O c tober 2017
PRY S MI AN A US TRAL IA
www.energydigital.com
TOP10 SUSTAINABLE CITIES INTHE US
E E X C L U S IVW IE IN T E R V
TARUN BHANDARI Head of Location Based Services, Utilities and Geospatial
WORLD ENERGY COUNCIL’S ANGELA WILKINSON SPEAKS ABOUT HOW WE CAN SHAPE THE FUTURE OF ENERGY
FOREWORD HELLO AND WELCOME to the October edition of Energy Digital. Our lead story this month features Angela Wilkinson, newly appoint chief of the World Energy Council’s scenarios portfolio, comprising three predicted outcomes based on the decisions made by enterprise and government today. Wilkinson discusses her new role as well as her views on how business and politics need to approach the everypresent environmental challenges facing the world. With recent devastation caused in the United States and Caribbean by several hurricanes, our second feature explores how utilities companies can harness the power of integration in disaster operations management. Other exclusive insights come from interviews with Prysmian Australia, Proserv and Envac. Finally, be sure to check out the top 10 this month, which looks at the most sustainable cities in the US. A huge study by WalletHub of 100 cities has been narrowed down to the 10 best examples, with California faring particularly compared to the rest of the country. Find out what these cities are doing to boost their sustainable credentials.
Enjoy the issue!
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F E AT U R E S INTERVIEW
06 BACK< TO THE ENERGY FUTURE INSIGHT
14 Avoiding disaster 4
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C O M PA N Y P R O F I L ES
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Prysmian Australia
AUSTRALIA
Proserv â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Production Technology Services
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Envac
MIDDLE EAST
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BACK< TO THE ENERGY FUTURE
THE WORLD ENERGY COUNCILâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S ANGELA WILKINSON SPEAKS TO ENERGY DIGITAL ABOUT HOW WE CAN SHAPE THE ENERGY FUTURE WE WANT, BY KNOWING WHAT DECISIONS TO MAKE TODAY W R I T T E N B Y: LY N L E Y O R A M
INTERVIEW
Mass uptake of electric vehicles will add pressure to electricity grids
IN A WORLD of uncertainties where it feels like all the political rules have been entirely re-written in the last year, planning for the future seems impossible. But, there are some certainties. By 2040 the world population will reach 11bn, economic and political power is shifting from the West to Asia, and technological developments have accelerated with a new pattern of digital disruption emerging. These are some of the predetermined factors that Angela Wilkinson takes and mixes with all the uncertainties such as political and economic changes, to produce possible scenarios in her new role as the Senior Director for the World 8
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Energy Council’s Scenarios portfolio. Her scenarios provide an intellectual space that global energy leaders, businesses, and governments can step into and see what might happen 40 years from now - if they make a particular decision today. It’s a role that Wilkinson aptly describes as “being an intellectual midwife”.
SHAPING THE FUTURE Being a sort of strategic, global, virtual time traveller is something that Wilkinson has plenty of experience in. Until September last year she was head of strategic foresight at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Previous roles have included
INTERVIEW director for scenario planning and futures research at the University of Oxford and for 10 years she was head of special projects, global business environment/scenarios at Shell International limited. After four years commuting between Oxford and Paris, Wilkinson felt she needed a break. “I know the Eurostar menu backwards. I had always hoped we might relocate the family to Paris from Oxford but it just hasn’t worked out that way. I took a gap year and I have had a blast.” For Wilkinson, a gap year meant
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teaching at Oxford, consulting, and working as an independent expert. As a well-recognised authority in the industry she was overwhelmed with so many invitations that part of the reason for taking a permanent position with the council was to rationalise her workload.
PRIORITIES Wilkinson’s initial focus is to get the scenarios produced by the council used by the key actors in the energy sector. “The World Energy Council produced its most recent
BACK TO THE ENERGY FUTURE
set of scenarios. And the scenarios are great to have but actually the value is in using them. We have a whole series of application work streams that involves taking the world energy scenarios as a starting point and then further developing more focused storylines of the future around different sectors or geographies, and then working out what new insights we see.” These scenarios are not the futures we would want to see or would want to happen or even that we think will happen. They are the futures that might happen when the interplay of everything that is predetermined or uncertain is taken into account. “Whether you are in Africa, or you are interested in the future of gas, or whether you are really interested in electric vehicles or you are interested in grid technology - it is a set of frames that you can use that help you think through the storylines of the journey to the future of the energy system you might have to navigate. And the point is, if you can see those different futures then you are better placed to think about what key challenges, choices, and options you have now.”
THREE STORIES There are three scenarios, all musically named and pointing to what the world may look like in 2060 - Hard Rock, Unfinished Symphony, and Modern Jazz. The scenarios are constantly updated and sometime in 2018 a decision will be made to extend, refresh, add another scenario, or remove one. “None of them has a magic bullet solution for global warming,” Wilkinson says. “They each address it in a different way. And none of them Angela Wilkinson
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address it perfectly, because they’re designed to be realistic not abstract utopia. They are designed to allow people to stand in the future and think ‘what does today look like now’? Is the new digital future going to be as productive as the industrial revolution was? Or as evenly shared? The fact that we can connect to anyone, anywhere, at any time is a phenomenal achievement in human history. The 12
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question is will we use it well or not?” Hard Rock is about the fragmentation of geopolitics, the inwardness of the nation state, concerns about security manifesting in nationalist tendencies, a slowdown in global growth, rising inequality. Here the energy system is much more fragmented and localised. Unfinished Symphony sees a future that has stronger international co-operation around global challenges
BACK TO THE ENERGY FUTURE
like environmental change, or cyber security. States take responsibility for these challenges, setting clear regulatory and other frameworks. Modern Jazz is much more about disruptive technologies and innovation reforming the energy sector. It’s about lots of new and different types of platform based business models. But it’s a highly innovated, creative and fast moving world. Because of the digital disruption there is a much stronger focus around electrification. “And across all three of them one common factor starts to emerge,” Wilkinson adds. “Somewhere between 2030 and 2050, depending on which scenario you are in, we get to peak energy demand for things like coal and oil. That’s not to say they don’t remain a significant part of the mix, but they are not continuing to grow in demand.”
