AMPS Power Magazine - Winter 2022

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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

AUTUMN 2022 EDITION

the reasons, not only for what seem to be ever increasing costs, but also how the system is being stretched to capacity.

We also have an interesting article from one of our regular contributors, Professor Clive Deadman. Clive explains how the rise in global gas prices is causing problems within our wholesale power market and he details how possible reforms introduced by Ofgem might benefit homes and business.

Focusing on your people is essential if you want to maintain an efficient and inclusive environment that will continue to attract employees. Teresa Boughey, from Jungle HR, explains what ERP is and how you can set one up in eight steps.

Finally, a special mention must go to one of our members who are celebrating 10 years of success as an independent limited company. Crown Oil Environmental, part of the longestablished Crown Oil Group, is a carbon neutral business and is working towards their goal of becoming a net zero company by 2030.

Mike Boughey Editor: AMPS Power Magazine

Charles Chetwynd-Talbot The Right Honourable Earl of Shrewsbury & Talbot DL

A VIEW FROM WESTMINSTER

The House returned on Monday 10th October following an eventful and sad Summer Recess.

More about the eventfulness shortly, but firstly the sadness surrounding the death of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. What a remarkable Monarch she was. I was extremely privileged to be one of the representative group of peers who were chosen to witness the arrival of the coffin to Lie in State in Westminster Hall.

It was an incredibly moving short ceremony with prayers from the Dean of Westminster Abbey and The Archbishop of Canterbury. My wife and I, accompanied by our eldest son and his wife, attended the Lying in State to pay our respects on the first day.

A very sombre and sad occasion, but the respectful pomp and ceremony of the State Funeral surpassed any ceremonial I have ever witnessed.

In the House, we had two days of Tributes to Her Late Majesty. I was honoured to

open the Tributes on the second day, and my task was to describe her love of all matters of an equestrian nature.

Thankfully, it is a subject I know well, having been involved in the horse world and especially in horseracing variously as an amateur jockey, a trainer, an owner and a Steward for the vast majority of my life. There were many excellent speeches describing the achievements of this most special of people.

And now we have a new Monarch, King Charles III. The poor man has a challenge in front of him, firstly to follow his very special and skillful predecessor; and secondly, to deal with the political upheavals we are witnessing currently.

Personally, I find the political situation ultra-depressing. In the 42 years of my membership of the House, I have never known such a lack of strong, decent,

principled politicians, such as the likes of Willie Whitelaw, Norman Tebbit, Peter Carrington et al. As a Tory, I must wish our new Prime Minister well and give her the benefit of the doubt.

As they say, a week is a long time in politics! However, I am not experiencing overwhelming feelings of confidence. But I should best keep my opinions to myself I think!

On a lighter note, I am looking forward to the Annual AMPS Awards Dinner on December 8th, and to congratulating our Chairman on his achievement in completing the London Marathon –proving that you’re never too old for anything.

Footnote: this article was written before the election of The Rt Hon. Rishi Sunak MP as Prime Minister.

AWARDS EVENING AWARDS FOR

Bookings are now open for this year’s AMPS Awards for Excellence presentation dinner. We are returning to last year’s excellent venue, the Park Plaza Hotel in Westminster on the 8th of December.

The awards ceremony, again hosted by comedian Hal Cruttenden, promises to be a who’s who of the Power Generating sector, and a fantastic networking opportunity.

Tickets for presentation dinner are £185 + VAT per person, or £1,750 + VAT for a table of 10. Don’t miss your chance to attend this prestigious event!

This year’s award categories are:

1.

Apprentice of the Year

This award seeks to recognise an apprentice who had gone beyond what is expected and achieved the remarkable. Someone who will have a successful future assured after qualification, becoming a real asset to their employer.

2. Engineer of the Year

This award celebrates the people who bring the products to life. Engineers are the true heroes of our sector.

3. Health & Safety Award

This award has been developed to recognise progress in improving the occupational health and safety culture of the workplace by introducing new or developing existing initiatives.

4. Contribution to Skills & Training Award

Awarded for outstanding contribution when promoting skills and training. This award is to recognise companies who provide an excellent level of training for their employees, pushing them to further their skills and improve their knowledge.

5. Innovation & Technology Award

Awarded for development of an innovative

product, process, service, or innovative way of working. Entrants must be able to demonstrate the development within the last 18 months of an innovative product, process, service, or way of working.

10. Project of the Year

This award offers the opportunity to really showcase the entrants capability, innovation and vision. One of the key AMPS Awards for Excellence, this category is sure to attract the very best of our sector.

6.

Environmental Contribution of the Year

This award seeks to reward a company who not only recognises the need for changeand has gone beyond virtue signalling. A company who has produced an innovative solution to reduce emissions and other impacts to the planet.

7. Supplier of the Year

The judges are looking for an exceptional supplier, who has consistently demonstrated commitment to customer service and satisfaction, acted responsibly, and achieved market success.

8. Manufacturer of the Year

For this award we are looking for excellence in manufacturing, whether that’s due to outstanding reliability, exceptional quality control, or innovative techniques.

9.

Exporter of the Year

This award celebrates the company that has done the most for exporting products and expanding their market.

11. AMPS Member Company of the Year

More than just a great employer or successful business, the winner of this award will demonstrate stand-out success whether that’s in overcoming business challenges, developing new brands or markets, or outstanding sustained growth. The Judges are looking for evidence of corporate excellence.

Judges

We have five excellent judges for this years event, they are:

J AMPS Vice President, Richard Teasdale

J AMPS Technical Secretary, Bernard Gospel

J AMPS Hon. Member, Chris Whitworth

J AMPS Technical Hon. Member, Stan Archer

J Richard Meadows

Nominations and Sponsorship

To nominate a company or individual for an award, please download an awards nomination form and return to richard.teasdale@amps.org.uk

Sponsorship opportunities are available for each award category. If you would like to sponsor an award, please complete the sponsorship form at bit.ly/AMPSAwards

CROWN OIL ENVIRONMENTAL CELEBRATES 10 YEARS

Crown Oil Environmental is celebrating 10 years of success as an independent limited company. Over the last decade, the business has gone from strength to strength and is supported by a large team of in-house skilled engineers, chemists and lab technicians, as well as their office-based operations, sales and marketing teams.

The company has worked hard to achieve all the relevant accreditations along the way to ensure that their customers only ever receive the highest standards of service. These include becoming ISO 9001, 14001, 45001 and RISQS accredited, OFTEC registered, UVDB verified, safe contractor approved, and a ConstructionLine Gold, Oil Recycling Association, ROSPA and AMPS members.

“Despite only being 10 years old, as a core part of the Crown Oil Group, our experience spans much further than the last decade as we are fortunate to benefit from our sister company’s heritage and 75 years of fuel and lubricant industry experience,” says their Sales Director, Chris Beatty.

A new age of fuel services

As the company enters a new decade, they are ramping up their environmental commitments and are putting a number

of measures in place to reduce their emissions. Most notably, the firm was certified carbon neutral in April this year, the first company of its type to do so in the UK, by fuelling their vans with Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) and offsetting the unavoidable emissions produced by their operations. Other plans include switching to renewable energy tariffs, installing solar panels on their buildings and training staff on environmental issues to ensure a full, cohesive team effort.

