To create your individual collection of articles for download, tick the relevant boxes and click the download button below.
01.2024
Impact
CKI family, all around the world
CK Infrastructure gathered a group of high-achieving colleagues from around the world and their family members for a day of fun and games in Hong Kong last November with 1,200 participants attending. Held after a long COVID-induced hiatus, the CKI International Family Day brings together staff and family members from Hong Kong, Mainland China as well as the UK, the Netherlands, Germany, Australia, New Zealand and Canada. A tug-of-war and dance competition were two of the highlight events of the day.
The CKI International Family Day celebrates the team and family spirit amongst colleagues of different nationalities and cultures from all corners of the globe, standing united as a strong family unit with common fundamental values and a desire to achieve excellence. The smiles and joy were clear enough to show that the CKI family was happy to be together again!
UK Power Networks is taking real steps to help its customers with their cost-of-living struggles. It provides funding and programmes that help energy-vulnerable populations deal with increased costs and isolation.
The Cost of Living Fund now stands at £500,000 and is distributed to organisations so that they can conduct more home visits and provide income to those desperately in need. With cold snaps threatening people, the support has empowered the creation of 120 “warm hubs” that have reached over 18,400 people; over 3,000 have received substantial support.
Jabiru Power Station in the Northern Territory, Australia has completed 500 days of operation – providing renewable energy from solar power to local residents and businesses in the remote township, surrounded by the World Heritage-listed Kakadu National Park.
In a powerful blend of clean energy and environmental conservation, global sustainable energy producer EDL has partnered with the Northern Territory Government, Parks Australia and local Djurrubu Rangers to safeguard the black-footed tree-rat and its habitat.
An established 1,000-hectare conservation zone will be carefully managed through a plan and monitoring programme, including controlling feral animals and weeds, managing fires on a small scale and conducting surveys to keep track of the local wildlife.
HK Electric co-hosted an opening ceremony for the city’s first offshore liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal with its project partner, CLP Power. The supply of low-carbon LNG to Hong Kong’s electricity generation and distribution companies will help the city in its transition to carbon neutrality by 2050.
The project was the collective success of business partners, marine experts, engineers, technicians, construction workers and other colleagues from the two power companies. The city has also benefited from the Hong Kong SAR Government’s environmental policies that have facilitated the construction of this complex but important infrastructure.
Hydrogen is the future of Queensland, and Australian Gas Infrastructure Group (AGIG) is building that future. Construction has started on Hydrogen Park (HyP) Gladstone, located on Australia’s northeast coast. The plant will enable AGIG to introduce a 10% blend of renewable hydrogen into the natural gas currently used by homes and businesses. The renewable hydrogen burns clean with no carbon emissions and can be increased as a percentage of the flow over time. Around 770 homes and businesses will be online by early 2024 – and as the project reaches its full potential, it will save over 57 tonnes of carbon from entering the atmosphere each year.
HK Electric has introduced a powerful, mobile electricity-generating unit that can step in to provide a green supply in case of an emergency. It is a two-truck system that could also be deployed as a backup power source for major events. It can provide up to two hours of continuous power supply for more than 650 households. In Hong Kong, it debuted at the FIA World Rallycross Championship in autumn 2023.
The innovative system’s dual-pronged approach features an energy storage truck and a power changeover truck that allows an uninterrupted power supply. Batteries are replacing traditional diesel systems – they are quieter and greener in operation.
SA Power Networks’ “Flexible Exports” project has won the Australian Institute of Energy’s SA Energy Project of the Year Award 2023. The award is offered to the most significant and successful energy-related project, such as research, policy, legal, commercial, engineering and construction, over the past 12 months.
SA Power Networks engaged with more than 6,000 national and international stakeholders to successfully develop and deploy Flexible Exports, which allow solar customers to export up to 10kW of energy depending on grid capacity at the time. It’s a game-changer for both the industry and customers alike who now have an even bigger stake in producing zero-emission energy.
If you don’t have a Supply Chain Day, perhaps you should consider organising one. UK Power Networks (UKPN) does, and it tells suppliers how important they are and how they can help.