‘IT IS MUCH MORE SOBERING WHEN YOU STOP TALKING ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE AS THIS SORT OF GENERAL THING AND YOU START LOOKING AT WHAT THE IMPLICATIONS ARE’
For Wilkinson, the purpose of the scenarios is all about getting people to see the realities of climate change, not what we think the reality is. “If you want to model energy supply systems you are going to have to design it for whatever envelope of climate change you are going to get. It is much more sobering when you stop talking about climate change as this sort of general thing and you start looking at what the implications are and the impact of climate change on different parts of the world. And the risks that carries to different types of energy systems.” For Wilkinson there is a real fear that we are sleepwalking into the future. That as far as society is concerned, there isn’t really an energy problem. “The hope of the digital revolution is that in the long run it will save more energy than it uses. That is the promise, but we have to get there. And we are not going to get there in the world where nobody is putting investment into energy systems. “I would say that I am a concrete utopist. That means I think that it is possible to be hopeful but only if we work hard for hope. I am a realistic hoper rather than an optimist or pessimist.” 13
INSIGHT
Avoiding disaster
With the effects of natural disasters continuing to make the news, Tarun Bhandari, Head of Location Based Services, Utilities and Geospatial, Cyient, tells Energy Digital just how utilities can harness the power of integration for Disaster Operations Management W r i t t e n b y TA R U N B H A N DA R I
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INSIGHT
THE SUBJECT OF planning and managing the aftermath of natural disasters may not always be front of mind for electrical utility companies. But to the public, restoration of power in the event of such events is a critical activity and to many, a life-saving one. If a disaster strikes, millions of people may be impacted by the inefficient and uncoordinated efforts of just one organisation. In June this year, severe thunderstorms downed trees and power lines affecting the supply of electricity to 112,000 residents in Kansas City, USA. In the past 12 months, natural disasters around the world cost utilities an estimated $10bn in repairs and fines. Hurricane Irma knocked out power in over four million homes. Losses as a result of calamities or natural disasters have risen to the highest levels seen in four years. The question is: can utilities confidently say they have a robust disaster operations management plan in place? If not, there is a steep price to pay. When a disaster strikes, to minimise both disturbances and recovery times to the public, regulators are imposing heavy fines on utilities for extended outages â&#x20AC;&#x201C; when services are not restored within a stipulated time. 16
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In the next three years, the global incident and emergency management market is expected to grow by over 20%, to $101.33bn Penalties for damage In the UK in 2013, SSE & UKPN were fined ÂŁ8mn for management failures of slow power restoration following a major storm, with 660,000 customers affected. SA Power Networks in Australia was ordered to pay $20mn in compensation to 75,000 customers who were affected by a blackout following a storm late last year. Regulators are sending a clear message that negligent
AVOIDING DISASTER
“PREDICTIVE DAMAGE ASSESSMENT TOOLS CAN NOW LEVERAGE MACHINE LEARNING, HISTORICAL AND BIG DATA ANALYTICS TO IMPROVE DAMAGE FORECAST MODELLING”
action, or in most cases, inefficient action, will bring strict penalties. The initial costs of implementing comprehensive and robust disaster operations management might be perceived as a drawback by some, but the investment means avoiding lengthy downtime, power restoration delays and subsequent hefty fines from regulators. In the next three years, the global incident and emergency management 17
INSIGHT
market is expected to grow by over 20%, to $101.33bn. Major drivers of this growth include changing climatic conditions, increasing government regulations, extensive usage of social media to spread information and increased threats of terrorist attacks. An example of the changing climate is demonstrated in recent modelling from a group of international scientists who suggested that extreme ‘El Niño’ events will become more frequent in Australia over the next century, bringing weather patterns that are associated with droughts, floods and cyclones. This, therefore, is a crucial point for organisations to prepare for the future. 18
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Overcoming the challenges Many utilities find themselves underprepared for disasters due to a number of constraints within their core IT systems, with poor integration, limited information and lack of time. Systems that are neither intelligently integrated nor intelligently functional can cause delays to the restoration process. Multiple legacy sub-systems may operate in silos, with large, complex data sets requiring complex analysis, with many unable to provide results and offer decisions in near real-time. Consider the need to analyse the impact of an extreme storm on a utility’s assets. Data will be required from both a weather service and
AVOIDING DISASTER
IN THE UK IN 2013, SSE & UKPN WERE FINED ÂŁ8MN FOR MANAGEMENT FAILURES OF SLOW POWER RESTORATION FOLLOWING A MAJOR STORM, WITH 660,000 CUSTOMERS AFFECTED an asset management system, to layer the two together for analysis. Further information could then be drawn from vegetation data to predict the impact of fallen trees on those assets. To commence repair, field force automation and workforce management systems then need to organise the dispatch of field crews to repair the damage. This reactive process of responding to a disaster is both time- and labour-intensive, which is likely to result in fines for services failing to be restored within the required amount of time. Costs for the restoration of power also increase when outdated systems lack the capability to provide an accurate and reliable response
plan. These costly overheads may include the hiring of specialists to run damage assessment tests or paying staff overtime.
