http://www.tauw.com/ Tauw RSS en http://www.tauw.com/typo3conf/ext/tt_news/ext_icon.gif http://www.tauw.com/ 18 16 Tauw RSS TYPO3 - get.content.right http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Thu, 16 May 2013 11:18:00 +0200 http://www.tauw.com/news/article/article/tauw-strengthens-financial-position-in-turbulent-year/?cHash=7a8f0d96e5fd2b55006461cba59aa7ce The 2012 annual results published today reveal that Tauw Group suffered a net loss of EUR 3 million... The 2012 annual results published today reveal that Tauw Group suffered a net loss of EUR 3 million (after taxes), while achieving an increase in turnover of 1.1% to EUR 114.2 million. To strengthen its financial and market positions, 2012 saw the consulting and engineering company setting out a new strategy, restructuring its operations and cutting its workforce in the Netherlands and Spain, while initiating talks with financiers. In the Netherlands, Tauw saw its turnover rise by 2.2% to EUR 85.4 million, while reporting a loss of EUR 3.6 million (after taxes). In Germany, Belgium and Italy profits were reported, while France and Spain also sustained losses. Decline in demand
In 2012, Tauw Group appointed Mrs. Annemieke Nijhof MBA as new CEO. The former Director General for Water of the Netherlands Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment believes that the decline in demand from government authorities played a major role in the downtrend in the Netherlands: “Tauw had to cut back in the Netherlands in order to balance capacity with the declining demand from our government clients. The mid-year financial results in 2012 forced us to reconsider Tauw’s future. A new strategy has been developed and a business review entitled ‘BeterTauw’ (Better Tauw) has been carried out. This review will also be carried out in other country organisations in 2013. Based on, among other things, the business review, we have implemented the necessary measures in the Dutch organisation. We were forced, much to our regret, to dismiss more than 80 colleagues, who have all contributed to Tauw’s development in the past.” Year of transition
Tauw regards 2013 as a year of transition. The first results of the new strategy are already visible in the Netherlands, such as a major decrease in overhead and other costs. In order to cope with the challenging market conditions, the company is focusing on further professionalisation of the commercial process and financial project management. Towards the end of 2012, Tauw initiated talks with financiers in order to strengthen the company’s financial position. Tauw’s Executive Board expects to conclude these talks with a positive result shortly. Annual report
Tauw Group’s full annual report can be found at www.tauw.com/annualreport; the annual report of Tauw Netherlands at www.tauw.nl/jaarverslag.]]> Thu, 16 May 2013 11:18:00 +0200 http://www.tauw.com/news/article/article/succesful-seminars-thermal-in-situ-soil-remediation-in-frankfurt-and-paris/?cHash=38508df3f2ea1f3d94a2ba9173b1401d Tauw, together with Krüger from Denmark and Terratherm from USA organized two seminars on Thermal... Tauw, together with Krüger from Denmark and Terratherm from USA organized two seminars on Thermal remediation in April in Königstein near Frankfurt and in Paris. The seminars were attended by some 30 clients, who were enthusiastic about the potentials of Thermal remediation as a cost-effective technique. Thermal treatment includes application of heat to the subsurface and transporting the mobilized contaminants to a treatment system for destruction or recovery of contaminants for storage and disposal. Thermal techniques can handle a large variety or organic compounds in each geological setting. Since 2010 Terratherm, Krüger and Tauw organize seminars to provide clients with information on Thermal In Situ Remediation. Following earlier seminars in Denmark, The Netherlands, Belgium and Italy, this year the seminars were organized for clients located in the Germany and France. The clients represented organizations varying from multinational industries to governments and legislating authorities. Seminars Frankfurt and Paris
Purpose of the symposium is to provide clients in the possibilities of thermal techniques. Maybe more important, with the information obtained in these seminars, they are able to ask the right questions when Thermal In Situ Remediation is proposed as a potential measure to remediate their impacted sites. The audience learned about the basics of the different thermal in situ soil remediation techniques. A number of cases were presented providing details on the remediation of different contaminants ranging from low boiling volatile organic compounds (PCE, TCE etc.) to high boiling, persistent  contaminants such as dioxins in different geological settings (sand, clay, peat, stratified soils and fractured rock). Also costs aspects, performance and uncertainties were discussed that go with the design and application of the different techniques.
Thermal remediation is a niche in soil remediation. Tauw has proved to be a key player in this field.  ]]> Tue, 23 Apr 2013 12:31:00 +0200 http://www.tauw.com/news/article/article/climate-advice-for-interreg-project-kliker/?cHash=5b136d948ff8483f00cbd40bedca30b7 Tauw has been engaged to provide climate advice for the Interreg project Kliker, which involves six... Tauw has been engaged to provide climate advice for the Interreg project Kliker, which involves six Dutch and five German municipalities working together in the Euregio Rhine – Waal.
 