On Supply Chain Day, 135 suppliers, representing 80% of suppliers, committed to honouring UKPN’s new green Code of Conduct. More are signing on. UKPN also provides support for micro- and small-business suppliers that may lack the resources of larger firms.
The Code addresses actions that include committing to the circular economy, reducing carbon emissions, improving social mobility and upholding high ethical standards, among other requirements.
Global sustainable energy producer EDL and key project stakeholders Republic Services, NW Natural Renewables and Pennant Midwest have commenced operations at the Limestone Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) facility near Youngstown, Ohio, USA.
EDL has upgraded an existing landfill gas-to-energy power plant to an RNG facility near Republic Services’ Carbon Limestone Landfill.
This new facility is helping to tackle the issue of carbon-heavy landfill gas (LFG) that typically escapes into the atmosphere due to the decomposition of rubbish. The LFG is processed and conditioned into pipeline-quality RNG – reducing harmful emissions and providing a reliable source of green energy for local residents and businesses.
The Limestone RNG facility is designed to produce 1.7 million MMBtu (million British thermal units) of RNG in 2024 – comparable to removing the emissions from 13,170 passenger vehicles from roads each year.
Wales & West Utilities have partnered with ARUP, a global engineering consultant, to produce a report to explore how hydrogen could transform the aviation sector across their region. Hydrogen in Aviation explores how hydrogen could be used at airports in Bristol, Cardiff, Exeter and Newquay.
The report also helps potential users and suppliers to make practical plans to incorporate hydrogen into their operations. Pipeline builders can use the report to plan infrastructure changes and support the advancement of the hydrogen economy. This is an exciting first step in decarbonising our air travel.
Peter Malinauskas, Premier of South Australia, and Chris Beattie, Chief Officer of the State Emergency Service, invited SA Power Networks (SAPN) to a special event to recognise agencies that made at difference in their response to the recent River Murray floods that plagued South Australia from November last year until February 2023. Staff were praised for their tireless work and inter-agency cooperation, and the Premier presented SAPN with a memorial plaque to recognise their “outstanding collegiality and cross-government support for the River Murray floods”.
The SA Volunteer Awards, hosted by the South Australian Government has recognised SA Power Networks’ efforts in the community with a Premier’s Award for Corporate Social Responsibility. The Award celebrates a for-profit business that makes an extraordinary contribution to the community. SAPN supported in the region of 44 organisations last year with millions of dollars of direct grant funding. During 2022, it also launched its inaugural community grants programme that benefited another 25 community groups, schools and not-for-profits. That big-hearted approach to the community deserves to be celebrated!
Enerven is taking on its biggest project to date after winning a landmark contract to construct a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) for Origin Energy at their Eraring Power Station in New South Wales. Enerven’s expertise in high-voltage and renewable energy was crucial in securing the right to build the 460MW battery – among the largest in Australia. The A$600 million investment will enable renewable energy to be stored and dispatched during peak demand, supporting grid stability and energy security as well as creating up to 128 construction jobs and 10 operational jobs.
HK Electric and its partner, CLP Power, have opened their liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal to receive LNG for power generation. This offshore terminal features the world’s largest Floating Storage and Regasification Unit vessel, the Bauhinia Spirit, with an LNG storage capacity of 263,000m3. The LNG is stored onboard the Bauhinia Spirit until it is regasified and sent on to the two power stations including HK Electric’s, contributing to the green energy transition in Hong Kong.
Hydrogen Park South Australia (HyP SA) has ramped up the supply of hydrogen to customers in South Australia. In May 2023, the current 700 customers ballooned to 4,000 homes and businesses in Mitchell Park, Clovelly Park and parts of Marion. Happy customers over the past two years of HyP SA’s operation merit the expansion of the platform that produces hydrogen and then adds it to natural gas flows to customers. HyP SA currently has Australia’s biggest electrolyser to create stored hydrogen power and will hold that title until the next wave of projects come online, including Australian Gas Infrastructure Group’s 10MW HyP Murray Valley project, in mid-2025.