Laying the groundwork for Disaster Operations Management (DOM) Regulators are increasingly focusing on utilities performance metrics for defining their rates, costs and access to safety improvement, R&D and innovation budgets. All these affect the utilityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s operational and financial performance. An intelligent DOM solution will also prepare the groundwork to enable utilities to align and prepare themselves for some of the newer changes on 19
INSIGHT
“IF UTILITIES ADOPT A MORE PREDICTIVE AND DATA-DRIVEN APPROACH, THEY CAN ACQUIRE THE OPERATIONAL POWER TO QUICKLY COORDINATE WITH EMERGENCY RESPONSE SERVICES”
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the horizon, such as performance based regulation. This is being considered, with multi-year plans incentivising utilities to modernise their operations and align customer needs with company goals and policy goals. For example, Minnesota uses a multi-year plan that, according to state legislature, can replace annual rates as long as it bases a portion of utility revenue on encouraging efficiency. Rates are also reasonably in line with the costs of service during the time period. The introduction of intelligently integrated systems for location-based DOM would provide the assessment and management that utilities require to improve responsiveness. It would enable them to move away from being reactive, towards a process that helps them anticipate, plan and execute methods to reduce the impact of disasters. Even utilities that proactively mobilise without an outage or damage forecast model get it wrong; most either over- or under-prepare. Predictive damage assessment tools can now leverage machine learning, historical and big data analytics to improve damage forecast modelling, drawing on past data sets to produce
accurate and reliable estimates of the damage that assets can sustain. In addition, by automating processes, they can learn and respond to the evolving climatic scenarios. The communication between data is strengthened by the integration of formerly disparate systems, such as command control centres, weather information and field damage assessment. A 2016 report funded by the UK’s Department for International Development (DfID) assessed the application of big data for climate change and disaster resilience. It demonstrated how big data could be used in the early detection of floods by gathering and analysing information about flooding from social media feeds with satellite observations. Scientists De Groeve, Kugler and Brakenridge were then able to build a real-time map of the location, timing and impact of floods. The latest data sources generated and used by utilities, such as LiDAR, 3D imagery and Internet-Of-Things (IoT) sensor data, can also be integrated to enable better decisionmaking. For example, the use of IoT in the electric power industry enhances the grid’s resilience and durability 21
INSIGHT from outages. Smart meters are used as grid sensors that support decision making systems in several ways, including demand response, voltage management, outage management, accelerated restoration and overall operational efficiency.
The power of data If utilities adopt a more predictive and data-driven approach, they can acquire the operational power to quickly coordinate with emergency response services. They can also leverage historical data to improve their effectiveness and reaction time in the future. Teams are supported with tools to collaborate effectively and remove delays caused by disparate, unconnected systems. Consumers today are heavily reliant on the electrical grid and the â&#x20AC;&#x153;always onâ&#x20AC;? world has increased expectations about a utilityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s recovery times from outages in the event of a natural disaster. Regulators demand fast reaction times and consumers rely on power restoration as quickly as possible. Adverse weather conditions and threats to public safety are only going to grow. But now, utilities have access to a rich pool of data and intelligent technology to enhance their efficiency, and support their efforts to build a strong model for Disaster Operations Management. 22
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AVOIDING DISASTER
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TOP10 SUSTAINABLE CITIES INTHE US In a recent study, WalletHub studied the 100 largest US cities and used a combination of these complex scores to produce sustainability rankings. Here is a simplified list outlining the top 10 cities (of which California takes up 60%) and explaining what these cities are currently doing to improve their sustainability W r i t t e n b y : O LI V I A M I N N OC K
FURTHER INFORMATION: The WalletHub study assessed US cities on four key areas of environment, transportation, energy sources, and lifestyle and policy. Twenty different â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;green indicatorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; were measured, such as greenhouse gas emissions per capita and number of smart-energy policy initiatives. 25
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10 MINNEAPOLIS, MN. Minneapolis scored 65.75 overall. The city was number one for transportation, 26 for environment, 28 for energy sources and 18 for lifestyle and policy. In 2011, it introduced a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;green fleetâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; policy which aimed to combat air pollution while reducing costs of city vehicles. The city has so far introduced a total of 73 hybrid vehicles, three all-electric vehicles, 404 flex-fuel vehicles, 290 bio-diesel vehicles, and a dust-free street sweeper. Other transportation successes include the Complete Streets Policy which prioritises walking, biking and transit right of way before cars.
