Lendlease among first in Australia to unlock fossil fuel-free construction
Published Mon 21 Nov 2022
The Asean Developer
21 November 2022
One of Australia’s first ever cranes to be powered by 100 per cent renewable diesel has recently taken to the sky on the NSW Government’s Powerhouse Parramatta project, marking a critical transition towards fossil fuel-free construction.
As the design and construction partner on Powerhouse Parramatta, Lendlease is using renewable diesel to power tower cranes on site, reducing greenhouse gas emissions from crane operations by up to 90 per cent [1] over the life cycle of the fuel compared to fossil diesel.
The renewable diesel was procured and imported to Australia as part of a cross-industry collaboration between Powerhouse project partners the NSW Government, Lendlease, Marr Contracting and Refuelling Solutions, together with builder Multiplex, as the fuel is not currently manufactured or available in Australia.
The renewable diesel will now be used in cranes on the construction of several other major infrastructure projects, the first step to making real carbon savings in one of Australia’s largest industries.
Lendlease is already using renewable diesel across the majority of construction projects in the United Kingdom, including Google’s headquarters in London, and is using its global experience to share learnings with government and industry, and ease the supply chain into the use of renewable diesel in Australia.
Construction is responsible for 23 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, with roughly 5.5 per cent of these emissions directly caused by powering construction machinery and equipment, mainly through fossil fuel use such as mineral diesel [2].
Moving towards fossil fuel-free construction without the use of carbon offsets is a key part of Lendlease’s goal to reach ‘absolute zero carbon’ across investment management, development and construction globally by 2040.
David Paterson, Managing Director Construction, Lendlease Australia said, “We’re introducing the first renewable diesel to Australia onto our project sites, in collaboration with partners, which will radically reduce emissions from construction equipment and become a game- changer for our industry.
“We hope today’s announcement inspires collective action from Australian contractors, the supply chain, and customers to address one of the most critical needs of our time.”
[1] Neste, Reduced Emissions (Accessed 15th November 2022)
[2] Stepping Up the Pace: Fossil Fuel Free Construction, May 2022