energyengineering

issue ninety seven

power for the future

SATELLITE
SOLUTIONS

Energy supply Turbine transitions

Cyber security Eliminating emissions
Battery technology Sustainable futures
Virtual testing Education & training
Among the many smart advantages with the NuScale VOYGR™ SMR power plant is its unique
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 CONTENTS

energyengineering power for the future

10 Energy storage – the driving force behind transport
decarbonisation
The growing role of energy storage is helping ensure
our power systems are adequately equipped for the
impact of the mass adoption of e-mobility
12 Managing cyber risks
Securing the energy supply: How businesses can
safeguard operational technology
14 Heavy Industry’s Transition to Clean Energy
The key issues that companies operating in
heavy industries need to consider to achieve their
sustainability goals
16 Maritime CCS: turning carbon into a commodity
for shipowners
Wärtsilä Exhaust Treatment has entered the final
stages of land-based testing of its full carbon
capture and storage (CCS) system for ships paving
the way for shipowners to view carbon as a
commodity
18 Power for a new generation
Steve Welch finds out more about Mitsubishi
Power Europe from Javier Cavada and how they
support customers as they build pathways to
decarbonisation and delivering reliable power
22 Keeping the lights on: the costs of battery
testing labs
Speeding up the shift to electric vehicles and
embracing the new era of automotive development
26 Scientific and sustainable solutions
WMG has a unique industry offering to tackle the
challenges of future transport combining expertise
in research, innovation, and academia
30 Innovation and inspiration
PA Consulting provides innovation and
transformation services that span the entire
innovation lifecycle, Steve Welch found out more
about their work in the smart mobility sector from
Amy Marshall
32 Hydrogen R&I accelerates at IAAPS
For many vehicle/drivecycle combinations,
hydrogen offers a more compelling solution than
batteries. Richard Gotch visited IAAPS to investigate
the technical strategies for both combustion and
fuel cell applications
36 Hydrogen power for fleets depends on skills
38 Hands-on training for a sustainable future
Mark Parsons Assistant Principal of Curriculum at
Cheshire College – South & West, explains how the
College is training and upskilling in the sector
40 Closing the gender gap in STEM
Why gender disparity in STEM is so strong and is an
ongoing issue, originating in schools and being seen
right through to senior professional roles
42 Using technology to address the skills gap
Brightside connect young people with inspiring
mentors to help them make confident and informed
decisions about their future
44 Pioneering energy transition engineering MSC
launched at Heriot-Watt University
Heriot-Watt University is launching a new Master of
Science degree programme to provide advanced
training in the increasingly urgent work of energy
transition
46 DORIS launches new STEM returners programme
DORIS, a leading provider of engineering, advisory, and
project management services for the energy sector, has
formed a new partnership with STEM Returners

Managing Editor Steve Welch © 2023 Media Culture Cover image courtesy of
www.energyengineering.co.uk

energyengineering
issue ninety seven

power for the future

www.getech.com
Consulting Editor Ian Hamilton Published by See page 4.
ENERGY ENGINEERING magazine
Art Editor Grant Lucas Media Culture, SATELLITE
Pure Offices, Plato Close, SOLUTIONS
Contributors Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, CV34 6WE
Carlos Nieto United Kingdom.
Tony Burton Tel +44 (0)1926 671338
Chris Voet e: steve@energyengineering.co.uk
Sigurd Jenssen
Daren Tan For subscription details for
Richard Gotch ENERGY ENGINEERING Energy supply Turbine transitions

please email steve@energyengineering.co.uk

Cyber security Eliminating emissions

Mark Parsons Battery technology Sustainable futures

Georgina Harris or call +44 (0)1926 671338 Virtual testing Education & training

ENERGY ENGINEERING ISSUE 97 3

MONITOR
XX
Getech heads into Orbit
as Planet partner
Environment
Getech, a world-leading locator of
the essential energy and subsurface
resources, has signed an agreement with
Planet, a leading provider of daily global
satellite imagery and geospatial solutions,
to join its “Orbit” partner programme.
Becoming a Planet partner enables
Getech to access Planet’s wealth
of earth observation intelligence
for use in its data-led geoenergy
exploration projects across various
sectors including mineral exploration,
geothermal, and transitional petroleum,
to locate and develop new sources of
energy and minerals.
Getech plans to leverage the Planet
data to accelerate execution and/
or reduce costs for clients looking
to decarbonise their operations.
Additionally, applying its advanced
Pioneering solar car port
launched at council HQ
Solar power
Northumberland County Council is
celebrating the launch of its new state-
of-the-art solar car port array - one of the
biggest of its kind in the UK.
The project which includes a covered
parking area with a canopy made from
photovoltaic (PV) panels, has been
designed and built by UK Power Networks
Services and will help provide clean energy
to the council’s headquarters at County
Hall in Morpeth.
The 40-year-old staff car park has
undergone major refurbishment work,
providing a timely opportunity for the
council to upgrade its energy provision so
that it is ready for the future.
The investment is part-funded by the
England European Regional Development
Fund as part of the European Structural
and Investment Funds Growth Programme
4 ISSUE 97
analytics to process and use satellite
data and derivatives allows the company
to create new, innovative solutions to
locate energy and mineral resources.
Chris Jepps, Getech COO, commented:
“We are pleased to be joining the Orbit
partner programme. Adding Planet’s
cutting-edge earth observation data to
Getech’s existing geoenergy databases
and to Globe – our ‘digital-twin’ of Earth’s
evolution through geologic time – allows
us to extend our data-led analysis
solutions for locating new low-carbon
energy and critical mineral resources.”
Planet, a leading provider of daily
global satellite imagery and geospatial
solutions, was founded by three NASA
scientists in 2010. The company operates
the largest fleet of Earth observation
imaging satellites, capturing over 30 TB
of data per day. Planet has been Getech’s
2014-2020 with match-funding from the
council, which it plans to recoup through
energy savings.
It is anticipated the new solar energy
infrastructure will save between £100,000
and £150,000 on energy costs each year,
which can be invested in council services.
As well as this, it is estimated over 250
tonnes of carbon emissions will be saved
each year assisting the council to meet its
target of cutting its own emissions in half
by 2025.
customer for the past two years.
Through its geospatial software
development expertise, Getech has
enhanced the desktop geographic
information system (GIS) application
through which Planet’s data is made
available to ArcGIS users.
www.getech.com
The new solar energy infrastructure
is one of the largest car port array
installations in the UK and features
800kW solar panels, while also providing
weather protection for electric vehicles.
Additionally, there is a 400kW battery
energy storage system with smart
controls to optimise energy use, carbon
emissions and costs throughout the day.
Energy from the solar panels will be
used to power the main building, provide
electricity to electric vehicle (EV) charge
points for fleet and staff vehicles and also
stored to help optimise costs and carbon
efficiency.
As well as this, 120 EV charge points
have been installed in the staff car park,
including 100 fast chargers and 20 rapid
chargers including some dedicated for
accessible parking bays.
www.gov.uk/european-growth-funding
ENERGY ENGINEERING

Enerpac sets sights on 10m diameter
wind turbine
Wind power
Industrial tools specialist, Enerpac,
announces an upgrade to its Wind Power
Milling Machine for manufacturing turbine
blades, an important stepping stone in its
aim of producing next generation milling
machines capable of milling blades up to
10m diameter. Developed specifically for
machining the root end of turbine blades,
Enerpac Wind Power Milling Machines are a
more efficient, accurate, and safer solution
than alternative methods such as grinding.
Milling removes any surface imperfection
at the flange face between a turbine and
blade. Even the smallest inaccuracies
at the root end of a turbine blade can
impact a turbine’s structural integrity and
performance, resulting in reduced output
and increasing operating costs.
The latest Enerpac Milling Machine
meets the highest industry standards for
Low speed vibration sensor
for wind power turbines
Sensors
Effective monitoring of slow speed rotating
industrial applications, such as wind
power generation is a critical requirement,
especially given the continued expansion
of ‘greener-energy’ alternatives. Reliable
and effective vibration measurement of low
speed machinery (typically less than 300
RPM) helps to ensure that machinery and
plant is functioning at optimal levels and is
one of the areas that Condition Monitoring
specialist SENSONICS provides effective
solutions.
For all wind power applications the
focus should be; understand the dynamic
behaviour, establish a baseline vibration
performance and then detect the early
onset of failure in rotating parts. As with
all condition monitoring applications,
if machinery is left unchecked there is
increased potential for more serious
ENERGY ENGINEERING
tolerance and accuracy for surface finish of
1.6 – 3.2 Ra and flatness tolerance of 0.05
mm. To handle bigger blades, the Milling
Machine features an innovative base
clamp design to prevent blade damage
and distortion, offering self-centring,
quick-mount capability for machining
blade sizes from 1.8m to 6m Bolt Circle
Diameter. Its modular design also allows for
quick development to meet the industry’s
damage affecting overall performance.
While using accelerometers is
commonplace on standard speed
machinery (usually 1500 RPM) this becomes
problematic at lower speeds as the absolute
accelerations measured are much smaller
in value for similar vibration displacements.
Sensonics recognised the need for a sensor
to meet these specific requirements and it’s
why it developed its low frequency VEL/GLF
XX
MONITOR
requirements of larger blade sizes.
The Enerpac Milling Machine system
consists of machine, base, trolley system,
and power unit, with the entire unit easily
moved from blade to blade. Enerpac Wind
Power Milling Machines have enabled
manufacturers to meet the growing need
for repeatable accuracy in the production
environment.
www.enerpac.com/wind
velocity vibration sensor which is ideal for
wind energy machinery.
The VEL/GLF is an electro dynamic
sensor which provides a superior
performance compared to piezo-electric
devices by combining high measurement
sensitivity with a frequency response
down to 0.5 Hz. This makes it ideally
suited to measuring velocity vibration on
equipment with speeds below 300 RPM.
The sensor offers a standard IEPE type
interface to enable easy integration with
existing plant protection and monitoring
equipment. Furthermore, the VEL/GLF
provides advantages over traditional
piezoelectric based velocity vibration
sensors which are susceptible to many
forms of interference in low frequency
applications that can result in spurious
readings and alarms.
www.sensonics.co.uk/industrial-sensors
ISSUE 97 5
MONITOR
XX
Unlocking the potential of
near and far floating solar
Solar power
The main challenge for floating solar,
particularly in marine environments, is
how to handle wave loads in combination
with wind.
Fred. Olsen 1848 now launches its
proprietary solution to this challenge;
BOLETTE.
BOLETTE allows the PV modules to
move freely and independently within a
rope mesh, distributing the forces to the
mooring system. As a result, BOLETTE
handles both wave and wind loads.
BOLETTE is designed with an integrated
solution for operation and maintenance.
It is easily scalable and can be tailored to
each individual project. All components
are easily sourced, and as such, BOLETTE
leverages an existing global supply chain
and supports a sustainable industry.
“BOLETTE is designed in a very cost-
Xodus offshore bird portal
reaping benefits for industry
Environment
Global energy consultancy Xodus has
signed up 51 platforms to its not-for-
profit Offshore Bird Portal (OBP) since it
launched in January.
6 ISSUE 97
efficient manner to follow the motion of a final tank test successfully completed,
the ocean, even in offshore conditions. We Fred. Olsen 1848 will install a 150kW pilot
believe BOLETTE’s elegant simplicity is a in Norway during summer 2023. Following
game-changer unlocking the potential of a plan to install a first commercial 3 MW
floating solar” unit in 2024, the aim is to deliver further
Sofie Olsen Jebsen, CEO, Fred. Olsen 1848 commercial projects from 2025 and
BOLETTE enters the market at an onwards.
advanced technological stage, and with www.fredolsen1848.com
Oil and gas operators from across data submissions and provide a bird
the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS) have identification service to help offshore
signed up to the portal to aid in the personnel with challenging species
recording and safeguarding of offshore observations.
species that visit assets based in the www.xodusgroup.com
North Sea.
The OBP has expanded its reach across
the North Sea’s energy sector in the past
six months with interest from offshore
wind developers and seafarers.
The OBP was established to improve
the long-term gathering of relevant
geographic and seasonal data relating
to seabirds and migrants (passerines)
on offshore platforms and structures.
The database and toolkit are aimed at
bettering scientific understanding, and
ecological awareness across the energy
industry.
Managed by Xodus, a team of ecologists
work to maintain the portal, handle
ENERGY ENGINEERING
MONITOR
XX
SeaVolt to launch a first of a
kind solar energy test platform
Solar power
SeaVolt, a collaboration between
Tractebel, DEME, and Jan De Nul, gets
ready for its first floating solar energy
test platform to be installed offshore. The
platform floatation system is currently
located in the port of Ostend, on the
Belgian North Sea coast, where main
contractor Equans is finalizing assembly.
The test platform will be the first
installation in the Belgian North Sea aimed
at the large-scale development of offshore
solar energy and is scheduled to be towed
offshore, anchored, and put into operation
to gather data for at least a year starting
in August.
The potential of SeaVolt is unlimited.
Unlike existing floating solar installations
on lakes, SeaVolt has developed a concept
specifically tailored to the conditions
of rough seas. With its modular design,
Bureau Veritas awarded
major offshore wind contract
Offshore wind
Bureau Veritas, a world-leader in
testing, inspection and certification,
has been awarded a major contract to
provide Integrated Site Services for
ScottishPower Renewables’ East Anglia
THREE – one of the UK’s largest offshore
windfarm projects.
The multi-million-pound contract
8 ISSUE 97
this technology is highly suitable for
installation as a complement to offshore
wind farms.
will see Bureau Veritas provide quality,
fabrication management and inspection
services, representing ScottishPower
Renewables within a significant portion of
the project supply chain.
Bureau Veritas will also be responsible
for overseeing the quality control of the
construction works as the project moves
into the offshore installation phase.
Under the framework of the Blue Cluster
funded research project MPVAQUA
and additional support from the federal
government via BELSPO, the partners
within SeaVolt together with Ghent
University (UGENT) are ready to conduct
a year-round open-sea testing inside
the POM-West Vlaanderen owned ‘Blue
Accelerator offshore test zone’. This
proof of concept installation will gather
crucial data on the impact of waves, rain
and salt sprays on various solar panels
with different PV panel configurations. In
addition, the impact of varying inclinations,
caused by waves and wind, on the energy
output will be closely monitored. The test
aims to determine the level of protection
required to shield the solar panels from
seawater and bird droppings.
www.tractebel-engie.be
www.jandenul.com
East Anglia THREE is the second of
ScottishPower Renewables’ offshore
windfarm projects to be developed within
the region. It is located 69km off the
Suffolk coast and – when complete – will
power over one million homes in the UK. It
will cover an area of more than 305km² and
generate up to 1,400MW of power via 95
14.7MW wind turbines.
Bureau Veritas has a track record of
more than 250GW in Offshore and Onshore
wind and solar and supports major power
companies globally. Its inspection team
can act as a second party for developers
and OEMs, acting as a representative of
its client, or as an accredited or voluntary
third party offering its independent
technical consultancy to make
recommendations and issue statements
regarding product quality.
www.bureauveritas.co.uk
ENERGY ENGINEERING
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ENERGY STORAGE
Energy storage – the
driving force behind
transport decarbonisation
Carlos Nieto explores the growing role of energy storage in
helping ensure our power systems are adequately equipped
for the impact of the mass adoption of e-mobility
Carlos Nieto
T
he transition to electric vehicles
(EVs) is gaining momentum
worldwide, with one in seven
cars sold globally now being electric.
But while this transition supports
decarbonisation, preparing for the
anticipated power needs presents a
new challenge in terms of grid impact
and energy costs.
In this context, energy storage
systems are emerging as a compelling
solution to alleviate these challenges
and ensure our power systems are
well-equipped for the mainstream
adoption of EVs.
The current decade is undeniably
the era of EVs. Despite ongoing
challenges in manufacturing
capacity and infrastructure, the rapid
acceleration towards zero-emission
transport remains a top priority. Many
nations have committed to banning
the sale of petrol and diesel vehicles,
some as early as 2025. Governments
are providing EV subsidies, while
cities are implementing access
10 ISSUE 97
regulations to address low emissions
and pollution emergencies.
Simultaneously, industry players are
constantly innovating automotive
technology to improve range,
availability, and performance.
These efforts have resulted in a
significant increase in EV sales. In
2017, only one in every 70 cars sold
was an EV. However, last year, one
in seven passenger cars purchased
worldwide was electric, surpassing a
milestone of 10 million global sales
for the first time. While this progress
is commendable for decarbonisation,
the widespread electrification of
vehicles presents a new challenge in
terms of grid impact.
Estimates suggest that the
adoption of EVs could drive a 300-fold
increase in electricity consumption
by 2040 compared to 2016. Yet our
current grid system is already being
pushed to its limits as it swiftly
and simultaneously becomes both
carbon-neutral and more variable,
all while faced with serving soaring
demand. The result is the very real
risk of a power-demand crisis – if not
managed correctly.
Formidable balancing act
Much like EVs themselves, one of the
most important innovations is one of
the oldest – the humble battery.
To understand why, we must first
look at the current grid set up. Most
of today’s energy infrastructure
is decades old and was only ever
designed to work under the basic
assumption that electricity generation
is easily adjustable depending on
the amount of electricity consumed.
Renewable integration changes this.
Renewable energy sources, such
as solar and wind power, are crucial
components of the decarbonisation
efforts. However, they are inherently
intermittent, dependent on factors
like weather conditions and daylight
availability. Consequently, adding
these new energy producers to the
mix can cause volatility to the system,
including potential imbalances in
supply and demand and changes in
transmission flow patterns. Add to the
equation, the prospect of hundreds of
thousands of EVs plugging onto the
grid to charge during peak hours and
the result is a formidable balancing
act for the modern utilities provider.
Bridging the gap
But there is a solution to combat this
instability. Battery energy storage
systems (BESS) can provide a vital
source of flexibility in the energy
system by bridging the gap between
energy generation and demand,
ensuring a continuous and reliable
power supply.
By storing excess energy during
periods of high generation and
releasing it during periods of low
ENERGY ENGINEERING