Essex & Suffolk Water is investing £49.3 million in upgrades to its water treatment works at Barsham to bring clean water, clean living and a more resilient environment to over 75,000 people across a wide swathe of the region. A new reservoir will contain over 20 million litres of water. New pumps, filters and tanks, chemical dosing and plant-washing facilities will combine to ensure clean, fresh, great-tasting water.
It is all Enviro NZ now! The constituent companies have been brought under the Enviro NZ brand. EnviroWaste, ChemWaste, EnviroEarth and the parent company Enviro NZ all now bear one moniker and look, simplifying and strengthening the brand in the public eye. Popular apps such as the EnviroEarth app will still work and will be updated with the new style in time. Enviro NZ employs around 1,100 New Zealanders who provide essential waste and recycling solutions for a third of all local councils, and more than half a million business and household customers.
Australian Gas Infrastructure Group is rolling out hydrogen production facilities in the HyPs: Hydrogen Parks. The next to come is Murray Valley. Construction is commencing soon on HyP Murray Valley and it’s expected to start producing in mid-2025. The HyP will create hydrogen that will be mixed into the existing natural gas supply to the homes of 40,000 customers in the Albury-Wodonga region. The 10MW electrolyser will have eight times the capacity of Australia’s current biggest operational electrolyser, eclipsing its production.
Northern Gas Networks is about more than gas. It has secured support to conduct a 12-week study into the integration of offshore wind generation and electrolysis, especially the optimal placement of infrastructure, such as electrolysers and energy storage, to minimise the cost and maximise the resilience. The Hydrogen Cost Reduction (HyCoRe) programme is supported by the national energy regulator and development agency, OFGEM, through their Strategic Innovation Fund and has the participation of other energy companies including UK Power Networks.
SA Power Networks is expanding its world-leading Flexible Exports programme, allowing customers to export more solar energy into the grid. Solar customers are able to export (i.e. sell) up to 10kW per phase from their rooftop solar panel systems, depending on network capacity. Successful trials have proven that customers could export the maximum 10kW allotment 98% of the time. Customers getting on board with the Flexible Exports programme not only earn a return on their rooftop solar investment but also contribute to a more sustainable and stable energy grid overall.
Sulphur hexafluoride (SF6) is commonly used as an insulator to protect against shock for high-voltage electrical systems – and has over 22,800 times the global warming potential (GWP) of carbon dioxide. UK Power Networks is installing its first SF6-free Gas Insulated Switchgear (GIS), which uses a combination of dehumidified oxygen and nitrogen that have a zero GWP. The company aims to reduce the use of SF6 for new switchgear across all voltage ranges where alternatives are available on the market. This will deliver operational efficiency, as SF6 management, training, reporting and disposal is costly and onerous, whereas the GIS is a safer, simpler platform.
CKHH companies are enacting adaptive strategies to mitigate climate change, including leading the charge in the hydrogen revolution. Day 2 of the Global Climate Action Conference explored how CKHH companies deal with climate-change extreme events and how they are transitioning to climate-friendly energy generation.
CKHH companies aren’t just spending money on traditional renewable energy – they are investing in original R&D to bring innovative solutions to bear. Pilot projects advance to become invaluable solutions to mass adoption of green technologies that just might save us all.
Northumbrian Water (NWG) has a zero-carbon target to hit in 2027 – and they just hit another important milestone on the way there. Carbon emissions have fallen more than 90% since 2008, when they stood at 303,000 tonnes. In 2021, NWG improved further, reducing carbon output by more than 50% year-on-year to their current level of 22,000 tonnes.
All of NWG’s 1,886 sites are now powered with renewable energy. The popular “Power from Poo” programme sees NWG transform 100% of wastewater sludge into power. Advanced Anaerobic Digestion plants on Tyneside and Teesside process around 2 million cubic metres of sludge to generate 10MW of energy – enough to power around 20,000 homes. Every little bit helps as NWG moves to net-zero Carbon.
