The Association of Manufacturers and Suppliers of Power Systems & Ancillary Equipment
SUMMER 2022 | WWW.AMPS.ORG.UK
MAGAZINE
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
I THE APPLICATION OF GENERATORS IN DATA CENTRES I INSPIRING THE NEXT GENERATION OF ENGINEERS I AMPS NATIONAL CONFERENCE 2022
FEATURE ARTICLES
P10
ENERGY INNOVATION THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY
P22
CONSTRUCTION VEHICLES GO NET ZERO WITH ADELAN TECHNOLOGY
P32
PEOPLE PURPOSE PLANET. INCLUSION STRATEGY FOR LONG TERM SUSTAINABILITY
2
with Charles Chetwynd-Talbot
06: AMPS NATIONAL CONFERENCE 2022 All the news and images from this year’s event
09: FORTHCOMING EVENTS AMPS dates for your diary
10: ENERGY INNOVATION
Clive Deadman shares his thoughts
12: THE ATLATL
Bernard Gospel takes a look at the historical weapon
14: CHP ON THE ROAD TO NET ZERO
Coventry Building Society team up with Eurosite Power
16: EMINOX ACHIEVE EMISSIONS COMPLIANCE FOR POWER GENERATION UNITS 18: THE APPLICATION OF POWER GENERATORS IN DATA CENTRES with Ian Bitterlin
22: CONSTRUCTION VEHICLES GO NET ZERO WITH ADELAN TECHNOLOGY 24: COMBATTING THE ENERGY CRISIS WITH DECENTRALISED ENERGY SYSTEMS 26: AMPS COUNCIL MEMBERS 27: AMPS NEWS 28: INSPIRING THE NEXT GENERATION OF ENGINEERS
SUMMER 2022 EDITION Despite the economic gloom and disarray in the world, it’s been a busy period at AMPS HQ and one of the highlights was undoubtedly the AMPS Conference which took place in April. Over 150 members and their guests made their way down to One Great George Street to reminisce, listen to industry experts and enjoy the company of old friends. By all accounts the day was a great success topped off with a fabulous lunch and a few beers down at the Westminster Arms. In this edition we hope you’ll find some highly informative content. Ian Bitterlin’s article on the Application of Generators in Data Centres is something we know will be well received by many of our members and you’ll be pleased to know that Ian has kindly offered to support AMPS with future articles and advice. Encouraging our future engineers is also vital and Susan Scurlock in her article ‘Inspiring The next Generation of Engineers’ gives us an insight into the hurdles we need to overcome and the opportunities we must provide to make this a reality. We have also held our first AMPS Members Regional Day at Volvo UK in Warwick. These days are free to attend and are a great way for members to update themselves with key industry issues. Check the ‘Dates for your diary’ page to find the next one in your area but be quick since the venues have limited capacity.
Mike Boughey Editor: AMPS Power Magazine
30: DEIF AGC 150 IS SO EASY TO USE SAY SWITCHGEAR PROVIDER
CONTACT AMPS
32: HUMAN RESOURCES
The Association of Manufacturers and Suppliers of Power Systems & Ancillary Equipment
with HR specialist Teresa Boughey
34: NEW MEMBERS
Introducing CSL Power Systems
35: THE EF ENERGY SHOW
CONTENTS
04: A VIEW FROM WESTMINSTER
Unit 19, Omega Business Village, Thurston Road, Northallerton DL6 2NJ President: The Rt.Hon. Earl of Shrewsbury & Talbot DL Vice President: Richard Teasdale Chairman: Paul Aitken Publications & Marketing :
Disclaimer The information contained in this magazine is for general information purposes only. We endeavour to keep the information up to date and correct, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the magazine or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained in the magazines for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk. The editor, contributors and related parties shall have no responsibility for any action or omission by any other contributor, consultant, editor and shall have no responsibility for any links from this magazine to third party websites
Mike Boughey: ampsmagazine@amps.org.uk Accounts: accounts@amps.org.uk
+44 (0) 20 8253 4505
www.amps.org.uk AMPS POWER MAGAZINE
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AMPS Power Magazine
WESTMINSTER
Charles Chetwynd-Talbot
The Right Honourable Earl of Shrewsbury & Talbot DL
A VIEW FROM WESTMINSTER Following the Queen’s Speech at the recent State Opening of Parliament, a raft of new Bills – in total some 38 pieces of legislation – ensure that the new Session will be packed. In our House, we have already started a number of Bills on their journey with their Second Readings taking place. But the political landscape is still overshadowed by the so-called Partygate row and the bickering which continues within the Conservative Party over the Leadership. Something nags at the back of my mind constantly and it is this. I’ve been fortunate to have been in Parliament for 42 years, and I have had the privilege of knowing and serving under some of the great people – both men and women – during that time. I have never seen politics so low in people’s estimation, nor have I witnessed such a dearth of top flight political operators in all the Parties. The world is in crisis. The economy is in crisis. And yet we don’t seem to have the politicians who are able to truly lead. Whilst I feel that the Prime Minister has done many good things, I can’t help but think that much more could have been done so far on the back of his massive majority, especially for manufacturing and for the Midlands, and the North East. The next General Election will doubtless tell the result of his endeavours in the opinion of the electorate. These views are
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of course my personal views, but I believe them to be shared by many. Yet again, it would seem to me that we must rely on manufacturing industry to pull us out of this abyss. I enjoyed the AMPS AGM greatly, and I was impressed by the speakers. Daniel Hannan told me that he much enjoyed the opportunity to address the Conference, and so did his Ukranian colleague, who heads up their equivalent of our CBI. A useful contact for the future, I feel. Thank you to Paul Aitken and to you the members for giving them both such a warm welcome. I am looking forward to what I believe will be our inaugural AMPS House of Lords Luncheon on July 6th, when our guest speaker will be Lord Ravensdale. Meanwhile, please bear with me with regard to the brevity of this missive – typing is a little tricky as I’m recovering from a very recent major shoulder rebuild. If I didn’t know better, I might have thought that the medics had secreted a generator somewhere under the dressing as the throbbing is constant!
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AMPS Power Magazine
AMPS CONFERENCE 2022
AMPS NATIONAL CONFERENCE 2022 One of the highlights of the AMPS Calendar took place at One Great George Street, Westminster on Thursday 21st April. The 2022 AMPS Conference was once again a sell out event with 155 association members getting together to meet old friends and colleagues. The day began at 09.00 at the stunning headquarters of the Institution of Civil Engineers, Westminster and immediately went into the AMPS AGM. At 10.15
AMPS Honorary members jackets were presented to
The first speaker, Ian Bitterlin began with his highly informative talk around the topic of data centres and Ian has kindly written a follow up article which appears later in this magazine.
Houston, a British engineering and heavy industrial
Susan Scurlock spoke next about ‘inspiring the next generation of engineers’ and Susan has also kindly provided an article for this magazine. following on from Susan, Romain Mocaer discussed how, after a year of decline marked by COVID-19, the generating set market had increased very sharply in 2021 for both diesel and gas generators. Next, best-selling author and Vice-Chairman of the Conservative party, Lord Hannan of Kingsclere gave AMPS members an insightful talk around the business challenges they will all face. Lord Hannan, introduced us to Dmytro Los who is head of the Ukrainian Board of Trade. Dmytro addressed the conference and said “We hope that the Ukrainian government will soon be in full control and that AMPS members can be instrumental in assisting with the reconstruction of my country After the conference members and guests enjoyed a prelunch drinks reception followed by a wonderful three course meal in the remarkable setting of the Great Hall at One Great George Street. Gavin Hastings OBE, was our post lunch speaker and he gave an interesting and entertaining talk around his incredible achievements and showed us how we can apply the lessons learned on the rugby pitch to a business environment.
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Gerald Parkinson, Chris Whitworth and Robert Beebee. Gerald began his career in 1954 with British Thomsoncompany, based at Rugby, Warwickshire, England, and founded as a subsidiary of the General Electric Company. He was one of the founder members of AMPS and a former Director General and through his own company, Parkinson Associates, provided the association with a highly valued quarterly report on the industry. We plan to hear more from Gerald in the Autumn issue of the magazine. Chris joined Markon Engineering as a Development Engineer in 1974 and spent the next 40 years deeply involved with the rotating electrical-machine we all know as an ac generator or alternator. By the mid ‘90s he was based at the Newage works in Stamford, under the CGT banner. As an Application Engineer he provided technical advice and supporting performance information and was an obvious choice for membership of the AMPS Technical Committee. The AMPs TC, as it was fondly known, not only benefited greatly from Chris’s day job but also from his links to electrical engineering experts across the industry. The day was rounded up with the customary drinks down at the Westminster Arms watering hole around the corner where at least 70-100 AMPS members and guests remained for a couple of hours.
