AESSEAL Australia’s new Net Zero headquarters building has been hailed as a major commitment to a sustainable future for employees and customers in the country.
The Brisbane facility, opened on November 17, is the first in Australia to receive the BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) certification under its sustainability scheme.
Guests were welcomed to the opening ceremony by Australia managing director Ken Crane before the ribbon cutting and plaque reveal, which was followed by speeches from company founder Chris Rea, director and general manager Jim Hamilton and local MP Milton Dick.
Mr Crane said: “With over 30 years of servicing the Australian market AESSEAL Australia are proud to announce the opening of our new BREEAM ‘excellent’ rated facility in Brisbane, Queensland.
“This facility along with the other service centres based all around Australia will allow us to continue to service the mining industry, water and wastewater, pulp and paper industry, food and beverage industry and the oil and gas sector.
Our new Net Zero workshop and office facility in Brisbane will allow AESSEAL to continue to support all industries who rely on the manufacture and repairs of mechanical seals and rotating equipment, and it will allow us to provide our customers with the exceptional service they deserve long into the future.
Mr Hamilton said: “We are proud of our new Brisbane, Australia pump and mechanical seal overhaul operation which complements our national coverage for all industrial sectors in Australia.
“Being the first BREEAM excellent rated building in Australia, and the only Net Zero manufacturer and service provider in our space, it demonstrates the AES Engineering Group’s commitment to a sustainable future for our employees and customers, without whom we would not have been able to achieve such an accolade.”
BREEAM is a way of evaluating a building’s specification, construction and use in a range of categories including energy and ecology. Each category focuses on factors including reduced carbon emissions, low impact design, adaptation to climate change, ecological value and biodiversity protection.
The building achieved the BREEAM “excellent” certification with a credit score of 78.3 per cent, and Carbon Climate Certified managing director Barry Rankin said: “To be the first to adapt and apply local regulations, standards and design philosophies to meet the BREEAM International CVB criteria is a brilliant achievement.”
Since its launch in 1990, BREEAM has registered buildings around the world which have been judged to have met standards of environmental and social governance, health and net zero goals, with the aim of achieving greater sustainability for civil engineering projects.
Consulting engineer Cundall’s Brisbane-based team was brought onto the project to provide local market expertise and sustainability advisory support, enabling the project to overcome the challenge of adopting the BREEAM framework in the Australian market.
The warehouse has been awarded an ‘Excellent’ Certification and has incorporated impressive features such as a large solar photovoltaic system on the roof, high levels of airtightness and a rainwater harvesting system.
