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igem news



                   ENGTECHS








































                 SPOTLIGHT ON ENGTECHS









                 For the latest instalment of our regular feature on the           things, forecasting the gas demand and
                 valuable and interesting work carried out by IGEM’s many          ensuring the correct supply/demand
                 EngTech members, the spotlight falls on Dave Tomkin,              balance was met, responding to any
                 a Fellow of the institution and the 2018 winner of our            alarms on the system, ensuring the
                                                                                   correct gas quality was maintained and
                 EngTech of the Year Award                                         that the correct level of odorant was
                                                                                   being injected into the gas.
                 DAVE WORKS FOR Northern Gas      the apprenticeship, I was also told   “I thoroughly enjoyed this new
                 Networks as a System Modelling   about IGEM and I saw membership as   challenge and it was here that I learned
                 Engineer on the world-leading H21   something to aspire to, so as soon as I   about other aspects of the industry and
                 hydrogen project. Interestingly, after   qualified, I joined.     how it all fits together.
                 a varied career both upstream and   “At the early stage in my career as a   “I then moved on to Gas Safe Register,
                 downstream, Dave has returned to the   Field Engineer my main interaction with   working as a Technical Officer on the
                 place where it all started. We spoke to   IGEM was through using the standards   technical helpline, later progressing
                 Dave about the work he does, how he   they published and reading the monthly   to become the Technical Support
                 got there and how his relationship with   Gi magazine, which I found to be a   Manager. It was here that I was
                 IGEM has helped him:             fascinating insight into all the interesting   trained to be a qualified gas incident
                   “At 18 I started an engineering   work going on across the gas industry.   investigator, investigating numerous
                 apprenticeship with Transco and,   “I was then offered the opportunity   tragic CO incidents and giving evidence
                 looking back, I can see how fortunate   with NGN to work as an Operations   at inquests. It was in these roles that
                 I was to be given that opportunity to   Engineer in the 24/7 gas control   my two-way relationship with IGEM
                 receive world class training and to   room (System Control), where I was   began to flourish thanks specifically
                 view the industry as a whole. This   responsible for the monitoring and   to my manager at the time, David J
                 left a lasting impression on me and   operation of the entire gas network, from   Smith, who pushed me and gave me
                 throughout my career I have always   national transmission system (NTS)   the opportunity. I began to sit in on
                 sought to know more and to understand   offtakes right down to the low pressure   standards and committee meetings
                 the reason things happen. During   network. This included, amongst other   and get involved in industry working



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        IGEMNews_EngTechs.indd   1                                                                                15/04/2021   15:50
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