These municipalities have a cross-border orientation and collaborate to learn from each other on how to cope with climate change. The focus is on mitigation: reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The objective is for each participating municipality to develop a road map describing a structured approach to achieving the mitigation targets. In addition, consideration is given to the issue of shaping climate adaptation (adapting to climate change) at the municipal and interregional level. The project is funded by the European Union. Tauw consultancy
Tauw will provide advice to six Dutch municipalities. Its services will vary per municipality, since each has its own ambitions and requirements. Tauw will perform CO2 scans, draw up a road map based on a dialogue with stakeholders within the municipality, or provide greater process support. For example by involving local SMEs in climate policy development, or by setting up a climate project in cooperation with the greenhouse industry to further specify municipal climate policies. Tauw is also involved in the learning programme between the municipalities in the two countries. In workshops, conferences and joint pilot projects the municipalities explore obstacles and opportunities in order to find feasible, inspiring solutions. Innovations are crucial in this respect. Not only in terms of sustainable technology, but also social innovations, such as alternative funding structures. How can you, given the financial downturn, achieve climate ambitions and projects and which role does the municipality have to play?]]> Wed, 06 Mar 2013 13:26:00 +0100 http://www.tauw.com/news/article/article/feasibility-study-remediation-of-pesticide-burial-site-in-armenia/?cHash=09dd1e823d2c08b75a1c3cca490c3eb8 A consortium of Tauw, Witteveen+Bos, Milieukontakt and Armenian Women for Health and Healthy... A consortium of Tauw, Witteveen+Bos, Milieukontakt and Armenian Women for Health and Healthy Environment (AWHHE) is selected by the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) to conduct a site assessment and feasibility study of the Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), pesticide burial site Nubarashen in Armenia.
The Nubarashen Burial site was built in the mid 1970ies as a disposal site for POPs, obsolete pesticides and other chemicals. The burial site is located on the south east side of Yerevan in a valley subject to severe erosion processes. A small village comprising of summer cottages is located around four kilometres down the slope from the burial site. Other villages are located in the area at some greater distance to the burial site.
In 2010 OSCE and FAO experts, assisting the Ministry of Emergency Situations, concluded that emergency measures had to be taken as the complete cover of the burial site had been removed and there was a direct risk of the spread of pesticides waste via surface water and by air. Recently the site was capped with clay and the area was fenced. The Ministry of Emergency Situations also installed permanent site guards.
The consortium will investigate the site and carry out feasibility study to support the selection of a long term solution for the elimination of risks for the POPs pesticides waste at the burial site. Special attention will be paid to assess health risks for vulnerable groups living close Nubarashen.]]> Mon, 18 Feb 2013 13:07:00 +0100 http://www.tauw.com/news/article/article/heated-cycle-lane-passes-snow-test/?cHash=eeac35c30087c36452e9973b80b526f7 The heated cycle lane has successfully passed its first test. Tauw performed the test – which... The heated cycle lane has successfully passed its first test. Tauw performed the test – which received wide media coverage – in a test setup in the Dutch village of Heino on a snowy day in January.
 