The Australian Gas Infrastructure Group (AGIG) has won the 2022 Energy Community Engagement Award at the South Australian 2022 Premier’s Awards in Energy and Mining. The accolade was given for the success of the engagement programme surrounding its Hydrogen Park South Australia project. AGIG co-designed the programme with the community, as the residents of Mitchell Park became the first in Australia to receive a hydrogen–natural gas blend into their homes. Schools and businesses in nearby suburbs will be the next to benefit from a blended solution when the project expands later in 2023.
UK Power Networks (UKPN) is working with retired personnel and those who may retire in the future to transition into careers in the energy sector. Education and networking with contractors form part of the services that help UKPN to fulfil its commitment made as a signatory to the Armed Forces Covenant of 2015. Veterans, reservists and their family members got to hear from energy sector workers, including those who had entered the sector after their military service, at a special event held at the Imperial War Museum in London. This scheme provides a rich platform for veterans’ next careers whilst recognising the wealth of transferable skills and experience gained by those who have served in the military.
Terminally ill patients should not be consumed with anxiety over their power bills. This is the simple concern being addressed by Northern Gas Networks (NGN) in partnership with end-of-life charity, Marie Curie, Wales & West Utilities (WWU), SGN and Cadent. Two Energy Support Officers will be hired to work with those in need to improve their situation in the face of rising energy bills. The programme will also provide energy-management specific training to current Marie Curie staff in the community so that they can help people to access grants and benefits and reduce the stress of costs.
Artificial Intelligence (AI), carbon-neutral hydrogen heating boilers, low-pressure hydrogen storage innovations and other solutions are coming together as H2GO Power (“H2GO”) at Northern Gas Networks’ Low Thornley Test Facility in the UK to bring cleaner energy to the people. H2GO will be powered by solar photovoltaic (PV) panels using an AI-enabled optimisation software platform to ensure the most efficient use of renewable energy to distribute gas. The project is funded through the UK Government Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy’s £26 million Industrial Hydrogen Accelerator Programme to advance an end-to-end industrial fuel switch from natural gas to hydrogen.
Jabiru (Northern Territory, Australia) is home to EDL’s award-winning Jabiru Hybrid Renewable Project. This project has enabled the town to significantly reduce diesel use, with 100% solar energy produced during the day. Excess solar energy is stored for use after dark, enabling over 50% of total energy consumption to come from renewables. It also promotes equity by ensuring 99.9% energy reliability for all of Jabiru’s residents. Preventing 6,000 tonnes of CO2 from entering the atmosphere and promoting equity won the project the 2022 Asian Power Awards’ Solar Power Project of the Year – Australia!
The UK is a global leader in achieving net-zero ambitions. Wales & West Utilities is helping businesses and gas consumers in the region with the transition to a greener fuel source, hydrogen. The HyLine Cymru pipeline is expected to stretch across south Wales, connecting customers to a clean-burning hydrogen option. Commercial-scale production of clean hydrogen in Pembrokeshire, Port Talbot and the Celtic Sea ensures that the generation of hydrogen is economically feasible and allows even more customers to benefit. Evidence from feasibility studies will enable projects like these to be launched in the future, supporting the widespread switch to hydrogen in the early 2030s.
HK Electric won the Sustainable Business Award at the BOCHK Corporate Environmental Leadership Awards 2021. It also took the Gold Award – the top spot – in the “Manufacturing” category. This was in recognition of HK Electric’s outstanding work utilising green energy, promoting decarbonisation and assisting Hong Kong to achieve its carbon neutrality target, namely being totally carbon neutral by 2050.
Northern Gas Networks (NGN) is at the forefront of the extensive research, planning and testing needed to ensure that hydrogen can be used safely and efficiently in the UK gas network. The pilot HyDeploy project saw 668 homes in Winlaton, Gateshead receive an 80:20 gas–hydrogen blend to heat their homes and for use in their appliances, in a 10-month demonstration that concluded in June.
NGN has also received permission from the regulator Ofgem to plan for a two-year hydrogen test-run of home hydrogen use in Redcar, Teesside. If investment and the final green light are forthcoming, up to 2,000 homes and businesses will receive locally produced green hydrogen. It will see boilers designed for 100% hydrogen used as part of the attempt to create a complete “hydrogen village”.