THIS YEAR’S SPEAKERS GENERATORS FOR THE DATA CENTRE
Ian is a Chartered Engineer with more than 52 years in engineering including 32 years’ experience in data-centre power and cooling. He was formerly CTO for Emerson Network Power in EMEA and Visiting Professor to the University of Leeds, and now a volunteer, trainer, and Expert Witness for HKA Global. An author of many technical papers on critical power and cooling with presentations and keynote speeches made around the world, Ian is a Fellow of the IET and Member of CIBSE. In the past decade Ian has been Technical Chair of the Data Centre Council of techUK, Chair of the DCSG of the BCS, Accredited Tier Designer of the Uptime Institute and ex-Chair of the Technical Working Group in EMEA for The Green Grid.
Ian F Bitterlin CEng BSc(Hons) BA DipDesInn FIET MCIBSE
In addition, Ian sits on data-centre standards committees and bodies, including as a UK Expert Member of TCT/7 - EN50600, Data Centre Infrastructure, UK Expert Member and Project Editor of Part-1of ISO 30134 ‘Resource Efficient Data Centres’, a member of BSI Committee IST/046 ‘Sustainability for, and by ICT’, and was awarded ‘Outstanding Contribution to the Data Centre Industry’ at both Data Centres Europe in 2009 and DatacenterDynamics EMEA in 2015.
INSPIRING THE NEXT GENERATION OF ENGINEERS Dr Susan Scurlock MBE founded Primary Engineer in 2005 with the aim of developing skills in young people through an inclusive approach, to provide meaningful engagement between pupils and educators with engineering professionals and to tackle the diversity issues within the engineering career landscape. She is the recipient of the Royal Academy of Engineering 2020 Rooke Award, three Honorary Doctorates and was awarded an MBE in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours list in recognition of her work in engineering education. Dr Susan Scurlock MBE
Primary Engineer is a not-for-profit focused on engineering in schools. It has developed a sophisticated programme of award-winning, teacher training courses ranging from one day courses to master’s level postgraduate certificates. Primary Engineer is dedicated to the belief that all children should engage with engineering from as early an age as possible.
2021-2022 DIESEL & GAS GENERATOR MARKET UPDATE
Romain Mocaer has over 15 years experience in competitive intelligence in the power generation industry. He co-founded PowerGen Statistics in 2010 in order to provide reliable and specific market information for the generating set industry. Romain Mocaer
LORD HANNAN OF KINGSCLERE SHARES HIS VIEWS Lord Hannan of Kingsclere is an author and columnist. He serves on the UK Board of Trade and is a Vice-Chairman of the Conservative Party responsible for its international relations. He teaches at the University of Buckingham and the University of Francisco Marroquín. He has written nine books, including the New York Times bestseller Inventing Freedom: How the English-Speaking Peoples Made the Modern World. Lord Hannan
He sat as a Conservative MEP for 21 years, and was a founder of Vote Leave. He writes regular columns for, among others, The Sunday Telegraph, The Washington Examiner and Conservative Home.
DMYTRO LOS: HEAD OF THE UBTA UKRAINIAN BOARD OF TRADE
Dmytro was invited as a guest of Lord Hannan and addressed the conference to say that in the future he hoped AMPS members would offer their support and expertise in the to rebuilding of Ukraine. Dmytro Los
POST LUNCH SPEAKER: GAVIN HASTINGS OBE Former Scotland & British Lions Captain, Gavin Hastings is often hailed as one of Scotland’s greats, having captained their international team to success. As a fullback, Hastings dominated the pitch, which saw him selected to join the British & Irish Lions on a number of occasions.
Gavin Hastings OBE
Captaining your country’s team is an honour for any sportsman, and one Hastings was awarded on 20 occasions throughout his career. Having captained the schoolboys’ team as a youth, Hasting’s leadership skills were evident and allowed him to repeat the position whilst playing for Scotland, and the British and Irish Lions. A formidable player, Hastings secured the 1990 Five Nations Grand Slam, and a country record in the 1995 Rugby World Cup when he scored 667 points, which was unbeaten for 13 years. With such an established platform in rugby, Hastings was awarded an OBE in 1993 for his commitment and services to Rugby Union. Following his achievements in the game, he was inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame in 2003, followed by the World Rugby Hall of Fame in 2013.
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AMPS Power Magazine
AMPS CONFERENCE 2022
INTERVIEW WITH ROBERT BEEBEE WINNER OF THE AMPS LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD How did IPU become associated with AMPS? — as one of the early members are there any stand out memories of the association?
When I joined IPU in 1980 I had no experience of the genset industry, or anything really! I was sitting in my sales office one day wondering how to learn about the industry that IPU were selling American Bosch electronic governors and hydraulic starters into. I was idly flicking through EPN (European Power News) which was the industry publication at the time. In it, I saw an article about an AMPS trade association meeting every quarter at Benn Hall in Rugby. I thought I had better join and find out if this was a way to leam about the industry. It was! In those days AMPS was dominated by many more genset manufacturers and far fewer suppliers. Gerald Parkinson and Bob Wheadon ran the association and did a marvellous job of growing it. We had two main exhibitions, lnPower and ICE, but to get many OEMs exhibiting was always a challenge. Largely because no one wanted their hard-won customers seeing who the competition was! It was all very secretive. The internet has rather changed this... Being Chairman 10 years apart saw little change in one fundamental area. At Council we always questioned whether we were delivering value for money for the membership. We surveyed. we asked. we discussed. The reality with any trade association. and IPU have Been members of quite a few, is that you get out what you put in.
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My view on my legacy will always be that I felt AMPS always needed someone actively visiting the membership and new potential members. Someone spreading the gospel of St AMPS. The appointment of Paul Blything did that back in 2015 or so. Paul got out there and got amongst the members like no one before and he did a remarkable job of understanding what the members wanted.
Anything more that you’d like to tell us... ComAp have recently acquired IPU’s Engine Controls Division. This was a natural step forward for the two companies who have worked so closely together over the last 20 years. This strategic move leaves IPU in the position to become focussed on being a solutions provider to the markets of Engine Starting, Fuel Conditioning, Emissions Systems and Components. This needs a whole new approach from being an importer distributor. which is what spurred my decision to step back as MD. Over 40 years we have slowly but surely morphed from one to the other and are determined to excel as ‘IPU Group ‘ without the old divisional sales structure. We want to increase the level of service we offer our customers to a new level by being more available to them more of the time with innovative solutions. WATCH THIS SPACE!
FORTHCOMING EVENTS
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY... AMPS PARLIAMENTARY DAY Wednesday 6th July 2022
The Attlee Room, The House of Lords, London £95 pp + VAT
NORTH WEST REGIONAL MEETING Thursday 15th September 2022 Venue tbc Free to attend
AMPS AWARDS EVENING 2022 Thursday 8th December 2022 Park Plaza, London £175 pp | £1650.00 + VAT for a table of 10 people
AGM CONFERENCE & LUNCHEON 2023 Thursday 20th April 2023 One Great George Street Prices to be confirmed
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E N E R G Y I N N O VAT I O N
Professor Clive Deadman
ENERGY
INNOVATION
THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE UGLY One of my builder’s favourite sayings is ‘if it aint broke don’t fix it’. And he has saved me a lot of money with those words. The trouble with our electricity supply and grid is that while it ‘aint broke’ it isn’t what we will need.
Author bio: Clive has a background in mining and automotive Engineering, 9 years in private equity, and 18 years with United Utilities and Electricity North West. Sectors of interest include water, wastewater, gas & electrical power, housing, healthcare and the associated regulation. As a Professor of Water and Energy, Author, and Chair and non-executive Director of a range of organisations Clive helps organisations prioritise, finance, and deliver competing customer service, resilience, environmental, carbon, healthcare and financial objectives
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Radical innovation and evolution of the whole system is essential over the next 20 years. You are probably now relaxing and thinking we have 19 years to think about it. What is the problem? The problem is electricity networks are vast and flow under and over all our roads and cities. These days as load grows and becomes more volatile outages are getting harder to arrange. And every time we try to do the simplest project it seems as if there are bats, footpaths, planning authorities, highway departments, easements, 3 way traffic lights, newts, angry neighbours and protected trees to be dealt with. Then when things go wrong people can be killed and customers are rightfully grumpy. We need to massively increase the capacity of our power networks to fuel cars and heat pumps. And the networks need to become dynamic and reactive to local load demands. The solution is technical and engineering innovation and reinforcement of the complete network. This project is more like the need to rebuild in flight a thousand budget airline aircraft on never ending
journeys packed with customers who are rightly more preoccupied with the drinks trolley and inflight entertainment. Ofgem recognised 20 years ago the prime focus on cost control and efficiency if unchecked prevents risk taking and innovative solutions. Interestingly it was a single visionary engineer at Ofgem who championed this issue against a lot of challenge from economists and management consultants. We will come back to that issue in a bit. To Ofgem’s credit they have stuck with this policy even though they have experienced significant challenges. As a consequence, Ofgem has been one of the most active regulators to make available targeted innovation funding and network owners have achieved some change and transformation particularly in the last 7 years. All the same, progress at modernising, transforming and innovating our power networks has been far too slow and time is running out.
BAD INNOVATION My sense is power network managers and front line staff are largely focused on safety and day to day efficiency. While we need innovation that must be right. On 26th April 1986 at Chernobyl an experimental test of the cooling waters of reactor #4 was attempted. It was a bold and reckless innovation by a domineering deputy chief engineer. It didn’t go well and we all know the result of that bad innovation. So we need our engineers and network leaders to protect us from these issues.