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09 SACRAMENTO, CA Sacramento scored 65.91 overall, placing fourth for lifestyle and policy and 8th for transportation. It also ranks 19th for energy sources, but just 54th for environment. The city has a defined Climate Action plan which it adopted in 2015 and is incorporated into its 2035 general plan. Again, the city encourages walking, cycling and public transit, as well as â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;green buildingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; practices to use solar energy systems and architectural designs that reduce heat gain. 27
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08 PORTLAND, OR Portland scored 67.78 overall and was second for lifestyle and policy. It also came in seventh for transportation, 14th for energy sources and 52nd for environment. Portland is working toward many sustainably initiatives, such as its sustainable food programme, clean energy initiative, green building advances and â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;fix-it fairsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; which aim to teach attendees simple, affordable ways to make their homes more sustainable and efficient. The Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability has put much of its 2015 Climate Action Plan into practice already, working towards reducing both overall energy consumption and potable water consumption by 10% each by 2020. 28
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07 OAKLAND, CA Oakland, California scored 68 overall. It came first for ‘energy sources’ and fifth overall for environment’. Oakland also ranked 16th for lifestyle and policy, but just 54th for transportation. It is consistently recognised as a leader in sustainability and is a common feature on such lists as ‘Top 10 Most Walkable US Cities and Neighbourhoods’ and ‘Top 5 Greenest Cities in the US.’ The city of Oakland states it aims to ‘grow the green economy by attracting green businesses to the area,’ thus creating more jobs, and by training residents to succeed in this field. It also hopes to shift to clean, renewable energy and is working toward a zero-waste goal. It runs many green events and has systems enabling citizens to easily report pollution problems.
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06 WASHINGTON, DC Washington scored 68.76, with a ranking of third for transportation and eighth for lifestyle and policy. It comes in ninth for environment and 29th for energy sources. Dedicated team Sustainable DC are working toward the Sustainable DC plan, which aims to make the District of Columbia the ‘healthiest, greenest and most liveable city in the United States’ by 2032. Some of these targets include developing three times as many district-based businesses, cutting citywide obesity by 50%, reaching out to at least 50% of children in the district to educate them about sustainability, and to reduce the city’s greenhouse gas emissions by 50%.
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05 SAN DIEGO, CA San Diego scored 70.49 and has consistent high rankings across the board, though doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t come in above seventh for a particular area. It ranks seventh for lifestyle, 13th for energy sources, 14th for transportation and 16th for environment. San Diego set Climate Action Plan goals in 2015 and this plan is being led by the Environmental Services Department who are working on increasing use of renewable energy across the city to achieve 100% use by 2035, facilitating property upgrades in line with PACE (Property Assessed Clean Energy) financing, and installing â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;smartâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; adaptive control street lighting with the aim of installing between 13,000 and 15,000 energy efficient and smart streetlights. 31
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04 FREMONT, CA Fremont had a total score of 71.35 and came first for energy sources and second for environment. It falls down on transportation, ranking at 83, and ranks in the middle of the road at 37 for lifestyle and policy. Fremont adopted its own Climate Action Plan in 2012, and aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions on a community-wide basis by 25% by 2020. So far, between 2005 and 2010 it decreased these emissions by 11%. A Green Task Force of citizens was also set up to identify and implement ways of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
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03 SAN JOSÉ, CA San José scored 71.57 in total, and comes fifth for lifestyle and policy. It also ranks 12th for energy sources, 13th for environment and 21st for transportation. Its Environmental Sustainability Plan builds on its already decade-old ‘Green Vision.’ The city is currently working on recycled water projects due to severe droughts common in the area. Advanced filtration technologies are being used to make wastewater potable and to replenish the groundwater system. In terms of sustainable growth, the city’s ‘smart growth’ policies are working to reduce sprawl, traffic congestion and greenhouse gases and to preserve the green hillsides which are at risk as San José from the sprawling suburbanisation of the Bay Area. 33
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02 HONOLULU, HI Scoring 74.49 overall, Hawaiiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s capital ranks first for environment, 14th for lifestyle and policy, 21st for energy sources and a middling 38th for transportation. The city is working to prevent further water pollution, mainly by promoting permablitz; a movement involving volunteers who plant permaculture gardens in order to reduce storm water runoff. Honolulu also currently has the most solar power per capita in comparison with all other US cities.