New Zealand’s Beast is eating up timber – and that’s the solution, not the problem! Unwanted waste wood makes up 12% of all waste filling up the Kiwi nation’s landfill sites. EnviroNZ’s new heavy machinery, known as “the Beast” chews up waste wood and converts it into wood pellets. Those pellets are then sold to a cement factory which uses them as biofuel. This keeps construction and demolition timber out of landfill sites and reduces the use of fossil fuels – a double win, courtesy of the Beast!
At Home with Greenie was the theatrical hit that wowed elderly audiences in Hong Kong this super-hot record-breaking summer. This roving puppet show, produced by HK Electric, visits senior citizens to promote low-carbon living and electrical safety. Lending a cooling hand, HK Electric distributed 4,000 fans to families in need as part of their “Breeze to Care” programme.
UK Power Networks is investing over £100 million of infrastructure in London and the East and South East of England. Over 100 projects will see upgrades of substations, transformers and circuit breakers to support more than 8.4 million homes and businesses. Of the total investment amount, £66 million will be dedicated to Green Recovery scheme projects that will fast-track low carbon at 86 sites, advancing the nation to hit targets set out in the government’s Ten Point Plan towards Net Zero by 2050.
EnviroNZ sees New Zealand as a nation of committed recyclers. The company is supporting the country’s commitment with its new Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) in Timaru, South Island. The new MRF can process up to 5 tonnes of mixed plastics, aluminium, steel, paper and cardboard every hour. Materials are recovered for reuse and are kept out of landfill.
The British energy regulator, Ofgem, has bestowed £500,000 on Northern Gas Networks (NGN) for five projects that will help the UK on their journey to building a net-zero economy. Projects range from supporting a rail decarbonisation strategy to the use of hydrogen in heavy duty transport. In another project, robots using thermal imagery can assess pressure conditions in pipes to reduce methane leakage. Residential energy efficiency and generating power from gas flow round out the five fabulous projects.
EnviroNZ has enlisted sustainability champions Deepa Goswami and Danielle Schäche to help New Zealanders waste less and recycle more. The duo empower citizens and businesses to think about waste in new ways in support of regional waste minimisation goals. They work with local government bodies and community groups as part of the team at EnviroWaste.
Wales & West Utilities is helping profoundly deaf people to protect themselves from the odourless, invisible silent killer, carbon monoxide, as well as smoke and heat. Working with the local Fire and Rescue Service, they are funding the installation of Wi-Fi-enabled alarms, complete with strobe lights and vibrating pads, in the homes of deaf people and their families. Traditional sound-based alarms may suffice in other circumstances, but installed alarms and wearable devices will specifically help this community. The project is funded by Wales & West Utilities’ Vulnerability & Carbon Monoxide Allowance, designed to support the most vulnerable people in our communities.
Northern Gas Networks is running a world-leading, first-of-its-kind, closed test to replace natural gas with 100% clean burning hydrogen. A disused area with a pipe network that previously supplied homes with gas will be closed off for the experiment. Similar to natural gas, an odourising agent will be added for extra safety. Hydrogen burns with zero emissions, making it a leading contender for helping the UK achieve its net-zero carbon emission targets for the nation.
Northern Gas Networks made an amazing discovery while decommissioning 85-year-old gas tanks in Bradford, UK. The Birkshall Gasworks site contained three time capsules from 1937. The glass containers each contained a copy of the Telegraph & Argus newspaper and documents listing the date of the construction and engineering, which was overseen by the Bradford Gas Corporation and Chief Engineer G.E. Currier. NGN tracked down Mr Currier’s family to gift one of the time capsules to them.
Responsible waste management is now a concern for all good corporate citizens. The circular economy is an economy where resources are constantly being captured and put to good use instead of going to waste. EnviroNZ is supporting New Zealand’s transition to a low-carbon circular economy. These efforts are chronicled in their first ever Sustainability Report, showcasing their work with industry partners to deliver tangible solutions that can bring the circular economy to life.