UGLY INNOVATION But slow innovation is ugly innovation. Us engineers are uncomfortable with uncertainty. We are trained to build solutions and control every variable. But this can take time. In an investment approval meeting I remember a bright engineer presenting his proposals. He had worked hard for many months and to cover all issues. Testing his knowledge I asked him what colour the equipment would be. Crestfallen he said he didn’t know and for a moment I suspect he felt he had failed at the task. I apologised. By asking for too much detail or letting our brilliant engineers think we expect it is not innovative or efficient. Sometimes good is good enough and we all have to be content with residual unimportant risk and uncertainty even though it feels uncomfortable.
GOOD INNOVATION Good innovation is fast innovation. Every month the world gets older by a month. So we have to fit two months innovation into each month if we are to get ahead. Power systems, utilities and construction are complex engineering systems and need to be run by engineers. However us engineers also need to understand the cost of time and certainty.
Most (but not all) ambitious engineers are not attracted to complex problems with no obvious best solution. This may be why most engineers make poor management consultants. (It needs to be said I certainly would not want a nuclear reactor to be run by a bunch of management consultants). Somehow we need to train and allow our brilliant engineers to make the odd failure and accommodate more uncertainty. On the whole engineers are clever, skilled and highly rational. They will not flex their nature and training without incentives, guidance and support. Perhaps a greater focus on outcomes would stop us from becoming overly absorbed in the engineering
issues which really interest us. We all have a part to play in this change of attitude. And it will be really uncomfortable for some of us. With some exceptions regulatory funding for innovation is available. My sense is most board members and suppliers are passionate about seeing progress even if it is often still on the ‘do later’ list. It is our local leaders and engineers who we most need to flex how they work. They are incredibly busy and already managing complex efficiency, productivity and safety challenges. Nowadays a utility gets fined if a temporary road sign blows over in the wind, so our colleagues have a lot to think about. They will need to see 3 degrees of proof that if small things go wrong
then that is acceptable and inevitable. Probably some people reading this will be thinking their business is already innovative. And perhaps you are right. But test if for yourself. Take out a few of your suppliers for a cup of coffee or a beer. When they relax a bit ask them how open to innovation your organisation is; they will tell you the truth. Another thing my builder often says is: “Which joker built this then?”. In 19 years time we don’t want our children to be looking at the power grid we have built and asking that about our work do we?
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HISTORY OF ENGINEER-
ATLATL
OR NEIGHBOURS HAVE ENDED,BUT THE KYLIE LIVES ON! Before we leave the development of the spear, we have to consider improvements. Spear users often ran towards their target, holding their spear arm back then thrusting their arm forwards to add the arms thrust to their body speed.
Bernard Gospel ‘s continuing series of articles based on the topic of the history of engineering, loosely based on the BBC radio programmes and podcasts ‘ a history of he world in 100 objects’ and ’50 things that made the modern economy’
Bernard Gospel
Technical Committee Secretary
TechSec@AMPS.org.uk
Some intrepid prehistoric engineer realised that this was a two stage launch, body speed plus arm thrust, like NASA, she wondered if another stage could be added? The Saturn V of spears! This device exists and is now termed a throwing stick. In South America it was known as an Atlatl, in Australia as a Woomera! So now we all know why the rocket range in Australia is called Woomera, some civil servant took a break from being ‘economical with the truth’ and named the rocket site after a real and relevant device! The RAAF Woomera Range Complex (WRC) is a major Australian military and civil aerospace facility and operation located in South Australia, approximately 450 km northwest of Adelaide and was the site of the launch of Australia’s first satellite in 1967.
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How old is the ATLATL?
It was invented at least 17,000 years ago
What does the name mean?
The word pronounced At-latuhl comes from the Nahuatl language of the Aztec and simply means spear-thrower
How far can the ATLATL be thrown?
So what is the device? Like all good inventions, it is actually very simple. It comprises a carved stick with a knob at one end and often a groove for the end of the spear to rest in. The thrower positions the spear in the groove holding his fingers around both spear and stick, the thrower runs with the combination weapon, when at body speed, he uses his arm to throw the spear. The knob forms a bearing surface which allows the user to store energy during the throw. The spear-thrower is a low-mass, fast-moving extension of the throwing arm, increasing the length of the lever. As the spear launches, the thrower uses the stick as a second arm, the energy from the knob pushing the spear even faster. The Aborigines of Australia are wellknown for their use of the boomerang.
Although returning boomerangs are found in many Aboriginal cultures and will return to the user if thrown properly, the choice weapon of the Aborigines and most cultures was the heavy throwing stick, also known as the kylie. Spanish and Portuguese invaders of southern America found to their surprise that accurately aimed metal tipped spears could penetrate armour when launched from an Atlatl. Earlier in Europe, a cord was attached to a spear, mainly for guidance and stability from imparted spin, rather than to achieve extended range. In modern times, the device has been resurrected for sports, often using the term atlatl, throwing either for distance and/or for accuracy. The World Atlatl Association was formed in the USA in 1987.
To give a comparison a javelin can be thrown at about 66kmh to a maximum range of 91 metres. With the use of the ATLATL the javelin can reach 87kmh and have an effective range of 137 metres.
What caused it to die out?
The invention of the bow and arrow at around 10,000BC however history tells us the Aztecs were still using the ATLATL when they encountered the Spanish in the 1500s
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COV E N T RY B U I L D I N G S O C I E T Y
CHP ON THE ROAD TO NET ZERO Coventry Building Society Arena, home to Wasps Sport and Coventry City Football Club, has forged an enviable reputation as the leading international venue for a variety of events across music, sport and business, attracting more than 1.3 million visitors a year. The Arena’s unique facilities provide visitors with everything they need on one site, including an onsite DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel, The Anecdote Sports Bar, The Mill Coffee Shop, Brasserie and Bar and the Grosvenor Casino. When the Arena wanted to reduce the energy costs of their 32,000 seater stadium they asked their energy supplier for help. The energy supplier approached EuroSite Power looking for ways to improve the resilience of the stadium, lower energy costs and reduce the carbon footprint. EuroSite Power identified that combined heat and power (CHP) was suitable, given the higher than normal heat loads presented by the under-pitch heating used in winter months, and year round demand presented by the hotel and 20,000 sqm of event space. Space was a challenge in the existing boiler room, but more of a challenge to our design and installation team was the exhaust flue system. This involved the design, construction, and installation of a 30m twin bore chimney, designed to match
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the stadium’s overall aesthetic and white cantilevered roof trusses. This chimney had to provide both the flue for the new CHP and a new exhaust route for the stadium’s existing standby diesel generator. The project was successfully completed in September 2020, right in the middle of the pandemic!
Given the current sky-high utility prices now is an ideal time for sites to consider CHP. For those who do not have specific net zero carbon targets to hit, a well sized natural gas CHP can still hold its own against the current electricity grid carbon. Our recent analysis of a customer application showed that a 350kWe CHP delivered a not insubstantial 20T per annum saving of CO2.
However, what used to be the main driver for 99% of CHP users – cost savings in their energy bills is just as valid today as ever. If you are looking to upgrade the systems powering and heating your sites it is tempting to wait in the hope that one of the new and less-proven technologies will eventually provide a magic zero carbon solution. Looking too far into the future means that you are missing out on the opportunity to do something about your organisation’s energy costs today.
If you’ve embarked on a net zero journey, you can’t wait for impractical solutions to become more practical, or for unproven technologies to come on stream; you need to start making changes, cutting carbon and saving on utility bills now. The Climate Change Committee (CCC) recommends heat networks and heat pumps to meet global climate goals. The reality today is that they’re not feasible for many commercial and industrial organisations. Heat pumps often can’t produce high enough temperatures, and heat networks are serious infrastructure that require significant investment, which hasn’t happened yet. This is precisely why so many individual natural gas boilers continue to be installed. Then there’s hydrogen, often lauded as the silver bullet to all our energy problems. Companies that could benefit massively from the cost saving potential of CHP are becoming confused by the hydrogen hype. If we take a typical CHP with 10-15 years operational life the chances of it burning hydrogen are very slim if non-existent. All the evidence suggests that natural gas will play a part of our fuel mix for a long time to come, and basing a net zero strategy on a sudden switch to hydrogen would be to ignore this reality.