generation, energy storage allows for a
more efficient utilisation of renewable
energy resources. This capability is
particularly relevant for EVs as it helps
address the limited driving range
associated with their batteries.
Put simply, they make it possible for
energy to be stored and used at a later
time. To relieve pressure on the grid,
utilities can store renewable energy
during the day, when production
is typically high, and redistribute it
when consumption peaks, typically
during the evening. Other benefits
include reactive power compensation,
frequency regulation, voltage support
and critical backup power.
As the transportation economy
electrifies, this will play a huge role
in enabling operators to respond to
the increased pressure on the grid
more effectively without the need
for costly infrastructure upgrades.
Crucially too, it alleviates the need
for operators to draw on expensive
and carbon-intensive peak plants
during periods of high demand. After
all, the green mobility transition itself
would be severely compromised if
the energy used to fuel it has a high
carbon footprint.
Compelling business case
The business case for BESS is
equally compelling for industrial and
commercial operators. Many aiming
to adopt electric transport by the end
of the decade are concerned by the
increased costs required for on-site EV
charging, especially in volatile energy
markets. To address this, businesses
can combine on-site renewable
generation with BESS. This approach
allows them to store and utilise
energy efficiently, reducing demand
on the grid during peak charging
times. It also offers a greener and
more cost-effective solution for sites
with grid constraints, eliminating the
need for network upgrades.
When partnered with an energy
management system (EMS), the
data and analytics afforded by BESS
can provide the insights needed
to better match energy demand to
ENERGY ENGINEERING
requirements and improve overall
efficiency. Crucially, for utilities and
largescale operators this can build
a new layer of resilience through
better foresight such as building
in contingencies for increasing EV
demand over time.
New level of smart operation
Furthermore, applying Artificial
Intelligence (AI) takes BESS to a
completely new level of smart
operation.
Inherently, BESS operations can be
complex - requiring round-the-clock
monitoring of everything from supply
and demand rates, weather conditions
and seasonality. By introducing new
AI technology, it’s now possible to
achieve all of this in real-time for a
much more effective and efficient
energy storage operation.
The result is radical new potential
for energy and asset optimisation.
Through predictive analytics,
operators can save and distribute self-
generated resources more effectively
and better prepare for upcoming
ENERGY STORAGE
ABB and Amazon
Web Services steer
fleets to an all-
electric future
demand – including charging peaks.
It can also ensure “business as usual”
by allowing users to identify and
address issues before they escalate
and anticipate similar failures or
performance constraints. Operators
can negate issues presented by EVs
in terms of grid capacity, and instead
use the e-mobility movement impetus
to become much more planned,
methodical and meticulous in the use
and production of energy.
The popularity of EVs and the
subsequent increase in grid demand
present challenges. However, a smart
and coordinated approach with BESS
at its core allows for a stable, reliable,
and cost-effective energy system. As
we navigate towards a greener urban
transport infrastructure, energy storage
systems, coupled with AI, will play a
vital role in driving the transition and
achieving sustainable mobility.
Carlos Nieto is Global Product Line
Manager, Energy Storage at ABB
www.abb.com
ABB launches
one of the world’s
fastest electric car
chargers
ISSUE 97 11
ENERGY SUPPLY
Managing cyber risks
Tony Burton on securing the energy supply: How
businesses can safeguard operational technology
Tony Burton
O
ngoing geopolitical issues have
created a volatile situation
in the energy market across
Europe. At a time like this, the impacts
of a successful cyber-attack on
critical national infrastructure would
compound this instability, causing
massive disruption to electricity and
gas supplies across the country.
As a result, owners, operators
and the supply chains of this critical
national infrastructure have a greater
responsibility than ever to ensure
that our energy supplies are properly
protected against cyber threats. This
is not a simple challenge as these
businesses must balance the needs
and benefits of digital transformation
with a clear understanding of the
threat landscape, the cyber risk and
vulnerability of their operations and
an appropriate mitigation strategy to
manage that risk to acceptable levels.
Balancing demands during the
digital transformation journey
Recent years have seen greater
reliance on operational technology
in the sector for the provision
of energy nationwide. As any
industry implements more inter-
connectivity and digital processes
to deliver greater efficiency and
effectiveness, there are pressures
12 ISSUE 97
from a cybersecurity perspective
to ensure that the mission critical
processes that have been digitalised
are sufficiently protected against
hackers who would seek to infiltrate
and disrupt systems.
In the wider industry, rising costs
as a result of the conflict in Ukraine
have already seen several UK energy
providers fall into administration.
There are also continuing concerns
around the security of supply due
to state sponsored actors taking
significant interest in the Critical
National Infrastructure of nations.
All of this, coupled with the general
supply and demand strain that we are
experiencing in the UK means that we
have effectively returned to an age
where the threat of power cuts is a
genuine possibility.
What is abundantly clear is the
level of effort that is being put in to
how these challenges are overcome.
As the digital transformation journey
in the sector continues, many of
these concerns around the supply
and demand balancing will be
eliminated as the network becomes
more flexible, resilient, and agile. At
the same time however, it must be
recognised that all this agility and
resilience can only be supported
through the interconnection of
the operational technology assets
that form the smart network. It is
this interdependence that is both
the biggest benefit and the biggest
cyber risk to the network and is why
businesses must prioritise cyber
security and resilience as a core
theme of their transformations. The
easiest way for businesses to ensure
this is considered throughout the
process is to implement security
controls by design and build an
awareness of the risks and threats
they face such that the right controls
are implemented in the right places to
maximise security efforts.
The threat landscape
‘Know thy enemy’ is a statement
that particularly holds true in the
case of cybersecurity. Without a core
understanding of the threats that
organisations face from hackers and
the tools, techniques and procedures
they employ, organisations have
little hope of improving their
detection, response and resilience
outcomes. It is also true to state that
businesses must understand the
detailed view of their own inventory
and the potential vulnerabilities that
they may have across that estate –
aka their attack surface.
Ransomware is increasingly
chasing malware for the top spot of
most common form of cyber attack.
Not an entirely separate entity,
ransomware is an attack whereby
hackers will utilise malware, often
via a phishing scam, to access,
copy steal or encrypt a company’s
data. This will then be held to
ransom, with threats to destroy or
share sensitive information unless
payment is made.
Historically, banks and other
financial institutions have been
the key targets for hackers looking
for sizeable pay outs. However, in
the wake of the Colonial Pipeline
attack in 2021 which shut down
oil supplies for much of the US,
criminals now understand that
successful attacks against critical
infrastructure organisations can yield
much more lucrative rewards due
ENERGY ENGINEERING