The move to electric vehicles (EVs) is being shifted into high gear by UK Power Networks. Their new innovation project, Optimise Prime, includes the development of a “site planning tool” that is making the conversion of entire fleets of vehicles to EVs quicker, easier and cheaper for fleet managers. The complexity of making the shift is a challenge as managers determine when, where and how vehicles can recharge. Royal Mail, Centrica and Uber now have over 6,000 EVs in the programme.
Northumbrian Water’s Innovation Festival is back! The world’s best and brightest innovators in water management will return for the sixth iteration of this fount of creativity. Online and live attendees will bring their solutions to address issues related to cybersecurity, climate change, water scarcity and other important topics. Scientists and engineers will mingle with musicians, comedians, environmental activists and documentarians at the Newcastle Racecourse in July 2022. Stay wet, Northumbria!
Northumbrian Water has been awarded over £6 million in the second round of the Water Breakthrough Challenge, led by the UK’s water regulator, Ofwat. The funds will advance projects which will help to reduce leakage and enable innovation across the utilities sector. The award will flow to two separate projects: the National Leakage Research and Test Centre and Stream, an open data-sharing platform to improve collaborative research.
UK Power Networks keeps the lights on day and night in the heart of Leicester Square, London, the entertainment district of the metropolis. While the crowds buzz on the streets above, a freshly upgraded electricity substation will soon hum beneath them, safely transforming electricity to the lower voltages used by residents, businesses and impresarios alike. “Cleaner and greener” gets top billing as the new network elements improve efficiency and reliability.
International Women’s Day 2022 was the day to launch the utility’s new Women’s Inclusion Network. One of the goals is to inspire more women to choose a career in the gas industry. Women will share life experiences and provide advice and support to their colleagues in, or considering joining, the gas sector.
The UK aims to decarbonise the entire rail network. Eversholt Rail, a UK rail company, is leading the way in providing zero-emission hydrogen-powered trains for the UK. Trainspotting is about to get a whole lot greener.
Australian Gas Infrastructure Group is proving itself a public ally by greening the gas supply of Australian homes and taking the first steps to deliver 100% emission-free hydrogen to replace gas.
UK Power Networks supercharges Green Recovery programme
UK Power Networks’ new Green Recovery programme is funding a range of “shovel-ready” projects to supercharge the UK’s march towards its Carbon Zero future. Over £66 million has been committed to supplying heat pumps for local authorities and communities. Eighty-six applications were approved for projects, including district heating for schools and communities, which will provide more efficient use of energy and reduce carbon footprints. The use of electric vehicles has also been promoted with software upgrades that enable a single substation to support up to 500 charging stations without the need for additional investment in hardware such as heavy cabling or new substations.
EDL opened Australia’s largest-ever hybrid microgrid power project, which now provides up to 85% of renewable energy in good weather conditions. The microgrid integrates wind, solar and thermal generation along with batteries to supply the Agnew Gold Mine with 99.99% reliable energy with, on average, 50–60% coming from renewable sources. It is the first in Australia to power a mine mostly with wind-generated electricity. But this is just the start; EDL plans to continue the hybrid renewable journey on this landmark project with the goal being to power the mine with 100% renewable energy.
SA Power Networks’ sunny plans bear powerful fruit
South Australia is a world leader in the adoption of rooftop solar energy. On the sunniest days, home owners now put more energy back into the grid than they take out. In late December, a new record was set with the distribution network operated by SA Power Networks exporting 185MW to the national grid. SA Power Networks’ active support of rooftop solar has resulted in it receiving the South Australian Premier’s Award for Innovation and Collaboration in Energy for its Enhanced Voltage Management Project. This project has improved substation voltage management and local network solar capacity for 80% of SA Power Networks’ customers.
Northern Gas Networks has launched its East Coast Hydrogen Programme in partnership with Cadent and National Grid with an event at the House of Commons. East Coast Hydrogen aims to connect over 7GW of hydrogen production to supply up to 39,000 commercial and industrial sites along with up to 4.4 million homes. This could mark a huge improvement in the carbon impact incurred through heating homes, powering transport and meeting the needs of industries.