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01 SAN FRANCISCO, CA With a total score of 75.64, San Francisco ranks consistently highly, coming in first for lifestyle and policy, sixth for environment, 10th for transportation and 15th for energy sources. It has consistently been known as a key player in sustainability efforts, and was working towards green movements long before the recent increase in popularity. The city has green building practices, a kerbside composting program, and much more. More than half of the busses and light rails in the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fleet are zero emission and San Francisco is working towards hybrid diesel by 2020. There is a current focus on sustainable food and there has been a substantial increase in the vegan movement that limits the consumption of meat. 35
P RYS M I A N G R O U P :
Co n n e c t i n g A u s t ra l i a
Written by: Catherine Sturman Produced by: Josef Smith
P RY S M I A N G R O U P - A U S T R A L I A A N D N E W Z E A L A N D
Chief Executive Officer Frederick Persson discusses how Prysmian Group’s manufacturing capabilities continue to support the growing number of infrastructure projects across Australia
F
rom Brazil and Turkey, to Germany and China, Prysmian Group has become a leader provider of energy and telecoms cables, serving customers all over the world. With sales reaching over €7.5bn in 2016 alone, the Group continues to develop its existing products to support new and emerging markets. Its exponential
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growth, reflected in the high volume of infrastructure projects within Australia at present, has seen Prysmian Group house two factories within Sydney – one for its telecommunication cables, the other for its energy division. “We are in a great location, and are a short distance from Sydney CBD, so this makes a big difference for customers who
want to ensure that their cables are produced and delivered on time, sometimes at extra cost – I think that’s a big selling point,” explains Frederick Persson, the company’s Chief Executive Officer. Significant investment has been placed in the development of the two factories within the last five years, with a long-term goal to deliver a personalised touch whilst providing a global presence. Such is the Group’s success, it has been the sole supplier of not only Telstra’s telecommunication cables for the last 15 years, but it
is also the major cable supplier of the National Broadband Network’s (NBN) government-funded, fibre network project across Australia. Set to complete in 2020, the Group is continually manufacturing all the required cables for successful deployment of the NBN rollout. One stop shop Striving for customer satisfaction has seen Prysmian Group become well respected throughout Australia, something which Persson notes with pride. Proactively responding to any
1st underwater optical fibre cable laid in Sydney Harbour 2015
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How do you help to reliably connect people? You start with two industry leaders. Dow and Prysmian cables. We have been working together for over 15 years designing and delivering cables for power and telecommunications infrastructure that last for decades. Our strategic collaboration and technology enable us to widely support Australia’s National Broadband Network (nbn). Approximately 70 percent of the cables that connect homes and businesses to high speed broadband are supplied by Prysmian Australia, using DOW AXELERON™ polyethylene compounds. So, the next time you connect with your loved ones through the internet, you know your broadband connection and speed is of high quality because of the high-performance materials used. Dow and Prysmian … Together, the elements of science and the human element can solve anything. Read more about our solutions at:
dow.com/electrical prysmiancable.com.au
™®Trademark of The Dow Chemical Company (“Dow”) or an affiliated company of Dow
spikes in demand, he explains that this has granted the Group an award at the NBN Supplier Summit for three consecutive years. “This is on the back of our very high ability to predict possible changes and flexibility to produce any cable at short notice,” he says. The Group therefore embeds a high level of quality control, guaranteeing high standards across the board. “With some production lines, we have speeds of up to 900 meters per minute and these are monitored automatically,” comments Persson. “If we encounter any problems with the cables, we are immediately alerted and work to make sure that this doesn’t impact the customer in any way. “We’re a global company, so I think our name carries some weight. We support customers on the cable management side, so we take care of the delivery and also give a lot of technical support when clients define their projects. I feel that we are quite competitive overall.”
• Sales reached over €7.5bn in 2016 • Two factories within Sydney – one for its telecommunication cables, the other for its energy division. • The major supplier of cables to the National Broadband Network’s (NBN) government funded, fibre network project across Australia. • Some production lines run at speeds of up to 900 meters per minute and these are monitored automatically
Increased competition The Group’s ongoing work has seen it garner positive relationships with suppliers – but even a good reputation has not removed it from common challenges within the Australian market. Utilising local suppliers has enabled reduction in any bottlenecks within its supply chain. Proximity is a significant driver, delivering potential cost savings. Consequently, the company
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P RY S M I A N G R O U P - A U S T R A L I A A N D N E W Z E A L A N D
$35 Million
Prysmian Group - Australia and New Zealand Annual Revenue
has strong local relationships with Dow Chemical and Metrod Holdings, amongst many others in the delivery of its cables. “We have been able to position ourselves as a quality product manufacturer and I think we have very few problems with regards to the quality of the cables we are putting on the Australian market,” adds Persson. “Do people prefer to pay for this? Not always, but to a larger extent we are able to support those customers that can see the value on the products we are making.” Additionally, despite ongoing growth potential, the Group also continues to tackle ongoing international challenges, especially with regards to importing products with varying levels of quality, and even compliance. “Often we find we are competing against suppliers with a very different set of standards and we have had a couple of very high issues here in Australia. We are sometimes competing with products made under fewer regulations or fewer standards which we are obliged to apply under Australian laws. Being a local manufacturer sometimes makes
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Copper wire bins in the stranding machine
“If we encounter any problems with the cables, we are immediately alerted and work to make sure that this doesn’t impact the customer in any way” – Frederick Persson, Chief Executive Officer
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Frederick Persson Chief Executive Officer
Frederick Persson was appointed, CEO of Prysmian Australia & New Zealand on 1st March 2014. He commenced employment with Prysmian Group, as CEO to Sweden in 2010. Frederick has a degree in Bachelor of Science in Logistics, studied in Vaxjoe Sweden, in 1996. He started his career with a Swedish steel manufacturer, SSAB. Persson held various positions mainly in sales and progressed to CEO of SSAB, Canada. He moved to the stainless steel industry becoming the MD of the French wholesaler company, IMS in Sweden.
this hard,” Persson says. Wishing for a level playing field, Persson adds: “We work to make sure that we are efficient, and whatever we lose in terms of having a more expensive workforce here in Australia, we will therefore compensate by creating smarter solutions or advanced machines – in the end we have to be able to compete in a global arena.” Future developments The use and subsequent loss of energy is something which Prysmian Group is working on reducing throughout the development of its cables in a bid to better serve its customers.
