Page 48 - Gi February 2019 - flipbook

IGEM NEWS | Events

SEEING CLEARLY

By Chris Clarke, South West Section Chair Beth Winter, System Operations
Manager, gave a thorough update on
IGEM MEMBERS and guests from all James Veaney, Head of RIIO-2 Cross the long-term demand forecasts,
over the country joined a packed house Sector Policy at Ofgem, said he wanted published by Wales & West Utilities
in Bristol in November to hear from to see a reduction in costs while just hours before.
key Ofgem and Wales & West Utilities maintaining the excellent gains made Contrary to initial thoughts, peak
speakers as they outlined in detail to date in customer service; social demand is set to rise in the 2020s as
what the 2020s will hold for us. obligations, safety and reliability. more housing, local gas generation,
Opening the speaker line-up at Andrew Hopkins, Director of Asset transport and local energy centres
20:20 Vision - RIIO-2, Graham Edwards, Management at Wales & West put pressure on a system already at
CEO of Wales & West Utilities, Utilities, was up for the challenge, full capacity, as was illustrated during
reflected on how performance in the demonstrating how the network the previous winter.
current price control was exemplary in charges have reduced over time, Finally, Lucy Mason, Innovation
traditional areas of customer service, revealing plans for investment over Manager at Wales & West Utilities,
safety and reliability. the first half of the next decade and demonstrated how innovation had
However, he highlighted how the discussing the need to continue with benefited today’s consumers and how
networks were changing, becoming more the excellent work done to date her plans would serve those of
integrated with electricity networks using innovation to improve service, tomorrow. Much of that innovation
that depend on gas generation to reduce costs and help the was then on show at the excellent
balance the electricity system. decarbonisation of energy. exhibition stands next door. ■

LEARNING LESSONS FROM THE PAST

DNV GL’S TIM ROFF and Mike Johnson failure investigations are key to
treated the North West Section to an understanding and informing safety and
evening presentation entitled, “Back to risk in the gas network of the future.
the Future: Learning lessons from the DNV GL’s Senior Principal
past to de-risk the future”. Consultant Mike Johnson’s follow-on
Tim Roff, DNV GL’s Market Lead for presentation focused on future
Gas Networks and Utilities challenges, providing additional Left to right Zenon Przybyszewski Section
Infrastructure, drew on a number of insights gained from his experience Vice Chair, Mike Johnson and Tim Roff
engineering and safety-related with fire and explosions involving
experiences from his time in a rapidly methane, piped hydrogen gas and in Cumbria and Mike illustrated how
changing gas industry; time spent in CO2. This was particularly interesting such testing work can be used to enable
research, technical and risk advisory as managing CO2 will be essential to the repurposing of gas infrastructure,
functions within the former BG Transco facilitating carbon capture and storage demonstrate the safety case to the HSE,
and its successors, and from his time in in the future energy landscape. and de-risk the future of gas.
HSE, the industry’s safety regulator. These insights were accompanied with The Section thanks Tim and Mike for
Tim highlighted how lessons learnt videos recorded at the gas industry’s presenting and DNV GL’s Manchester
from a range of past gas incidents and Research & Testing facility at Spadeadam office for hosting the evening. ■

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