Northumbrian Water has taken an expansive view of improving water in the UK across the North East, Essex and Suffolk by asking the public how they could improve the river and coastal environment where a public right of way exists. Over 30.2km of waterways have been improved, far beyond regulatory requirements, in response to public guidance that prioritised areas as diverse as biodiversity, access and water quality. The area has benefited from improved signage, a red squirrel-protecting ranger, a new osprey observation base for birdwatchers, and river restoration including funding to support visitor facilities, paths and boardwalks across a 404-hectare wetland.
Enerven wins with rapid roll-out of solar and battery solutions for water utility
Enerven, an SA Power Networks company, has won the Australian Construction Achievement Award. Their Zero Cost Energy Future project for SA Water saw Enerven design and build over 242GWh of solar photovoltaic (PV) and 34MWh of energy storage across 33 South Australia water sites in less than 24 months. This storage enables SA Water to manage their excess energy production and feed it back into the grid to achieve a zero-net outcome.
HK Electric has taken a major step forward in transitioning from coal to cleaner gas for the generation of electricity. The new gas-fired unit, L11, has adopted “combined-cycle gas turbine technology”, one of the most efficient, cleanest and most widely used methods for generating electricity from fossil fuels. It began supplying energy to the grid in November 2021. The installation of another gas-fired unit, L12, has begun and will further boost the company’s gas-fired generation capacity when commissioned.
£1 million to connect renewable energy to the grid
UK Power Networks will commit almost £1 million to upgrading the electricity grid to allow for renewable energy to be connected to the power grid for households in Kent, Sussex and Surrey. Wind and solar farms will be able to feed energy into the power system, reducing reliance on non-renewable sources. The ‘load blinding relays’ are like safety valves that help to monitor electricity.
New Zealand’s EnviroWaste is setting a target of keeping concrete out of landfill by using an innovative process to recycle the vital building material to create various grades of aggregate. A new recovery and processing plant has been unveiled at its Bombay Resource Recovery facility in South Auckland. The company has a long history of innovative recycling including kerbside collection of recyclables, food scraps and glass recycling. The latest plant will help New Zealand to reduce the environmental impact of its current building boom by bringing old concrete into new projects and reducing the need to mine virgin sand and coarse aggregate.
UK Power Networks investing in the UK’s net zero future
UK citizens aiming to support the country to hit net zero carbon emissions are benefiting from extra funding to help the United Kingdom get there by 2050. UK Power Networks is carrying out 86 low-carbon energy projects worth £66 million that will help transition the economy to one that has a lower environmental footprint. ‘Shovel-ready’ plans were targeted for immediate impact, including installing rapid electric vehicle charging stations in local communities, energy generators looking to connect more renewable energy to the electricity network, and community energy projects.
Northern Gas Networks Finance raised
£1 million through the sale of a green bond to local investors that will allow them to realise returns of 1.6% a year over 10 years. The funds will be used to upgrade the current network of gas pipes to make them hydrogen ready as Northern Gas Networks builds the zero-emission network of the future. Offering the bond to the public gives people a chance to participate in greening their future.
HK Electric is helping construction sites to reduce their noise and air pollution on site while also decarbonising construction work. In crowded Hong Kong, construction sites are often hemmed in by thousands of pedestrians and neighbours just metres away from noisy diesel generators used to power their reach for the sky. By providing a timely, reliable and adequate grid electricity supply during construction, builders can switch from diesel power on site to quieter, greener electricity. Neighbours and workers will love getting a break from the din of diesel during construction, and carbon emissions can also be reduced by 60%.
Northern Gas Networks has been actively involved in funding and directing projects aimed at using zero-emission hydrogen to reduce the use of fossil fuels across the economy. Partnering with gas distribution company Cadent and the UK government, it has built two homes that are equipped with hydrogen-powered appliances. The semi-detached houses, built near Gateshead, were officially opened in July by the former Energy Minister, Anne-Marie Trevelyan. The houses will be models for hydrogen-heated homes, providing the least invasive and most cost-effective route to zero carbon home heating for a large proportion of UK homes in the future.