In addition to addressing their own environmental impact, Crown Oil Environmental are passionate about supporting their customers in their transition to cleaner fuels.

In 2021 the company facilitated an industry first as they helped Kao Data become the first UK data centre to switch to Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO).

They managed the project from start to finish, uplifting 45,000 litres of gas oil and testing the tanks’ integrity, then performed a full clean before delivering the HVO, seamlessly reducing the backup system’s carbon output by up to 90% with minimal disruption.

But Crown Oil Environmental aren’t stopping there. “Becoming a carbon neutral business is merely a stepping stone towards our goal of becoming a net zero company by 2030. We look forward to taking our customers with us on the next step of our journey and likewise supporting them on their journey to decarbonisation,” added Chris.

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.

THE WHOLESALE ENERGY MARKET CHANGES

WILL A NEW BROOM SWEEP CLEAN?

We have difficult choices to make. For example, there are good Russians and bad Russians. My Russian Aunt (a good Russian) used to tell a story about Stalin. He shot train drivers whose locomotives arrived late. But he also shot train drivers who arrived early for wearing out Locomotives.

So, it was hard to get train driving right in those days. Another difficult choice was announced by Ofgem last month with its policy discussion paper on a complete re-jig of wholesale power markets. This is fundamental and very important. Everyone will win but in the Animal Farm tradition some will win much more than others. Will it be you?

Why is gas now so expensive compared with oil?

Oil is easy to transport. Lorries, barrels, pipes and ships, all move oil. If you want to sell oil to a new customer, you make a phone call and email the tanker captain. The boat then turns around.

Gas is different. Natural gas or LNG is either at very high pressure or -160˚c. It needs highpressure pipelines or specialist tankers and marine terminals. This all takes decades to organise. Buyers and sellers of gas can hold each other to ransom. That is what Putin’s phD was about. The big question is ‘Why are we all suddenly surprised?’

Our current wholesale power markets and national energy strategy has served us very well until now. We have got rid of coal, we are leading the world with wind generation and we

are not addicted to Mr. Putin’s gas. However, the artificial rise in global gas prices is causing problems within our wholesale power market. Our ‘dash for gas’ this last 20 years has been great for decarbonisation of generation. However, it means expensive [but not Russian] gas generates 30% of our electrical power and balances variable renewable generation. More fundamentally while wind and solar generators get paid a contract price, other electricity generators are paid for their power at the highest and the same rate per kWh. At present this is gas fired generators. This means some power generators are making undeserved profits and power users are over-paying for electricity. You are probably thinking that’s easily fixed. But there are big bear traps here. Which type of train driver do you start shooting first?

Artificially lowering the price for certain power generators would lead to a legal and spread sheet quagmire. Generators would be incentivised to load costs onto generation. Regulators and power users would be taken advantage of, and the lawyers would profit. There is a great book by D.R. Mydleton called ‘They meant well’ which illustrates the repeated problems worldwide of bureaucrats micromanaging and trying to organise complex projects.

Professor Clive Deadman

Economists say excess profits made by certain low-cost generators encourages them to invest fast in more capacity. And this is true. But can we wait that long? The imperative is to act fast and thoughtfully.

So Ofgem has recently initiated a public discussion on wholesale energy market reform. This paper outlines a series of potential reforms which could sweep away constraints and add valuable new features. This can protect consumers from irrational gas prices and accelerate the ‘greening’ of our homes and industries.

Issues Ofgem wants to solve:

J Electricity prices are partly linked to [expensive] gas prices.

J The variability of wind generation is resulting in growing costs [payments to not generate]

J Growing transmission costs: renewable generators are usually located far from customers.

J It can take as long as a decade for new renewable projects to connect to the power grid.

Ofgem’s potential reforms:

J Split wholesale market into intermittent (renewable) generators and ‘base load’ generators.

Intermittent generators would be paid their costs. ‘Base load’ generators would be paid the marginal cost of generation.

J Alternatively, a new type of contract (CfDs) could be introduced.

J Move towards regional pricing for power generators.

Getting these changes introduced is important for household bills, industry and our national competitiveness. But there are dangers.

Last year we all wanted to save the planet but now most will tolerate coal, fracking, and the removal of environmental taxes.

What opportunities might this present for homes and businesses?:

J More renewable power sooner.

J Power users located close to [wind/ nuclear/fracking] will receive cheaper energy.

J Customers might see over £10 billion savings per year. But not until 2050.

Until last year we wanted low water bills but now we want even lower levels of water leakage.

That will be super expensive. Who orders a sofa and then asks the price after delivery? We must learn from the problems caused by political tinkering and populist gimmicks.

After all, while a new broom sweeps clean an old broom knows the corners.

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

engineering made the world SLABS, RAMPS AND ROLLERS

Our intrepid proto-engineer settled down and developed his life, his success as a hunter improved as he developed his spear. The stability of life enabled him to help his neighbours group together to rebuild and improve their housing. There was a problem, several problems!

Their village, as we would call it now, was located within some sand dunes, close to the sea. Their houses were generally made of wood, some from trees they cut down, others driftwood washed up on the beach. The sand dunes were stable where grass grew, but unstable elsewhere. There was no firm ground to base wooden houses on. A little way away, at the edge of the dunes was a low outcrop of rock. This sandstone naturally split into slabs.

The group worked out that slabs of rock would form a firm base for houses and tried carrying slabs to the village. This proved impossible as the moving sand and slope of the dunes did not help when carrying heavy slabs.

Experimentation started, they tried tying ropes to slabs, and pulling. This avoided the problem of lifting but left the problem of

friction and the slabs digging into the sand. Some engineer noticed that moving a slab over a grassy area was easier, as the sand was stabilised.

Someone suggested emulating the grass by laying wooden poles and using ropes to pull the slabs. This was moderately successful and the first piles of slabs were stored near the building plot. As they worked, the villagers thought of improvements to the transportation system. We assume that they thought of laying rollers, the size of broomsticks. This was probably less successful in their case than it could have been. Rollers would have been useful if the roadway was a concrete smooth surface, if they could make broomsticks of even diameter, if…

Too many ‘ifs’. The optimum solution could have been a trackway of long wooden rails.

These would been to be secured to stop them moving aside. Then attaching a simple wooden frame to the underside of the slab. There was no need to align the sled with the trackway, the sled could easily have been at an angle to the trackway.

It was probably worth levelling the trackway to some extent, but it would not need to have been exactly level. There is a balance between the mass of the slab and sled, the force required to pull the sled (the number of labourers) and the angle of slope. The work required to adjust the trackway is also a factor. The discarded rollers could have been used as cross pieces to help the men to pull the ropes. Friction was reduced between the wooden poles by the use of animal fat.

Later the theory was given which stipulates that any method or theory for construction should fulfil the following 5 requirements, otherwise it should be rejected:

1. A solution that is as simple as possible using a technology that is as simple as possible (Occam’s razor)

Now we have a proven method of moving slabs to the building site, we have to engineer the building. The floor was slabbed, as sand would have been unsuitable. Whether the floor was constructed first, then the walls, is unknown. The result is known, walls and floor of stone slabs. It could be that the buildings were sunken into the dunes deliberately, or that the dunes took the buildings in. The result is the same, the buildings became part of the dune system. The material transportation system must have been efficient, they even used slabs to construct storage chambers!

