Construction Group Behind Aberthaw Power Station Demolition Fined Over Rigging
A construction group involved in the Aberthaw demolition includes a firm fined for bid rigging in 2023, raising concerns about the contract.
Aberthaw, Wales, Erith Group, Bid Rigging, Demolition, CCR
Rhoose: So, there’s this construction group that got the job to demolish Aberthaw Power Station, right? But here’s the kicker: one of the companies in the group was fined last year for rigging bids. It’s a bit of a mess.
Cardiff Capital Region hired The Erith Group for the demolition. They’re planning to turn the old power station site into a green energy park. Sounds good, right? But the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) slapped Erith with a hefty fine for colluding on contracts. Not a great look.
Some folks are raising eyebrows about how Erith won the contract, especially after that fine. A spokesperson from CCR said they can’t comment further due to legal reasons. It’s all a bit hush-hush.
The CMA’s fine was pretty serious—over £17 million! Three directors got disqualified too. One of them, David Darsey, was out for nearly six years. He used to be a director at Erith, but he stepped down last year.
According to reports, the CMA found that these companies were up to no good between 2013 and 2018, rigging bids so they could lose on purpose. This kind of thing can really mess with prices and quality for customers.
Erith was part of a group that had arrangements to compensate the “losers” of contracts, which is just wild. They were involved in rigging bids for 19 demolition contracts across London and the Midlands. Talk about shady business!
Now, Vale of Glamorgan Council says no planning permission is needed for the demolition, but they do need to be notified beforehand. CCR Energy submitted their plans earlier this year, and the council has been reviewing them.
They’ve already approved the demolition method, and it looks like the whole process will take over three years. There’s a lot of interest from companies wanting to get involved in this project, which is exciting.
After the power station closed, they left behind an ash mound that needs to be cleared. That’s going to take a while too. CCR’s annual report says they’ll start dealing with that ash mound in the first five years of the project.
In the long run, they expect to finish everything, including the ash removal, in about 15 years. It’s a big job, but it sounds like they’re planning for a greener future!