SPED – May 2011 - SPED in the UK & Ireland
I wrote to all the engineers and managers I know in AMEC and Worley UK offices advising of the SPED training successes in the Calgary offices. I still hope to see some fruit on the trees even if the branches are high.
Another contractor replied to me. Thanks for keeping in touch. We are going through a very lean time at the moment, with very little work. There were redundancies just before last Christmas, when we lost about 25 of our 110 engineers. Since then things have not improved. The power industry worldwide seems to be in the doldrums, with the climate change lobby being against fossil fuels, and the whole world against nuclear, after the Japanese Fukushima problems. So, we struggle on doing odd jobs to keep our head above water.
I am now trying the frightening technique of promotion. Ask what is needed to get people to train pipers in the UK and concluding with the question – an accident?
UK Process News
Despite the inference above we do need power sources to built and fast. Carbon Capture, LNG and biomass are the only things likely to move to major projects soon. There are plans now approaching the pilot plant stage to back end a biomass plant with CCS.
Much needed nuclear is bound to pause, whilst “greens” settle down and realists re-assess all the safety standards.
At long last some sites to produce energy (primarily CHP) from waste are getting approved. Perhaps mimicking our Canadian cousins the UK Government has given permission to start drilling for shale gas.
Th incoming President of my professional engineering institution raised for the first time in several months by a senior engineer the likelihood of power outages in the next 4 years. I have long feared one during the Olympics if there is a power surge, say, after the finish of the100m. To add to these woes an American think tank has stated that most utilities IT infrastructures are not prepared for a cyber attack.
In the midst of all this uncertainty our cabinet minister for energy is going through a very public divorce with accusations of a criminal avoidance of a speeding ticket.
Wind continues to get built and rake subsidies apace. Does not do much for process designers though!