The roofs could have been constructed by stepping the slabs in with each layer, like a beehive. This was complex and may only have been done for major buildings. The roofs were normally built from wooden poles, with vegetation as a filler we presume.

The buildings were a vast improvement on the earlier wooden construction, the walls were solid and windproof, entrances could be narrow and again sheltered from the weather. The walls and floor were fireproof,

the roof easily repaired! Even primitive drainage was installed.

The engineering principles used here, possibly developed here, were used a thousand years later, further south on the planet, to construct structures which we now know as Stonehenge and The Pyramids of Giza.

Our engineer and his compatriots may have had a name for their village, if so, we do not know for certain what the name was. They probably called it ‘home’ we now call it Skara Brae.

Conventional wisdom is that the community came to a sudden end during a storm which overwhelmed the buildings, filling them with sand. This is supposition, the people could have just migrated away for any number of reasons. There is one clue to the sudden end theory, however. When the site was excavated some four thousand years later, the archaeologists found the beads to a necklace dramatically scattered across the floor of one of the buildings, the cord long rotted away. Leaving in such haste that there was no time to collect up a necklace? Sounds like a hasty departure!

A children’s story based on the above tale of Orkney was published in 1968. It is still in print: ‘The boy with the bronze axe’ by Kathleen Fidler ISBN: 9780863158827, one of our children’s favourite books. It contains a graphic story of the storm.

Continuity in engineering and planning

Verification through pictures or memory

Technology in keeping with the time and culture

The supposed technique / method must be an effective solution

AMPS GOLF DAY

This year’s annual AMPS golf day took place on Thursday 23rd June 2022 at The Mere in Knutsford, Cheshire.

Once again we had a great turnout with 48 people attending.

Weather on the day was exceptional and after a meet and greet networking session over coffee and bacon rolls, participants made their way down to the course.

Part of the day was an entertaining golf trick show by David Edwards. David Edwards is widely regarded as the best Trick Shot Artist in the business. A former European Tour Professional himself, he has now performed his amazing show in over 50 different countries.

The day was concluded with a threecourse dinner, after dinner speakers and prizes were given by AMPS President, the Rt. Hon. Earl of Shrewsbury.

Congratulations goes to IPU Group who were the winners of this year’s tournament.

AMPS REGIONAL DAY

Kindly sponsored by Volvo, The Anson Engine Museum was the venue for the final AMPS regional day of the year. It is a fascinating museum which is especially appealing to engine enthusiasts and has won several awards as one of the country’s leading specialist attractions.

Situated just south of Manchester on the site of the old Anson Colliery, the museum is located in the town of Poynton, Cheshire.

The museum houses a unique collection of over 250 gas and oil engines, many maintained in running order. Ranging from early Crossley gas engines through to more modern diesels. Engine enthusiasts from all over the world come to visit this slightly unusual collection.

The day kicked off with a well-attended networking lunch and a chance for delegates to look round the museum and talk to the very informative volunteers

Two presentations led by members of the AMPS Technical Committee were given;

Mike Benzies (IPU Group) and Nathaniel Fuller (Ledbury Welding) went first and addressed the challenges relating to stored fuels and the regulations involved. Ian Wassman (AceOn Group) and Hassaan Minhas (ComAp Control) discussed G99 Compliance, looking at using grid protections and genset controllers.

After the presentations, delegates had the opportunity to take a guided tour around the museum and the onsite volunteers were more than happy to discuss the various machines and even start some of them up.

Once again, the AMPS Technical Committee did an exceptional job in organising this event and thank you to Volvo for kindly sponsoring the day.

GLOBAL FREIGHT CHARGES

An Overview from Paul Huston Pinnacle International Freight Limited

Since the beginning of 2020 Pinnacle have had to manage and explain the changes to freight and logistics charges to our worldwide client base which, since the beginning of the Covid Pandemic have risen on a near month-by-month basis.

We have had to have some very challenging conversations with clients but, have by necessity, had to agree higher charges with clients given that supplier costs have increased so dramatically.

These increases are outside the scope of normal negotiated discounts or rebates expected or presumed and the economic pressures of the last 2 year are such that these increases are, in real terms, nonnegotiable.

Media Reports have highlighted disruptions to supply chains which have created increased costs. The causes are as follows.

Ports and terminals have closed or been on lockdown due to Covid increased staff restrictions and working practices.

Containers have taken longer to circulate in the logistics system because of a combination of circumstances.

Reduced passenger transport has reduced

cargo space in aircraft resulting in smaller volumes of space to be available for cargo.

Whatever the shipping mode fuel prices have increased and continue to increase

Staff and personnel shortage have created spaces in company workforces that are difficult to fill or require more costs to fill in terms of salary and employment costs.

Ship cargo space may not be rationed as such but its dependent on marshalling space and space on quay, availability of equipment and the capacity to collect and transfer to the ship’s side.

Slowdowns in the availability of containers from Asia results in container shortages elsewhere and on other routes.

Port congestion arising from all or any combination of the above further reduces capacity and increases prices.

As the Covid pandemic became more

under control cargo demand has increased exponentially and for special cargoes such as the OPC /Cat Gensets these have attracted both delays in shipment and freight increases since the early 2020 period.

In fact, it is difficult to show any one cause for cost increases but since early 2020 and the beginning of 2021, cost increases have been imposed on a near monthly basis.

Our experience at Pinnacle

We are in the business of dealing with reality but in practice across our global operations costs have increased from late 2020 through to late 2021 from 20 % to over 200% on some routes.

As the Global Freight system is an “Ecosystem” cost increases in any single area filter across to others. Shipping lines and airlines are, by definition, multi-country operators and their costs percolate across their entire system.

Pinnacle landside costs have also increased across the board at origin and destination.

Some remarks from internal and external sources to give a picture.

“Wood prices have increased by 100% for packing”

“We have to pay driver retention fees to keep our driver workforce stable”.

“Freight charges by route have increased due to demand.”

“Our inland rates have tripled during the course of the pandemic – and capacity is still limited “

Some very specific routes have fallen with regards to “freight cost” as a fee but the fuel surcharges more than make up for any benefit gained. Most if not all routes have seen freight charges increase

“Whatever the basic freight charge “our” fuel surcharges are now 38% and likely to increase again”. -

“We are putting our freight charges up again in June 2022”

Port charges are increasing as is handling and support operations within the ports.

Inland transport rates have increased and container availability is limited by driver availability.

Cargo rates include repositioning charges to cover the return of empty equipment back to Western Europe or elsewhere. This charge element has also sustained increased costs.

Shipping lines average and adjust charges based on cargo flows in their network – price changes transfer across all routes in some form whatever the reason.

“With the Ukraine war there is no appetite to reduce charges given the uncertainty as to how that will play out. It’s an unstable world we are living in”

Look at the Baltic Dry Freight Index it summarises freight price growth and the trend and its as good a summary as you see of the real world freight price landscape! Yes, it’s a consolidated world view but it equates well to what we are all seeing!

The price increases are a direct consequence of the Covid Pandemic and the international events we are witnessing daily.

