to technological developments in infrastructure, transportation and environmental technologies. 500M worth of investments in R&D during Over 300 professionals employed at our Technology Centers ACCIONA

6 10 // 11 R&D ACCIONA INFRASTRUCTURE ACCIONA Building a better world ACCIONA focuses its activity on two main sectors: civil engineering and construction. We cover all aspects of construction, from engineering, to execution and postconstruction maintenance. ACCIONA has extensive experience in the public and private sectors, transportation, civil works, hospitals, airports, maritime works and electrical installations. Here we must also mention the work of ACCIONA Concessions, which manages infrastructure concessions in Spain and throughout the world, and specifically the concessions of transportation infrastructure (roads, highways, railways or ports) and social infrastructure, including most notably concessions of hospital services and schools. Pioneers in concession agreements, development and infrastructure management. Design and engineering, financing, construction, operation and maintenance Tenerife Auditorium by Santiago Calatrava Tenerife, Spain

7 12 // 13 R&D Madrid Technology Center Madrid Technology Center Seeking sustainable infrastructures The Technological Innovation Department was founded in 1992, with the goal of improving the construction processes of ACCIONA. In 2007, the Technology Center is built at its current location. This center occupies a 3,500 m 2 area and includes 14 laboratories equipped with the latest technologies. Moreover, it also boasts two production facilities of its own, taking up an additional area of 2,500 m 2. Research is conducted in four main areas: Materials Energy Efficiency ICT, Automation and 3D Visualization Furthermore, the Technology Center has a team of construction professionals responsible for disseminating the results of the research and implementing the findings in the works of ACCIONA. The implementation stage constitutes the link between the researchers and the construction works. The Technology Center occupies an area of m 2 and includes 14 laboratories equipped with the latest technologies. Moreover, it also boasts two production facilities of its own Madrid Technology Center Madrid, Spain

8 14 // 15 R&D INFRASTRUCTURE Composite material structures Composite materials are widely used in other industrial sectors and allow us to build and customize any type of structure according to the customer s needs. These structures also shorten execution times, which in turn lowers both carbon emissions and project costs. The use of these materials requires strict control of the environmental factors, which is achieved through analyzing the entire life cycle (LCA) of the construction process. So far, four structures have already been completed: two highway bridges in Madrid and Asturias and two pedestrian bridges, one in Madrid and another in Cuenca. Composite materials allow for the construction of lighter structures that do not suffer from corrosion problems, which differentiates them from more traditional materials. Almuñécar Pedestrian Footbridge Madrid Río project, Madrid, Spain

9 16 // 17 R&D INFRASTRUCTURE Railways Researchers from the Technology Center work at the Malaga Rail Technology Centre together with ADIF employees ACCIONA has extensive experience in the construction of railways. ACCIONA has built many kilometers of track for Spain s High- Speed Rail. We have also completed sections of the metropolitan underground service north of Madrid, part of the Barcelona and Valencia subway system, as well as the trams of Parla, Tenerife and Zaragoza. The Technology Center of ACCIONA has a specialized research group which focuses exclusively on improving construction processes in railways. These include, among others, new platforms, systems for the reduction of vibrations and modernized equipment for rail maintenance. These innovations have generated five patent applications in recent years. High-Speed Rail Madrid-Zaragoza-Barcelona-French Borde Spain

10 18 // 19 R&D INFRASTRUCTURE Underground works Thanks to advances in geotechnics, subterranean works have gained in popularity during recent years. ACCIONA has executed a large number of metropolitan infrastructure works in various cities, such as road tunnels constructed Maritime works with the world s largest TBM. The Technology Center is committed to the use of composite materials and new technologies in order to avoid over-excavation problems and to improve the efficiency of heavy machinery. The optimization of construction processes in maritime and underground works is a key objective for ACCIONA ACCIONA has extensive experience in the execution of maritime works for both public and private clients. Among them we can mention harbors, dry docks, piers and shipyards. ACCIONA uses the KUGIRA floating dock, which can produce caissons 70 m long, 36 m wide and 35 m high in just ten days. Research conducted at the Technology Center aims to replace reinforced concrete with fiber-reinforced concrete (FRC) in order to improve the durability of maritime works. Tunnel works, Metrotren Austurias Gijon, Spain

11 20 // 21 R&D MATERIALS The use of new materials improves road surfaces and concretes Road surfaces and concretes Since its birth, ACCIONA has participated in a large number of land-based infrastructure projects, both in Spain and abroad. For this reason, at the Technology Center we are undertaking extensive work on improving the road surfaces and concretes used in our construction works. We are developing à la carte road surface materials using recycled plastics, which increases the durability of said surfaces. By using nanotechnology, we can reduce costs by up to 30%. We have also developed lightweight concretes, managing to maintain the structural properties of concrete while reducing their weight by up to 40%, as well as self-compacting concretes that reduce the cost of implementation by up to 20%. Materials Carbon Fiber bridge on the M-111 highway Fuente El Saz, Madrid, Spain

12 22 // 23 I+D+i MATERIALS Environment and and Advanced materials We use Life Cycle Analysis in our construction works in order to assess and minimize environmental damage The projects undertaken by ACCIONA share one common denominator: their social value. This implies a high commitment to sustainability. Because of this, research and studies aimed at protecting the environment are of particular significance. Mycorrhizae are used for slope stabilization, which reduces water consumption during construction works. We have also developed a photocatalytic material with nanoparticles that reduce NOx pollution. Materials A slope before and after application of mycorrhizae on the high-speed rail of Catoira, Spain

13 24 // 25 R&D ECOEFFICIENCY Ecoefficiency Sustainable design and construction In recent years, ACCIONA has strengthened its commitment to constructing eco-efficient buildings. With this goal in mind, the company has created a team at the Technology Center to conduct research aimed at improving facilities in terms of energy efficiency and developing architectural designs that reduce the energy consumption of buildings, while increasing comfort at the same time. The works undertaken at the technology center involve the design of new facade elements that can increase the efficiency of buildings by up to 10%, the design and optimization of microgrids that integrate renewable energies within the building, and the use of studies to evaluate the acoustic properties of buildings and ensure compliance with current regulations. The first combined cooling, heating, and power (CCHP) plant - or trigeneration plant - which delivers 100% renewable energy is now in operation Trigeneration plant, Seville, Spain Operates entirely on renewable energy

14 26 // 27 I+D+i New technologies New technologies ICT, Software, Automation, and 3D Visualization ACCIONA is committed to the implementation of new technologies in its construction processes. First, because they increase productivity and second because they enhance risk prevention in our construction works. At the ACCIONA Technology Center, we employ more than 30 people to work on the Integration of new technologies in construction practices, ranging from incorporating sensors that control various parameters at the actual work sites, to the design and construction of devices that help prevent over-excavation of tunnels. We have also developed a device that enables three-dimensional facial recognition in order to restrict access to the various construction sites to authorized personnel only. We apply the BIM methodology in our works. This way, besides further improving the quality of project management, we also reduce costs and execution times University of Fine Arts, Teruel, Spain Project completed using BIM methodologies

15 Avda. de Europa, 18 Parque Empresarial La Moraleja Alcobendas Madrid. Spain facebook.com/acciona January 2014 ACCIONA All rights reserved.