News in brief

Dutch gas supplier Gasunie which is half-owned by Esso and Shell has proposed the building of a new North Sea pipeline, connecting the gas fields of the northern Netherlands to Bacton in Norfolk. Gasunie predicts that the UKwill need to import 40billion m3 of gas per year by 2010, according to a report in the Daily Telegraph; the £400 million pipeline would be a useful route for these imports.

Safety notes for turbine power

The Health and Safety Executive has issued a set of guidance notes for suppliers, operators and manufacturers of gas turbine power stations, which have become increasingly widespread in combined-cycle and combined heat and power systems. The notes include issues such as the risk of explosion inside poorly-ventilated acoustic enclosures and the need to test earthing installations regularly.

Fieldbus standard's UK launch

Six months late, but still welcome, the British Standards Institute has published the European standard specification for fieldbus, BSEN50170. The standard document, which runs to 2000 pages, incorporates the 'proven technologies' of three fieldbus standards, P-Net, Profibus and WorldFIP. EN 50170 is supported by 200 manufacturers covering over 2000 products, says the BSI.

Students get their hands on CAD

Sussex University has invested £185000 in a 'Concurrent Engineering Centre', intended to provide engineering graduates with the skills they will need in the workplace. As part of the investment, the university has bought 42 licences for Autodesk's AutoCAD system. 'We need to be able to demonstrate the very latest design methods to students and to give them hands-on experience,' comments senior lecturer Chris Bradfield.

Affjordable solution for Spar

The Norwegian government has dropped its opposition to Shell's Brent Spar oil storage buoy being dismantled on Norwegian territory. The rig could therefore be taken apart without the costly and difficult process of moving it from its mooring in a western Norway fjord.