The Global Freight “Ecosystem” generates cost increases across the board and currently there is no expectation that prices will revert to the 2019 or even Mid 2020 level any time soon if at all.

PINNACLE INTERNATIONAL FREIGHT LIMITED enquiry@pif.co.uk | www.pif.co.uk

DON' T MISS THE POWEREX LIVE CONFERENCE HELD IN LONDON ON DECEMBER

8TH, 2022

This year ’s PowerEx Live Conference is once again being held at Park Plaza Hotel, Westminster, London - opening time: 9.30am – 16.00pm. A key event in every company’s energy calendar, the free-to-attend one-day Conference boasts 24+ speakers who are leaders in their respective fields. The venue also includes Gen-Set + CHP / Renewables Live areas After the Conference in the same hotel location the AMPS Awards for Excellence event is also being held. This is an excellent opportunity for all AMPS members to come along and make a day - and a n i g h t of it. For more information & details on speakers and topics, visit: www.powerexlive.co.uk

Held on 8th December, 2022, at the prestigious Park Plaza Hotel, Westminster, London, PowerEx Live 2022, organised by the Power Media International Group Ltd, continues to attract leading companies and key power speakers, along with exhibitors from the Critical Power sector. This is a free-toattend conference with refreshments & lunch provided. Exhibitors from the Critical Power sector include: Generator Power, Bergen Engines UK, Wernick Power, STAMFORD AvK, Clarke Energy, Aksa, Crestchic, Durr Universal, HMS Industrial Networks, Industrial Power Systems, IPU Group, Leroy Somer|NIDEC, Mecc Alte, BGG UK, Scania, MHM Group, Volvo, YorPower, Edina, Eminox, Teksan, Lister Petter

Engine Co, MEMS, AMC, WEG, Moteurs Baudouin - and many more

Register for free: attendees have the chance to learn from energy experts within several key fields: Gen-Sets, CHP, District Energy, Engines, Emissions, Rental, Hydrogen, Distributed Energy, Fuels, Grid Codes, Data Centres, Batteries, Energy Storage, Fuels, Noise Reduction, Gen-Set Statistics and Industry Consultants

The two conferences take place under one roof in one day, with 24+ high quality power speakers.

The AMPS Awards for Excellence ( black tie) event is also being held in the evening at the same location. There are only 40 tickets left for the Awards night and over 25 different companies are attending

PowerEx Live has won a solid reputation as a quality networking and industry event held at a Covid-secure venue in the heart of London, with excellent rail, tube and road links. PowerEx Live itself is organised by one of the leading publications companies in the field of power generation and

energy today, the Power Media International Group Ltd

Power Media International Group Ltd publishes Worldwide Independent Power, UK Power News, Middle East Power, Euro Power News, Africa Power News, Independent Power Asia and American Power News It is responsible for publishing the Genset & Cogeneration

Directory on an annual basis

The Claverton Energy Group is providing additional speakers We look forward to you joining us on 8th December, 2022, in London.

www.powerexlive.co.uk

CRESTCHIC LOADBANKS EXPANDS MANUFACTURING CAPACITY TO FULFIL INCREASED DEMAND

Crestchic Loadbanks marked the official opening of its new factory over the summer months, along with new depots in Antwerp and Texas. As well as significantly increasing manufacturing capacity and creating new jobs, the new factory and depots will allow the company to meet the growing demand for loadtesting equipment.

Increased global demand

Despite the economic pressures of the pandemic and global political events, Crestchic has seen strong growth in demand for its products. Data centre and energy transition markets are growing rapidly, and demand continues from wellestablished, traditional sectors, such as critical infrastructure, marine engineering, and extractive industries. The new factory increases manufacturing capacity by 50%, allowing the company to respond to the growing demand for sales and rental of load testing equipment in the UK and beyond.

Opening ceremony

An official opening ceremony was attended by more than 100 customers, suppliers and

senior staff in early July. Guests travelled from all over the country to attend the event, which included a ceremonial ribbon-cutting and speech by former BBC journalist and Times Radio Presenter John Pienaar. A commemorative plaque was unveiled by Councillor Philip Hudson, the Mayor of East Staffordshire, the area which is home to Crestchic’s Burton headquarters.

Speaking at the event, Peter Harris, Executive Chairman at Crestchic, commented: “As well as responding to customer demand, the investment in both our new and existing factories is part of our commitment to continuous improvement. Our vision is to be world-class manufacturers in every sense of the word

Broadcaster John Pienaar cuts the ribbon

Paul Brickman, Commercial Director, welcomes people to event

Peter Harris, Executive Chairman at Crestchic, provides a business update



Chris Caldwell, Managing Director, conducts a tour around the factory

– in our commitment to innovation, design excellence, product build quality, meeting delivery times and exceeding customer expectations. We’re continuing to invest in our people and technology - bringing on board new expertise and investing in R&D to ensure that Crestchic continues to lead the market.”

Attendees at the event were also given a tour of the three manufacturing sites that make up the company’s headquarters. As well as seeing the scope of the company’s sales and rental operations, customers were able to gain first-hand insight into the engineering and R&D capabilities of the Crestchic team.

Future growth

The investment in the new factory coincides with the opening of new depots in Antwerp and Texas, as well as a very strong order book and sales pipeline. At the same time, the company took over

the former Northbridge Transformer business. The newly rebranded Crestchic Transformer business offers an expanded fleet of loadbanks, emulators and transformers, along with strengthened manufacturing and R&D capabilities.

Current uncertainty around energy supplies looks set to increase the focus on power resilience across all sectors, with the data centre market estimated to grow by USD 615.96 billion by 2026, a CAGR of 21.98%, according to a market report by Technavio - both of which will fuel increased demand.

Paul Brickman, Commercial Director, added, “Power resilience is becoming increasingly important across all industries. Load testing is no longer a nice-to-have, it’s an absolute necessity for any modern business that needs power to operate effectively. We’re undoubtedly seeing this reflected in our

order books. The factory and new depots will allow us to fulfil demand across all of our existing locations. As we ramp up our production, we hope to open more depots to serve our rapidly growing global market.”

Thanks to all involved

At the official factory opening, the senior team at Crestchic thanked everyone who had been involved in the delivery of the new building, including architects and structural engineers AJS Structural Design; project manager/quantity surveyor AmsonsBarlow; main contractors BFG; electrical contractors SCI; planning advisor JMI Planning and everyone at Crestchic who had played a part. Everyone working across the three Crestchic manufacturing and office sites were also invited to enjoy a celebratory lunch.

p Sharon Philpotts, Production Manager, conducts a tour around the new factory Jon Storer, Technical Director, takes questions u

MECC ALTE DELIVERS ROBUST SOLUTIONS WITH ITS NEW V-TYPE ALTERNATOR RANGE

Mecc Alte works hard with its clients to continually develop a high-level of insight into the issues the entire power generator market faces with their generator sets. And our latest V-Type range is a result of these changing market needs.

Through continually speaking with Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and endusers and gathering intelligence from our sales teams, we’ve been evolving our range with our technical expertise and aftersales experience to bring you our most resilient product. Ever.

The V-Type is built for optimum performance and reliability in harsh environments. Having undergone rigorous testing, the V-Type is designed to operate in ‘extreme’ environments, so you can be sure of reliable power generation, regardless of the operational conditions.

