PE roundup 3 Apr: Innovator deadline, markets, safety, upskilling, supply chain, incentives...

Just two days remain for innovators in plastic sustainability to submit work for the GRIPS Most Innovative competition at this year’s Global Research and Innovation in Plastics Sustainability (GRIPS) conference. Deadline for entry is 5pm on Wednesday 5 April. Simply submit a 2-minute video describing your work using the front-facing camera of a smart phone, in portrait orientation.  Videos will be played and the winner announced at the 1,000-plus delegate conference at the conference, organised by Innovate UK KTN and hosted by UK Circular Plastics Network, staged at Coventry Building Society Arena from 10 – 11 May 2023. To enter, send your video via WeTransfer to mike@energypr.co.uk.  

Manufacturing Technology Centre and the Herefordshire-based New Model Institute for Technology and Engineering, signed a cooperative agreement, providing NMITE students with hands-on access to the latest in manufacturing equipment and techniques. The MTC@NMITE will also work with local businesses in transferring and adopting knowledge to boost manufacturing productivity and sustainability.    

Osaka Gas and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) will conduct a joint feasibility study on a project to develop a CO₂ value chain for CCUS (Carbon Capture, Utilisation, and Storage), including transporting CO₂ captured in Japan to overseas, utilising it to produce e-methane and storing it underground. The partners will examine methods to capture CO₂ emitted from industries such as steel, cement, and chemicals.

With the volume of disposed end-of-life tires reaching 3.5 million tons per year in Europe alone. Scandinavian Enviro Systems and private equity firm Antin Infrastructure Partners have established a joint venture based on Enviro technology to create the world’s first large-scale tire recycling group. The venture plans to establish plants across Europe with a total capacity of up to 1 million tons of end-of-life tires recycled annually by 2030. Antin will finance the initial investments. Michelin is signing multi-year supply agreements regarding recycled materials from the first plants established and plans to join as a partner, as future plants are built. Enviro has no initial ownership in but an option to acquire an ownership that will ultimately correspond to approximately 30 percent.

Ireland’s Strikebox Engineering has partnered electric tug battery powered machine manufacturer, MasterMover. It will see Strikebox offer the MasterMover range of stainless steel electric tugs and tows to its customers across the biopharma manufacturing industry. With a long history of success working with biopharma companies, Strikebox manufactures BagBox, a leading range of stainless steel and plastic totes for the transportation of high-value and sensitive liquids and materials. 

Z-Tech Control Systems Ltd, part of M Group Services, has been awarded a prestigious Order of Distinction award by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) for its run of 15 consecutive RoSPA Gold award wins. The Order of Distinction is presented to businesses sustaining the high standards of Gold award level over consecutive years. The RoSPA Health and Safety Awards is the largest occupational health and safety awards programme in the UK. Now in its 67^th year, the Awards have almost 2,000 entries every year, covering nearly 50 countries and a reach of over seven million employees.

North West Hydrogen Alliance (NHWA) has called on the Government to mandate hydrogen ready boilers from 2026 in order to save consumers up to £36 billion in boiler replacement costs and help cut carbon emissions on the route to net zero. Modelled against the National Grid’s Future Energy Scenarios where hydrogen heating plays a role in reaching net zero, NWHA says its analysis shows that delaying a mandate until 2030 could cost an additional £8.6 billion. It was responding to the Government’s Improving Boiler Standards and Efficiency consultation.

The UK Government has been urged to to expand and simplify investment incentives, following  publication of the most recent UK Manufacturing PMI (Purchasing Managers’ Index) monthly economic indicator. Partner at MHA Andrew Matthews said withdrawal of the super deduction and the increase in corporation tax to 25% will negatively impact investment, while maintaining entrepreneurs’ relief, uncapping lifetime pension allowances and increasing pension annual allowances had boosted investment potential. “Manufacturers with international exposure and the funds to implement change, will now be exploring lesser known, more regional tax benefits. The government’s commitment to expanding freeports and investment zones could have a lot of potential in allowing businesses to re-invest and grow. However, these incentives are limited to a small amount of areas in the UK and have a complex rule book, which many may find prohibiting,” he remarked.

STATS Group is targeting growth in the Scandinavian energy sector with a new distributor arrangement with Norwegian Asset Integrity AS for clients in Norway and Sweden. STATS says the move follows increased demand for its services.

Meanwhile, Luton based intelligent power management company, Eaton, has opened a new plant in Norway to manufacture the closed-circuit television (CCTV) technology used in its HERNIS™ systems for video surveillance of industrial facilities and processes. Developed for use in harsh and hazardous areas, Eaton’s solutions are designed for oil and gas onshore, offshore, marine and mining environments where cybersecurity and resilience to harsh environments are critical requirements.  

Global consulting and engineering company Wood says it has completed carbon capture and transportation studies for more than half of the 300 carbon-capture facilities being planned worldwide and is advising and engineering the design and digitalisation of more than 175 carbon capture projects. President of decarbonisation Daniel Carter explained: “The technology to capture carbon emissions is critical to energy transition and achieving net zero. Our top five clients have committed to invest over $100 billion in decarbonising their assets, which presents a significant opportunity for Wood.