Installing homes for migratory swifts might not be the first thing you think of a power company doing, but UK Power Networks partnered with North East Herts Swifts Group to do just that. The birds’ population has been declining for years and the power company is helping by installing potential homes, including tempting bird song audio, on the village hall in Albury, southwest of London. Swifts nest as colonies and return to the same home every year after their long migration to Africa, so once established in Albury, they could return annually.
High-performance management at HK Electric is supercharged through education delivered by a host of internal and external professors at the HK Electric Institute.
Northern Gas Networks is partnering with National Grid and others to create a £12.7 million closed-loop experimental system to test the use of hydrogen in support of the UK’s goal to achieve net zero carbon emissions. The multi-firm collaboration will receive an award of £9.07 million from Ofgem (the UK energy regulator) via their Network Innovation Competition.
With brighter days – and even brighter nights – ahead, UK Power Networks is upgrading London’s nightlife. A £16.2 million upgrade discreetly installed under the legendary Leicester Square Gardens will see three major transformers replaced with cleaner and greener successors over a two-year period. The site will also be visited by school leavers and out-of-work young people being helped by a local programme to develop career-starting skills for a brighter future.
A first-of-its-kind energy microgrid that takes its supply from wind, solar, and thermal generation, and manages distribution using battery solutions, has won big in 2020. EDL’s Agnew Hybrid Renewable Project in Western Australia has won Engineering Solution of the Year at the 2020 Global Energy Awards. The project has also won at the 2020 Asian Power Awards (Innovative Power Technology of the Year – Australia) and the 2020 Australian Engineering Excellence Awards (WA Division).
HK Electric provides a free one-stop Smart Power EV Charging Solution service to assist customers in implementing electric vehicle (EV) charging solutions, including accessing a HK$2 billion government fund for the installation of EV charging-enabled infrastructure in private residential buildings. The free charging service at HK Electric’s 12 EV charging stations across Hong Kong Island has also been extended to the end of December 2021 and half of these now feature new multi-standard quick chargers.
UK Power Networks is making the most of middle management by launching a new Leadership Academy that will reach up to 600 line managers. The UK’s Apprenticeship Levy scheme is being reinvested in delivering courses leading to Chartered Management Institute qualifications in a programme tailored to the company’s specific needs. External experts will enliven the programme and it will finish with a full graduation ceremony for those ready to flex their new management skills!
Two UK-based gas and power companies have been recognised for their ambitious work, receiving prestigious awards for their latest endeavours. Northern Gas Networks’ H21 hydrogen project was awarded the 2020 Pipeline Industries Guild Award for the best onshore pipeline concept. And UK Power Networks was named ‘Network of the Year’, taking the top prize at the annual Network Awards.
A Wales & West Utilities Army reservist made the switch from his job as team leader in the gas emergency and pipeline service to assist with the British Army’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. He admits that retraining to work in the fight against coronavirus “was a bit of a culture shock”, but his work helped keep front-line medical professionals and the community protected from COVID-19.
Wales & West Utilities (WWU) brings mains gas to the new NHS Nightingale Hospital in Exeter. Building new infrastructure is normally a long, drawn-out affair, but the COVID-19 field hospital couldn’t wait. Connecting this high gas-usage facility was urgent and WWU delivered.
Northern Gas Networks received a £770,000 grant to link the Bradford Alternative Fuel Centre to the gas network which will, in turn, power the development of a Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) filling station. This funding from Ofgem will help the UK on its way towards reaching its decarbonisation goals, building on the green advantages of CNG as a fuel alternative.
Powercor opened two new depots, valued at A$10 million each, in Kyneton and Shepparton, Australia. These developments have replaced outdated facilities from the ’60s and ’70s, allowing its local workers an upgraded space to continue providing its services to their communities.
Fun fact: A heritage-listed tree graces the front of the Kyneton depot!