We’ve incorporated several enhanced durability features to deliver maximum uptime for power requirements needed in harsh environments:

J V-Type TOTAL+ is an exclusive winding treatment designed specifically to be more resilient, this insulation system upgrade further enhances the VPI impregnation which is standard on the range.

J Reinforced tape around the lower

radius of the stator, plus an additional internal and external covering adds further durability to the NDE stator winding head

J Upgraded excitor stator, which are taped and given the VTP treatment

J 30,000 premium bearing hours, for increased reliability

J Lower lamination slats reinforced with TOTAL+ insulation protection

J MxK digital regulators for safe setting/interrogation and offering integration to genset controllers

J Premium paint with anti-rust treatment

J Extended warranty

“Power generation has become much more about complete solutions rather than individual products, we’re now supplying OEMs with alternators, controllers, battery chargers and governors that are required for their power generation applications. The result: is an integrated solution that very closely matches the unique demands

of each and every power requirement.” Says Mecc Alte’s Sales and Marketing Director, Jonathan Stokes.

Our AVRs have an integrated link to the genset controllers and provide optimum communications and intelligent smart link technology.

Mecc Alte is a high-volume manufacturer producing in Italy, the UK, China, and India. The diverse range includes small 2-pole and large 4-pole alternators, as well as medium and high voltage machines, and multi-pole units for hydro applications, spanning 1 –5000kVA.

We pride ourselves on being the Power from Within the systems and generator sets that our customers produce; the V-Type is built for optimal uptime across the whole product lifecycle. Choose wisely … Choose the V-Type.

The heart that never stops.

WB Power Services are an expert in the reliable delivery of critical power projects, generator maintenance and hire solutions nationwide, for over 35 years. As a leading family-owned operator of critical power infrastructure, we have led projects of all sizes, across all sectors. Our extensive experience means we can provide you with comprehensive support for every aspect of your critical power needs. We are trusted to install turnkey power solutions for world-class corporations to government bodies,supporting hospitals, data centres, banks, utility companies, military installations and more.

WB POWER HELP SECURE ONGOING OPERATIONAL CAPABILITIES FOR LEADING TELECOMS PROVIDER

Securing the ongoing power requirements of any industry is key, but for a leading telecoms provider, any loss of output would affect hundreds of thousands of customers. However, thanks to a range of solutions created and implemented by leading power generation provider, WB Power Services (WBPS), the successful project to install three new generators means that ongoing customer support is secured.

Working with a third-party consultant to support the roll-out of a back-up power supply for the telecoms regional data centre, WBPS was initially asked to scope and design the generator power specification.

The project then required defining power requirements further and identifying how the installation could be practically delivered without having a detrimental effect on operational capability. To achieve this, works included the removal of the existing power infrastructure, generator installation, creating a bespoke acoustic enclosure and a fuel distribution solution.

Four core elements of the project were needed to deliver a successful installation. These were:

The decommission, removal and disposal of four incumbent generating sets from the site

Installing three T1900 1900kVA KohlerSDMO generators on site

Three 45,000 litre bunded belly fuel day tanks, complete with fuel distribution system were installed

Creating a bespoke acoustic enclosure designed to achieve a noise level of 75DBA around the installed generators

The initial project delivery was focused on decommissioning, removing and disposing of a range of on-site equipment, including three existing generating sets located in a plant and one to the rear of the building. Attenuation equipment, including exhausts

were also removed, along with day tanks and interconnecting pipework.

Comments WBPS Managing Director, Andy Wilmott: “One of the key advantages that WBPS can deliver is the completion of core project aspects in-house, such as removing the four generator sets for this client by utilising our Hiab fleet. We were also able to test each of the generating sets prior to delivery at our own testing facility in Derbyshire.

“Being able to offer these solutions means our clients have peace of mind when it comes to accurate and timely project delivery. Any issues can be addressed prior to equipment arriving on site with a quicker, more seamless installation guaranteed. Elements such as this are essential for time critical power solutions projects.”

Work ahead of the onsite installation comprised of a visual inspection of the generating set and acoustic enclosure, delivering a first step load acceptance test (four hours at 100% load and one hour at 110% load).

WBPS further supported the project by designing a bespoke solution to include the installation of three T1900 Kohler-SDMO prime rated generating sets, which also utilised the ComAp control system. Sound restrictions required onsite meant the sets had to be housed within an acoustic container rated to achieve a noise level of 75

The project also required provision for a fuel management solution, including three 45,000 litre nominal bunded belly fuel day tanks, complete with fuel transfer and fuel polishing systems.

At installation stage, the size of the cranes required to offload and position the generating sets on site, meant further project design requirements. The installation of a temporary roadway and main road enclosure were undertaken, before the generators underwent a final system commissioning and site acceptance process by the WBPS project team. ComAp control equipment was then added to complete the final stage of the project.

Andy Wilmott concludes: “Its thanks to a coordinated and experienced team at WBPS that projects like this can be delivered to strict schedules and budget. Our ongoing project support for the onsite engineering team has made a huge difference to the client with a service and maintenance package helping the site to keep running an avoid power outage.”

dBA @1m FFC, with additional access steps for ease of maintenance.

The ProPower is an innovative, new, off-grid sustainable power solution from Prolectric, the renewable power and lighting specialists.

Housed in a compact trailer, the ProPower Solar Hybrid Generator delivers clean, offgrid power to the construction, rail, defence, film and remote vehicle charging sectors, cutting fossil fuel usage by up to 90% and slashing their carbon emissions (see the Realworld results section below).

Nixon Hire recently purchased a large fleet of ProPowers from Prolectric, to add to their renewable hire division. We spoke to Nick Hibbard from Nixon Hire and Prolectric’s Richard Randall about the R&D innovation behind the ProPower, as well as the real-world performance that customers are seeing on site.

WHY IS NOW THE RIGHT TIME FOR THE PROPOWER?

Nick Hibbard UK Divisional Manager -

Nixon Hire has just created a Renewable Power Division, which only offers sustainable generation. As an industry, the emphasis on cutting carbon emissions is huge, especially in construction – we’re getting 20 to 30 enquiries a day asking about sustainable power sources at the moment.

The ProPower is perfect for this – right now, we’re using it for site accommodation, welfare, toilets, drying rooms, office space. The data and stats that are coming from installed units are fantastic. We can power up to seven site accommodation units from one ProPower.

Richard Randall, Product Development Manager at Prolectric: A few years ago, we ran a fleet of container-sized solar power units. Customers liked them but they wanted more flexibility –specifically, a solar power unit that was more compact and portable, in a trailer format, while delivering an even higher specification output.

We started prototyping the ProPower in Q2 2020 and trialled it in real-word conditions with a lot of different customers, including Balfour Beatty, COLAS Rail and VolkerFitzpatrick. We’ve designed it with hydraulic panels to shrink the physical footprint for transport – this also lets us optimise the panel inclination to generate the maximum power based on the season and specific site characteristics.

How is the ProPower performing in the real world?

Nick Hibbard: It works perfectly. We installed our first ProPower at the beginning of June 2022 and the backup generator didn’t run once in the first month.

Customers are seeing savings of up £6.5k per month per unit on fuel alone. We can map their load profile and turn things on and off remotely for the customer so it’s all running as optimally as possible.