to the widespread and significant
consequences of outages. With
cyber criminals well aware of the
increasing pressures on the energy
industry, they will be even more
likely to target suppliers (and their
supply chains) who will increasingly
be looking to mitigate the risks of
outages by any means.
Once an understanding of
the threat landscape has been
established and organisations can
identify their vulnerabilities, the next
challenge is implementing the most
suitable solutions.
Managing cyber risks
and building resilience
The weakest link in any security
efforts are people. Human error
is often the avenue through
which cyber criminals can access
a company’s systems. Whilst
companies can utilise cybersecurity
training and awareness to counter
this, it is unreasonable to expect a
perfect record for each employee.
As such, understanding what data
is stored where and who has access
to it is the first step in ensuring
malicious actors are kept out
of company systems. However,
according to Thales’ Data Threat
Report, just a quarter of businesses
ENERGY ENGINEERING
globally reported they were able
to classify all their data indicating
significant progress still needs to be
made.
The first step towards managing
the cyber risk and building resilience
is to understand exactly what
operational technology is in play,
how it is configured and how it may
be compromised by the entry and
propagation of malware or its effects
through the system.
The prioritisation of risk
mitigation activity is then essential
to begin to align the risk profile to
the risk appetite of the organisation.
There is no such thing as a
100% secure system and so this
judgement must be made from an
informed position that will evolve
with the systems and the threat
to provide a level of continued
assurance. Know thy enemy!
The digital transformation of the
sector is well underway and over
time, organisations must move
away from retrofitting cyber security
and seek to implement a ‘secure
by design’ philosophy. If security
hasn’t been built in from the start
it can be hard (but not impossible)
to address vulnerabilities in the
network. This is true for all systems
but when considering the complex
ENERGY SUPPLY
interconnected and interdependent
system of systems that already exist
in the energy sector the principles
of secure by design are essential.
Furthermore, the complexity and
transformation that is already
underway means that there are no
longer clear boundaries to protect
and the dynamic reconfiguration of
software, firmware and endpoints
means that a new cyber security
paradigm is required.
This paradigm shift is towards
information-based security based
on zero trust principles and the need
for this shift has never been clearer.
This will take time to implement but
ultimately is the only way to realise
the potential of all this interconnected
technology without introducing a
significant cyber security risk.
Energy companies are balancing
a difficult equation with multiple
pressures, threats and risks but
managing the security of all
connected devices and securing
the trusted information that will
underpin the smart grid must remain
a top priority.
Tony Burton is Managing Director –
Cyber & Trust at Thales
www.thalesgroup.com
ISSUE 97 13
SOLAR POWER
Heavy Industry’s
Transition to Clean Energy
Chris Voet shares his insights on the key issues that companies
operating in heavy industries need to consider to achieve their
sustainability goals
Chris Voet,
Director of Key
Accounts Europe
at SolarEdge
Technologies
W
ith governmental pressure in
most countries ramping up
and bold deadlines to phase
out fossil fuel within the upcoming
decades, many companies and
industries are adapting to the large-
scale transition to clean energy. For
traditional heavy industries such as
manufacturing and logistics, the shift
is a big one, and identifying how to
achieve that objective can seem like a
very complex challenge.
In Europe, there are some 300
industries – many of them international
– that have set due-dates to significantly
reduce carbon emissions. The years
commonly range from 2025 to 2035,
and for some, 2050, depending on the
country. Promises have been made
by companies to shareholders and
communities, and pledges posted on
websites. While genuine commitment
to ‘play their part’ is a key factor, action
is also spurred by incentives from
regional utilities to encourage adoption
of renewable energy – as well as the
incoming carbon taxes on industries
that do not meet legislated emissions
levels.
14 ISSUE 97
Among the companies leading
the cause are the heavy industries
historically perceived as major
polluters, such as oil and gas, chemical
and automotive, logistics and large-
scale industrial manufacturing. I
have been working closely with
companies in these industries for over
a decade, helping them to transition
to renewable energy, specifically solar.
These operators typically have large
premises and potentially acres of
empty roof space, and solar modules
provides a very visible demonstration
of their commitment to sustainability.
At the same time, the flexible nature
of solar means it does not typically
require planning permission, and,
thanks to improvements in solar
technology and fluctuating energy
prices, the ROI period for solar projects
is becoming ever more attractive.
For organisations whose business
has never been power generation,
making the transition to solar can
present a challenge, and certainly
there are several considerations that
need to be taken into account. For
example, there may be variations in
national or even regional regulations
that dictate the maximum size
allowed for a PV system. Sometimes,
the buildings used by companies
may not have suitable rooftops, or
the buildings may only be leased
or rented making the landlord’s
commitment to installations
problematic. Landlords are often
reluctant to allow a solar installation
with a return on investment (ROI) of
less than the occupier’s lease.
Within large industrial corporations
there can also often be complexity
in the decision-making process.
This may involve corporate-level
management, investors, regional
management, plant managers,
risk assessment officers, energy
managers, sustainability managers,
insurance officers, local officials
(including fire departments), and
often risk, insurance and energy
consultants. The challenge here is
to ensure all stakeholders in the
decision-making process understand
what the end-goal is and that they
can work together to achieve it.
Addressing concerns before
taking the road to transition
Once a company is aligned internally,
the next step is to find competent
partners who can help it navigate
the transition and minimise risk.
These are likely to include a mix of
companies, from consultants and
EPCs to technology providers who
can provide expertise based on
decades of installing solar systems.
These providers could be either
local or global depending on the
needs of the company, though
many companies that have made
the transition often find that the
involvement of local partners who
know the regulatory and operational
conditions is very important.
In a recent meeting with a large
chemical company, I was asked in
jest, ‘if our tree has always been
ENERGY ENGINEERING

fruitful, why take it down and grow
a new one?!’. Referencing their
longstanding use of traditional energy
supply, they knew the answer to the
analogy, but it does exemplify a wider
industry consensus that while the
transition to solar is needed, it comes
with a lack of understanding of its
value and how to best implement it.
The transition to solar requires
a solid understanding of the
requirements and risk factors involved.
First, the financial case needs to be
considered. Solar provides a very
attractive ROI over the total lifetime
of a system, having saved many of
our longstanding customers millions.
However, companies will have to bear
the majority of the cost up front as
CAPEX. The next step is the process
of putting solar panels on the roof of
buildings and achieving the promised
energy supply, which is a relatively
simple and low risk exercise.
Safety and Risk Management
With chemical, oil and gas, and
automotive companies, the main
concerns are around safety and risk.
These concerns come from a variety of
sources, from risk and safety officers,
to building managers (and owners),
local councils and fire departments,
and the companies’ insurance
managers. The insurance element is,
itself, complex as it includes building
insurance, insurance of the solar
system, business insurance and
general liability.
As the solar industry matures
and the number of installations
increase, stricter safety standards and
regulations are now commonplace.
These safety standards often outline
that should maintenance on the
roof be necessary, or in case of an
emergency, the solar inverter must
be able to reduce the DC current
produced by solar panels to a
touch-safe voltage within a specified
amount of time.
Overcoming fear of risk takes
time and requires the right experts
to provide credible data-backed
input and proper due diligence.
ENERGY ENGINEERING
We work with Marsh LLC, who are
global experts in risk management
and insurance-focused brokerage.
Our partnership with such a highly-
respected company with a long track
record provides a lot of reassurance
for enterprises that are considering
investing in solar.
Cross-industry collaboration is key
Once the first PV installation has
been successfully completed, we find
that companies quickly move on to
the next one, often accompanied by
the question ‘why didn’t we do this
sooner?!’. The completion of each
successful solar project becomes
the model for the next, albeit local
adjustments may need to be made.
For example, in some countries
excess solar energy cannot be fed
into the grid.
However, we can help implement
energy storage systems so that excess
energy can be managed and used to
further reduce the dependency on
the grid.
It’s important to recognize that
every industry has its own unique set
of challenges which must be taken
also be taken into account to ensure
a smooth transition away from fossil
fuels. One of the ways we do this is to
bring together different companies
from within the same industry, for
example chemicals, to discuss their
requirements and concerns. This helps
us to better understand the specific
SOLAR POWER
needs of each industry and best guide
them on what steps are required to
effectively make the transition. You’d
be surprised at the level of cooperation
these often-competing companies
can achieve in order to find the best
sustainable energy solution to power
their business.
Transitioning to a brighter future
While COP27 certainly shone a spotlight
on the need to accelerate change,
the reality is that the dial is slower
than most of us would like. For heavy
industries, the introduction of solar
energy requires a shift in mindset on
many levels. For example, it requires
greater collaboration between separate
departments and responsibilities. It
also requires stakeholders to move
away from thinking about risk reduction
centred around initial CAPEX, to
recognizing the opportunities to future-
proof businesses, especially against the
recent energy pricing volatility we’ve
seen in many countries. I’ve spoken to
many companies who now view solar
as a valuable asset that not only helps
meet corporate sustainability goals,
but can also be turned into a revenue
stream. When that suddenly clicks
and the mindset changes, it really is a
magical thing to see.
Chris Voet is Director of Key Accounts
Europe at SolarEdge Technologies
www.solaredge.com/uk
ISSUE 97 15
MARINE
Maritime CCS: turning
carbon into a commodity
for shipowners
Wärtsilä Exhaust Treatment has entered the final stages of
land-based testing of its full carbon capture and storage (CCS)
system for ships paving the way for shipowners to view carbon
as a commodity, explains Sigurd Jenssen
Sigurd Jenssen
W
ärtsilä Exhaust Treatment
has reached an important
milestone in our continued
journey to bring a maritime carbon
capture and storage (CCS) solution
to market. We have now installed
a liquefaction module and CO2
storage tank on our test system in
Moss, Norway.
This completes the full CCS
capture chain and means that a
fully-sized system can now be tested
– the first of its kind. The test CCS
system comprises a 1MW Wärtsilä
test engine, scrubber, stripper, boiler,
liquefaction, and storage tank. After
two years of design, engineering,
construction, and testing, all
components are working together
seamlessly as one system.
Initial tests of the system have
16 ISSUE 97
already proven that it meets the
ambition of capturing 70% of CO2
at the point of exhaust. This figure
has been chosen as a benchmark
because it meets the IMO’s
target for a 70% reduction in CO2
emissions (per transport work) for
international shipping by 2050. The
system has the capability to capture
a higher percentage in future should
regulations on CO2 emissions
tighten further.
Wärtsilä has already agreed the
industry’s first full-scale, high-
capture pilot in partnership with
Solvang ASA where we will install a
system on its 20,000dwt ethylene
carrier Clipper Eos.
Liquefaction and storage
Liquefaction is the most efficient way
to store captured carbon onboard. It
is the most common way for storing
CO2 on-land, so infrastructure is
already developed in certain areas,
and continues to evolve. This will
benefit any onboard system that
uses liquefaction and is why we have
chosen the same solution.
The liquefaction unit consists
of a CO2 compressor, a humidity
adsorption dryer, a refrigeration unit,
and a storage tank. The storage tank
has a 6m³ capacity for liquid CO2
and is installed outside the test hall.
The liquid CO2 collected in the tank
can be discharged onto a truck for
external usage.
The stream of CO2 out of the
stripper/absorber needs to be dried
and compressed to the right pressure
and then cooled in order to liquify
and be pumped to the tank. This
process does require some energy
input, particularly at the compression
stage and is the main parasitic load
associated with carbon capture.
We are actively looking at ways of
reducing this energy consumption
through purification and adopting
efficient ways to move the gas at the
right stage and at the right pressure to
create a smaller carbon footprint.
Space onboard
Space efficiency is key onboard
a vessel, so the storage capacity
of our CCS technology is flexible,
depending on the vessel type and
customer needs. We take a modular
view to each project, taking into
consideration factors such as the
energy demand required to capture
carbon, the desired capture rate, and
the trading pattern of the vessel.
There are many similar
considerations for new fuels. The
alternatives to onboard CCS are not
ENERGY ENGINEERING

simple; even methanol and ammonia
propulsion alternatives are space
demanding. They will require two
to three times more tank space, and
back-up fuels will need to be fitted,
which will take up additional space.
Commercial commodity
A key advantage over new fuels
is that, with CCS, CO2 becomes a
commodity that can be incorporated
in the economics of any investment
decision. There is a market for CO2
today, estimated at approximately
200 million tonnes, and CO2 is
being traded at around 100 USD
per tonne. As the CCS industry
expands, this market will become
saturated, but it may also expand as
new opportunities for utilising the
captured CO2 develop.
If you were to put CCS technology
on all ships in the world, you would
have to focus on sequestration as
the end point. But in the shorter-
term, there are already industries
today to which you could supply
CO2 – or, in other words, for which
shipping’s waste CO2 could become a
commodity.
ENERGY ENGINEERING
First movers will be able to sell CO2
by tapping into fertilisers, building
materials, packaging, or - if captured
with the right purity – food and
drink streams. Currently, permanent
sequestration options are mostly in
Northern Europe and North America,
where the CO2 is pumped into used oil
fields or aquifers. We expect that there
will be many more sequestration
projects developed within the next
five to 10 years.
Retrofit potential
CCS will be important for the
shipping industry, because there are
currently not enough low-carbon
energy sources to power the global
fleet. It stands to reason that with
such a high proportion of maritime
energy use being based on fossil
fuels, it is only pragmatic to scale
CCS at the same time.
There are already lots of vessels
at sea – many at an early stage of
their lifecycle – so it is important
that the sector adjusts and finds
solutions that work with the current
fleet, rather than enact the carbon-
intensive process of scrapping and
MARINE
CCS system at
Wärtsilä’s test
facility in Moss,
Norway
building new.
Our CCS solution will be applicable
to any vessel using carbon-based
fuels but will require pre-treatment in
the form of an exhaust gas scrubber.
If all ships with a Wärtsilä scrubber
install CCS, this would equate to a
30 million tonne reduction in CO2
emissions using a 70% capture rate.
That gives a reduction potential for
the scrubber-fitted fleet alone of 200
million tonnes - about 20% of the
current maritime GHG emissions.
To this effect, Wärtsilä is ensuring
that its CCS technologies are true
lifecycle solutions that consider
factors such as heat demand, power
consumption, footprint, and size
across the two to three decades a
ship could reasonably be expected to
operate for.
We are now only a few years
away from bringing to market
another valuable tool in shipping’s
decarbonisation toolkit.
Sigurd Jenssen is Director,
Wärtsilä Exhaust Treatment
www.wartsila.com/marine/products/exhaust-treatment
ISSUE 97 17
Q&A
Power for a
new generation
Steve Welch finds out more about Mitsubishi Power Europe
from Javier Cavada and how they support customers as they
build pathways to decarbonisation and delivering reliable power
Javier Cavada
J
avier Cavada is President and
CEO, EMEA at Mitsubishi Power
Steve Welch: Could you tell me about
your background in the sector?
Javier Cavada: Firstly, as a hard-
core engineer I am inspired by new
technology and how innovation
improves people’s lives, by
developing the way our society works.
And when I joined the industry, one of
the big motivating factors for me was
witnessing that energy touches every
single aspect of our daily lives. I have
since been fortunate to spend more
than two decades working all over the
world for dynamic organizations at
18 ISSUE 97
the forefront of the transition to clean
energy technologies.
Prior to joining Mitsubishi Power
at the beginning of 2022, I was at
Wärtsilä for 17 years, where I was
most recently President of the Energy
division. In that role, I was essentially
responsible for bringing 190 years of
history working with diesel into the
modern age, driving the organization
towards its vision of a 100%
renewables-powered world. In 2018,
I joined Highview Power as CEO and
President to steer the international
deployment of the company’s long
duration energy storage technology.
I was then appointed as President
and CEO for EMEA at Mitsubishi
Power, where I have been charged
with accelerating our expansion in
Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
Through all my roles, I have
witnessed first-hand the advancement
of technology solutions to meet
current needs while addressing the
enormous climate challenges we face.
Today we’re witnessing more and
more outstanding innovations that
are making a real difference to the
decarbonization of our planet.
SW: Tell me more about Mitsubishi
Power Europe and what it is doing to
support decarbonization, accelerate
carbon capture and increase storage
in the region?
JC: Mitsubishi Power is the power
solutions brand of Mitsubishi Heavy
Industries, which has been developing
infrastructure solutions that benefit
society for more than 150 years,
including ground-breaking hydrogen
and carbon capture technologies.
Our commitment is to support our
customers as they build pathways
to decarbonization while delivering
reliable power to people everywhere.
To reach this goal, we design,
manufacture and maintain products
that range from hydrogen-capable
advanced-class gas turbines through
energy storage solutions for short
and long duration storage. With a
large global market share in carbon
capture, we continue to innovate and
develop advanced CCUS solutions.
In a nutshell, we have, in-house,
all the required technologies to
decarbonize existing infrastructure,
and accelerate the evolution of our
society to a hydrogen economy
powered by renewables.
SW: How important is hydrogen,
including green hydrogen, and what
do you see as the timescales around
its deployment?
JC: We always highlight that it will
take a mix of clean technologies [to
meet decarbonization goals] and we
have proven technologies already
in place, like hydrogen. Hydrogen
will be a key enabler of the energy
transition and a core constituent of
an eventual green and decarbonized
energy system.
Our hydrogen-fired gas turbines
are already deployed commercially,
ENERGY ENGINEERING