We need a transitional approach that allows us to get the best from both worlds, in order to benefit from the well-known energy savings of CHP and reduce its carbon output. EuroSite Power can provide this using our Green CHP offering – zero carbon CHP. A new and original bundling up of all the various technical, financial, supply chain and operational requirements into one single source - an Energy as a Service offering. The backbone of this is our On-Site Utility (OSU) model which is proven and trusted to fully-fund on-site energy generation solutions. We take care of the upfront costs of installing our Green CHP solution, so you don’t have to make any significant financial outlay. Our OSU model means that we install, maintain and operate the whole system over the course of its lifetime, and your savings are linked to our income, so we have every incentive to ensure the equipment is accurately sized and well-maintained. This latest innovation has enabled us to close the loop and deliver zero carbon electricity and heat for zero capital investment, not in 10, 15 or 20 years.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION 0800 028 8001 / INFO@EUROSITEPOWER.CO.UK WWW.EUROSITEPOWER.CO.UK/EUROSITE-POWER-COVENTRY-BUILDING-SOCIETY-ARENA-CHP-SHOWCASE
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E M I N OX
AMPS Power Magazine
EMISSIONS COMPLIANCE FOR POWER GENERATION UNITS EASILY ACHIEVED
An increasing number of businesses are looking for ways to achieve Stage V compliance for power generation units (Gensets) and other Non-Road Mobile Machinery (NRMM) due to an increased level of responsibility, and a shift change of legislative requirements. In London, from 1st January 2025 the standards will be Stage IV for NRMM however, as Stage IV has not been defined for machines with constant speed engines, such as generators these machines will need to meet Stage V. This forms part of an overarching aim for the city to achieve complete zero emissions from NRMM by 1st January 2040. With such strict regulation compliance expected in the capital in a relatively short time scale, it is expected that other Clean Air Zones (CAZs) such as those in Manchester and Birmingham currently, will extend their compliance requirements to NRMM too along with other significant projects such as HS2. James Thorpe, Head of Retrofit Sales, Eminox commented; “We are seeing an
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increasing number of customers looking for solutions to make their power generation units compliant with Stage V emissions regulations. This not only delivers emissions compliance; it also secures a return on investment and protects the longevity of the product as emissions regulations compliance begins to tighten for NRMM.” Fitting a retrofit exhaust aftertreatment system (EATS) is the most cost-effective solution in the long run and means that all generators can be used without limitation and without any dormant stock.
risk to public health from harmful
The proven technology delivers high performing retrofit solutions that improve air quality and decrease the
leading retrofit EATS solutions which are
emissions such as Nitrogen Oxide (NOx) and Particulate Matter (PM), a known carcinogenic. Eminox designs and manufactures market optimised to deliver a reliable and costeffective option on the journey to net zero.
EATS bridge the gap as alternative fuels and technologies are developed for generators that serve both the hire sector and the Medium Combustion Plant Directive (MCPD) sector and are currently compatible with engines ranging from 40kW to 7MW. The technology works by exhaust gas exiting the turbocharger and flowing into the combined Diesel Oxidation Catalyst (DOC) and Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) module, trapping over 95% of PM. In addition, Hydrocarbons (HC) and Carbon Monoxide (CO) are also reduced by over 90% during the process. This exhaust gas, now with all PM removed, exits the DPF and flows into another unit containing the Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR). The treated exhaust gas can then exit the system and flow into the downstream
pipework and the atmosphere in compliance
areas requiring this level of compliance, or
with legislation.
to those customers that demand compliance,
James continued; “Many of the generator units that are used in the UK currently do not conform to Stage V standards however,
giving hire companies or plant operatives greater flexibility and will enhance their reputation as responsible operators.”
our retrofit solutions can transform the emissions performance of that unit from a Stage 3a to a Stage V with ease. This means that generators can be deployed to those
TO DISCOVER MORE ABOUT EMINOX VISIT
eminox.com
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AMPS Power Magazine
DATA C E N T R E S
Ian F Bitterlin CEng BSc(Hons) BA DipDesInn FIET MCIBSE
THE APPLICATION OF GENERATORS IN DATA CENTRES
Ian is a Chartered Engineer with more than 52 years in engineering including 32 years’ experience in data-centre power and cooling, formerly CTO for Emerson Network Power in EMEA and Visiting Professor to the University of Leeds, and now a volunteer, trainer, and Expert Witness for HKA Global.
Data centres are ‘always on’ facilities that vary greatly in ownership, resilience, and capacity. Users vary from Financial Institutions to the lowest cost Internet Service Providers and many sit at the hubs of the internet and house the vast array of ICT services that dominate our lives. They nearly all have back-up generator power systems, with some notable exceptions like Google ‘search engines’ that provision their redundancy at the ICT level instead of at the M&E infrastructure level.
An author of many technical papers on critical power and cooling with presentations and keynote speeches made around the world, Ian is a Fellow of the IET and Member of CIBSE. In the past decade Ian has been Technical Chair of the Data Centre Council of techUK, Chair of the DCSG of the BCS, Accredited Tier Designer of the Uptime Institute and ex-Chair of the Technical Working Group in EMEA for The Green Grid.
Our consumption of data and ICT service has been growing exponentially at 50% CAGR for at least the past 20 years (4%/month, every month) whilst the ICT hardware capacity (per Watt) has been around 40% CAGR (a huge technical achievement) - so, on a global basis, the ‘best guess’ power consumption has been growing at 10% CAGR. Some locations, like Dublin, have been growing faster.
In addition, Ian sits on data-centre standards committees and bodies, including as a UK Expert Member of TCT/7 - EN50600, Data Centre Infrastructure, UK Expert Member and Project Editor of Part-1of ISO 30134 ‘Resource Efficient Data Centres’, a member of BSI Committee IST/046 ‘Sustainability for, and by ICT’, and was awarded ‘Outstanding Contribution to the Data Centre Industry’ at both Data Centres Europe in 2009 and DatacenterDynamics EMEA in 2015.
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The application of generators to data centres has some requirements that I have tried to summarise here. Each roller-coaster topic has been truncated but can be expanded upon later if required.
BS ISO 8528 - 2018 We have a standard, relatively recently updated from the 2005 version, yet still outof-date in Section 7, Performance Class. But also, one that the OEMs appear not to follow closely. It would appear, as an outsider, that the commoditization of generators under
severe price pressure, has led to a blurring of definitions - such as the term ‘standby’, e.g., data sheets offer ratings of ‘Prime’ and ‘Standby’, some with 80% load rather than the 70% in the ISO description, but is the ‘Standby’ LTP or ESP, and can you tell from the hoursper-year number?
Why generators? The only reason for installing on-site generation is to sustain the facility through extended utility-power outages. Most utility failures are event lasting less than 3 seconds and in a data centre (which usually must have the generator ‘on-line’ within 15-20 seconds) the 3s is usually set as the engine start delay time. The generators feed the ICT load via the UPS but feed the cooling system directly and therefore we must ensure that breaks in power are neither longer than either the UPS battery autonomy or how long the cooling system can
be off-line without automatic thermal shutdown of the critical load. Usually, the temperature is a problem before the typical 5–10-minute battery autonomy. For parallel sets dead-bar paralleling is always applied to get the gensets up and ready to accept load in 8-10s.
Power Rating to ISO 8528-1 Section 14
There ISO standard has the four power rating definitions (COP, PRP, LTP, and ESP) but OEMs offer variations in different regions of the world, and even ‘Mission Critical’ or ‘Data Centre Rated’. The power rating of a genset depends upon the average load over 24h and the annual hours duty to which it is to be applied, so the utility and the connection to it (one or dual sub-stations) dictates the generator rating selection. Data Centre generators must be rated to supply the site at peak load, on the hottest day of the year, unless the client gives clear instructions to the contrary. Under-sizing the generators must always be the sole responsibility of the buyer, not the designer or the seller since, with climate change, the hottest days are getting hotter and more frequent.
There are various design strategies: If the grid is stable, then 200-500h/year genset run-time is more than ample. In some locations the utility varies daily and PRP is needed. But if the overall design is to be compliant with the principles of the Uptime Institute, then the genset installation must be rated for unlimited run-time at 100% load with the utility used as the ‘economic alternative’, although the grid will always be the operational source of power. Facilities built to Uptime Institute design (it is not a ‘Standard’ but a design guide) are rare in Europe but the generator supplier must be aware of the client wishes, not least to protect themselves from contractual litigation if things turn sour. Many clients ignore the definitions of ‘average’ load, such as PRP “Permissible average load 70% of rated kW over 24h period, standstill hours NOT included in the average time, minimum load in calculation is 30%, unlimited hours per year” and ESP “Permissible average load 70% of rated kW over 24h period, standstill hours NOT included in the average time, minimum load in calculation is 30%, for a maximum of 200 hours per year”. The problem is that data centre loads are constant, never 100%, and partial load is endemic.
Additional applications
Additional applications such as Peakshaving (reducing grid demand or islanding) are rarely used in data centres as is Short Term Operating Reserve (STOR) or Demand Side Response (DSR) and many users do not regard the payment as sufficient to balance the risks to the data centre. A typical user quote is “The gensets are there to protect my business from the vagaries of the utility, not help it in times of stress”. In these low-carbon obsessed times the whole concept of supporting the grid with diesel generation is odd, but there is also the practical point that the generators must be selected to do the additional run-time duty.
Fuel source
Nearly always, data centres use diesel stored on-site, it is energy dense, safe and has a low flammability, with economic fuel storage of a few days. The typical UK data centre uses their gensets no more that 12h per year, although occasionally for a few days if a duct is excavated accidentally or a sub-station transformer fails. This 0.05% of the year results in almost negligible carbon emissions, but the industry has started to greenwash itself and consider alternatives to using diesel.