It’s very efficient compared to the traditional diesel generators used for these functions. Also, compared to the old tech, there’s a lot less servicing required because the generator runs less frequently.

Richard Randall: As well as the hydraulic panels I mentioned earlier, we’ve fitted the ProPower with fast-charging lithium-ion batteries instead of lead carbon. This gives us really accurate state of charge information, so we can finely optimise when the ProPower switches over to the generator

Renewables at Nixon Hire

– which means lower emissions and less maintenance in combination with our remote administration Power Portal.

I mention this because it’s all about realworld performance for us. Prolectric has the only solar tower lights proven to last 16 hours per night, all year, in all weathers. The ProPower builds on this legacy – it’s a direct replacement for traditional diesel-powered worksite generators.

How important are remote monitoring and control capabilities?

Nick Hibbard: We’re really big on emissions and the ProPower is saving 10 tonnes a month on site. We now have access to really detailed telemetry, so we can show customers the exact differences in fuel cost and emissions savings.

We can access all the ProPower units remotely for things like fuel status, overload alarms, as well as alerts if the backup generator has been running for an unusually long time (over 3 hours).

The remote administration portal also means we can remotely put the unit back into auto mode if someone turns it on to manual by mistake, which is a huge carbon footprint saving on non-travel to sites. In fact, around 90% of issues are fixable remotely.

Richard Randall: We’ve put a lot of R&D effort into getting the Power Portal

right. It’s a big part of the ProPower, a one-stop solution to control absolutely everything and see how your whole fleet is performing.

It saves time, saves costs, saves emissions – and it has the reporting capabilities to show you exactly what’s going on.

What does the future hold for sustainable, off-grid power?

Nick Hibbard: Our goal is to create zero emission sites and the first one is running right now with a ProPower, plus battery bank and solar array. It’s providing power and charging the battery at the same time, so all power needs are met 24/7. And we’ve got another big ProPower order going in to Prolectric for our next financial year.

Richard Randall: We’re launching two more versions of the ProPower soon. The first has a slightly larger Stage V engine, which gives more flexibility when speccing jobs. The other is a batteryonly version with three-phase power, so that customers who already have a fleet of generators can link them to their ProPowers.

In the longer term, we’re going to continue to challenge the market to move away from diesel. We spend 10% of our turnover on R&D because we want to keep pushing the boundaries, building the solutions our customers need – often before they know they need them!

REAL-WORLD RESULTS

The ProPower uses the latest solar and battery technology to minimise or eliminate diesel usage, running completely silently when on battery power.

The cloud-based Power Portal features real-time monitoring and control, giving complete visibility of the generator’s performance with diagnostics and alarms, plus the ability to remotely adjust the generator for optimum operation. It also provides reports for measuring carbon, diesel, and quiet running hours, all in one place, across an entire fleet.

Minimising generator run-time means that the ProPower saves on fuel costs, reduces maintenance requirements and cuts CO2 emissions by an average of 70%.

In July 2022: J 50% of all power used across Nixon Hire’s live fleet of ProPower came from solar

On average, the ProPower generators ran for just 1.25 hours a day

APIAPIPE™ BUNDED PIPEWORK SYSTEM FOR SAFE STORAGE AND USE OF LIQUID FUEL

When efficiency demands 100% uptime from your

The company’s unique ‘pipe in a pipe’ (APIApipe™) system is approved for use by Government agencies and specified for use by consultancies advising Blue Chip companies.

This fully bunded ‘fit and forget’ pipework engineering system is the safest and most robust system currently available on today’s market.

The

Problem

The UK’s largest telecommunications provider wants to provide better protection to the environment by removing underground fuel storage tanks and pipework from across a 6,500 property estate. They will replace underground tanks and pipework with above ground bunded tanks with bottom outlet valves and bunded pipework. Plastic pipe is not to be used inside the building, no welding is allowed inside the building.

The Solution APIApipe™ with Bunded Isolation Valve

FSS used the integrally bunded stainless steel pipework to complete the full install. No hot works are necessary, all pipework is now on 24/7 leak detection. Bottom outlet tank isolation valves are fully bunded and on 24/7 leak detection. The crimp system is simple to modify allowing for future expansion. At a fraction of the cost of traditional welded steel the cost savings are there to be seen, the potential hazard of hot works is completely removed. Fire risk is removed by the exclusion of plastic pipe.

BOOM TIME FOR WAKEFIELD ACOUSTICS

2022 is turning out to be somewhat of a boom for Wakefield Acoustics. Coming off the back of two slow years of reduced investment and delayed or cancelled projects, the increased level of business due to pent-up demand brings several challenges and opportunities for accelerated growth for a number of companies operating in the power sector.

The UK data centre market continues to expand, with further investment to satisfy our growing dependence upon digital technologies. With shortened construction programmes, containerised backup power solutions are the obvious answer to this problem which allows off-site packaging of diesel engines and radiators for final connection on site.

On some larger sites, due to the size of the required containers (driven by the large cooling requirements and radiator sizes), there are few suppliers across the UK who can successfully manufacture these

Historically, Wakefield Acoustics has provided high-quality industrial noise control products across the oil and gas, petrochemical, manufacturing, and power industries. The recent surge in demand arises from a few areas in the power generation and backup/standby power markets across the UK.

particularly large acoustic structures. At a maximum cross-section of around 4.5 metres square (the largest practical size for transportation), the fabrication and movement of such big, heavy structures can prove challenging. Manufacture of multiple units within a compressed timescale also takes up significant valuable floor space, and as such external storage space, useful also for fitting engines, becomes a necessity.

Alongside the continued high level of demand in the data centre standby power market, the requirement for backup gasgenerated power solutions remains steady, with many schemes currently in design, and further plans for projects out for 2023-2024. Whilst some report this industry sector may reach saturation point within the next few years, the demands for backup power requirements as part of the national energy infrastructure are likely to continue for some time given the movement towards wind power and green energy, and more so given current political and global pressures.

And it isn’t just the power industry where high activity levels are seen. A number of long-term projects in the oil and gas and petrochemical industries appear to be showing signs of movement, due to the recent rising prices of fossil fuels. Within our ‘core’ industrial sectors, UK manufacturers also remain busy with investments still ongoing to protect their employees and local environments from high levels of noise. All things combined, the current workloads present a significant opportunity for expansion for manufacturers such as Wakefield Acoustics.

In order to support this growth, additional external storage space has been secured opposite our factory, with investment in internal workshop layouts, lifting and painting facilities have all been progressed over the past months. Further improvement plans are also in the pipeline to expand manufacturing capacity. This investment allows us to better serve the power industry

and provides scope to allow some off-site fitout works to be undertaken within our new storage space.

Whilst the outlook for the power sector certainly seems rosy for the next few years with committed and planned projects, the demands upon UK manufacturers place certain strains and pressures. One such pressure is the demand for skilled labour and fabricators, where pay grades have been rising steadily as we come out of the Covid pandemic. Over the summer months, a recruitment plan has been continuing in order to support our growth, with a 20-30% increase in heads across the production facility. More staff requires more training, and we have been busy with training and qualifications to undertake lifting and handling operations, site installation works, and general training and toolbox talks to ensure the health and safety of our employees in a modern, busy workshop.

