BAM’s COO talks to The Scotsman about the firm’s work to decarbonise the UK energy network

Ahead of the opening of BAM UK & Ireland’s new office in Kilsyth, our Chief Operating Officer, John Wilkinson, sat down with The Scotsman’s Business Reporter to discuss how he is seeking to drive sustainability in Scotland and beyond.
 

The new office spans 2,000 square metres, accommodating 140 staff, and has environmentally friendly facilities such as 34 chargers for electric vehicles. It will help serve key projects, including public buildings and infrastructure as well as major efforts to decarbonise the UK energy network.

When asked about BAM’s involvement in energy networks, John said: “Scotland does produce a huge amount of that green energy. And therefore, it’s how can you distribute that green energy to the right places, to decarbonise and to help, ultimately, that resilience piece, but also in the future reduce energy bills for households and for businesses as well because we all know what a challenge that’s been for us all.”

John believes BAM and the wider industry have an “exciting” future and he feels there is optimism within the sector, particularly after inflation retreated to the 2% Bank of England target. BAM UK & Ireland currently has a portfolio of just over €3 billion a year with a robust pipeline of work, helping drive the UK’s levelling-up agenda.

On the subject of the wider industry, John said: “I think we’re now seeing the opportunities being really national, across our pipeline, so that’s one of the reasons we decided to make this investment, because we see a lot of opportunity in Scotland, we see a lot of employment that could be created as well, because this is all going to need resources. And that’s why it’s so important that we focus on this social sustainability piece, about how we can upskill and train the people in the regions and the areas of Scotland that we will be working in to be part of that delivery stream.”

The full interview with John Wilkinson is available to read here.