and we are working towards 100%
hydrogen power generation by 2025.
Mitsubishi Power completed the
world’s largest hydrogen fuel blending
at plant McDonough-Atkinson in
Georgia, USA with a blend of 20%
hydrogen. In Utah, we partnered with
Magnum Renewable Development
to provide a combined H2 cycle that
will deliver the largest renewable
hydrogen energy storage capacity of
1.6 GW to Los Angeles.
In Egypt, we signed an agreement
with ANRPC in Alexandria to provide
advanced hydrogen fuel conversion
technology solutions. The solution
will be installed at the ARNPC refinery
plant in Alexandria, which provides
30% of Egypt’s gasoline supply for
domestic consumption.
Importantly, our Hydrogen Park in
Takasago, Japan – the world’s first
centre for the validation of hydrogen-
related technologies, from hydrogen
production to power generation – will
produce hydrogen on-site using water
electrolysis, and potentially use other
next-generation technologies such
ENERGY ENGINEERING
as methane pyrolysis to produce
‘turquoise’ hydrogen with solid
carbon as a by-product.
Mitsubishi Power has already
announced its 30% hydrogen co-firing
for large frame gas turbines and will
use the park to commercialize small
and large frame gas turbines on a
path to 100% hydrogen firing starting
in 2025..
The next important step is to
improve and develop hydrogen’s
entire supply chain – at local levels
– to make the technology viable at
the scale the planet needs to combat
climate change.
SW: You’ve mentioned partnerships.
How important are they to you?
JC: While we have the
decarbonization technologies in
place, to scale and accelerate the
impact of our work in meeting
net zero targets, we cannot do it
alone. We need partnerships and
collaboration. The widespread
deployment of green technologies
requires unprecedented collaboration
Q&A
Mitsubishi Power
Hydrogen Fired
Gas Turbine
with both existing and new industry
partners, policymakers and NGOs.
SW: Are there other key trends, such
as AI, which may have an impact on
the sector?
JC: Improving the efficiency of
existing power plants is just as
crucial as developing new clean
technologies. Mitsubishi Power’s
TOMONI® intelligent digital solutions
– which leverage AI - are proven to
increase profitability of gas and steam
turbine plants around the world. Our
digital solutions are being applied to
improve power plant competitiveness
through asset optimization, analytics
for operator and maintenance
support, and artificial intelligence.
Our TOMONI® solutions are helping us
to build the power plant of the future.
In addition to AI, CCUS is
emerging at the forefront of
the energy transition roadmap.
Alongside removing carbon from
the atmosphere, CCUS is a critical
contributor to the energy transition
in reducing emissions within
ISSUE 97 19
Q&A
existing energy infrastructure
through retrofitting it to existing
power plants.
CCUS also shows the most
promise in the decarbonization of
energy-intensive industries, like steel,
aluminium, cement and chemical,
refineries. According to the IEA,
carbon capture could potentially
sequester a third of all the global
industrial emissions before 2040.
Mitsubishi Power has been active
along the entire CO2 value chain
for decades — and has supplied
15 commercial carbon capture
plants globally, with a total capacity
equivalent to capturing more than
three million metric tons a year. A
further three projects are currently
under construction.
SW: Can you talk specifically about
some of the projects the company
is working on, or will be working on,
particularly in the UK?
JC: Our Zero Carbon Humber
Partnership in the UK plans to create
the world’s first net zero industrial
cluster by 2040 through low carbon
hydrogen, carbon capture and
negative emissions, known as carbon
removal technology.
Our large-scale gas turbines at the
Triton, Saltend power plant will burn
a 30% hydrogen fuel mix which will
significantly lower its carbon footprint,
allowing for a deep decarbonisation of
the UK power sector.
For this project, Mitsubishi Power
has partnered with international
energy companies, heavy industry,
leading infrastructure and logistics
operators, global engineering firms
and academic institutions to build
a system that could reduce the UK’s
annual emissions by 15% and save the
industry around £27.5 billion (US$35.3
billion) in carbon taxes by 2040.
SW: Can you comment on the
current investment landscape for
renewable energy engineering in
the UK and Europe, and how do you
20 ISSUE 97
think this will change?
JC: The REPowerEU – by calling for 10
million tonnes of domestic renewable
hydrogen production and 10 million
tonnes of renewable hydrogen
imports by 2030 - is a good step in
helping the EU meet its European
Green Deal climate neutrality goals
by 2050.
Europe is poised to be a major
demand centre for renewable energy,
but we need more investment,
and we need it now. Momentum is
building but there is still a lack of
urgency. We need more initiatives
coming out of the EU and UK to boost
investment in clean tech, much like in
the US after it introduced the Inflation
Reduction Act (IRA) in 2022.
A program like the IRA will result
in funding for carbon capture and
hydrogen technology development,
but it can’t come soon enough.
Frankly, the investments made in
the next two to three years could
determine what the future of our
planet looks like.
SW: What are the main challenges
facing the sector, and what part will
Mitsubishi Power Europe play in
helping to solve these?
JC: The biggest challenge is bringing
everyone on board in the transition.
That requires funding, a deep
understanding of the industrial,
commercial and social impact
of climate change, and a 100%
commitment to Net Zero. First class
technology solutions are essential.
At Mitsubishi Power we’re focused
on developing not just a single,
silver bullet solution, but an entire
suite that reduces and eliminates
CO2 emissions at the point of power
generation and storage.
Our partners and customers
need to be able to rely on us, so we
undergo rigorous and long-term
testing and verification under the
same conditions as an actual power
plant at our ultramodern, grid-
connected T-Point 2 facility, which is
co-located at our Takasago Hydrogen
Park. This ensures that when our
technology comes to market it will
be reliable and deliver to the highest
possible standards.
SW: How would you sum up your
message to the market?
JC: Speed and scale. Time is of
essence to accelerate this evolution
to a decarbonized world, and scale
is fundamental too. The opportunity
is there; let’s join hands to move the
world forward.
We know there’s no single path
to energy transition. The energy
systems of tomorrow will require
an integrated ecosystem that is not
only built on innovation, coupled
with enabling policy and financial
capital, but especially on human
capital. A wide uptake of the
commercialization pathways to a
carbon neutral economy on a global
scale will require robust supply
chains at a local level, creating
multiple domestic energy transitions,
working in tandem, to achieve net
zero goals.
At Mitsubishi Power we are 100%
committed to decarbonization
and already a decade ahead of
global targets in terms of our own
decarbonization targets. We are
well positioned and committed
to help our customers across the
world achieve their clean energy
ambitions.
We have the energy transition
technologies that are needed now,
and are making rapid advancements
on new innovations, to solve the
energy trilemma of sustainability,
affordability and energy security.
But it will take extraordinary
collaboration and urgency –
working hand in hand with our
industry partners, policymakers
and NGOs – to accelerate global
decarbonization before it becomes
too late. We are ready.
https://power.mhi.com/regions/emea/
ENERGY ENGINEERING
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BATTERY TECHNOLOGY

Keeping the lights on:

the costs of battery
testing labs
Daren Tan on speeding up the shift to electric vehicles
and embracing the new era of automotive development

A
bout:Energy is a leading About:Energy is building the The automotive industry is
battery modelling company world’s largest standardised battery undergoing a critical transformation
headquartered in London. database that can be used to as it shifts towards electric vehicles,
About:Energy brings together inform decision-making in system with major car manufacturers around
deep-tech IP in battery testing, design, lifetime prediction and cell the world committing billions to
parameterisation and modelling optimisation. Organisations from develop and produce electric models.
to help the battery value chain automotive, aerospace and cell Volkswagen has pledged to invest
supercharge battery development manufacturing use About:Energy’s $86 billion in electric vehicles over
and application using their advanced tools to streamline their R&D, reduce the next five years, while General
cell digital twins. time-to-market and enhance battery Motors has committed to investing
From mine to end-of-life, system performance. $27 billion in EVs and autonomous
Speeding up
the shift to
electric vehicles
and embracing
the new era
of automotive
development