During the recovery post-pandemic and with the effects of the war in Ukraine, one large impact seen across the industry that has had the potential to hit hard is that of the cost of

raw material, and, in particular for us, steel. Steel costs have risen quite sharply over the past 12-24 months, with increases in excess of 200% for sheet steel and steel hollow sections, used primarily in our products.

Though this appears to have stabilised recently, during periods of cost fluctuations, fixed price contracts were hit hard. The fact that we have navigated a period of instability may in turn have led to the delay of some projects, which have now all been actioned as we enter a season of relative calm in material pricing.

The question on everyone’s lips in companies like ours, is what does the future hold for the backup and standby power sector, and how long will the ‘bubble’ last? No one really knows the answer to this, though as technology develops further across the power sector, one thing remains certain in that we will always need power in some form, and this usually comes with some form of unwanted noise being generated. All we can do in the meantime is enjoy the challenge of growing, and being able to benefit our local community and suppliers with additional work the sector brings.

Charlotte Cameron Communication Manager

Planet Mark is a sustainability certification for every type of organisation and for real estate.

Certification recognises continuous improvement, encourages action and builds an empowered community of likeminded individuals who make a world of difference.

TIPS FOR ADOPTING SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS PRACTICES

Sustainability has rapidly changed from a ‘nice to have’ for organisations to a business imperative.

While for some companies adopting sustainable business practices is helping to comply with emerging regulations and ease pressure from stakeholders, for others it equates to winning more tenders, attracting and retaining the right talent and creating business resilience.

But for some organisations, embracing sustainability and adapting to a changing world can seem overwhelming.

We’ve been working with businesses of all sizes to embrace sustainability, reduce their carbon footprint and unlock the passion of their employees since 2013, and we know the incredible collective impact that businesses, including SMEs can have.

Here’s some of our tips for organisations just starting out on their sustainability journey:

You can’t manage what you don’t measure

As consumers, clients, supply chains and talent all grow increasingly aware of the impact of climate change, businesses are increasingly expected to know and understand their impact on the planet.

Large organisations are required to publicly disclose emissions data for regulatory schemes such as Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting (SECR), or the Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme (ESOS).

Now, these regulatory impacts are trickling down through large organisations’ supply chains to smaller organisations.

Calculating a carbon footprint is a cornerstone of any successful sustainability policy and is the first step to continued reduction in emissions.

From this data, a business can understand the environmental consequences of its business operations and prioritise efforts to start reducing their emissions. A carbon footprint is also one of the most widely recognised symbols of sustainable progress, easily communicated and understood across every industry.

Engage your employees in sustainable business practices

Unlocking the passion of your team is the key to achieving your organisation’s sustainability goals. Organising a progressive and effective green team or group of sustainability champions can be one of the most empowering and significant initiatives on your sustainability journey. By setting up a group of sustainability champions, or a green team, you can stay on track with sustainability targets and create a purpose-driven work culture.

If the motivation and passion is there, your sustainability champions team can be a great way to expand your business network, foster inter-departmental collaboration and effect high-level change.

Set a science-based target

Science-based targets provide companies with a clearly defined path to reduce emissions in line with the Paris Agreement goals.

The Paris Agreement, a binding agreement adopted by 196 Parties at COP 21 in Paris, brings all nations into a common cause –limiting global warming to well-below 2°C above pre-industrial levels and pursuing efforts to limit warming to 1.5°C.

While many businesses have the tools and willpower to make carbon reduction commitments, and take action on those commitments, many of these targets are not connected to climate science. Sciencebased targets are a way for business to demonstrate leadership in their industry, stay at the forefront of social responsibility and demonstrate to your stakeholders that your business is serious about climate action.

Embrace the quick wins

While some aspects of sustainability may take longer to implement, there are some quick wins that can help reduce your business’ emissions quickly.

Infrastructure changes across your business can result in significant improvements in operational energy, water and waste efficiencies across your business. For example, with energy management, controlling temperature set points within your building or your operation is just one of these low-cost but effective energy saving initiatives. We recommend maintaining a temperature of 21C throughout the entire year. Properly maintained kit is another way to improve energy efficiency within your business, for example ensuring air conditioning units remain unclogged.

Share your challenges and opportunities

In the lead up to COP26, David Attenborough shared that climate action was much of a “communications challenge” as it was a science or technological one. “We know what to do, we just need the will.”

Being able to communicate progress with authenticity and confidence can help your business stand out from competitors, with research suggesting that consumers are increasingly wanting to spend more for sustainable products and services. In fact, $1 in every $5 spent on FMCG comes from an environmentally conscious consumer, according to McKinsey & Company.

Communicating your sustainability achievements and goals can also help to attract and retain talent. Studies show that younger generations are looking for roles in purpose-driven companies, with some research suggesting that over 60% of millennials won’t take a job if the company doesn’t have a strong corporate social responsibility (CSR) policy.

While communicating sustainability is important, it must be done in an authentic and clear way to avoid greenwashing. That’s not to say that you can’t share your challenges too. Honesty fosters trust which is a critical aspect of brand loyalty.

The race against climate change is one we must all win. Communicating your progress is not only helpful internally but it can support and encourage other organisations to get started too.

Our free toolkits are designed to help organisations take the first steps in measuring the carbon emissions associated with five key areas: energy, water, waste, procurement and travel.

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.

KEY STEPS TO SETTING UP AN ERG

As workplace Diversity and Inclusion programmes

become more prevalent within organisations its unsurprising that Employee Resource Groups (ERG’s) are gaining in popularity.

Originally formed in the 1960’s in response to racial tensions in the United States ‘Workplace Affinity Groups’ have developed over the years and the benefits and reasons employees participate in ERG’s have shifted. Motives are no longer related solely to addressing or avoiding the negative, they increasingly have to do with helping to redefine workplace culture.

Benefits of employee resource groups include more inclusive work environments, as they can help an organisation to understand why and how employees might not feel a sense of belonging and therefore enable an organisation to take action to bring about change.

Whether starting from the ground up or looking to revamp existing ERGs there are a number of considerations that impact its success. Here we provide you with seven ERG best practices:

Gauge interest

ERGs should be employee led and not company initiated i.e., the company believes it ‘needs’ to establish a particular ERG without actually establishing if there is a real need or interest in

in such a group. It’s important to establish who wants the group to be created and why.

Establishing the Purpose of the Groups

ERGs are more effective when there is clarity around the purpose of the group. Examples might include:

J

J

J

To offer support and camaraderie, strengthen confidence and provide a sense of belonging to members of the group

Spread awareness and promote allyship

To provide networking, professional development and career advancement opportunities for the group members

ERG’s can have more than one purpose, and the goal and purpose can shift as the group evolves.

It’s also important to be clear on what ERG’s are not. Typical examples include… they are not exclusive, they do not exist to fulfil individuals’ agendas, they are not a clique or a social club.

Teresa

Leadership Support

The process of gaining leadership support for ERG’s is known as finding an executive sponsor. Since ERG’s are employee-run they do not necessarily need permission to operate, however when they do have an executive sponsor it can be mutually beneficial.

Use data and outline a clear plan to launch the ERG, together with objectives and metrics. Be ready to talk about the results you hope to achieve and the benefits of the group.

