OUR NEWS
From ISO to CAD – meet some of the WCS team
As an engineering design consultancy, our engineers are absolutely central to our success and we’ve previously introduced some of our team – Nick Lowe, Jeremy Barnes and Ioannis Iliadis. But one of our strengths and a huge contributor to our ability to deliver...
Full and early collaboration between permanent and temporary works designers is vital to constructability and the control of cost and risk
Jeremy Barnes is our Technical Director here at Whitfield Consulting Services. He is recognised as experienced in the field of temporary works and has recently contributed to Network Rail’s Safety by Design Working Group on the update to their guidance on the early...
Supporting the UK’s Net Zero Programme: finding solutions to permit the installation of solar panels on the roof of Companies House
Companies House, the UK’s register of businesses, is based in Cardiff. Like other government facilities, it is required to play its part in Britain’s Net Zero Programme, with funding available for improvements that will reduce energy usage and save money over time, as...
Bicker Fen substation – reviewing and adapting an existing design to support Viking Link and two wind farms
Sector-specific experience and adaptability were needed when long term partner Linxon asked WCS to provide construction stage support for their extension to the Bicker Fen 400/132kV substation in Boston, Lincolnshire. Challenging programmes were required so that...
Waste heat – are we failing to recycle our most valuable discard?
The UK is shifting to renewable energy sources, with emissions from electricity generation falling by 69% since 2010. But the current rate of change is too slow to meet the government’s net zero commitments; as the Climate Change Committee states “a reliable secure...
Reflecting on Control Period 6 (CP6), and what to expect from CP7
In May, Network Rail published its main strategic plan for CP7, the five years from April 2024. The current period, CP6, has seen enormous challenge and change for the rail sector, including repeated COVID lockdowns, inflation levels not seen for a generation, and...
Key learnings from Rail with applications in other sectors
Whitfield Consulting Services (WCS) has extensive experience in both the rail and power and energy sectors. Rail in particular often comes up in internal discussions as an excellent training ground for young engineers, and more generally a sector which engineers of...
What does an Engineer mean to you?
British engineering has an impressive history, with Victorian engineers in particular doing much to usher in the modern world. But more than that – it is a profession that is transforming the UK today, from the digital revolution to delivering net zero, and a skill...
The value of specialist support from your engineering design consultant during power and energy projects
The power and energy sector will see a surge in activity in the coming years. Globally renewable power capacity must triple to meet the 2030 goals, and the UK government estimates £100 billion of private investment will be put into the UK’s green energy transition....
RAAC: What the crisis means and how our engineers can help
Earlier this month, Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) became front-page news as the Government advised the immediate closure of some school buildings due to safety concerns, and until remediation works were completed. The latest government data reveals a...
Why are Battery Energy Storage Systems so important to renewable energy and net zero?
Energy provision in the UK is changing fast, with the government hoping to see 95% of our energy coming from low-carbon, mainly renewable sources by 2030. Many shifts in practice and technology will be involved in that change, but one crucial area is perhaps lower in...
WCS wins Environmental, Social and Governance Leader at NCE Awards
WCS won Environmental, Social and Governance Leader at the inaugural New Civil Engineer NCE Awards held last night, 20 September, in London. The award recognises the impact of WCS’s ’SustainableFuture’ plan. Introduced in 2021, this ambitious strategy puts the three...