Increased energy prices in Australia and the need to become more sustainable are two key areas where the Group is allocating resources in order to provide efficient solutions and the design of cables efficiencies to the whole network. Additionally, not content to just better its existing technologies, the Group is working at supplying connectorised cables, which will support the delivery of a complete system, rather than sole parts, in order to further extend its services. “Our new invention, Prycam, is where customers will be able to monitor the cable whilst it is live and be alerted if there is a fault,”
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P RY S M I A N G R O U P - A U S T R A L I A A N D N E W Z E A L A N D
“We are a global supplier with the ability to supply high quality cables worldwide” – Frederick Persson, Chief Executive Officer
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Persson says. “This is something that people are asking for – to predict potential black outs.” “We are slowly moving towards a smart grid, where energy is injected into the grid depending on peak usage times. It is becoming more intellectual. We are trying to move from just a transactional cable supplier to offering the complete solution.” Delving into the renewable energy market will also open up further doors for Prysmian Group.
Extruder machine A steady demand for wind and solar farms is emerging within Australia, where the Group aims to deliver the cables for such projects. Adopting a proactive approach and responding to customer needs has enabled Prysmian Group to continue developing its services across Australia, whilst maintaining the focus on a personalised touch. “We are a global supplier with the ability to supply high quality cables worldwide,” concludes Persson. “Although being a corporate
organisation can sometimes be very hard for the customer to get through, I can confidently say that our customers can trust our ability to combine local capabilities and industry expertise with a global ability to source cables and solutions from any part of the world. All of it with one goal: maintaining our position as a supplier of choice.”
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INGENIOUS SIMPLICITY Challenging convention in the energy sector Written by: Laura Mullan Produced by: Mariana Lee
With the decommissioning sector booming in the Far East, Proserv has established itself as a market leader in the industry. Mathieu Al Kharfan, President for Asia-Pacific, explains how this has been achieved with technological prowess and ‘ingenious simplicity’
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ometimes the brilliance of a business is in its simplicity and no one understands this better than Proserv. As a leading global energy services company, Proserv provides products, services, and bespoke solutions to clients across the drilling, production, and decommissioning sectors. Aiming to be the fresh alternative in the industry, Proserv combines technical ingenuity with design, engineering, manufacturing and field services expertise, to support clients throughout the lifecycle of their assets, with a focus on maximising operational performance and efficiency. “We are really trying to challenge the conventional views, processes, and thinking which has been in the
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industry for years,” says Mathieu Al Kharfan, President for AsiaPacific. “‘Ingenious Simplicity’ is not just our company tagline, it is an ethos embedded into everything we do and stand for; from the way we approach our design & engineering right through to how we implement our work processes and support the delivery of projects.”
Ingenious Simplicity Proserv’s company ethos is a unique and refreshing approach which is helping clients minimise cost, risk, and liability. “Historically, the industry has often over-engineered,” Al Kharfan says. “Companies tried to show how smart they were by creating something complex and allegedly
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“You can have the best technology portfolio in the world but if you don’t have the best people then you’re not going to have the same level of performance” – Mathieu Al Kharfan, President for Asia-Pacific.
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“Our supply chain is critical to helping us deliver sustainable, reliable and quality services because we need to find partners who can support us as a global leader with a global footprint”
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more technologically advanced, but all of that complexity means added risk and unknown things go wrong. Our tagline that we lead by is ‘ingenious simplicity’ and by that, we always ask ourselves ‘what does our client need?’, ‘what are they trying to achieve?’ and ‘how can we achieve it in the simplest way possible with minimal amount of risk and cost?’ That’s what makes us unique.” The idea of engineering simply is a new concept to energy services but it is one which has brought Proserv numerous successes. Sam Hanton, Vice President for Proserv’s Subsea Services division, says: “The whole industry is having to get its head around this different approach. It’s a completely different mindset. “We really strive not to overengineer solutions because nowadays the energy infrastructure isn’t going to be there for 25 years, it’s going to be decommissioned in six months. It doesn’t need that kind of longevity or complexity so we’re helping to educate our clients and also the contractors to help them get efficiencies that maybe they
haven’t realised that they could get.”
Leading in the decommissioning sector The industry’s decommissioning sector is booming and nowhere can these reverberations be felt more than in the Asia-Pacific region, where the market was almost nonexistent a couple of years ago. Thanks to its expertise, track record and reliable brand, Proserv has positioned itself as a leading global partner in decommissioning services. In recent months, it has worked with Premier Oil in Indonesia; Chevron, through Baker Hughes, in the Gulf of Thailand; BHP, through Fugro, in Western Australia; and PCPP Operating Co., through Sapura Technology Solutions in Malaysia. But why has the company been so successful? “We are seeing that a lot of operators are planning much further ahead,” explains Al Kharfan. “They want reliable partners with track records and experience who can consistently provide reliable, high-quality work for them. A lot
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of operators now understand the market more and the risks they’re taking. It’s not just about costs it’s about making sure that when decommissioning is done there is no liability for them because that is where the biggest problems lie. There’s been a change in mentality and that’s been very favourable to us and our approach and we expect that to continue. “The market in Asia-Pacific is growing quite significantly. Right now there are at least 150 platforms which we know are already due or scheduled to be removed, so we’ve positioned ourselves very well with those contracts to be the leading technology solutions partners for decommissioning in the region.”
An extensive, reliable supply chain The main challenge facing Proserv is keeping up with demand and developing the extensive supply chain it needs to deliver high-quality services. “Our supply chain is critical to helping us deliver sustainable,
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“We offer ingenious solutions which are simple, fit for purpose, and cost-effective for our clients but most importantly, we have technology at our heart” – Mathieu Al Kharfan, President for Asia-Pacific.
reliable and quality services because we need to find partners who can support us as a global leader with an international footprint,” Al Kharfan says. “Alternatively, we also need to find people who are very well established in the region where we’re working and who can provide us with a high quality of product very quickly. “Without our supply chain, there’s no way we would be able to deliver the recent $4mn projects we won in
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The sun sets on a Proserv decommissioning project Asia-Pacific, and so the challenge for us has been to build and further that supply chain. We’ve got a very good problem to have in the industry in that we’ve got more demand than we can actually cope with - that’s the biggest challenge we face.”