22 ISSUE 97 ENERGY ENGINEERING


vehicles through 2025. Other notable
investments include Ford's $22 billion
investment in EVs through 2025,
and Mercedes-Benz's $47 billion
investment in electrification through
2030. However, as these companies
know all too well, developing
batteries that meet the demanding
requirements of electric vehicles
is an incredibly complicated task.
Despite all the hype about batteries,
they are still an incredibly nascent
technology, and there is much to
learn about how they work, how they
can be optimised, and how they can
be made safer and more reliable. With
this in mind, companies are investing
heavily in battery research and
development and estimates suggest
that the global market for batteries
could reach $400 billion by 2030.
To ensure that their batteries meet
market requirements, automotive
companies are investing heavily
in battery testing and validation.
This involves building advanced lab
facilities capable of accommodating
cell-level, module-level, and pack-
level testing. The costs of such
facilities can range from tens to
hundreds of millions of dollars.
For example, General Motors' new
Battery Innovation Lab in Michigan is
ENERGY ENGINEERING
estimated to cost $40 million, while
Volkswagen's Battery Engineering Lab
in Chattanooga, Tennessee, is said to
cost $22 million and Ford’s Ion Park
lab, a staggering $185 million.
Capital expenditures in
battery testing facilities
According to interviews with
automakers, battery testing for each
vehicle program or platform requires
approximately 1,000 channels for
cell-level characterisation testing,
split across 3-4 cell types. This means
that, for cell-level testing alone,
automakers may need to invest at
least £6 million purely on battery
cyclers (a piece of lab equipment
to charge and discharge batteries
to analyse battery function and
performance by measuring how the
cells respond over time). This channel
demand easily quadruples when
module-level and pack-level testing is
taken into account.
Furthermore, to ensure that
batteries can operate reliably in
any condition, automakers need
to purchase climatic chambers
for environmental testing. These
chambers simulate different
environmental conditions, such as
extreme temperatures, humidity, and
BATTERY TECHNOLOGY
altitude. Different sizes of chambers
are needed to accommodate cells,
modules and packs. This can range
from chambers as small as bedside
chest drawers to chambers as big as a
storage unit.
Automakers must also ensure
that the lab is set up with proper
safety features. This includes
measures such as fire suppression
systems, ventilation systems and
emergency shut-offs, which are
necessary to prevent accidents
and ensure the safety of personnel
working in the lab.
“A DVP (Automotive Design and
Verification Programme) will not
start until a coarse cell selection is
made. Approx. 10 cell types may
reduce down to 3 or 4 to take through
to characterisation.” - e4Tech 2019
Battery Testing Report
Operational expenditures:
A significant investment
The ongoing operational costs of
maintaining the lab can be just as
significant. Cell characterisation tests
typically run 24/7 for 2-3 months,
while cell ageing tests run 24/7 for
12-18 months. This means that the
personnel costs for running the lab
are ongoing for extended periods,
ISSUE 97 23
BATTERY TECHNOLOGY
making it a significant investment
for automakers. To keep the testing
running around the clock, personnel
shifts will need to be employed.
Depending on the size of the lab and
the scope of the testing required, this
can easily grow to a headcount of 30
people, which represents overheads
of roughly £3M/year.
Automakers must also pay for the
ongoing electricity and maintenance
costs associated with running the
battery cyclers, climatic chambers,
and other lab equipment. This does
not include the replacement cost
of cells and components for the lab
equipment, as these components
degrade over time and need to be
replaced to ensure accurate testing
results. Additionally, the rapidly
evolving battery landscape means
new chemistries are introduced
frequently, and further investments
are required to research new
chemistries, customise testing rigs
and train personnel to design new
testing regimes.
As the push for electrification
intensifies, investments in battery
testing and development are
necessary to ensure the quality and
safety of electric vehicles. Given
these high costs, there is a growing
need for novel solutions in the
market to test, validate, and model
batteries. These solutions include
the use of simulation and modelling
24 ISSUE 97
software, which can significantly
reduce the cost of physical testing.
Embracing modelling
and simulation
To address the high costs associated
with battery testing, automakers are
increasingly looking to modelling
and simulation software as an
alternative. This approach allows
engineers to virtually test battery
designs and performance under
various conditions, without the need
for expensive lab equipment and
resources. By using sophisticated
computer algorithms, engineers
can predict the behaviour of
batteries, identify potential issues,
and optimise designs for better
performance and reliability.
Benefits of Modelling
and Simulation
There are several key benefits to using
modelling and simulation software in
the battery development process:
1. Cost Reduction: By simulating
battery performance, automakers
can avoid the need for costly lab
equipment and infrastructure. This
can result in significant savings,
freeing up resources for other areas
of research and development.
Additionally, it allows automakers
to focus on their core competencies
rather than battery research, testing
and modelling.
2. Faster Development Cycles:
Modelling and simulation can help
to identify potential issues and areas
for improvement more quickly than
physical testing, allowing for more
rapid iterations and improvements to
battery designs.
3. Improved Safety: Virtual testing
can help to identify potential safety
concerns before they become a
problem, ensuring that any potential
issues are addressed before batteries
are used in real-world situations.
4. Environmental Sustainability:
By reducing the need for physical
testing, modelling and simulation
can help to minimise the
environmental impact associated
with battery development, including
reduced energy consumption and
waste production.
As the push for electrification
continues to gain momentum, the
role of modelling and simulation
in battery development will
become increasingly important. By
embracing cutting-edge technologies,
automakers can drive down the
costs associated with in-house lab
investments while ensuring that their
electric vehicles are powered by safe,
reliable, and efficient batteries.
Daren Tan is Head of Business
Development, About:Energy
www.aboutenergy.io
ENERGY ENGINEERING
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INNOVATION
Scientific and
sustainable solutions
WMG has a unique industry offering to tackle the challenges of future
transport combining expertise in research, innovation, and academia
L: Dyrr Ardash
R: Simon Webb
I
ndustry and academic collaboration
is at the heart of WMG. The
University of Warwick-based
department is applying the latest
innovations in science, technology
and engineering to improve mobility
solutions. At CENEX 2023, WMG will
display collaborative projects tackling
the biggest challenges, including
future transport solutions, battery
systems engineering, and laser and
cell tab welding – showcasing the
best in UK innovation.
"WMG has a unique industry
offering, combining expertise in
research, innovation, and academia,”
said Dyrr Ardash, WMG’s Director
of Business Development. The
organisation aims to invest ahead
of the curve, explains Simon Webb –
Chief Technology Officer. “We bring
together academics with their expert
subject matter knowledge and join
them with engineers and others with
application and industry experience.”
This unique collaboration helps
WMG to understand the defining
challenges facing the industry and
the critical research themes in the
automotive, marine, aerospace,
26 ISSUE 97
and general mobility sectors. “It's a
unique capability model designed
to keep the UK at the forefront of
innovation in the sector," Webb
said. WMG is funded by a range of
Government grants and innovation
activities, collaborative research, and
customer projects. WMG is active in
the UK’s research community and
operates as one of the UK’s seven
High Value Manufacturing Catapults.
“We have our own specific areas of
expertise, but also collaborate across
the network to meet industry and
government challenges.”
The UK is undergoing a mobility
revolution. We’re witnessing the
death of the internal combustion
engine and the rise of alternatives,
including electric vehicles (cars,
scooters, and eBikes) and more
radical urban travel systems and
battery-powered alternatives, such
as scooters. "Traditionally, people
had jumped in their cars when they
needed to travel, but environmental
concerns, cost implications, and
increasing regulation means we're
exploring various transport options
– in some cases, for a single journey,"
said Ardash. "We describe this as
multi-modality for any one given
journey. Somebody will utilise various
forms of transport to get to their end
destination. That can include walking,
taking a micro-mobility scooter, a
tram, and potentially even a car."
The most effective urban transport
solutions are cheap, convenient,
and fast. Jump-on and jump-off
electric-powered trams are the very
definition of accessible, low-carbon
mobility – but infrastructure costs
are prohibitive, as any Edinburgh
resident can tell you. Laying new
tracks using traditional techniques
can cost up to £25m per kilometre
because they need to be laid up to a
metre deep into city streets, affecting
the complex network of pipes and
cables underneath the streets. WMG
has developed an innovative solution
that can cut costs by up to 60%.
“WMG engineers have developed a
solution that means tracks sit just
30cm under the road surface,” said
Ardash. “The track sits on steel fibre
reinforced concrete which provides a
solid foundation without the need for
extensive excavations,” Ardash said.
The new track will be used for
the Coventry Very Light Rail (VLR), a
zero-carbon transport network for
the city. The project began in 2018,
and fast forward to today, and the
team has developed a demonstrator
model and built a test track section.
"Once we've completed all tests, we'll
work with Coventry City Council to
explore the feasibility of rolling the
very light railway across the city."
ENERGY ENGINEERING

Unlike trams that use overhead wires
to deliver electricity, Coventry's light
railway will be battery-powered. The
lightweight carriages can transport up
to 56 people and are designed for fully
autonomous operation.
The Coventry Light Railway project
can potentially transform the city, but
its impact could travel much further,
Ardash explains. “We invest in these
flagship programmes where we
develop technology and applications,
and then seek to implement them
as widely as possible to deliver the
greatest economic and social benefits."
The technology and innovations
developed as part of Coventry Light
Railway have enormous commercial
potential, but WMG is happy to
share this with partners. "We have a
general policy to try and allow our
partners to leverage the IP moving
forward,” Ardash said. “They will own
the majority of the foreground IP. We
believe there are huge opportunities
within the UK and internationally."
At the heart of Coventry Light
Railway is an innovative battery pack,
something WMG knows a lot about.
The organisation is at the forefront
of battery development for mobility
solutions. Ardash estimates that
WMG has over 200 scientists working
on battery-related projects, possibly
the UK’s largest dedicated team.
ENERGY ENGINEERING
Current WMG battery projects involve
collaboration with OEMs and Tier-1s
who want to access the organisation’s
unique skills, experience, and
capabilities. WMG applies scientific
rigour, combining data with an
established methodology to develop
battery technologies with real-world
applications and value, said Ardash.
“We focus on developing high-
performing and safe battery systems
of the future.” The organisation is a
long-term partner of Jaguar Land
Rover, helping the global automotive
giant to define the performance,
safety and degradation properties of
its lithium-ion batteries.
WMG focuses on the core
challenges facing battery designers,
from tackling the fundamental
chemistry to battery reuse and
recycling. How mature does Ardash
consider current battery technology?
“Over the last decade, battery cell
technology and battery module
and pack technology have taken
a significant step forward. While
technology will still drive higher levels
of energy density and power density, I
think we’re going to see more unique
solutions and unique formulations
of appropriate chemistry to deliver
what's required downstream.” Instead
of a one-size-fits-all approach, battery
technologies will be developed
INNOVATION
VLR power pack
on an application basis. We'll see
batteries developed that deliver high
power density and energy density
and highly-durable batteries for use
in challenging circumstances, he
believes. WMG has core competencies
in battery testing and validation,
offering both physical battery testing
and simulation. “Having both the
digital capability and physical
capability to test batteries enables
us to deliver a complete solution,”
said Ardash. "We can deliver high-
performance battery packs, which is
essential, but robust testing ensures
they're also safe."
As the world shifts away from
ICE and toward batteries, the focus
on battery recycling and reuse is
becoming stronger. It's a massive
area of interest, investment, and
innovation for WMG, said Ardash.
“As an industry, we must focus on
reuse and recycling throughout the
battery lifecycle. We want to see the
industry adopt a circular approach.”
In September 2022, WMG announced
the launch of a new battery recycling
scale-up facility. Funded by the High-
Value Manufacturing Catapult, the
centre will provide critical information
on material handling and separation,
scalability, product quality and waste
production for EV batteries. As well as
a dedicated research base for battery
ISSUE 97 27
INNOVATION
Cell stacking
recycling, the facility will include a
scaled-up version of WMG’s novel
lithium recovery process. This unique
method can recover over 90% of the
lithium in a battery.
Automotive manufacturers face
the balancing act of delivering
performance from a battery pack
while managing the weight. At CENEX
2023, visitors will be able to learn
about the LIBERATE (Lightweight
Innovative Battery Enclosures using
Recycled Aluminium Technologies)
project to design a battery enclosure
for BMW Group and Volvo Cars that's
30% lighter and 60% cheaper than
current enclosures. "We're looking at
how we can unlock the best attributes
regarding strength, crash resistance,
and management while keeping
weight as low as possible,” said Ardash.
Key to the success of LIBERATE
– and a whole host of other
projects – is WMG’s capability in
WMG Midlands materials technology. “We have
Future Mobility detailed knowledge of thermal and
fundamental materials understanding
which we have developed inside
WMG,” said Webb. “We’re able to
spread that benefit to multiple
different large, medium-sized smaller
customers, helping them to use these
cutting-edge technologies." Advanced
technologies at WMG include laser
beam welding that can deliver the
precision joins required in battery
pack manufacturing where high
repeatability is critical. “We have
laser welders on site, and these are
remote laser welders so that these
can operate autonomously and
28 ISSUE 97
be pre-programmed,” says Webb.
WMG is pushing the boundaries
of what’s possible with materials
technology, but it’s all driven by
commercial requirements. “We
develop technologies and solutions
with customers directly so we can
understand their requirements. We
can then support them to integrate
the equipment and the capability into
their plants,” said Webb.
We’ve focused on the technologies
that will be displayed at CENEX 2023,
but what is WMG working on at the
moment? "We're investing in a line
to explore the possibility of solid-
state batteries and are developing
a carbon accounting project to
understand the embedded carbon
in manufacturing processes,” said
Webb. The project will assess carbon
output in three domains, the direct
operations of a business, the supply
chain, and consumer use. Webb said
this could provide a standard format
for calculating the carbon impact of
existing and new technologies. “To sit
alongside the battery knowledge we
also have complementary capabilities
in high voltage power electronics and
efficient power dense motors we have
developed over years of collaborative
work with automotive that we are now
applying into other markets going up
in power to aerospace and down in
power to micro-mobility for example”
explains Webb, and adds “Beyond this
we have a wide range of fundamental
research capabilities spanning across
manufacturing automation, sustainable
composite materials, metrology and
digital engineering. This allows us to
build depth in these fields and join
these together into powerful technology
solution offerings we co-develop with
our industrial partners.”
WMG has a strong commercial
focus, with Ardash encouraging
businesses of all sizes to contact
them if they’re searching for support.
“We've got such a breadth of
capability at WMG. We can provide
an integrated system solution for
businesses, supporting them to
develop scientific and sustainable
solutions to their challenges," he
said. His only advice is to do it as
early as possible. "Contact us as early
as you can in your project. That way,
we can have the biggest impact."
www.warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/wmg/
ENERGY ENGINEERING
 |
The Energy Institute at the
University of Sheffield is addressing the
world’s biggest energy challenges.
Through collaborations with industry and translational research, our world-class
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CONSULTING
Innovation and inspiration
PA Consulting provides innovation and transformation services that
span the entire innovation lifecycle, Steve Welch found out more
about their work in the smart mobility sector from Amy Marshall
Amy Marshall,
PA Consulting
Steve Welch: Your Name, Job Title
and Responsibilities?
Amy Marshall: I am Amy Marshall, a
Partner at PA Consulting where I lead
Consumer Energy and am also the
Global Head of Sustainability. As well
as this, I am one of three leads who
are heavily invested in growing PA’s
Clean and Smart Mobility offering.
We lead ambitious projects with our
clients on energy transition, zero-
emission fleets, EV (and hydrogen)
infrastructure, connected and
autonomous mobility, future of
transport and mobility services. PA’s
multi-disciplinary clean and smart
mobility team spans from consulting
projects that cover strategy and deal
advisory, to managing large scale
projects in the private and public
sector, through to product design
and technical diligence for various
elements of EV infrastructure.
SW: Could you tell me a little about
your background in the sector?
AM: I came to clean and smart
mobility from the energy sector.
Having worked within the sector for
over a decade, my energy clients
started to ask about how they
should think about what impact the
electrification of transport will have
30 ISSUE 97
on their businesses – the increase in
demand it would entail, the impact
on their business models and the
potential for new competitive
forces. From there I have worked
across the full value chain from
vehicle manufacturers, to investors,
charge point operators, cross sector
organisations looking to transition
their fleets, and software and data
service providers.
SW: Could you provide a brief
summary of your organisation and
offering to the market?
AM: PA is an innovation and
transformation consultancy, and
together we are over 4000 strategists,
innovators, designers, consultants,
digital experts, scientists, engineers,
and technologists.
The services we provide span the
entire innovation lifecycle, from
designing and launching new
products to scaling businesses
into market leading organisations.
We work all the way across the
electrification of transport, but to give
a few examples, our advice in Clean
and Smart Mobility includes:
• Strategy, policy development,
and M&A – supporting governments
with a transition to clean transport
including targeted strategies to grow
adoption of EVs and investment in
hydrogen power generation.
• Operationalisation and
optimisation – supporting
organisations in their fleet
electrification journey process,
helping organisations navigate the
complex vendor partner ecosystem,
and developing public charging
commercial strategies.
• Design and engineering – providing
technical engineering support to
innovate at pace and scale.
•B
 usiness and digital
transformation – facilitating
business and digital transformations
as organisations pivot to capture
opportunities across the clean and
smart mobility value chains.
SW: Who in the main are the
companies you engage with and in
what way?
AM: We believe in tackling challenges
across the traditional industry silos.
Much of the innovation needed as
we transform and decarbonise our
transport system will come from new
businesses that don’t fit the mould, or
those that tackle challenges in a lateral
and ingenious way. We work across all
sectors – particularly when we think
about transforming vehicle fleets – and
we bring experience that’s common to
all sectors to our clients for their benefit,
alongside a deep understanding
of the sectors they operate in. Our
clients include fleet owners; electric
vehicle infrastructure providers and
chargepoint operators; local and central
government; Distribution Network
Operators and energy retailers; financial
investors, and data, software, and
service providers.
SW: What do you see as the key
trends in the sector?
AM: • The first is powertrain.
Electrification now has pretty much
won in the light duty vehicle sector
albeit that supply needs to match
increasing demand, particularly
when it comes to vans. With HGVs
and trucks the jury is still out and
there is more innovation needed to
find a way forward.
ENERGY ENGINEERING