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DATA C E N T R E S
The most common suggestion is natural gas, being cleaner in particulates and gaseous emissions than oil, but storage is a space problem, starting is less reliable, and maintenance is higher - so it is very rarely adopted. The most attractive option seems to be biodiesel, including HVO as a drop-in replacement, but fuel management may be an issue if continuous fuel polishing is not deployed. The current proportions of bio have shortened the time that diesel fuel stays below the ISO rated ppm and I would always recommend a permanent solution on site.
Performance Class ISO 8528-1: 2018 - 8
When I joined the data centre industry in 1990 the fidelity of the generated voltage and frequency was taken seriously by many consulting engineers and ‘special’ gensets were built with over-sized (low impedance) alternators. Admittedly the load current harmonics have reduced with the advent of IGBTs replacing thyristors, but the 2018 version of ISO 8528 has not kept up with the technology and the data centre industry appears to have relaxed its design requirements by largely accepting Class G2 (“Similar to commercial utility with deviations on starting motors, e.g. lighting, pumps, fans & hoists”) as being sufficient. This is instead of G3 (“Nonlinear loads such as thyristor rectifiers and VFDs”) and G4 (“Data processing equipment or computer systems”). There are no more thyristor rectifiers or VSDs in data centres. The question that the generator supplier must ask is if the user intends, at any time even for maintenance or in an emergency, to run the ICT load on the generator system.
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If ‘yes’, then Class G4 would appear to be essential since the load will be nonlinear (1030% THCD) and capacitive (a leading PF of 0.93-0.98), and always taking care to tell the user not to use any ‘eco-mode’ function in the UPS when the generator is on-line. Eco-mode is no more than the UPS in bypass.
Uptime Institute requirements Uptime Tier Classification for Tier III & IV require the generator system to be rated for the maximum site load for an unlimited running time. It is unreasonable but not negotiable and, if you want Uptime Certification then you have no choice, even in an area of high utility power-quality; COP rating at 100% peak design load. It is as if the site were to run from on-site generation, but with the utility as the ‘economic alternative’. The fuel system must be 12 hours minimum for N engines and N fuel-tanks. This places great demands on the generator selection, creating more problems for partial load running. You can use Prime Rating (PRP) but it has to be de-rated to 70% of its rated load.
However, you can issue a letter from the OEM to the end-user stating the COP rating of the set for the given application and, very unfortunately, this ‘letter’ is open to commercial abuse and has spawned the concept of ‘Data Centre Rated’ sets. It would be wrong to single out one example, as all OEMs indulge in the deception, knowing that the duty can never be tested and will never be applied, but a brief search on the internet can prove beyond any doubt that it is technically ‘incorrect’. Here is an example, with the names removed etc: A standard 2500kVA set with a specified engine has a datasheet that states Prime 1800kWe ‘continuous at variable load in lieu of commercially purchased power with 10% overload for 1 hour in 12’ and alternatively, Standby 2000k We ‘continuous at variable load in the event of utility failure with no overload’. The data is without a specific run-time limit and in both cases without specifying the variable load limit, e.g., the 70% of ISO. The engine OEM’s data sheet offers closer to
AMPS Power Magazine
DATA C E N T R E S
the ISO definitions as Baseload 1440kWe – ‘continuous with no overload’, Prime 1800kWe ‘continuous at 80% maximum variable load’, and Standby 2000kWe with ‘maximum, for 500h/year’. However, the generator OEM issues a ‘Data Centre Rated’ letter to the Uptime Institute for this machine at 1800kW with 100% load and unlimited annual hours that satisfies Tier III and IV - but is 360kW short of the engines capability for 100% duty. To be clear, the risk is negligible, but no design engineer should take responsibility without informing the client what the ‘real’ situation is. Then the client can take an informed decision and the responsibility.
Ambient temperature (Standard Reference Conditions, SRC)
Note that many data centre hubs around the world exceed the SRC of 35⁰C. (London 39⁰C, Frankfurt 40⁰C, New York 42⁰C, Paris 43⁰C, Sydney 47⁰C & Dubai 48⁰C). New records are made every year and, apart from a larger radiator, the matter of power derating should be considered with the engine OEM.
High Voltage generators
Generators are best specified at LV, with catalogue machines being the lowest cost and fastest delivery option. If MV solutions are required it is best to provide each machine with a step-up transformer, which enables the use of standard machines and LV maintenance. The 2% increased losses are negligible for the low anticipated running hours. The LV generator can be specified at higher than 400V, e.g., CSA 590V to regain some of the transformer losses.
Power Factor & partial load
Modern ICT loads are less harmonic rich, but their Power Factor has become leading, capacitive, rather than lagging, typically 5-30% THCD and PF 0.95-0.90 leading, mainly because of better energy efficiency. With commercial gensets designed for 0.8 lagging Power Factor loads (originally for induction motors) and generally incapable of exporting reactive power (kVAR) there could be problems if the ICT load is fed directly from the generator because the alternator
voltage control could become unstable on load steps and the load will suffer voltage variations/swings. This problem is often mitigated by partial load, but the designer should be aware of the danger and take steps to eliminate the problem. This is best incorporated with protection against wet stacking at low load. Since partial loads are endemic in data centres and diesel engines do not like running at below 20-30% load, resulting in increased maintenance costs as the service intervals reduce. Regular testing at no load is bad for the engine and is not recommended but wet stacking, partially burnt fuel oil condensing in the exhaust system, is the biggest risk. Designing a scalable architecture can mitigate this problem but a good design strategy is to have a permanent load bank, both resistive and inductive, connected to raise the load to >25-30% at near to unity power factor regardless of the actual load.
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HYDROGEN
Dr Michaela Kendall is CEO and co-founder of fuel cell pioneers Adelan (Birmingham, UK). One of the world’s first fuel cell businesses, Adelan commercialises a clean energy technology she coinvented in the early 1990s. Over a 30-year career she has secured significant international funding, working with powerful strategic policy and technical networks vital to low-carbon business, including the US EPA, the UN, the EU and national governments. Managing industrial R&D programmes funded by the US, EU and Chinese governments, Dr Kendall plays a key role in building the UK’s national fuel cell strategy, is the Hydrogen Champion for the UK and went to COP26 in November 2021. As a leading environmental scientist with faculty positions in America, Asia and Europe, Dr Kendall also holds academic posts (including three Visiting Professorships) at UK universities. Addressing the emissions, security and cost of energy throughout her career, her personal goal is to foster the widest possible international cooperation to realise the ambitions of global hydrogen and fuel cell networks to achieve net zero.
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CONSTRUCTION VEHICLES GO NET-ZERO WITH ADELAN’S MSOFC TECHNOLOGY Adelan technology is powering the next generation of construction vehicles in a partnership with Calor and the equipment hire giant Speedy Services. The fuel cell breakout programmespells doom for diesel. Diesel could vanish from construction sites with a new collaborative project from fuel cell technology company Adelan. Working with the UK’s leading LPG supplier Calor Gas and major equipment hire chain Speedy Services. Adelan is aiming to deploy its unique microporous SOFC (mSOFC) technology as an alternative to diesel-fuelled internal combustion engines. Adelan’s mSOFC technology is hydrogen ready, but can just as easily use LPG or renewable hydrocarbons such as rDME and BioLPG. The goal of the partnership with Calor and Speedy Services is to validate the fuel flexibility of mSOFC. It is proving the capability of fuel cells to replace diesel with a range of alternative fuels as the supply chain of green hydrogen scales up to meet new demand. Given the construction sector is responsible for nearly a quarter of global carbon emissions, reducing the environmental impact of the sector is a crucial step on the road to net zero and the on-site use of fossil
fuels like diesel is a key target. Among a number of policy initiatives encouraging the transition to net-zero, UK tax breaks that supported the use of so-called red diesel in agricultural and construction vehicles were eliminated in April 2022. Given the soaring cost of diesel - and with effective diesel subsidies a thing of the past – the construction sector has been looking for an alternative. UK technology innovations such as Adelan’s fuel cells are attracting significant market traction as a result. “Fuel cell technology offers a really attractive solution as a diesel replacement for construction vehicles. Low-pollution, low-carbon, low-noise and efficient, fuel cells present a host of benefits while Adelan’s patented hydrogen ready technology allows equipment providers to be ready to take advantage of cleaner low-carbon fuels as they emerge,” explains Adelan CEO, Dr Michaela Kendall. In addition to the use of fuel cells as a direct replacement for diesel engines, Adelan will also validate the potential for Calor’s rDME fuel to be used in its mSOFC equipment. Potentially carbon negative, rDME fuel is designed as a drop in alternative to bottled LPG. Successfully proving its application could have wider benefits for the clean energy
transition by enabling Adelan’s technology to be deployed at scale immediately while using a clean fuel with a robust supply chain. With funding from the £40m ‘Red Diesel Replacement’ competition backed by the UK’s Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS), the partners will initially deploy Adelan fuel cells in electrified construction platforms such as cherry pickers. This funding has been made available from the government’s £1 billion Net Zero Innovation Portfolio (NZIP). Commenting on the programme, Energy and Climate Change Minister Greg Hands said: “As we accelerate the UK’s energy independence by boosting clean, home-grown, affordable energy, it’s crucial that our industries reduce their reliance on fossil fuels. This investment will help them to not only cut emissions, but also save money on energy bills, on top of supporting jobs by encouraging green innovation across in the UK.” “By confirming the benefits of this British technology in the construction sector, this project is helping to establish a strong economic case to move away from fossil fuels and on to cleaner alternatives. The environmental argument is compelling, but considering the financial advantages too there is every good reason for the construction sector to banish diesel for good,” Dr Kendall concludes.
