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WELCOME TO THE APRIL EDITION

OUR CONTRIBUTORS EDITOR’S LETTER

MARTYN UNFORTUNATELY, ONLY ONE story has dominated the
BRIDGES news in recent months: Russia’s incursion into the
Director of neighbouring state of Ukraine.
Marketing At the time of going to print, the United Nations was
and Technical reporting that more than three million people have been
Support, displaced from Ukraine in the face of fierce fighting.
Worcester Bosch The move has resulted in broad sanctions against
Martyn is a highly Russia with the United States, the European Union and
active, influential individual within the United Kingdom all attempting to put the financial
heating with over 40 years of squeeze on President Putin.
experience in the heating industry. Europe spends as much as $1 billion a day on Russian fossil fuels, indirectly
He has held positions of funding the superpower’s actions in Ukraine. And while the invasion will likely
high regard across the industry, drive the continent back towards coal in the short term, the conflict could have an
including as Chair of the Technical accelerating effect on the net zero transition as politicians scramble to overhaul
Panel for the HHIC and on the their energy systems and Europe’s timelines for the deployment of sustainable
board for OFTEC, CIPHE and the solutions are revised.
Hot Water Association. In this edition, we’re taking a look at the knock-on effects the war is having on
Martyn has featured in multiple the European and UK gas industries. Meanwhile, IGEM’s CEO Ollie Lancaster
national media outlets speaking explores some of the options available to the UK in the face of a challenging winter
on net zero heating and is one of ahead for energy.
the key personnel involved in the In February, the government published its long-awaited 332-page Levelling Up the
development of the 100 per cent United Kingdom white paper, detailing among other things its ambitions for the net
hydrogen boiler prototype from zero transition. In this edition, the energy community responds to the report’s
Worcester Bosch. vision for a greener and more equitable future.
Part of that future involves big plans for the electrification of heat, with bold
OLLIE projections for the deployment of heat pumps across the country. However, given
LANCASTER the cost and customer implications, Worcester Bosch’s Martyn Bridges asks
Chief Executive whether the government has got the numbers right.
Officer, IGEM We hope you enjoy the April edition,
Ollie has worked
in gas for 15 years
and began his
work focussing
on the historical legacy of the gas
industry, primarily the remediation
of contaminated gasworks sites.
Prior to joining IGEM as CEO, Ollie’s SHARON BAKER-HALLAM
previous role was as Net Zero EDITOR
Relationship Manager for Wales BA (HONS) AIGEM
& West Utilities. This role moved INSTITUTION OF GAS ENGINEERS AND MANAGERS (IGEM)
his focus onto the future of the gas
industry; engaging policy leaders,
leading innovative research and
developing demonstration projects
to identify the energy solutions We are always seeking to
required if the UK is to heat homes, SEE YOUR WORK IN Gas international share the latest research
power heavy industry, fuel transport and ground-breaking industry developments in IGEM’s journal. If you would like
and keep the lights on in a green, to see your work featured in the pages of Gi, contact the Editor by emailing
zero carbon way. sharon@igem.org.uk with a short synopsis of your contribution.

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