• Second is the role mobility will play
in the energy system. The emergence
of smart grid technologies, battery
storage and flexibility markets are
exciting developments. Vehicles
really could have an important
role in balancing grid demand and
supporting renewable generation.
There is huge emerging potential for
harnessing connected vehicle and
grid data across the transport and
energy ecosystems. This data can be
used for local authority planning and
for investors and operators to build
sustainable business cases for future
infrastructure.
SW: What are your objectives looking
ahead to 2023 and beyond?
AM: We want to position ourselves as
the go-to advisors at the intersection
of the transport and energy sectors.
The future of transport and mobility
is merging with the future energy
ecosystem, and we are doing some
significant work in that space. Our
design and systems thinking led
approach will help us deliver against
this objective for our clients. It is
a socially positive journey that we
are supporting as part of the energy
transition, and we also want to have
fun with it and enjoy the ride.
SW: What are the main challenges
facing the sector more generally and
for you specifically?
AM: We need to work out how to go
green without going into the red.
Managing the transition is tough
so how can operations be evolved
and maintained throughout the
transition? And how do you educate
and upskill your workforce? We’ve
lived and breathed these challenges
ENERGY ENGINEERING
with our clients, but our approach of
smart operations, smart infrastructure
and smart financing has smoothed
the transition.
We want to make the transition as
attractive to CEOs, MDs and CFOs as
it is to the chief sustainability officer.
We believe that the transition must
be looked at in the round across both
cost and carbon impacts –to support
our efforts in this area, we have even
created a fleet transition optimiser
tool that looks at the dual lenses of
carbon and cost in transitioning fleets.
SW: Do you have a project or case study
you could provide some details of?
AM: As the eMobility ecosystem
evolves, the value of data generated
and transferred within the industry
will increase, with companies
competing to own or utilise data
projected to grow by over 1,000%
by 2030. We worked with Equinix, a
global digital infrastructure company,
to understand the impact of data
sharing and ownership in the EV
infrastructure space. Following
interviews with industry experts
across the EV charging infrastructure
CONSULTING
value chain, ranging from Auto OEMs PA's Global
Innovation and
to Charge Point Operators (CPOs), Technology Centre
Trade Associations and Academia, in Cambridge UK.
we produced a whitepaper on This is the heart of
PA’s international
‘The role of data in the future of EV network of
infrastructure’ and the impact an creative studios,
open and interoperable charging research labs
and engineering
ecosystem will have on the entry of centres where
new companies, fostering innovation ideas are turned
and, eventually making it easier for into physical and
digital reality
the customers. Findings concluded
that the eMobility industry will
require a platform that interconnects
data within the ecosystem to assure
the market matures alongside
digitalization. This will allow for the
aggregation of edge infrastructure
between multiple parties, which
in turn facilitates data sharing and
collaboration alongside cloud and
physically adjacent infrastructure. As
mobility and energy data collide, the
demand for an aggregated platform
will rise, with data interconnectivity
companies like Equinix at the centre
of this innovation.
SW: How would you sum up your
message to the market?
AM:It is inevitable that we’ll have to
burn less to power more, and that
demands ingenuity. The market is at
an inflection point – with the policy
levers, private sector investment,
and entrepreneurial spirit to really
accelerate the change. Follow the
clean electrons and let’s talk about
how we can make it work.
www.paconsulting.com
PA’s EV
chargepoint
ISSUE 97 31
RESEARCH & INNOVATION
Hydrogen R&I
accelerates at IAAPS
For many vehicle/drivecycle combinations, hydrogen offers
a more compelling solution than batteries. Richard Gotch
visited IAAPS to investigate the technical strategies for both
combustion and fuel cell applications
L: Professor
Sam Akehurst is
academic director
at IAAPS
R: Tony Reid,
IAAPS commercial
director
I
n the year since I wrote about
hydrogen R&I for the 2022 Low
Carbon Vehicle show, hydrogen
research and innovation at IAAPS
has developed into an even more
impressive capability. With an
additional £8 million provided by
the Research Partnership Investment
Fund and the West of England
Combined Authority, the IAAPS
capability, including the expertise
of their academic and engineering
team, must surely be one of the most
comprehensive in the UK.
This article is primarily about the
technical strategies for optimising
hydrogen propulsion, but one of
the interesting aspects of the work
at IAAPS is that they are as aware of
the need for new ways of working as
they are of the need for pragmatic
innovation. Start-up innovators are
increasingly embraced by vehicle
manufacturers and their technology
suppliers in fields such as sensing and
electrification: IAAPS is taking this
32 ISSUE 97
model and applying it to hydrogen
too. Part of the £8 million is to be
used to establish an incubator hub for
start-ups and SMEs innovating around
hydrogen propulsion.
“We are seeing a substantial
pick-up in interest for both our Fuel
Cell and our hydrogen combustion
research, across companies of all
types,” says Tony Reid, commercial
director at IAAPS. “Calls tend to
come either when they need to
solve particular usage cases that year, the centre announced it is adding
don’t work with batteries or when a green hydrogen manufacturing
they need help with innovation and capability to its new facility. This will
preparing it for commercialisation. not only significantly reduce the carbon
We can support them across the full footprint of the site but will also support
range of activity - from basic research the delivery of hydrogen technology
to new product introduction.” across the South West region (see
This is the reason why IAAPS, a break-out box for more details).
commercial subsidiary of the University In purely technical terms, BEVs
of Bath, continues to invest heavily in are significantly more efficient than
hydrogen research and innovation. Last Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEVs).
Physical/Digital Integration
As an all-new £70 million R&I centre, IAAPS has been designed to
provide expertise and resources carefully aligned with the requirements
of industry. It’s powertrain cells, for example, are of research quality and
are end-to-end, so can operate with any combination of physical and
digital ‘hardware’ -from the battery / fuel cell to the engine / motor and
power electronics - to simulate a development powertrain.
“We have a substantial team of very bright researchers, but it’s
this ability to study the complex system interactions that is often the
catalyst for new projects,” says Tony Reid. “This is particularly important
with Euro 7 (and VII) now in focus as the increased RDE requirement can
be more easily met with highly integrated electrification and therefore
full system work often before all the hardware is available.”
ENERGY ENGINEERING

The pain point is always operational
efficiency and practicality, plus we are
now seeing that a growing shortage
of critical materials will add to the
challenges of building and selling
vehicles with very large battery packs.
IAAPS academic director Professor
Sam Akehurst says environmentalists
shouldn’t be too focussed on
the relative efficiencies of each
technology: “With the technology
we will have available in appropriate
volumes and at affordable prices in
the next handful of years, if you want
to slash emissions across all types of
road and off-highway vehicles, you
have to be pragmatic.”
The sector that is attracting most
attention is Heavy Goods Vehicles
(HGVs), but this isn’t the only one
where the characteristics of batteries
make an alternative solution highly
attractive. IAAPS is already working on
Light and Medium Duty applications
for road, as well as marine, rail
and aviation, which has attracted
particularly strong interest recently,
including a strategic partnership
with GKN Aerospace developing
novel hydrogen technology solutions
for the decarbonisation of the
aviation industry.
Hydrogen combustion
It’s been more than 200 years since
hydrogen was first burnt in an internal
combustion engine. Since then,
progress has been slow, but ironically
ENERGY ENGINEERING
it is the success of petrol and
diesel engines that could facilitate
hydrogen’s renaissance.
“An H2 combustion engine can
carry over a majority of components,
manufacturing systems and service
expertise from conventionally fuelled
engines, and even the aftertreatment
of NOx – pretty much the only
emission that we need to deal with
- can use existing technologies,”
explains Akehurst. “Several major
companies have already announced
programmes for the development of
hydrogen engines, and we are finding
growing interest in further refinement
of this technology.”
Deep Insights
Most of the necessary changes are
to the cylinder head and associated
components, for example to add
spark ignition to a diesel engine.
Gaseous hydrogen mixes very
easily, so doesn’t need complex fuel
preparation systems, but it does need
a suitable injection system. It also
burns very quickly, giving an ideal
thermodynamic cycle, but this can
be challenging because it creates
pressure spikes. Engineers also have
to be wary of hydrogen embrittlement
and the potential for auto ignition,
caused by the fuel’s volatility.
Achieving the durability our
industry needs clearly requires some
deep insights. Professor Akehurst
says the key is knowing where to
RESEARCH & INNOVATION
Spacious,
confidential
laboratories cover
all powertrain
types including
4WD electric,
hybrid and ICE
with a range of
fuels including
hydrogen
focus development and where
to invest in component changes.
Re-engineering also needs to be
planned in the context of the future
evolution of the engine.
The first stage of enhancement
may involve a revised piston crown
design to ensure more homogeneous
combustion (to prevent hotspots that
could cause pre-ignition, amongst
other benefits), tweaked crank
case ventilation, a bespoke engine
management system, different
pressure charging systems and a
range of materials substitutions.
Pre-ignition is a good example of
the fuel-specific challenges. “Many
designers will reduce the compression
ratio to mitigate pre-ignition, but that
dramatically reduces efficiency,” says
Akehurst. “There are better solutions,
but what may be the best technically
may not be the best commercially
or provide the best step to the next
evolution. It needs careful analysis.”
So the starting point requires
relatively little additional
engineering, but the penalty is a
significant drop in efficiency. Part
of the challenge is that Hydrogen
has some unusual combustion
characteristics that are not yet
understood in sufficient detail.
What is known is that much of
the additional complexity can be
avoided if the requirement for high
transient capability is reduced.
That makes hydrogen combustion
ISSUE 97 33
RESEARCH & INNOVATION

