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Letter from the President 2020-2021
October 2021
As President for the 2020-2021 term, I have seen the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic impact our members worldwide. As we look towards the end of this year and onwards into next year, however, we are now starting to see, fortunately, some regions of the globe witnessing an improvement in the sanitary conditions as more and more populations are being vaccinated.
After starting the year working from home, the IPLOCA Secretariat returned to the office at the beginning of June as the need for lockdown ended in Switzerland. Despite the sanitary measures put in place, the work of the Association continued and the new membership database and IPLOCA website were launched in August. As a result, members are now able to update their data on the website and the Yearbook.
Once again, regular webinars were held throughout the year so as to keep members up-to-date with member news and industry developments. Unfortunately, Regional Meetings had to be postponed until 2022.
I am proud to announce that 20 IPLOCA Scholarships and one Company-sponsored Scholarship were awarded this year to children and grandchildren of IPLOCA Members.
On 20th September, a Special General Meeting was held via Zoom video and audio conference, and the following motion was passed: ‘To exceptionally appoint for the 2021-2022 term only, up to nine additional Directors from the Regular Member companies, to represent the eight Geographic Regions, and the Associate Members.’ This ensures that the continuity of the work of the committees undertaken by the 2020-2021 IPLOCA Board Directors will continue into the 2021-2022 term.
Based on the feedback received via the poll that was sent to all members in April, and after a careful review of the COVID-19 pandemic status at that time, and taking into account the vaccination roll-out projections, the Board of Directors decided, regrettably, to postpone IPLOCA’s Annual Convention that was scheduled to take place from 13 to 17 September 2021 at the Hilton Prague hotel, Czech Republic, to 2022. As a consequence, the Annual General Meeting was held in conjunction with the HSE Workshop and the Novel Fall Session, in-person and via Zoom video and audio conference this year, in Athens, Greece on 26-28 October.
The Association continues to recognize excellence and share best practices with our members and is pleased to have received a good level of entries for the IPLOCA Health & Safety Award sponsored by TC Energy, the Corporate Social Responsibility Award sponsored by TotalEnergies and the New Technology Award sponsored by BP. The winners of these awards were announced during the three day event in Athens.
The next in-person Board Meeting is planned to take place in Malta at the beginning of December. The traditional activities of the Association are gradually moving towards normality with in-person meetings starting to take place, together with the possibility for members who are still unable to travel, to connect remotely.
The United Nations declared 2021 as the International Year of Creative Economy for Sustainable Development. The Association has moved forward and recognized that whilst staying in the pipeline business there has been a shift in mentality and Corresponding Members are moving towards renewables. As a first step, and in acknowledgement of this change, an ad-hoc committee has been set-up within the framework of the Novel Construction Initiative, with regards to Hydrogen Emissions.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the 2020-2021 Board Directors for their dedication throughout the year and the Secretariat for their support in helping us all get through such a difficult period together.
Next year’s Convention, 19-23 September 2022 in Prague, promises to be exceptional as members will once again be able to meet up and network in-person. I look forward to getting together with fellow pipeliners and the many friends I have made over the years.
I wish you all good health and much prosperity for the year to come.