GLOBAL HYDROGEN ECONOMY Adelan has been building the global hydrogen economy for over 26 years, driving change to deliver clean air. The founders of Adelan [Est. 1996] – Professor Kevin Kendall FRS and Dr Michaela Kendall – invented the core technology and built global credibility for their patented microtubular solid oxide fuel cell. Adelan’s fuel cells enable battery/ renewable/hydrogen systems using cheap, readily-available fuels like LPG, natural gas, etc. Developing low-carbon products for the clean energy market, Adelan demonstrates and sells small, portable power products, offering unique fuel cell system sales and strategic partnerships with customers looking to decarbonise. Pioneering the low-carbon, hydrogen economy and with over three decades working to address commercial barriers and market risk, Adelan works with Birmingham City University and the hydrogen facilities at Aston University
and is the go-to group for future-proofed mSOFC technology product development. Adelan’s global technology networks and continuous R&D allows clients to leverage valuable fuel cell and hydrogen technology experience by engaging in game-changing hydrogen economy projects. As the leading global microtubular SOFC developer for clean, portable, off-grid systems, Adelan’s growing commercial team is supported by a core of key scientists and engineers. We offer clients expert industry knowledge and an unrivalled understanding of both fuel cell technology and the wider hydrogen economy. Scalable from small portable units, right up to grid-connected power stations, fuel cells represent a growing clean growth opportunity.
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AMPS Power Magazine
DECENTRALISED ENERGY SOLUTIONS
COMBATTING THE ENERGY CRISIS
WITH DECENTRALISED ENERGY SOLUTIONS
Chris Rason, Managing Director at Aggreko, outlines the key technologies that can help building contractors navigate the current energy crisis without falling foul of legislation. Chris Rason, Managing Director at Aggreko, outlines the key technologies that can help building contractors navigate the current energy crisis without falling foul of legislation. It’s no secret that Europe is currently in the midst of one of the most severe energy crises to date. The price of fuel has continued to rise sharply since late 2021, with recent geopolitical events only serving to exacerbate this. Factoring in the ban on the use of red diesel, effective from April 2022, it is clear that securing energy supply for construction projects has become more difficult than ever for contractors.
The Effects of the Energy Crisis
The sharp spike in fuel and energy prices has undoubtably been the most pronounced effect of the current energy crisis, rendering the use of both mains power and decentralised solutions more expensive than before. For this reason, ensuring efficient use of both resources will be key to reducing overheads. Beyond this, peaking demand for energy has also caused the electrical grids of many cities to become strained, coinciding with the highest rate of activity in UK construction for 24 years recorded earlier this year. Resultantly, many contractors are beginning to find that their previously reliable grid connection is now increasingly unable to meet the needs of peak operations, with demand outstripping supply.
Green Legislation
In the past, gaps in supply could be easily remedied through the use of diesel gensets, topping up supply
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when necessary. However, the advent of a number of key pieces of environmental legislation mean that this is no longer possible. Namely, the European Union’s Medium Combustion Plant Directive (MCPD) aims to limit the emissions of sulphur dioxide and nitrous oxides, both of which are by-products of diesel combustion. This development has significantly limited the use of these gensets, particularly in urban areas where local emissions are of greater concern. Moreover, with a number of major UK cities including London, Birmingham and Manchester introducing low or ultra-low emissions zones with more set to follow, contractors have been stripped of one of the most effective methods of supplementing energy supply when it is needed most.
Right Sizing
As the primary source of remedial power generation, replacing diesel gensets as contractors contend with a dwindling energy supply will no doubt prove a major challenge. No technology will likely prove a sole successor, so adopting an all-encompassing approach will be key. A good starting point for contractors should be right sizing – opting for solutions that do not exceed the energy needs of the site. This is one of the most effective ways to reduce both fuel and energy consumption, and can be achieved through use of a load on demand system. Here, where a site would previously make use of a single generator, multiple
smaller generators are deployed instead, powering on or off in line with demand, and allowing only the necessary amount of fuel and energy to be used. For an immediate impact, contractors can also explore the possibility of using Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) as a drop-in fuel, being able to be seamlessly substituted in as and when is necessary. This can achieve up to a 90% reduction in CO2 emissions, while also reducing nitrous oxides and particulate matter by 15 – 25% in line with the MCPD.e MCPD.
Hybrid Systems Beyond this, the integration of battery storage systems provides scope for the creation of a hybrid system, facilitating a further reduction in the use of traditional fuels. Here, the concept of ‘energy shifting’ allows energy to be captured from the grid at times when demand is low, such as during the night. This can then be kept in spinning reserve, ready to be redeployed at peak time to help meet the requirements of the site.
Together, these systems possess enormous potential to deliver significant savings on both fuel and energy for contractors. For a site with power requirements of 200 kVA, switching to a hybrid and load on demand package of 2 x 60 KVA Stage V generators can deliver up to 50% reduction in fuel consumption. This allows operators to significantly reduce their overheads, while also achieving a 50% reduction in CO2 and local emissions.
Closing Thoughts
With grid strain and green legislation both to contend with, building contractors have been left between somewhat of a rock and a hard place. However, this is not to say that the energy crisis cannot be effectively navigated. The technologies outlined here provide only a glimpse into the innovative approaches operators can integrate in place of diesel gensets as they attempt to combat the ongoing energy crisis. One final consideration for contractors should be enlisting a partner to assist with their on-site energy generation
needs. Calling upon a specialist not only equips operators with the equipment they need to manage the energy crisis, but the experience of an entire network on industry professionals. Aggreko, for instance, take a hands-on approach to the unique needs of each site, allowing the optimum solution to be identified. In such turbulent times, an ally can be one of the most powerful assets contractors can have, particularly in the face of a rapidly evolving political climate. Whatever approach operators should choose to take, flexibility will undoubtably be the most crucial consideration here, as phasing out diesel while wrestling with grid strain will prove no mean feat. With such challenges in mind, it is clear that an all-encompassing approach will leave contractors best-placed to alleviate the energy crisis.
FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT
www.aggreko.com AMPS POWER MAGAZINE
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AMPS Power Magazine
AMPS COUNCIL
AMPS COUNCIL MEMBERS PRESIDENT
CHARLES CHETWYNDTALBOT
CHAIRMAN
PAUL AITKEN
THE RIGHT HONORABLE EARL OF SHREWSBURY
VICE PRESIDENT
RICHARD TEASDALE
COUNCIL MEMBER
KÖKEN GUNES
AKSA POWER GENERATION
RICHARD A COLLMAN
ACOUSTICAL CONTROL ENGINEERS
COUNCIL MEMBER
PAUL WEBSTER ATLAS COPCO
COUNCIL MEMBER
COUNCIL MEMBER
BGG UK
CLARKE ENERGY
SUZANNE HOBSON
ALAN BEECH
COUNCIL MEMBER
COUNCIL MEMBER
CRESTCHIC
EMINOX LTD
COUNCIL MEMBER
COUNCIL MEMBER
FG WILSON
IPU GROUP
CHRIS CALDWELL
STEPHEN MCKINTY
CARLOS VICENTE
LOUISE HAZEL
COUNCIL MEMBER
COUNCIL MEMBER
TURNER EPS
MECC ALTE UK
COUNCIL MEMBER
COUNCIL MEMBER
FUEL STORAGE SOLUTIONS
TEKSAN UK
DEAN MANSELL
VINCE MCCARRY
COUNCIL MEMBER
RICCARDO SARDELLI VOLVO GROUP
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COUNCIL MEMBER
ANDREW BELL
EREN MURAT EMRE
To contact any council member individually please use;
Unit 19 Omega Business Village, Thurston Road, Northallerton, DL6 2NJ Tel: +44 (0)20 8253 4505
Regulation (EU) 2016/1628: Requirements relating to gaseous and particulate pollutant emission limits and type-approval for internal combustion engines for non-road mobile machiner
THE FIRST AMPS MEMBERS REGIONAL DAY The first AMPS Members Regional Day took place on Wednesday 30 March 2022 at Volvo UK in Warwick. The day began at 11:45 with a networking lunch, followed by presentations and a panel discussion, closing at C. 15.45.
Sessions and Speakers
Emissions: AMPS Technical Committee and Working Group Leader, Richard Payne, gave updates on:
l Mobile equipment emissions (stage V), including the effects of Brexit l Stationary emissions to include: u
The Medium Combustion Plant directive (including the UK
Previous issues of Current Thinking and AMPS Power have detailed the impact of the above European Union Regulation commonly known as ‘Stage V.’ This was incorporated into GB law by Statutory Instrument 2018 No. 764 Environmental Protection: The Non-Road Mobile Machinery (TypeApproval and Emission of Gaseous and Particulate Pollutants) Regulations 2018. The FAQ document was originally issued in April 2017 and had been updated previously.