All-new facilities zero CO2 operation throughout the

allow research
and innovation
day’s schedule. In the UK and Europe,
to bring together keeping under the 3.5 tonne threshold
all aspects of also brings advantages for operators.
powertrain
research and
innovation Digital Twins
It's clear that there are many
unanswered questions around the
implementation of hydrogen for
mobility. These aren’t all research
questions: many are around product
planning, such as identifying the most
efficient blend of battery and fuel
cell for particular vehicles and usage
patterns or optimising a hydrogen
combustion engine with a minimum
of bespoke components.
an ideal energy generator within a between FC energy and battery “As with many aspects of
series hybrid. “Our modelling shows energy. Quite a lot of that design engineering, we need more
efficiencies significantly ahead of decision depends on the drivecycle, progress with digital twins and with
those for the best conventional but also on the commercial simulations for decision support
gasoline or diesel engines,” claims requirements of the vehicle such as at a system level,” says Akehurst.
Akehurst. “How efficient can we weight, cost and capacity. You can’t It’s a field that IAAPS is looking at,
make a hydrogen powertrain? That’s completely eliminate the needs for having started last year by bringing
a project I’d very much like to arrive traction batteries.” our industry together to define what
on my desk,” he smiles. An example is light and medium would be most beneficial. “We are
duty delivery vehicles. Often these also looking at simulations for Fuel
Commercialising Fuel Cells are loaded at regional distribution Cells, especially air management,” he
Like hydrogen combustion, Fuel centres, then have a high-speed drive adds. “Scaling an FC is surprisingly
Cell Electric Vehicles can make down the motorway into the urban difficult, so we are defining the
a compelling case; but only in environment where they make their challenges and embedding the
those applications that suit their deliveries. By the time a Battery answers in our software.”
characteristics and where Battery Electric Vehicle reaches its delivery The availability of research-quality
Electric Vehicles struggle to deliver. route, high-speed running may have laboratories and test cells makes
Heavy Duty vehicles meet the latter left it with insufficient charge to it significantly more efficient to
criteria many times over, but do they complete its drops and return to base. integrate model development and
meet the first? Adding more batteries is expensive, calibration as well as integration
Professor Akehurst reminds us and their weight and volume reduce with physical systems. The two 4WD
that Fuel Cells are very efficient at the allowable payload. It’s an ideal powertrain cells offer full hybrid test
low power outputs, which means example of an application where a capability with up to 750 kW of battery
that for Heavy Duty applications you carefully sized Fuel Cell, combined emulation at 1,200 V and an ability to
have to over size them. “That’s very with a plug-in battery capability, replicate highly dynamic operating
expensive, so the key is balancing could enable very efficient, non-stop conditions. For E-motor development
there are seven laboratories, covering
IAAPS H2 resources include power absorption levels from 250 kW
• 400kW solar array feeding 500kW electrolyser generating aprox 10 to 750 kW. IAAPS is also one of the
kg/h of green H2 first independent research facilities to
• Better than 99.97% purity to meet ISO14687 include test cells designed specifically
• Research-quality, end-to-end test cell capability for highly integrated for the development of high-voltage
powertrains battery packs, supercapacitors,
• 30 bar H2 distribution to four development cells new battery cell designs and other
• Closed Loop Helium Gas Cooling System with Stirling Cryogenerator high-energy electrical storage
for 150 - 18 Kelvin technologies.
• A multidisciplinary team of engineers and academics skilled in
collaborative innovation www.iaaps.co.uk
34 ISSUE 97 ENERGY ENGINEERING
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XX
TRAINING
Hydrogen power for
fleets depends on skills
A
utomotive and logistics
businesses are set to
benefit from new training
opportunities to help them take
advantage of growing demand for
cleaner, greener transport from electric
Lisa Bingley
vehicles including those powered by
hydrogen. The v Technology Institute
(MTI) has announced the launch of
new courses for 2023 to promote
awareness and understanding
of hydrogen fuel cells and their
application.
Lisa Bingley, the MTI’s operations
director said, “Everyone is talking about
the potential of hydrogen as an exciting
alternative fuel source. Hydrogen
technology is an exciting area, and
the Midlands is making strides with
investment in its production, storage,
and transportation.
“This summer we heard from
a leading organisation which is
currently showcasing its hydrogen-
fuelled hypercar at the MTI. Walk into
our reception area and you will see
the amazingly sleek Viritech Apricale
taking pride of place after a session
by Viritech founder and CEO Matt
Faulks who spoke at the MTI about
the revolution in high-performance
zero-emissions powertrains.
“Beyond motorsport, hydrogen
power has huge potential for use
in fleet vehicles within the logistics
sector. As investment in hydrogen
continues to grow, we will inevitably
see broader access to refuelling and
transportation infrastructure but
in the short term, the benefits of
hydrogen fuel cell vehicles (FCEVs) are
strongest for organisations operating
LGV and HGVs.
“At the MTI, we have been
instrumental in building capacity
and designing training specifically
36 JULY/AUGUST
ISSUE 97 2023
for hydrogen fuel cell technology for
HGVs and LGVs. We are now offering
one to three-day training courses
for businesses and individuals in
the automotive and logistics sector.
Our new courses will focus on
understanding the basics of how
hydrogen fuel cells work and the
impact of utilising hydrogen powered
vehicles within the world of logistics
and automotive. We will also focus on
working with hydrogen within a safe
environment.
“Courses delegates will get hands
on with our operational hybrid/
electric trainer vehicle supplied by
Block Automotive. The vehicle is
based on a Toyota Mirai complete
with fuel cell, cooling, H₂O discharge
port, ignition, start and diagnostic
functions. Bodywork has been
removed so that all parts and
components can be easily viewed
and accessed.
“Hydrogen is an excellent fuel
source for LGVs and HGVs because
vehicles can be refuelled very quickly
with no downtime for lengthy
charging periods. The range of these
vehicles is inevitably longer as they
have larger batteries than cars.
Hydrogen powered fleet vehicles
produced by Tevva, HVS and Volta
Trucks are already being built in the
UK and availability is only set to grow.
“Beyond hydrogen, every
business within the automotive
supply chain is now embracing new
technology whether they produce
electric vehicles or are involved in
their sale, transportation, recovery,
maintenance, servicing, or repair. At
the MTI we are perfectly placed to
address these skills needs as access
to new technologies unfolds at a
rapid pace.”
The MTI is a result of a unique
collaboration led by North
Warwickshire and South Leicestershire
College and its partners HORIBA MIRA,
Coventry University, the University
of Leicester, and Loughborough
University. It is helping to create
specialist skills in electrification,
autonomous and connected vehicles,
cybersecurity, and safety.
New courses at the MTI:
• The Impact of Hydrogen HGV to the
World of Logistics and Automotive
(three days)
• Understanding Hydrogen HGV –
Awareness and Behaviours (one day)
• Hydrogen Fuel Cells and their
Applications (one day)
• IMI Level 1 Hydrogen Vehicle
Awareness (one day).
To find out more about how to
access flexible training options visit
www.mti.ac.uk or email
enquiries@mti.ac.uk
ENGINEERING
ENERGY ENGINEERING
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EDUCATION & TRAINING

Hands-on training for

a sustainable future
Mark Parsons Assistant Principal of Curriculum at Cheshire
College – South & West, explains how the College is training
and upskilling in the sector

Mark Parsons
“The idea is that the students will get
to work on the new house in a real-life
setting but without it being someone’s
actual home, where it can be costly
if a mistake is made,” continued Mr
Parsons. “This hands-on approach will
help develop new skills and tackle the
UK’s current skills shortage.
“Learning is very different when you
The students involved in the
on-going project will be studying
for T Levels, and two of the T Level
routes at the College that will work
on the house are electrical, technical
and plumbing, as well as building,
surveying and planning.
A community house

T
o cater for an ever-increasing
demand for sustainable and
environmentally friendly
properties, the next generation of
construction workers are learning
new skills in different ways and work
is also underway to upskill those
already in the trade to meet improved
sustainability standards.
“It’s no secret that education is a
key driver towards a better and more
sustainable future,” said Mark parsons.
“Education, however, takes on many
meanings, from influencing people’s
day-to-day habits, like turning the
thermostat down, using reusable
water bottles, or walking to the shops
rather than driving, right through to the
education system having sustainability
on the curriculum and learning new
‘green’ behaviours.”
can use your senses: see and touch the
house – as opposed to looking at an
image on a screen or in the classroom.
The house will allow students to
work on the maintenance, as well as
installation of sustainable features,
for example looking at the servicing of
ground source heat pumps and how
they work.
“Students will also get to examine
the analytics of the home on the
courses at levels two, three and
four, to see what financial and
environmental savings can be
achieved through the seasons.”
The house is not just for school
leavers, but for the wider community
and adult students too, according
to Mr Parsons: “We have an ageing
workforce, and we aim to upskill the
local and national workforce with
the house. We offer courses to local
businesses, so plumbers for example,
who may not be familiar with this
kind of technology can use the house
to upskill and take their learnings to
projects across the country.
“Change isn’t easy, especially if
workers have been doing things a
certain way for a certain number of

A campus house
Working with local partner businesses,
Cheshire College has erected its own
fully functioning sustainable house
on its Ellesmere Port Campus with
the purpose of allowing students on
various courses to be able to explore,
examine and learn from the house.
38 ISSUE 97 ENERGY ENGINEERING

years, but this house is a fantastic,
hands-on way to learn. People eat
with their eyes, as the saying goes, and
the house provides an environment
where the community can see this new
technology in action, which will help to
shift existing mindsets.”
Built for the future
The house itself has been built
from scratch by Manchester-based
sustainable house specialists WUDL
and features various sustainable
features which make it completely
self-sufficient. The college has worked
with other partnering businesses,
all within a 50-mile radius, to furnish
the house with the latest sustainable
features, such as sedum roofs, green
grass roofs, green walls, sustainable
heating, ground source heat pumps
and photovoltaic solar panels.
The project will allow students
to get involved in various types of
energy resourcing, such as battery
and rainwater harvesting, with on-
going performance analytics of these
functions being monitored every day.
“The students will be able to
monitor everything from inside and
outside temperatures – on a cloudy
day, a rainy day, right down to testing
when the photovoltaic energy cells
ENERGY ENGINEERING
get dirty – how efficiently are they
running at that point in time?” Mr
Parsons said: “We will even have
cameras on the roof to show if
something blows on there that may
limit access to the sun and we can
monitor performance by the hour.”
The UK government’s drive towards
renewables has naturally played a
large part in the college embarking on
this project to upskill the community,
as Mr Parsons explained: “It doesn’t
matter if it’s an old house or a new
house, we’ve got to teach the skills
on how to make an old house more
efficient as well as maintain and
install new ones. We need to make
sure our curriculum is visionary,
innovative and future proof in-line
with national priorities, so students
leave with the skills for current and
future employment.”
The build is due to be complete
this spring and has garnered interest
from staff and students alike as
it takes shape on the Cheshire
College’s Ellesmere Port Campus.
Staff have also been undergoing
continued professional development
training with local partners, such as
Genfit, to make sure they are fully
equipped when it comes to teaching
the latest technologies.
EDUCATION & TRAINING
Ellesmere Port
Campus entrance
Mr Parsons concluded by
summarising why sustainability at the
College extends further than just this
project: “Sustainability and greater
use of renewables is a global issue
that needs addressing now. We need
to make changes in our personal and
professional lives and I’m proud that
the college has taken this positive
step to teach and educate students so
they can play their part and be skilled
for the future.”
No waste
As well as the new house, Cheshire
College recently invested in excess
of £10m into a new construction and
engineering department at Ellesmere
Port which also has sustainability at
its core.
The College understand the
importance of not wasting any
materials, so other sustainable
features throughout the College’s new
construction department include 3D
design and printing, and virtual spray
painting. What’s more, the new motor
vehicle department includes hybrid
and electric cars so students can learn
on the latest equipment and meet the
future needs of employers.
www.ccsw.ac.uk
ISSUE 97 39
EDUCATION & TRAINING

Closing the gender

gap in STEM
Georgina Harris explores why gender disparity in STEM is
so strong and is an ongoing issue, originating in schools
and being seen right through to senior professional roles

Georgina Harris In fact, research has shown that in
engineering fields of study, women
typically outperform their male
counterparts. In the UK, implicit
bias means many people associate
science, engineering and maths
fields with ‘male’ and humanities
or arts with ‘female’. With this being
commonplace, it often impacts an
individual’s self-belief, as well as
their attitudes towards others, when
As the STEM industry is male-
dominated, this has resulted in
inflexible, exclusionary cultures that
do not attract or support women’s
careers – bringing to light the
combination of factors that have
created the long-standing gender gap
in the industry.
In the UK, STEM specialists are
in demand at every level to close
the widening skills gap. With the

W
ith women representing considering studying engineering or engineering sector rapidly expanding,
just 29.4% of the STEM STEM as a career. at the same time that many of the
workforce, it’s clear the There are several factors sector’s talented individuals are
gender gap in STEM is an ongoing influencing women to steer away from reaching retirement age, the resulting
issue, originating in schools and studying STEM subjects, highlighted situation is severe and growing
being seen right through to senior in PwC’s Women in Tech report. These talent shortages. With many talented
professional roles. The STEM gender reasons include not finding STEM individuals able to find roles in other
gap is widespread across the globe, subjects as interesting, being better industries using transferrable skillsets,
with boys traditionally more likely at more essay-based subjects and or finding higher salaries in other
to choose STEM subjects and study finding STEM subjects less relevant to countries, how can engineering in the
STEM degrees, and only 35% of STEM the career they are working towards. UK plug the ever-widening skills gap?
students in higher education in the
UK being women.
Exploring why gender disparity in
STEM is so strong, Georgina Harris,
the Dean of the Faculty of STEM
at Arden University, considers the
importance of practical work and
exposure to the STEM industry from a
young age, particularly in engineering,
to support in reducing the industry’s
gender gap and tackle its long-
standing skills shortage.

Why does the gender gap exist?

