With the rapid development of on-grid renewable energy sources, and the programmed decommissioning of a number of nuclear power stations in mainland Europe, the need for large-scale, adaptable electrical energy storage and generation solutions in the near future is self-evident. Modern pumped hydro storage offers a technologically proven and efficient solution to reduce volatility and match supply and demand on grid. Located in the Valais region of Switzerland, the Nant de Drance project ...

Dublin airport plays a pivotal role in the Irish economy, supporting 117,300 jobs and contributing €8.3 billion in economic value in 2016 alone, representing 3.1 per cent of Ireland’s total GDP. As an island nation competing in a globalised marketplace, our connectivity with the rest of the world is critical to Ireland’s economic wellbeing, and Dublin airport is a driving force in the growth of tourism, trade and foreign direct investment into the country. [caption id="attachment_40684" ...

[caption id="attachment_40649" align="alignright" width="300"] Prof Robert Mair[/caption] Engineers can and must transform infrastructure and therefore transform lives, Professor Lord Robert Mair, the president of the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE), told an audience of Engineers Ireland members at an event in 22 Clyde Road recently. In the bicentenary of the ICE, Prof Mair said it was vital to build on the legacy of the past 200 years: "We have 200 years of innovation behind us, ...

There are numerous reasons why project management as a discipline is important to business organisations. Simply put, when done right, it helps companies save money by increasing overall project success rates. A 2009 study by the Economist Intelligence Unit (1) found that 80% of global executives believed their core competencies in project management allowed them to remain competitive during the recession. Achieving project management success is not always a simple process. For example, a ...

The recession in the UK has had a profound impact on the engineering and construction industries – not only financially, but also socio-economically. A brain drain, which has come about due to the misconception that the construction industry is still suffering, has created a crisis due to a skills shortage. The industry will now have to rebuild itself, especially in terms of narrowing the skills gap of those entering into higher-level education and considering a career in engineering and ...

I cannot imagine a harder place to build than in New York City and Áine Brazil, vice president of New York engineering firm, Thornton Tomasetti, concurred. Brazil is a fellow of Engineers Ireland won the International Engineer of the Year Award in 2014. ‘Construction is horrendously difficult and expensive in New York, even for a regular building, because of the adjacencies and the density of the urban fabric. And the age. You’re above a subway that’s 150 years old and trying to put down ...