The industrial Emission Directive and how it is being applied in the UK by the EA
The document has been prepared by a group of European trade associations including Europgen, of which AMPS are a member.
Red Diesel: AMPS Technical Secretary, Bernard Gospel, discussed:
There are two new sections to the FAQ:
l Rebated Fuels – ‘Red Diesel’
Part 17 Acceptance of equivalent engine typeapprovals
specified generator legislation),
u
What is Changing u
How it affects AMPS Members
How AMPS are working to monitor and control the government changes u
l The current work scope of the AMPS Technical Committee Both sessions included Q&A and open discussion and the event ended with a “Dragon’s Den” style panel, comprising of the speakers and industry experts.
‘It was great to host the first AMPS Regional Meeting, and welcome 45 members to Volvo Group HQ in Warwick to discuss Red Diesel and Emissions legislations. The turnout was great and we look forward to hosting another AMPS Regional Meeting in the future” RICCARDO SARDELLI | VOLVO GROUP
This details acceptance of typeapprovals that are in conformity with UNECE regulations.
Part 18 The impact of the UK withdrawal from the EU
This part details what engine emission type-approval is required in order to place an engine or non-road mobile machinery in which it is installed on the market in the UK? It continues to cover the status of equipment that were placed on the UK or EU market prior to 01 January 2021 and continue to circulate, in the EU. It goes on to consider other similar cases
All presentations from the event are available on the AMPS Website
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AMPS Power Magazine
NON-ROAD MOBILE MACHINERY ENGINE EMISSIONS REGULATIONS
AMPS NEWS
CURRENT THINKING
AMPS Power Magazine
ENGINEERING
INSPIRING THE
NEXT GENERATION OF
ENGINEERS
Dr Susan Scurlock MBE
As you are reading this I am going to make a wild assumption you are or are well connected to an engineer. Do you recall, or maybe ask, what interested you/them in primary school, because as we all know that’s where the engineering journey begins – unless of course you want to count pre-school – and to be honest I would! Having said that it is in primary and preschool that teachers are the least confident in talking about engineering and engineers to their pupils – but those that do see a dramatic engagement of their pupils in applying the learning in maths and science to making, designing and creative problem solving. But, to have this impact there is more to it than providing teachers with CPD, as we do, even more than providing the resources to deliver the programme in the classroom, the icing on the CPD cake is the context of engineering and the link to practicing engineers at best on their doorstep and if not, virtually. This process shows that if you engage children in engineering from a young age you can help inspire the next generation of engineers. Primary Engineer has, since 2005, developed a comprehensive series of programmes to develop teachers understanding of engineering not just as a curriculum activity for pupils but as a way to build creativity, resilience and open their eyes to the world of careers the profession works within. For many pupils and teachers the daily journey to school may well involve traveling past some of the most exciting and innovative engineering businesses in the UK, but from the outside the walls are just that walls, hiding the story within. Our programmes link these engineers to
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the local schools, so they can support the teacher, contextualise the engineering project in the classroom and talk to pupils about the world they work in and their journey into the profession.
to experience an ever-widening breadth of engineering, the engineers are inspired by the ideas and approaches to problem solving, as these pupils are completely unrestrained by technology or even at times reality!
Pupils are inspired by the engineers to look differently at the world to be curious, to ask why – not always the most welcome result but a key one for a budding engineer! An unexpected outcome though has been that the engineers have seen tangible benefits from engaging with primary teachers and pupils, after all if you can keep the attention of a class of 30, 6 year olds, no board room will ever hold fear for you again!
However as engineers will attest to, the left of field solutions can spark some remarkable ideas so much so that we created the Primary Engineer MacRobert Medal to award to those university ProtoTeams that built some extraordinary ideas.
The pupils, aged 3-19, who take part in the ‘If you were an engineer, what would you do?’ national competition interview an engineer, find a problem, draw and annotate a solution to that problem and add a letter addressed to an engineer explaining why it should be built. Engineers are invited to read and grade them – every pupil receives a certificate with their name on it and the grade the engineer has given their idea. This year saw over 32,000 pupils of all ages and genders receive certificates, 21 exhibitions and awards nationally and a very select few chosen to be built by university Proto Teams. The engineers who have been interviewed share their stories and challenges in classrooms across the UK enabling pupils
One of those ideas was the SMA Jacket an idea of Krystina, a pupil in Burnley who wanted to make life better for her cousin who suffered with Spinal Muscular Atrophy, Dr Matt Dickinson at UCLan got on the case and now three years later the SMA Jacket has gone to human trials and will potentially not only make life better for sufferers but prolong life. There is no question as to the range of creative solutions these pupils have, but the often-seen problems that they look to solve are almost all altruistically looking to make life better for others, the elderly and the world in general. As you think towards the future and the challenges around recruitment and skills pipelines remember your own journeys and how much having Primary Engineer in your school would have made a difference to you and your friends. As the proverb asks ‘when is the best time to plant a tree?’ – the answer is simply today.
If you would like to find out more about what we do, how we approach it and our impact, please email Susan Surlock at susan.scurlock@primaryengineer.com or visit our or visit our website to see how we are bringing engineering into the classroom at www.primaryengineer.com AMPS POWER MAGAZINE
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AMPS Power Magazine
SWITCHGEAR
Control Panel & Switchboard manufactures have been typically using different brand of controllers than DEIF in the past but we are seeing a positive increase in manufacturers choosing DEIF. Greater functionality, flexibility, and in most cases additional inputs & outputs to provide a compact power control solution.
AGC 150 “DEAD EASY” TO USE, SAYS UK SWITCHGEAR PROVIDER “It was dead easy!” Until very recently, LV Switchgear Project Engineer David Miller of Industrial Switchgear Services Ltd had never even heard of DEIF controllers. When he needed a flexible mains controller for a critical power project in the UK, however, the flexibility and user-friendliness of the DEIF AGC 150 advanced genset controller turned out to be just what he needed. Headquartered in Hyde, Cheshire, England, Industrial Switchgear Services Ltd (ISS) is a well-established power engineering company within the specialist field of high and low voltage switchgear. The company offers a variety of solutions for all HV/ LV power engineering requirements, including protection, metering, and control Equipment. A UK hospital had tasked ISS with developing a bespoke control solution for handling two transformer incomers with a bus tie at a hospital laundry unit. However, not enough inputs and limited flexibility meant that ISS’s usual go-to controllers for this type of project were not up to the task. “We went looking on the market but were a little stumped about which unit to use”,
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says David Miller. “A colleague contacted Industrial Power Systems Ltd (IPS) and found that the DEIF controller would meet the design criteria, so we went with that one”. Great flexibility with the AGC 150 The unit recommended was the DEIF AGC 150 Mains controller which has 12 digital inputs and outputs, offers several operating modes with single or multiple mains, and boasts a number of other features such as power monitoring and electrical protections. The built-in flexibility of the unit proved to be just what ISS needed. “We had been using a different brand of controllers, but we found that the DEIF controllers were really good to use”, explains David Miller. “They have more functionality
INDUSTRIAL POWER SYSTEMS Managing Director Paul Campbell presented an overview of Industrial Power Systems that included their product offering for the Power Generation Industry. This included an in-depth discussion on the DEIF range of products that the company is exclusive distributor of, for the UK & Ireland. Industrial Power Systems was formed in 2019 by Paul Campbell for initially the exclusive distributorship and technical support for the UK & Ireland for DEIF products. This after a stella career to date in the industry that included Paul representing DEIF in both the UK and America as Sales Director. In the short time that Industrial Power Systems have operated within the industry they have moved 3 times due to the success of the company and the reinvestment strategy of Paul & the team.
and many more inputs, and they are much more flexible; there’s much more you can do with them, even connecting two units to control three breakers which our usual controller brand can’t do.”
Solid support and user-friendly documentation The two AGC 150 units for the solution were delivered by DEIF’s UK & Ireland’s exclusive distributor Industrial Power Systems Ltd (IPS) . David Miller is very satisfied with the cooperation between his team and IPS, and with the user-friendliness of the controllers themselves and the documentation: “It was dead easy. We had an online conference call to go through the controller, and the data sheets and other documentation we received were very easy to follow. From there, I just did the design.
Paul Campbell from IPS had a quick look and made a couple of changes, but that was it. Worth mentioning during factory testing of the system, IPS came to our factory to assist in the setting up of the controllers. Our commissioning engineer was so impressed with the controller’s functionality and how easy they were to set up.” The solution was successfully commissioned in 2021. While this was David Miller’s first exposure to DEIF solutions, it won’t be his last. “I’d never even heard the name before, but I’ll definitely pass on my positive feedback to our sales team and ask them to use DEIF in future,” he concludes.