Since ERG’s influence company culture its also advisable to ensure that those responsible for the Human Resources function are also in the loop.

Brand & Identity

Branding for a group is important and should be carefully considered. Go back to who the ERG is for when considering naming your group. Acronyms can be fun however they can be confusing and even lose their resonance as the group evolves.

When it comes to visual branding again seek the views of those who will be involved in the group and ensure that you understand

any historical associate of imagery and branding.

Promotion

Once you’ve established the foundations for your ERG you can begin promoting the group. Remember groups need members and members need to be interested in joining the group.

Mentioning ERG’s once is not enough, particularly as new employees might be regularly joining the organisation, and some might not always see announcements. It’s therefore important to continually promote the group.

Support & signposting

Be sure to plan professional development opportunities for the group. This might include guest speakers and coaches, connections to industry groups as well as educational activities like panels, webinar and book discussions.

It’s also important to have clear signposting in place should any concerns arise. This might include members knowing how to signpost others to the HR team, Employees Assistance Programmes and/or Occupational Health for example.

Measurement

When setting up your ERG it’s important to set goals and then as you run your group you can monitor and measure changes.

Each ERG may wish to develop quarterly and yearly reports showing the results of the group, recognising of course that progress as some goals will take longer than others to show significant results. The measurements also serve as affirmation of the impact member’ efforts have on the organisation.

Employee resource groups provide multiple benefits to both an organisation and its people. They can help diverse candidates feel supported, appreciated and welcomed.

They can provide a safe space and become a collective voice. In addition, they can inspire all employees to do their best work, stay onboard, and collectively solve problems. A healthy ecosystem of ERGs therefore is the foundation of a positive and inclusive workplace, a holistic and transformational solution well worth investing in.

YOUR PARTNERS IN POWER

FUELACTIVE ENSURES MAXIMUM UPTIME

Contaminated fuel can be a major issue for power generation businesses and operators. Unplanned downtime can be disruptive and costly in any sector, but for power generation in particular it can be critical.

Genquip Groundhog provide a wide range of welfare accommodation units to the construction sector. Whether mobile or static, the onboard generator is a crucial component of a welfare unit set-up, ensuring cabins have an uninterrupted supply of power whenever required.

Like many operators and service providers, Genquip Groundhog experienced significant problems with fuel contamination through poor quality fuel delivery, inadequate cleanliness during refuelling and unreliable operator practices. Fuel contamination can quickly lead to fuel filter blockages, premature injector wear and generator failure. This in turn results in unplanned downtime, increased maintenance costs and an unsatisfactory service for customers.

Based in Cardiff, FuelActive invented an innovative floating fuel pick-up

system, avoiding contamination that overwhelmingly is found at the bottom of the tank. This globally patented system delivers the cleanest fuel available to the engine, preserving critical engine components. This is particularly important for stage V engines which have particularly low tolerances to contamination.

As a ‘fit and forget’ technology, there is no maintenance requirement once installed and any contamination and water that collects at the bottom of the tank can be drained during routine servicing. FuelActive products have a standard five-year warranty and have been proven on a wide range of equipment, from 6kVA Generators to 400t haul trucks at 4 Megawatts. The versatile system is compatible with all fuel types including HVO and can be installed on generators, mobile fuel bowsers (fuelcubes) and bulk tanks.

Having trialled the pick-up on several power generators, Genquip Groundhog decided to install FuelActive on all of its diesel-powered units.

“We’ve fitted FuelActive as standard for about 10 years now and since that time, the company has accumulated more than 10 million operating hours across the fleet with zero fuel-related breakdowns,” said Peter Beach, Sales and Marketing Manager at Genquip Groundhog.

Not only does the FuelActive system eliminate fuel related breakdowns, by ensuring only the cleanest fuel in the tank is delivered to the injectors, customers have also seen a fuel economy improvement of 3% to 5%, with the same reduction in CO2 emissions.

As more businesses transition to the latest stage V engine technology to comply with contractual environmental policies, FuelActive will protect vital power generation assets, maximising availability and utilisation.

AMPS TECHNICAL COMMITTEE UPDATES

NON-ROAD

MOBILE MACHINERY ENGINE EMISSIONS REGULATIONS

REGULATION

Requirements relating to gaseous and particulate pollutant emission limits and type-approval for internal combustion engines for non-road mobile machinery

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 (Type-Approval and Emission of Gaseous and Particulate Pollutants) Regulations 2018.

The FAQ document was originally issued in April 2017 and had been updated previously.

The document has been prepared by a group of European trade associations including Europgen, of which AMPS are a member.

There are two new sections to the FAQ:

Part 17 Acceptance of equivalent engine type-approvals

This details acceptance of type-approvals that are in conformity with UNECE regulations.

MEDIUM COMBUSTION PLANT DIRECTIVE (MCPD)

AMPS Technical Committee have been contacted by the Environment Agency (EA) who wish to raise awareness of the above plant emissions regulation, particularly amongst end users.

AMPS Members are encouraged to disseminate this information to their customers and known operators etc.

AMPS have issued several Current Thinking E-shots together with articles in AMPS Power concerning MCPD. With the passage of time, it is worth summarising the requirements. Please remember that this is a summary and the full guidance and regulations must be consulted via the links.

It should be noted that there are major differences between the application of MCPD and NRMM (Non-Road Mobile Machinery):

J NRMM is an EU Regulation and applies equally across the EU, it has been incorporated into UK Law.

J MCPD is an EU Directive and the Member States were free to impose stricter regulations and some did so, including England and Wales.

J NRMM applies to the manufacturer/ importer, not to the user.

MCPD was an EU Directive EU/2015/2193 which was published in 2015. As a Directive it had to be transposed into domestic law. In England and Wales, this was via The Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2018. Similar but not identical regulations were published by the devolved nations, Scotland and Northern Ireland. It applies to new plants from 19th December 2018

As the Directive applies to most types of combustion plant, including boilers and burners, the banding is given in thermal input, rather than plant output. The requirements of this Directive will apply to all stationary engines with a thermal input within the range 1 MWth to 50 MWth. Thus it will apply to generating sets with a rating above approximately 300 kWe 375 kVA, depending on engine and generator efficiencies. AMPS have issued an agreed calculation method, which is used by EA.

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.

J MCPD does not directly apply to the manufacturer, but to the plant owner /operator.

J NRMM is not retrospective

J MCPD will be retrospective in stages

J NRMM does not require the owner to monitor emissions

J MCPD requires monitoring and record keeping

The limit values will apply to existing plant from 1 - 5 MWth thermal input from 2030 (registration or permit 1 year before), for plant above this, 550 MWth thermal input, it will apply from 2025.

The EA are now working towards early permitting of plant in advance of the above schedule. Currently, this will only apply to sites in England.

The latest V-Type alternator has been developed in response to changing market needs and has been built for optimum performance and reliability in harsh environments. Having undergone rigorous testing, the V-Type is designed to deliver optimal uptime across the whole product lifecycle, so you can be sure of reliable power generation, regardless of the operational conditions. With over 75 years in the power generation market we pride ourselves on being the Power from Within the systems and generator sets that our customers produce.

Choose wisely… Choose the V-Type.

The world’s largest independent producer of alternators 1-5,000kVA