How we supported ESO Sports to deliver a sustainable event solution

ESO Sports were appointed as one of the specialist event delivery partners for the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships. There were 13 UCI World Championship events held across Glasgow and Scotland from 3rd to 13th August 2023.

ESO Sports, recognised as a leading mountain bike event delivery specialist, were appointed to deliver the mountain bike events held at the specialist venue in Glentress, Scotland. The UCI World Championships at this venue included the Mountain Bike Cross-country Olympic, Crosscountry Marathon, Cross -country Short Track, Crosscountry Team Relay and the Electric Mountain Bike event. ESO Sports hired equipment from Sunbelt Rentals as part of a sport event infrastructure solution supporting the safe, secure and reliable delivery of the world’s biggest cycling event ever.

In line with the event industry’s overall objective to make events more sustainable, ESO Sports were keen to reduce the event’s carbon footprint and use energy-efficient equipment wherever possible to minimise environmental impact. 

The Challenge

A huge range of rental equipment was required for use at this event, and only a supplier the scale of Sunbelt Rentals could have been able to fulfil the requirements. Sustainability was at the heart of the event organisation, requiring the use of Stage V equipment and greener solutions such as Battery Storage Units (BSUs), Eco Tower Lights, Solar CCTV Towers and the use of HVO fuel.

Logistically, there were challenges with so many different ranges of equipment to be delivered to site, it was important therefore that it didn’t all arrive at the same time on build dates. It was also crucial that there were smooth site set-ups for the accommodation products required such as Welfare Units, Showers, Toilets and Portable Toilets, as they perform such a critical role in the successful running of such an event.

The Power team had a major task in delivering power to the full site. Broadcasting played an important role in this event, and it was absolutely crucial there was no power outage at any point. The equipment specifications were led by the expertise within Sunbelt Rentals to specify the right size Generators and Battery Storage Units (BSUs) for each compound. 

The Solution 

Sunbelt Rentals delivered and installed a massive range of equipment across several different product lines to ensure a sustainable solution for this landmark cycling event, namely:

Clean Power Solution - A clean power solution was delivered through the deployment of Battery Storage Units (BSUs) working alongside traditional Generators. Whilst the Generators still served as the primary power supply, nine Lithium BSUs were deployed to work alongside them. This meant that when the peak load dropped, the BSUs could handle the power needs, seamlessly switching off the Generators and delivering fuel free, emission free and noise free power. Engineers were on standby throughout the event in case of any breakdowns or emergencies, so an immediate response could be provided. The Clean Energy Team also provided a dedicated expert to manage the full power site installation and oversee all other site deliveries and installations, providing one point of contact for the customer.

Power equipment was run on HVO fuel and over the three week hire period, a total of 7,750 litres of HVO fuel was used. As a result of the deployment of the Battery Storage Units, a fuel saving of around 9,055 litres was made, reducing generator run time by a massive 84%.

Temporary Accommodation, Shower and Toilet Facilities - Several 32ft and 21ft Accommodation Units were supplied to provide welfare and office facilities and a site compound in the remote location of Glentress Forest. Containers and Gatehouse Security Cabins were also provided, as well as multiple 20ft Toilet Blocks and 20ft Shower Units to ensure adequate toilet and shower facilities for staff, partners, visitors and competitors. A total of 45 individual Portable Toilets were installed across the site,
including a number with disabled access.

Lighting Solutions - In order to provide powerful site illumination, Sunbelt Rentals supplied 12 Eco Tower Lights equipped with high efficiency LED lamp floodlights. Able to run for over 140 hours without refuelling, the Eco Tower Lights have ultra-low noise
levels. The Film and TV Team also supplied five Vortex Lights which were used during broadcasting of the event.

Plant Equipment and Solar CCTV Towers - Sunbelt Rentals provided a range of Stage V plant equipment for use during the build, the event itself and the derig. Equipment supplied included 7m and 9m Telehandlers, as well as a 50ft Off Road Scissor
Lift, and four Solar CCTV Towers to provide on-site safety and security monitoring. Powered by solar panels, the CCTV Towers have zero emissions, zero noise and have no fuel requirements, contributing towards reduced overall fuel consumption.

Traffic Management - Sunbelt Rentals provided a number of Variable Messaging Signs (VMS) for use in strategic locations. These signs communicated vital information for people travelling to the event and the customer was able to instantly change the messaging to reflect any changes. Traffic cones were also provided to help direct the flow of traffic.

Barriers and Fencing - A total of 3,450m of Crowd Control Barriers were installed to help keep people safe throughout the event, helping to control the flow of people and prevent heavy crowd surges. 480m of Concord Barriers were also used to provide a safe, strong means of crowd protection. The Concord Barriers were used at the start and finish of the cycling races, as the angled design keeps spectators away from the cyclists without affecting the viewers’ enjoyment of the event.

Trakway - In order to provide pedestrian and lightweight vehicular access, the Trakway team installed 4,510 square metres of Supa-Trac over the grass/soiled areas to provide car parking and walkways to the event. For heavy-duty vehicle access, a total of 406 aluminium Lion Panels were installed to provide a robust roadway to the event. 

The Result 

The 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships were declared a huge success with 1 million spectators watching the festival of cycling in person, and millions more tuning in around the world to see the 11 days of cycling action taking place in Glasgow and across Scotland.

Sunbelt Rentals played a significant role in delivering a sustainable, green solution for the events at Glentress Forest. Generator run time was reduced by 84%, leading to significant fuel and cost savings. Based on diesel, the fuel savings provided a carbon emission reduction of 24 tonnes. This in turn generated £5,870 in social value, and based on current fuel prices for HVO fuel, generated a commercial saving of £16,751.75 for the customer. 

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