DEIF A/S
www.deif.com
Along with DEIF, Industrial Power Systems offer a full range of products & services for the power Generation industry that can be found on their website.
www.indps.co.uk 2021/22 has seen many changes for Industrial Power Systems with further investment into purchasing purpose-built offices & warehouse facilities, increased stock levels and the employment of further experienced industry professionals to the existing specialist team. In September of 2021 our very own AMPS Chairman Paul Aitken joined the team due to Paul Campbell`s vision for the future that includes a 5-year investment strategy, further superior brands being represented, on line sales platform, training facility and further growth to the existing team of professionals.
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AMPS Power Magazine
HUMAN RESOURCES
PEOPLE PURPOSE PLANET
HOW TO LINK ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL, AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE (ESG) WITH YOUR INCLUSION STRATEGY FOR LONG TERM SUSTAINABILITY.
Teresa Boughey MA FCIPD CEO | Jungle HR
Teresa is as an experienced Board Director and NonExecutive Director. She is an Advisory Board member at Royal Holloway University London, School of Business & Management, and member of NHS Employers Diversity & Inclusion Programme Strategic Advisory Group. Teresa has delivered a TEDx talk entitled ‘Overcoming Diversity Fatigue’ (2019) and is author of #1 Amazon bestseller Closing the Gap – 5 Steps to Creating an Inclusive Culture (2019), and is also the author of the new “Accelerating Inclusion” Research Report launched by Inclusion 247. Teresa is a Business Board Member and Chair of the Diversity & Inclusion Sub-Group of the Women and Enterprise APPG and a regular contributor to the media and public policy.
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The environmental climate change crisis is no longer the responsibility of a minority of social activists. Social accountability is at an all-time high as we emerge from the Pandemic into a truly altered economic landscape, and robust governance has never been more essential to promote accountability, effective decision-making and sustain the trust of stakeholders. Consumers are demanding more sustainable products and services and are using their purchasing decisions to send messages to organisations that are lagging behind. Employees want to be part of something that enables them to have a greater impact on wider society and are therefore choosing where to work based on a company’s impact and core
values. Governments are stepping up and playing an active role in steering both the public and private sectors through regulations, incentives, and penalties. It is therefore unsurprising that Environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerations have risen to the top of the boardroom agenda.
The dichotomy for many leaders however is maintaining the focus and momentum of ESG initiatives when other perceived, more important, business priorities continue to take over quarter after quarter. Not only does this hinder an organisations ability to progress on this important strategic priority, but failing to connect pledges to results creates cognitive dissonance across an organisation. Getting started can seem like a daunting task as not every organisation has the same level of ESG maturity. Here are six questions to provoke and kick start boardroom discussions so that you can think more broadly about ESG and consider the actions you need to take within your organisation: • How does your company ‘purpose’ align with the interests of the wider society. Is it clearly stated and brought to life through everyday actions? Remember your company purpose should not just be purely about financial returns but should be a clear statement of how the company intends to deliver a positive environmental and social impact. • Does your board, and senior leaders have the skills, know-how, and commitment
for ESG including (but not limited to) the transition to Net Zero for example? Where this is considered lacking what plans do you have in place through board training, working with trusted strategic partners, and/or changes to board composition to remedy the situation. • What mechanisms does your organisation have in place to gather, measure, monitor and report on sustainability and diversity? What metrics will move the needle for your ESG goals? • How do you communicate your commitment to ESG to your people, customers, communities and stakeholders? How will they know you are making progress? • How does your organisation rise to the challenge of managing people, promoting inclusively, fostering connections and working collaboratively? • Describe the level of interdependence with external stakeholders and the complexity of the supply chain that will enable or impact upon the achievements of your ESG goals.
ESG is by no means a new concept however what is clear is that organisations that continue to sit on the sidelines , viewing ESG as a barrier and/or yet another layer of business bureaucracy to overcome run the risk of being left behind and losing out on opportunities to those that do.
Conclusion
The barometer of effective business management has shifted significantly since the pandemic. People, Purpose, and Planet have risen sharply into focus, with Profit no longer being the single measurement of success. Businesses with weak ESG performance are increasingly viewed as a red flag for customers, investors, and stakeholders as this often signals that the company’s purpose is not well-aligned with the interests of the wider society, bringing a business’s long-term sustainability into question. Conversely, an organisations brand and reputation is enhanced when an organisation has a strong ESG profile, combined with a culture of inclusion. They become more attractive to potential investors, lenders, employees, and customers, and as such safeguard their longterm sustainability.
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AMPS Power Magazine
NEW MEMBERS
PROVIDING ENGINEERING SOLUTIONS FOR THE GENERATOR INDUSTRY FOR OVER 20 YEARS Established in 2000, CSL Power Systems Ltd has progressed through the last 22 years of trading to provide support to its customers and have adapted through an ever changing industry. Located in Kent, with additional resource availability nationwide, CSL Power Systems Ltd are able to offer a reactive and reliable service to all of its clients. Initially incorporated as a Mechanical / Electrical Installations company, CSL Power Systems Ltd quickly realised that there was genuine requirement for a single supplier which covered all aspects for the standby generator industry. With an extensive resource of reliable and experienced engineers, CSL Power Systems have been able to adapt to its clients immediate demands.
RISQS, SafeContractor and OFTEC and are proud to recently have become a member of the AMPS organisation. A diverse approach has led CSL Power Systems to become proficient in ‘engineering power systems’ from initial enquiry, through the development and design process to commissioning and completion. During its trading period, CSL Power Systems established a strong relationship with Cummins UK and have progressed this relationship to become part of the authorised UK network of Cummins Dealers, providing reputable and competitive equipment sales, technical parts and warranty support and just recently being presented an award for ‘Outstanding Dealer Contribution – 2021’.
CSL Power Systems Ltd therefore adopted a role within the industry as support for many clients and to provide a single source of supply for all client demands specifically for the ‘generator’ industry.
Over recent years CSL Power Systems would receive enquiries for equipment relating to the rental industry, historically this had been cross hired, and over recent years substantial investment has been made to allow CSL Power Systems the opportunity to establish itself as a provider of its own equipment for the rental market.
Progression within the industry has meant that CSL Power Systems has needed to adapt to prove its compliance within an evolving industry. As a result CSL Power Systems are fully compliant with ISO and have current accreditation memberships to the ECA, CPA,
CSL Power System now manage a strong reliable rental generator stock of between 20kVA to 1000kVA and resistive / reactive load bank units up to 2.5mVA with an extensive array of cabling and distribution equipment.
website: www.cslpower.co.uk | email: sales@cslpower.co.uk
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CSL Power Systems continue to improve its service and reliability to all of its customers, whilst continuing to invest in its team of skilled engineers, staff and equipment and to which has provided the ability of growth in an extremely demanding industry. In the future CSL Power Systems intend to continue a steady growth within the industry and will endeavour to support its customer and supplier network wherever possible to provide an extensive service. CSL Power Systems offer the following services:
• Equipment Sales • Consultancy / Design / Project Management • Generator Rental • Load Bank Rental • Distribution Rental • Parts • General Fabrications • Fuel Tank Manufacturing • Pipework Installations • Control Systems • Engine Repairs • Maintenance / Servicing / Commissioning • Call Out Support
AMPS Power Magazine
T H E E F E N E R GY S H OW
THE EF ENERGY SHOW
With the return of events and exhibitions, our members will be considering not only whether to return to face-to-face engagement but, how to make their products stand out from the crowd.
Eye catching product displays are one of the main ways to draw a crowd and increase footfall. EF Engineering have been providing AMPS members opportunities to showcase the technical innovation of their products for over 7 years. As the UK’s leading show-finishers they bring the ‘wow factor’ to engineering, turning industrial products into art forms through a blend of traditional craftsmanship, creative techniques and a relentless attention to detail. They pride themselves on being able to find a solution to meet a clients’ needs however diverse or challenging the project may seem. Offering a range of innovative solutions to promote products
in increasingly unique and interesting ways. From cut-aways, moving parts, 3D printing, full scale modelling, virtual reality and custom display mounts, they give client products a clear competitive advantage.
The journey starts with a detailed consultation to get a full understanding the overall vision and values, in terms of functionality and finish. Each product is stripped down to its component parts, which are catalogued and numbered. Each step of the process is photographed to ensure fast and efficient reassembly. Our meticulous approach to surface preparation, refinishing and final assembly ensures each project is transformed into a work of art. With production lines under increasing pressure and the added challenges on sourcing components, EF Engineering can create full size versions of a product using a combination of modelling techniques and 3D printed parts. The ability to create
a display from the CAD files has removed the pressures felt by marketing teams trying to source a product or components. With their partner organisation, a freight forwarder specialising in events and exhibitions, EF Engineering offer a full end to end service. From designing, creating, finishing to worldwide delivery. This includes the benefits of 2 storage facilities and the development of an individual stock management system to make tracking and control effortless. This year they have been supporting a growing range of alternative fuel projects including EV technology, battery packs, hydrogen fuel and hybrid power options. With several larger events returning such as Hillhead, Bauma, Conexpo, Agritechnica now may be a great time to talk to EF Engineering about product displays that will get you noticed.
www.ef-engineering.co.uk • 01733 307 959 • info@ef-engineering.co.uk
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