Investing in talent In the belief that people are at the core of Proserv’s success, the company has invested heavily into developing
the expertise and knowledge of its staff. This belief is manifested in the Proserv Academy - a virtual learning resource which aims to facilitate, support and encourage aspirational learning within the company. “You can have the equipment in the world but if you don’t have the best people then you’re not going to have the same level of performance,” notes Hanton, and it’s an opinion that Al Kharfan echoes.
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1,300
Number of employees at Proserv
“I have been with Proserv for seven years and I’ve really grown with the company,” reflects Al Kharfan. “It’s important that we help our employees grow to allow them to reach their fullest potential. This is something that I have experienced first-hand myself at Proserv, and I want to be able to offer these opportunities to my team because they can only achieve the best for themselves and for the company if they’re given the chance to develop. “If you offer flexibility and space for people to grow you can unlock their true capability. You don’t always have that in larger organisations but this is very much alive in Proserv.” Thanks to its global expertise, technological innovation, and a unique company ethos, Proserv has thrived in the booming decommissioning sector. The Asia-Pacific region has proved a promising market for the company and it’s one where Proserv aims to be a major player for years to come.
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An Envac automatic waste collection facility
REMOVING WASTE
CREATING VALUE W R I T T EN BY: CATHERINE STURMAN P R O D U C ED BY: ROB GRAY
ENVAC SUPPORTS DEVELOPING SMART CITIES THROUGH ITS SUSTAINABLE, AUTOMATED VACUUM WASTE SOLUTIONS
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There are huge opportunities to change the waste management industry. The earlier a design considers waste the better,” explains Envac Business Development Manager Alex Mitchell. By 2050, cities will house approximately 70% of the human population, creating significant challenges in the way in which we manage waste. Whilst there have been advances in a multitude of industries, waste management has remained the same, creating high levels of pollution and increased health concerns. However, this is set to change. Founded in 1961 and with over 1,000 systems operating in 30 countries, Envac works to support the development of smart cities through embedding exceptional technologies that can be applied in large-scale developments, apartments, hospitals, commercial
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buildings and airports. Moving waste via a pipe network, Envac’s system connects buildings to a number of collection stations, situated away from the main development or city site, creating cleaner, more efficient spaces in which to grow and thrive. Envac’s systems are ISO 9001 and HACCP compliant, yet the company faces an uphill battle in order for it to transform such a traditional industry. “Envac is slowly changing the perception of how waste can be managed by focusing on projects where we add value,” explains Mitchell. Envac’s waste collection solutions are able to significantly reduce labour costs long-term, reduce carbon emissions and eliminate a number of potential risks associated with increased waste levels and growing demands on this industry. To increase market penetration and provide reliable development
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Envacâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s system serves residential properties
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Envacâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s systems are ISO 9001 and HACCP compliant
“THERE ARE HUGE OPPORTUNITIES TO CHANGE THE WASTE MANAGEMENT INDUSTRY. THE EARLIER A DESIGN CONSIDERS WASTE THE BETTER” - ALEX MITCHELL Envac Business Development Manager
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guidelines for the automated vacuum waste collection industry, Envac has invested in working with the British Standards Institution (BSI) to develop a specification. This will “set the bar of quality” for industry to follow and will give a level of confidence to clients when it comes to the design.
will be connected to all areas in the district. The system will collect 145 tonnes of mixed waste per day via a pipe network that connects to a single collection station, where the waste is then stored in sealed containers which are removed from site once full. “If you imagine a neighbourhood within traditional waste management, KING ABDULLAH FINANCIAL a truck has to visit every single DISTRICT (KAFD) building and house and pick up By identifying customer requirements, the waste,” comments Mitchell. the need for the system and the “Envac’s system reduces carbon type of waste generated, Envac emissions as a result of reduced has been behind the waste strategy waste vehicle traffic, reduced fuel for the King Abdullah Financial emissions and idling time for trucks, District (KAFD) project. Situated contributing to a safe environment.” in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, KAFD To drive up resource recovery will become the largest mixed use rates, the project will adopt a twofinancial centre in the Middle East. fraction system, one for dry and one Unlike traditional for wet waste. Each waste management waste fraction will systems, where be deposited into waste is manually separate waste Since 1961 Envac has collected and inlets, which will accumulated over 4,000 placed into a connect to multiple years of operational compactor and vertical gravity collected via trucks, chutes. The use of experience Envac’s flexible system inlets will eliminate the
1961
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An Envac litter bin in Stockholm, Sweden
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possibility of overflowing waste, seen in traditional waste collection systems. “Many existing high-rise buildings have gravity waste chutes installed, where residents or office workers can throw waste into an inlet on each floor,” explains Mitchell. “Envac’s system connects to the bottom of that chute where we install our discharge valve.” The waste is temporarily stored at the valve until a collection cycle is activated by a level sensor or a timed sequence controlled by Envac’s Automation platform. The vacuum exhausters, located at the
“IF TRUCKS DON’T COME INTO THE DEVELOPMENT, IT REDUCES THE NUMBER OF TRUCKS ON THE ROAD AND THE RISK OF ACCIDENTS WITH PEDESTRIANS OR OTHER VEHICLES” - ALEX MITCHELL Envac Business Development Manager
collection station, are energised and create a negative pressure within the pipe network. Once the required vacuum pressure is reached, Envac’s automation platform controls the valve openings to create a flow of air within the pipe network. The discharge valves then open to allow the waste to enter the system reaching speeds of 70kph. The air which carries the waste is consequently treated through a multistage filtering system, eliminating all potential odours. Each waste collection station
in the Envac system is situated remotely or offsite, removing the need for waste collection trucks to enter the development. “If trucks don’t come into the development, it reduces the number of trucks on the road and the risk of accidents with pedestrians or other vehicles,” comments Mitchell. “One of our biggest environmental savings is the reduction in the reliance on transport.” Previous studies have shown that Envac’s systems have consequently reduced waste traffic and associated carbon emissions by up to 90%.
