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FOAM CAP-END INSTALLATION AT HARWELL BEPO STORAGE BLOCK
An exclusive Interview with Steve Vick, Chairman of Steve products. This period introduced me
Vick International (SVI), on his experience in the gas to the technology of resins and to the
world of British Gas research and
industry, his thoughts on the government’s 10-point plan development, standing me in good
and the future of hydrogen stead for the future in my own business.
During this period, in the late 1970s,
HOW DID YOUR CAREER BEGIN WITHIN gas was just coming to an end and the the deadly problem of gas explosions
THE GAS INDUSTRY? distribution side of the industry was hit the headlines and the need to
Apart from three years working in preoccupied, dealing with the problem replace the cast iron network, so
research at Heriot Watt University in of gas leakage from cast iron joints. It vulnerable to brittle fractures, became
Edinburgh, I have spent the whole of now seems, as my career is coming to a priority for the gas industry. This
my working life in the gas industry. its end, the industry finds itself with the presented me with the opportunity to
My career started in 1975, when I prospect of going back to the future in develop some ideas of my own. I took
joined Scottish Gas, part of the then another conversion programme, with the plunge, in June 1981, to set up my
nationalised British Gas, working in the network being prepared to accept own company to provide solutions to
the HQ network analysis department a manufactured gas once again in the the practical problems gas engineers
of the distribution function. I moved form of hydrogen. were facing in searching for “no dig”
on from network analysis to the methods of pipe replacement. We
Edinburgh and Borders District, where have come a long way since then and,
I gained practical experience at the The privatisation of British this year, Steve Vick International
sharp end of laying and repairing the Gas in 1986 brought great celebrates its 40th year in the industry.
gas distribution network. changes and spawned the era
of entrepreneurship in the HOW HAS SVI ADAPTED TO CHANGE IN THE PAST AND
WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE POTENTIAL WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE COMPANIES LOOKING
MOVE TO HYDROGEN? newly privatised company as TOWARDS A POSSIBLE FUTURE WITH HYDROGEN?
The government’s recent Ten Point it bought or took stakes in gas When the gas industry moved to natural
Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution companies around the world. gas, British Gas looked for ways to
outlined the desire to pioneer hydrogen reline the old cast iron mains in order
heating trials. This will start with a to avoid leakage. Getting new ideas
hydrogen neighbourhood and scale up Change is inevitable and I am from an outside company trialled and
to a potential hydrogen town before the a firm believer that with change approved could be a long and tortuous
end of this decade. This is encouraging comes opportunities. It was the exercise but, as a foretaste of the
for those companies working in the gas move to natural gas and the problem structure we have now, the individual
industry and I believe that hydrogen is a of joint leakage that gave me my regions of British Gas did undertake
real possibility on the current network. first opportunity. I was recruited their own local developments. Both the
At the time I joined the gas industry, by ALH Systems Ltd to work on the North West and South East regions of
the conversion from town gas to natural development of their joint sealing British Gas carried out independent

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