Process business news briefs update...

The Chemical Business Association has announced a partnership with science and technology sector skills provider Cogent Skills, providing members with exclusive access to a range of services including policy support, apprenticeship provision and careers outreach training. Research has highlighted the decline in new apprenticeships across the chemical sector, particularly SME’s, a tier that includes many CBA members. Association CEO Tim Doggett commented: “Not only will this bring further value and benefits for members of the Chemical Business Association, it also fits perfectly into our strategy to promote the chemical supply chain as an employer of choice while also increasing the range of ways in which we support our members.”

Innovatium, the Scottish low carbon technology company, has been awarded a grant under Phase 9 of the Energy Entrepreneurs Fund (EEF) valued at more than a third of a million pounds. Launched by BEIS and now run by the new Department for Energy Security & Net Zero, the EEF provides energy sector SMEs capital grants, together with development and demonstration of innovative technologies and processes for energy efficiency, power generation, heat generation, energy storage, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and security of supply. Of the £10 million in grant funding available within its Phase 9, some £360,000 has gone to Innovatium. The EEF’s previous eight phases supported 214 projects with £100 millions of grants.

Veranova subsidiary, Macfarlan Smith?has completed a US$10 million (£8.25 million) expansion of its mid-scale active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) manufacturing capabilities at its Edinburgh facility.  The company said the multi-purpose site, designed to handle highly active APIs and intermediates, is positioned to enable growth in the generic opioid analgesic and anti-addiction markets, while supporting the growing demands of its parent company’s customer base and helping promote future growth.? The expansion is the first of two investments, together totalling US$17 million, with the second undergoing commissioning.

Schneider Electric and Warburtons have extended their technological partnership to improve production at six of the food company’s UK manufacturing sites to offset rising energy and raw materials costs. Warburtons, which employs nearly 5,500 people, producing and distributing over 2 million baked goods daily to 18,500 stores, will use analytics technology developed by Schneider Electric and AVEVA to securely visualise data across all operations in a single information stream. Schneider Electric will capture and report on real-time process data, so Warburtons can combine process optimisation, quality improvement and cost reduction. The two year roll-out is targeted to finish in 2024 and is already implemented at one of the sites, Stockton-on-Tees. 

Logistics and materials management company ASCO has promoted Craig Revie to the new post of general manager – specialist services, combining ASCO's lifting, assurance, intervention, and training (NSL), recruitment (OBM), freight management (AFM), ship agency (Seletar), Marine and Aviation services. Revie joined ASCO in 2018 as head of marine services and was till recently as General Manager for NSL and OBM in Aberdeen. UK MD Mike Pettigrew commented: "We want to ensure that clients benefit from a fully integrated approach to solving their evolving logistical challenges."

Scandinavian Enviro Systems has begun delivering recovered pyrolysis oil as part of an order from Swedish company Preem announced in November. Enviro’s Åsensbruk plant extracts oil from end-of-life vehicle tires using its proprietary and patented recycling technology. Preem, Sweden’s largest fuel company which plans to produce 5 million cubic metres of renewable fuel and to achieve climate neutrality along its entire value chain by 2035, will determine how suitable the oil is for the production of different biofuels. Pyrolysis oil contains a high percentage of renewable material due to the high amounts of natural rubber found in the vehicle tires, and thus is very suitable for producing environmentally sustainable biofuel. This month, Enviro received a follow-up order for pyrolysis oil from the subsidiary of a leading US oil company.

Global laboratory tools developer and manufacturer H.E.L Group has appointed Wang Zilong (Allen Wang) general manager of H.E.L China succeeding Qing (Steven) Chen. Wang will be responsible for expanding into new application areas for the process optimisation, safety, and scale-up enterprise. Previously H.E.L China sales manager and applications specialist, Wang has also worked for international analytical and imaging instrument companies including Malvern Pananalytical, Bruker Optics, Nanophoton and Techcom.

Nokia is expanding its Lab-as-a-Service (LaaS) solution to include the validation testing of industrial user equipment and third-party devices connecting people and machines over Nokia digital automation cloud (DAC) and modular private wireless (MPW) networks. This will allow enterprises to streamline the testing of equipment and Industry 4.0 use cases over private wireless. A dedicated device testing facility in Bangalore, India will allow more customers to accelerate Industry 4.0 service adoption. 

Flexible containment specialist ONFAB, part of Envair Technology  group, has appointed Francis Dechoux as its new European Business Lead. He will focus on promoting ONFAB’s containment technology within the pharmaceutical industry in France, Germany, and Spain. MD Mark Arnold said: “With more pharmaceutical businesses using highly potent compounds, we’re seeing a huge growth in demand for flexible containment that will protect operators and prevent cross-contamination. Francis’s wealth of experience in supporting global manufacturers will be valuable as we look to onboard an increasing number of customers in Europe.”

 And previously...

Jungheinrich UK signed a five-year rental fleet management deal with logistics and warehousing specialist Kammac to help the firm handle their growing ecommerce operations. The manufacturer of German engineered intralogistics systems will supply electric counterbalance and power pallet forklifts across Kammac 's 14 UK sites including new, narrow aisle trucks. Jungheinrich head of corporate business solutions Kevin Barber explained: "No company wants to overcommit to equipment it needs now but may not need in the future. The new contract gives Kammac a more flexible, dynamic solution where they can on-hire and off-hire trucks throughout the contract without having to give us long notice periods or pay financial penalties."

Decommissioning specialist Decom Engineering announces it has begun 2023 with a series of project wins and workscopes valued “in excess of seven figures Sterling”. Its cutting technologies secured new projects in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Norway, Thailand and Singapore, while strengthening ties to an existing client in Malaysia. MD Sean Conway said: “It is an encouraging start to the year [and] confirms that our chop saws and operational cutting expertise is seen as an integral component of complex subsea asset recovery and decommissioning projects.

Atkins has been appointed by Anglian Water to its Asset Management Specialist Consultancy Framework, providing services for physical and digital assets through both the General Asset Management and Core Modelling lots. Part of the SNC-Lavalin Group Atkins, it has a two decades-long business relationship with the utility firm but will now deliver broader general asset management services, strategic advisory and regulatory expertise, as well as systems thinking. Data and information asset management will be provided too, enabling Anglian Water to exploit digital twins and technology.

Fluence Analytics has been acquired by Yokogawa Electric Corporation. The Stafford based firm will now operate as Yokogawa Fluence Analytics. 

Morrison Energy Services’ Transmission Networks has secured the National Grid contract d to refurbish the southern section of the 4VK line between Cottam and Wymondley. This includes carrying out essential refurbishment works on 170km of overhead line between Cottam Power Station, Nottinghamshire and Wymondley, Hertfordshire, upgrading overhead lines that have been in service since the mid-1960s.  

Independent energy service company THREE360 Energy has secured an extensive contract with Crogga Limited to drill an appraisal well in the Crogga gas field, offshore Isle of Man. If the well proves successful, it has the potential to provide energy independence to the Isle of Man by 2026, says MD Nick Ford. He added: “This significant contract award reflects the increased confidence in reliable domestic gas production having a smaller carbon footprint than imported gas. Our well operator model provides organisations such as Crogga Limited the ability to develop prospects in a safe, aligned and cost-effective manner.”