Implicit bias and stereotypes,
rather than ability, are the main
causes of the gender gap in STEM.
40 ISSUE 97 ENERGY ENGINEERING

The first step in closing the gap –
looking at education
Many schools are faced with tight
budgets to deliver education, and
with specialist teachers being a
challenge to find in mathematics and
science-based subjects, often schools
do not have sufficient funding to
attract this scarce pool of talent. In
turn, they can miss out on delivering
expert career advice and guidance
to students that covers the rich
and broad range of opportunities
available in STEM.
Additionally, due to the same
squeezes on budgets, many UK
schools have had to minimise
the experimental, practical and
manufacturing activities that often
inspire students to consider choosing
STEM as their career. In my personal
experience, I’ve found students gain so
much from taking on a challenge that
– as of yet – has no solution. And in the
real world, for an engineer or scientist,
this opportunity to solve a problem
before anyone else is intoxicating.
Unfortunately, in the UK schools
are also locked into the constant
competition with neighbouring
schools, drawing the focus away from
the needs of individual pupils and
towards league table outcomes. This
results in many young people, who
could improve their career prospects
by taking science or mathematics
subjects, being encouraged to choose
another subject that could see them
ENERGY ENGINEERING
achieve a higher grade – and therefore
improve league table outcomes for
their school. Ultimately, this moves
young people away from studying
STEM subjects and disadvantages
those who have an active interest in
pursuing a career in STEM.
For the STEM industry to tackle the
gender skills gap, more government
support is needed to enable students
to experience more practical work and
expose them to STEM subjects from
an earlier age. The result of this would
be students experiencing the industry
for themselves, and determining their
course of action from that, rather than
through perpetuated gender bias and
stereotyped beliefs.
When given the opportunity to
explore STEM, many students are
shocked to learn how STEM can be
applied across so many industries
EDUCATION & TRAINING
and careers. And for females
specifically, who often pick subjects
based on career prospects, the
opportunity to learn more about
STEM enables them to see how they
can make their goal of making the
world a better place a reality through
a STEM career.
The role of higher education
Given the minimal exposure to
practical work at school for students,
universities and their industry partners
have a crucial responsibility to nurture
new STEM recruits to give them
experience, confidence and feedback
they need to succeed in STEM.
At Arden University, our successful
model utilises authentic assessments
and ongoing engagement with
businesses to develop our
programmes. In turn, this allows
students to experience the highs and
lows of design and development in
a nurturing environment, as well as
the opportunity to work on projects
with real companies to build their
experience. Students have then
built the confidence to apply their
learning in the working world, which
is a necessary aspect of retaining new
entrants within the industry.
For companies in the STEM industry,
engaging with universities helps
to build an organisation’s profile,
showcasing its opportunities to
students who are working towards a
career in STEM, as well as supporting in
strengthening the quality of upcoming
talent in the industry.
The STEM industry, and particularly
the engineering community, need to
work together to build excitement
around the discipline, by nurturing
learners at every stage of education.
In turn, this will not only meet the
demand for engaged, resilient and
creative engineers, but it will also
build a talent pool that reflects the
diverse society they serve.
Georgina Harris is the Dean of the
Faculty of STEM at Arden University
www.arden.ac.uk
ISSUE 97 41
EDUCATION & TRAINING
Using technology to
address the skills gap
Brightside connect young people with inspiring mentors to help
them make confident and informed decisions about their future
I
t probably isn’t news to you that the
engineering sector is facing a skills
gap crisis, and that an estimated ten
roles per business need to be filled at
any one time.
Engineering UK estimates that
186,000 engineers will be needed
every year, while also reporting that
less than 25% of 11 to 19-year-olds
had heard about engineering as a
career option from a career advisor.
In spite of this, the Royal Academy
of Engineering reports that students
from Black, Asian and minority
ethnic backgrounds are well
42 ISSUE 97
represented on engineering degree
courses in the UK around 28% of
undergraduates coming from these
ethnic groups. Yet research shows
that six months after graduation,
graduates from minority ethnic
backgrounds are 17% less likely to
transition into engineering roles
than their white counterparts.
There’s also a lack of representation
and drop in transition into
engineering employment for
graduates from lower socio-economic
backgrounds. While there’s less of
a drop in transition of women from
graduation to industry, women
are still hugely underrepresented
in the engineering profession with
only 16.5% of ‘core and related’
engineering occupations roles being
undertaken by women.
By all accounts, the skills gap is set
to get wider. So, what can be done?
The ONS predicts a huge increase
in the population of 18-year-olds by
2030. The engineering community
need to take action now to inspire
young people to become the next
generation of innovators.
Young people need a combination
ENERGY ENGINEERING

of things to make a confident and
informed decision about what course
to take and what career to pursue. At
Brightside, we’ve been connecting
young people with inspiring mentors
for the past twenty years. Our
research tells us they need relatable
role models, knowledge of career
pathways, confidence in their ability
to make decisions and awareness of
their own strengths and goals.
As an impact-led social mobility
charity, we’re committed to ensuring
we have a positive impact on young
people. This means surveying
young people on our programmes,
consulting our Youth Board and
reviewing external research.
We use our bespoke technology to
break down the barriers young people
face in accessing opportunities and
high-quality careers advice. Young
people message mentors working in
the career they’re interested in, asking
questions only a working professional
can answer.
Our innovative platform and app
make it easy for mentoring pairs to
message, allowing mentors to make
a real difference to a young person’s
life from the comfort of their own
home or office. We have a variety of
engagement tools to keep young
people connected and motivated,
harnessing the power of technology in
a way that works for them.
It’s careers advice they can’t get
in school, and it’s never been more
necessary.
We work with industry partners
to design and deliver programmes
that are proven to have a real impact
on young people’s confidence
and knowledge of next steps. Our
programmes are structured and
supported, and the offer is scalable,
meaning we can tailor interventions
to fit different budgets and capacities.
Josh, a mentee on our recent
Spotlight STEM programme said,
“Before I started mentoring, I knew
what I wanted to do but didn’t know
how to get there. I want to be an
aeronautical engineer, but I didn’t
know how to achieve my ambition.”
ENERGY ENGINEERING
“Once I finished my mentoring
programme, I’ve figured out exactly
what I need to do to qualify and
become an engineer at the company I
want to work for.”
Josh is just one of more than
150,000 young people we’ve helped
to make more confident and informed
decisions in our 20-year history. We
want thousands more young people
to learn more about engineering,
consider it as a career and have the
confidence to apply, but we need your
help to achieve this goal.
By partnering with us, you not only
help young people, you provide an
enriching volunteering opportunity
for your workforce. Heather, one of
our longest-standing volunteers and
a former engineer at Network Rail,
mentors for us because she wants
to pay forward the support she’s
received in her life.
She said, “It’s so flexible. Most
mentoring is face-to-face and time
consuming, but this you can do from
anywhere, whether that’s on your
commute or on your sofa. But more
importantly, young people can do it
whenever they like.”
We provide end-of-programme
evaluation reports that analyse the
engagement, quality and impact
of the programme. Impact is at the
heart of what we do, and we provide
evaluations for our programmes
that get to the core of what works for
EDUCATION & TRAINING
young people in mentoring. When
you partner with us, our impact is also
your impact and so our evaluations
are a great way to evidence your ESG/
CSR/social value goals.
We’ve worked with a variety of
engineering organisations over our
history, including STEM Learning,
who said, “STEM Learning have
partnered with Brightside to deliver
multiple mentoring programmes
focused on STEM outreach over the
last couple of years. The feedback
from mentees and mentors alike
is always overwhelmingly positive,
often commenting very favourably
regarding their experiences. This
is in part due to Brightside’s skill
and efficiency to deliver large-scale
mentoring cohorts but also the care
and thought they show for those they
are aiming to support. It’s been great
working with such a friendly team.”
If you’d like to inspire the next
generation of engineers by making
sure young people know about
your company and are aware of
the fulfilling careers available in
engineering, while offering a flexible
and rewarding opportunity for your
staff, we’d love to hear from you.
You can check out our website or
contact our business development
team to talk through some
programme options.
www.brightside.org.uk
ISSUE 97 43
EDUCATION & TRAINING
Pioneering energy transition
engineering MSC launched
at Heriot-Watt University
Heriot-Watt University is launching a new Master of Science
degree programme to provide advanced training in the
increasingly urgent work of energy transition
T
he programme is taught in
person at the University’s Orkney
campus through the School
of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure
and Society(EGIS) and focuses on
technologies, systems, processes,
and economics, alongside the design
of transition projects to move away
from fossil fuels and accelerate the
integration of renewable energy.
The MSc in Renewable and
Sustainable Energy Transition (MSc
ReSET) is built around the rapidly
growing discipline of Transition
Engineering, an interdisciplinary
approach to change for unsustainable
systems across power, transport,
industry, real estate and other sectors.
The programme has been
developed by Professor Susan
Krumdieck, a mechanical and energy
systems engineer from New Zealand
who is an international expert in
energy transition research and Chair
of Energy Transition Engineering at
Heriot-Watt University.
Heriot-Watt’s
International
Centre for Island
Technology (ICIT),
the University’s
Orkney campus, in
the coastal town
of Stromness.
44 ISSUE 97
Over the next decade, HWU experts
predict the need for transition
engineering will grow across all levels
of society, from local communities and
small businesses to local and national
government, major corporations,
renewable energy developers, utility
firms and oil and gas companies.
The course is delivered by experts
in renewable energy, economics
and transition engineering at Heriot-
Watt’s International Centre for Island
Technology (ICIT), the University’s
Orkney campus, in the coastal town
of Stromness. The ICIT is a partner in
the Islands Centre for Net Zero(ICNZ),
a pan-island distributed innovation
centre that will support Orkney,
Shetland and the Outer Hebrides to
become lighthouse communities in
the energy transition. Funded by the
UK and Scottish Government as part
of the Islands Growth Deal, ICNZ is
led by the European Marine Energy
Centre – a leading international test
and demonstration centre for marine
energy technologies, green hydrogen
and energy systems.
The MSc programme is also
delivered online and has four themes:
Transition Engineering, Economics and
Commercialisation, Renewable Energy
Technology and Energy Systems.
The Renewable Energy Technology
theme looks at key renewable
technologies and how these are
developed and integrated into the
electricity grid.
Economics and Commercialisation
covers topics including the financing,
compliance and planning of
renewable energy projects, with
commercialisation case studies
provided by industry experts.
Energy Systems focuses on how
energy is supplied, distributed and
delivered across buildings, transport
and infrastructure, including the
technology used by energy users.
Tackling the immensely complex
problems associated with rapidly
reducing fossil fuel use will require
an approach Professor Krumdieck
and her colleagues have coined as
‘InTIME Design.’
InTIME stands for Interdisciplinary
Transition Innovation, Management
and Engineering and basically refers
to the creative problem solving that is
needed on multiple levels to change
how energy is generated, delivered
and used.
https://www.hw.ac.uk/
ENERGY ENGINEERING
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EDUCATION & TRAINING

DORIS launches new STEM

returners programme
DORIS, a leading provider of engineering, advisory, and project
management services for the energy sector, has formed a
new partnership with STEM Returners to support energy
professionals’ return to work after a career break

D
ORIS will offer a 12-week paid
placement programme at its
offices in Great Yarmouth and
London, UK. STEM Returners, a leading
organisation in the UK in returner
programmes, will source returners
for the roles and provide them with
additional support including advice,
career coaching, and mentoring.
Annual research from STEM
Returners (The STEM Returners Index)
shows the challenges people who
have had career break face when
trying to return to STEM – recruitment
bias being the main barrier to entry.
Sixty-six percent of STEM professionals
on a career break say they are finding
the process of attempting to return to
work either difficult or very difficult and to enable STEM professionals to We know that STEM professionals
that nearly half (46%) of participants re-enter the energy industry. DORIS face an uphill battle when trying to
said they felt bias because of a lack of is committed to enabling change return after a career break due to a
recent experience. and providing value for personnel, misconception about lack of skills or
The STEM Returners programme creating an inclusive environment up to date knowledge, but that could
tackles these barriers by acting as that appreciates input from all. not be further from the truth.
a ‘returnship’, ensuring candidates “STEM professionals looking to “Only by partnering with industry
can be re-integrated into an inclusive re-enter the energy industry offer leaders like DORIS, will we make
environment. valuable expertise and commitment vital changes in STEM recruitment
Additionally, it is hoped that the new and passion for energy; these practices, to help those who are finding
programme will help fill an emerging qualities are crucial for the energy it challenging to return to the sector
green energy skills gap. It is estimated industry to continue to grow and and improve diversity and inclusion.”
that around 200,000 new workers are innovate and achieve the energy Successful candidates may be
needed it the UK is to deliver on long targets of the future” offered full-time positions at DORIS
term energy security and meet its Natalie Desty, Director of STEM upon the completion of their 12-week
energy transition targets. * Returners said: “We are very proud placement. Since STEM Returners
Frank Drennan, DORIS UK’s to be entering this new partnership launched in 2017, more than 400
Managing Director, commented, with DORIS, to help return highly STEM Returner candidates have
“We are pleased to be supporting skilled people back into the industry. joined programmes across the UK.
this initiative with STEM Returners
and providing key opportunities https://www.stemreturners.com/returner-placements/
46 ISSUE 97 ENERGY ENGINEERING
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