In the test setup, water at an average temperature of 7 degrees Celsius was pumped through tubes, which acted as a kind of underfloor heating to make slippery cycle paths passable. And it appeared to work just fine on that snowy day. The cycle lane could easily be maintained at a temperature of 3 to 4 degrees and therefore remained snow free. And it did so with continuous snowfall from 7 am to 6 pm.
 
The cycle lane was built behind the local engineering company Doorgeest Koeltechniek. It was fitted with coils in the concrete through which water at a temperature of around 7 degrees Celsius was pumped. In practice, groundwater will be used, which has an constant average temperature of between 11 and 15 degrees in the Netherlands. The aim of the trial was to establish whether the amount of energy (temperature of the water) required for snow to melt matched the calculations. Other construction types like asphalt are currently in preparation.
 
Keeping cycle paths clear of snow and ice prevents accidents. Heated cycle paths are therefore especially suited for accident-prone areas such as bridges or dangerous stretches near schools.
Other purposes of de-icing surfaces with natural groundwater energy are airport runways, railway stations and soccer fields. See also the news report Heated cycle lanes to warm Dutch winter cyclists on BBC World.]]> Wed, 06 Feb 2013 13:11:00 +0100 http://www.tauw.com/news/article/article/long-term-monitoring-of-the-fish-stock-in-the-albert-canal-flanders-belgium/?cHash=a9a196cafbd06cdc08a6d6a85c9e4ad6 Tauw has been commissioned by the Flemish authorities to monitor the fish stock in the Albert Canal... Tauw has been commissioned by the Flemish authorities to monitor the fish stock in the Albert Canal for a period of four years. Long-term research should provide information on diversity, abundance, population structure, trends and development of the fish stock in the Albert Canal. With a water surface of 1,087 hectares, the Albert Canal is the largest water bodies in Flanders.
The canal connects Liège to Antwerp and has a total lenght of approximately 120 kilometres .The fish stock monitoring covers a total of nearly 100 kilometres. The monitoring is carried out in collaboration with Kalkman Fishing Service. Several fishing methods are used to assess a complete insight in the fish stock. Based on this assessment, management targets can be defined and recommendations can be made for future fish stock management, e.g. stocking, fish migration, hydropower issues, habitat or nursery areas. The study should also provide insight in angling catches as a tool for monitoring trends in the fish stock.
 
The field work takes place over two weeks each year (october, november). The study will be finalised in 2015. ]]> Mon, 04 Feb 2013 11:51:00 +0100 http://www.tauw.com/news/article/article/using-sustainable-heat-to-keep-cycle-lanes-free-of-snow-and-ice/?cHash=0ce6ac2c65ae9c543b7afc92a3251c9b Heating cycle lanes in winter with heat stored in the subsurface under the road. Tauw Netherlands... Heating cycle lanes in winter with heat stored in the subsurface under the road. Tauw Netherlands has come up with this concept to keep cycle lanes clear of snow and ice by making use of thermal storage. Cycle lanes which are kept free of snow and ice will be conducive to increase road safety for cyclists. Statistics in the Netherlands indicate that 5 to 10 per cent of cycling accidents are due to slipperiness in winter period. Another advantage is that less salt is needed to grit the roads. An asphalt heat exchanger in the road surface in combination with a geothermal energy storage system is used to store heat in the summer and release it in the winter. Geo-thermal systems are already frequently used to cool and heat buildings. Tauw is researching the feasibility of the concept with various towns in the Netherlands.]]> Wed, 31 Oct 2012 16:17:00 +0100 http://www.tauw.com/news/article/article/sustainable-street-lighting-guidance-with-recycling-light/?cHash=cb9d5d40e9868748c4daa842b7786aff Tauw has developed, in collaboration with LSC (Light Surface Control), Recycling Light, a new,... Tauw has developed, in collaboration with LSC (Light Surface Control), Recycling Light, a new, sustainable method of street lighting guidance that is comparable to the "glow in the dark" effect. Light is captured from vehicle headlamps and then continues to glow over a longer period. With this innovation, Tauw has been nominated as 1 of the 3 candidates for the 2012 Enlightenmentz of the Year Election. In addition, Recycling Light is among the 10 finalists for the 2012 EEP (European Environmental Press) Award. Glow in the dark
What distinguishes Recycling Light from other sustainable alternatives is that it does not require electricity from the national grid or a battery to store energy. Recycling Light is a method of street lighting guidance which captures the light of vehicle headlamps, concentrates it and returns it to road users over a longer period. The light of a passing headlamp is concentrated using a lens and stored in photoluminescent material. Photoluminescent material can be compared to the glow-in-the-dark stars sold in toy shops which keep glowing at night for a number of hours. Recycling Light can be applied to bollards or mounted on crash barriers. Savings of up to 60%
In the Netherlands practical tests with Recycling Light showed very positive results. The object continued to glow over a long period and gave sufficient light output. Since Recycling Light does not require electricity, the use of materials such as lampposts or maintenance, it is up to 60% cheaper in terms of investment compared to standard public lighting. Tauw conceived the idea of Recycling Light because many street lights are on all night whereas only a few road users actually make use of them. This results in not only unnecessary energy consumption, obtrusive light and light pollution, but also in unnecessary costs. Public lighting accounts for as much as 60% of local authority energy consumption. Moreover, many of these lights are located outside urban areas and serve mainly as orientation lighting/guidance for drivers to facilitate early assessment of the course of the road and dangerous traffic conditions.