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GIFT CITY Envac’s 10-year project at Gujarat International Finance and Technology City (GIFT City) in India has seen the development of its first integrated collection and segregation facility. Eliminating potential waste from landfill, the project will transform the area and ultimately attract financial and technological investment upon completion, in a bid to become one of India’s smart cities. Envac’s waste collection systems are on the rise in both the Middle East and Asia, especially within housing developments. “In India for example, it is difficult for us to sell a system if it doesn’t include a treatment technology as well, so we sell a holistic approach, otherwise it just doesn’t stack up,” says Mitchell. “We also find in the Middle East, for substantial development projects, that with increasing population density, municipal regulation and zero waste targets, the economics of pneumatically collecting waste and treating the waste on site are becoming more viable. Globally, I think waste management has gained a
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higher profile over the last ten years.” Phase one of the GIFT City project is now complete, with phase two now underway. The project will see Envac’s waste system incorporated into a new district, encompassing hospitals, schools, hotels, retail and corporate facilities, all spread over 900 acres. Similar to KAFD, the project has become one of the most ambitious and technologically advanced infrastructure projects that Envac is in the process of undertaking, where its systems will cater for up to 400 tons of waste per day. Sustainable practices have been at the forefront of all Envac’s designs. Two chute inlets enable valuable resources to be recovered from the wet organic waste at GIFT City, whereas dry waste enters a mechanical sorting process. Bottles, cans, paper and plastic will all be segregated out of the waste stream and placed within a recycling stream at every collection station. Eventually, up to seven collection stations will be built at GIFT City, removing any need for waste collection trucks to enter the area.
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“The system’s ability to revolutionise the waste collection process, from making the development cleaner and more hygienic by eliminating overfull bins, to making the area safer and more environmentally friendly by removing large trucks from the waste collection process - all whilst reducing the cost of waste collection - is extraordinary,” comments Ajay Pandey, Managing Director and Group CEO at GIFT City. Additionally, security is a key issue within Envac’s waste management systems as the sealed system offers a secure pathway for waste to leave a site without the need for any trucks. These systems are highly desirable in a majority of Envac’s projects, especially within airports where Envac handles waste from the terminals (e.g. Hamad International Airport in Doha) and from flight catering operations (e.g. Emirates Flight Catering in Dubai). In many projects in Europe, Envac has implemented tracking technologies, providing advanced analytics and providing greater insights into the efficiency of its systems. Waste is placed in inlets, which are able to
Envac’s bins automatically empty underground
“THE SYSTEM’S ABILITY TO REVOLUTIONISE THE WASTE COLLECTION PROCESS... ALL WHILST REDUCING THE COST OF WASTE COLLECTION - IS EXTRAORDINARY” AJAY PANDEY MD and Group CEO at GIFT City
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Envacâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s underground waste management system
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be tracked through the use of Radio Frequency Identification (RFD) tags. Accessible only by authorised users, Mitchell explains that “once scanned, the inlet will open for users to deposit their waste, which falls down onto the discharge valve which have inbuilt weighing systems.” “In future, a charging scheme could be implemented to further incentivise users to recycle more and dispose of less garbage,” creating sufficient cost controls and reduced fuel costs for businesses.
OUTDOOR SPACES To further support this global smart city vision, traditional waste litter bins on local streets have also been modernised, making all waste management accessible, convenient and low-cost in order to encourage individuals to support Envac’s operations. Whilst outdoor inlets and high capacity litter bins resemble traditional bins, the updated designs enable the bins to connect to Envac’s systems underground so that “they are emptied automatically,
ensuring that no truck has to go to the street to empty them,” adds Mitchell. “They can handle waste from pedestrians or facilities management service contractors, creating cleaner, more hygienic spaces. “We also have systems in Singapore that operate as low as 250 to 500kg of waste per day, all the way up to systems which collect 400 tonnes of waste a day. We have a wide range so there is a lot of versatility.” An aggressive five-year expansion plan will consequently enable Envac to drive further competition in the delivery of waste management solutions, and grow in alignment with this global demand for smart technologies. “There are other companies that offer similar technologies, but we don’t have as much competition as we would like. I think any industry thrives with a bit of competition,” concludes Mitchell. “I think the market could do with more companies coming into it and as a result, more appreciation and understanding of the technology and as that happens, more opportunities become available as well.”
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