Lendlease among first in Australia to unlock 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 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 .

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.

Quotes attributable to David Paterson, Managing Director Construction, Lendlease Australia

“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.”

ENDS

Notes to editors:
Renewable diesel will substitute mineral diesel in Marr’s Favelle Favco M860DX Crane that was installed in September 2022 and will also fuel Marr’s M1280D and M2480D cranes that will be installed over the next few months.

Renewable diesel offers a solution as a transition fuel to substitute mineral diesel and support the industry while it works on converting to all-electric. It’s an advanced biofuel made from animal fats, vegetable oils and agricultural waste, and is chemically identical to mineral diesel. It can be used as a 100% drop in fuel, directly replacing mineral diesel without machinery needing any modifications.

In 2022, Lendlease and the University of Queensland published research into how to decarbonise construction. It found that Australia must accelerate the electrification of its construction machinery, as well as support the creation of a local renewable diesel market. Link to research here.

For more information:
Ashley Chrysler
External Affairs Manager – NSW/ACT
ashley.chrysler@lendlease.com
+61 472 653 297

¹Neste, Reduced Emissions (Accessed 15th November 2022)
²Stepping Up the Pace: Fossil Fuel Free Construction, May 2022