Contact: Robbert Dijkema]]> Wed, 10 Oct 2012 15:13:00 +0200 http://www.tauw.com/news/article/article/annemieke-nijhof-appointed-ceo-of-tauw-group/?cHash=acff849c4390f48a7f3446693ea6a1e1 Consulting and engineering company Tauw has appointed ir. Annemieke Nijhof MBA (1966) as CEO of the...  
In February 2012 Annemieke Nijhof entered the board of directors of the Tauw Group as intended successor of chairman Bram de Borst. In her new position as CEO she will focus at first on strengthening Tauws market position and realizing its ambitions in the field of spatial quality, water and environmental services for the Industry. Nijhof has a broad experience in these areas. Previously she was Director-General Water, Counsellor Spatial Development, Sustainability, Environment  and deputy Director External Safety at several Dutch ministries. Her knowledge, experience and social network are of great value to the consulting and engineering company. Until his retirement in 2014, in his position as titular director De Borst will be responsible for the business development in Italy, Spain and countries outside Europe. Supervisory Board
As a result of the management change, chairman prof. dr. Ernst ten Heuvelhof of the Supervisory Board has decided, anticipating his resignation according to schedule in April 2013, to hand down his chairman duties prematurely to drs. Jos Zandhuis, Board Member since 2007.]]> Mon, 17 Sep 2012 15:18:00 +0200 http://www.tauw.com/news/article/article/sewage-treatment-on-bonaire-to-protect-coral-reef/?cHash=21d4b221913d453e996a89492cd90b51 Tauw is playing a major role in the realisation of the project Sewerage and Sanitation System... Tauw is playing a major role in the realisation of the project Sewerage and Sanitation System Bonaire in which sewers are installed in order to protect coral reef from untreated sewage discharge.

The sea water surrounding Bonaire contains large amounts of nutrients from waste water that is dumped in the sea. This leads to algae growth, which suppresses coral growth. The large amounts of nutrients not only affect corals, but also the entire natural equilibrium underwater. The growth of harmful bacteria also increases, which may pose threats to public health.

The project is part of an EU programme and is jointly funded by USONA and the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment. Activities include laying 54 km of vacuum sewers, constructing 4 vacuum stations, a booster pumping station and a wastewater treatment plant with a capacity of approximately 58 m3/h.

Commissioned by MNO Vervat in an early stage, Tauw has carried out the design and calculation work for the treatment system, and has also been called in to support the M&E engineering. The Dutch contractors Flovac and Aan de Stegge and electrical engineers Mesc from Curacao are responsible for the mechanical and electrical engineering work. Hydroplan is leading the project.]]> Thu, 19 Jul 2012 07:58:00 +0200