The key to these cutting edge projects is working with the supply chain in order to get the specification right
ECA Today: 3M has worked with some of Europe’s largest contractors. Are there any projects that stand out?
Neil Roberts: 3M works on projects of all types and sizes, but there’s a huge international project that we were involved with in the UK for a major infrastructure project being undertaken in Australia. The project is a liquefied natural gas build and a highly complex infrastructure project in Barrow Island, Australia. It is also a complicated supply chain. At the top of the tree you have joint clients – in this case two major international oil companies and an Australian oil company – and in a major infrastructure project you also have the appointment of an EPC. This is where the UK came in, because the engineering and procurement company that the client appointed to manage the project is based in the UK. They work on the electrical bulks and cable contracts and go outwards to specialist exporters, who then work with 3M. Our role in a project of this nature, where you have a client and build in one country and the EPC in another, is really working with the supply chain to make sure that the products that are specified for the job are appropriate, cost-efficient, suitable for the cable that is being provided and meet any special requirements. For example, on this project the client required that the cable accessories were termite protected – an unusual request that we were happy to handle. This illustrates that we are often not selling off-the-shelf products – we have to work with the customers and supply chain to make sure all the special requirements are met. The project concerned is a huge project and we won the business two or three years ago, but are only now supplying some of the products. So it’s been a two or three year life cycle.
ECA Today: Are you working on any cutting edge projects at the moment? Neil Roberts: On a more localised level, we are working on a major offshore platform project in the North Sea. 3M is working on this project and its supply chain, which involves the building and installation of an offshore platform. We are also working with the UK’s major transmission company and a number of the power utilities on our new overhead cable product. Wind farm projects are another endeavour 3M is involved with. We’ve supplied products for a number of key wind farm installations. We are also very active in the rail segments, working with a number of rail contractors and developing new products. The key to these cutting edge projects is working with the supply chain in order to get the specification right. Working with the key players and specifiers within these complex projects means we are constantly developing things and evolving our product range to suit the ever- changing needs of those businesses
ECA Today: What advancements in electrical accessories should we expect to see in the future? Neil Roberts: 3M is interested in further reducing the number of installation steps for the jointer, and
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organisations and jointers are pretty receptive to that. The power utilities (and everybody for that matter) are concerned about down time and failures, and the jointing and terminating process is a critical part of the installation. The simpler we can make that process for the organisation, the better they like it. It takes the risk out. To a degree, it’s de-skilling from the traditional way, but that can be seen as a positive thing because de-skilling means that there is less risk of a failure subsequent to the installation.
A lot of our research and development work is focused on making the installation process have fewer steps and for it to be easier for the jointer. We are also looking at joints with integrated connectors, which would take another step out of the process.
Another area that we are committing our efforts to is our leading Cold Shrink technology, which is helping eliminate the use of heat guns in the industry. In some parts of the industry it is taboo anyway, for example in underground situations or tunnels. We are working with key players because they do not want to use naked flames and gas bottles in underground situations. From a safety point of view, it’s really important for certain segments of the industry to eliminate the use of heat guns. You don’t want to be walking around with heat guns on oil and gas sites. From a cost point of view, if you use a heat shrink product in an underground situation for example, you may be obliged to take a fire warden down with you and get certificates issued. But using heat shrink and naked flames is the traditional way of doing things in the industry. We are completely committed to trying to work with the more vulnerable parts of the industry to help them eliminate the need for any sort of heat to be used for jointing and terminating. We are also developing some bespoke materials to use in areas like underground and tunnels that are LSOH (low smoke zero halogen) and which help to fireproof the joint. That is an innovation that is also being taken on by the oil and gas sectors.
3M is also looking at products to support the smart grid initiative. We have one product in particular that is our new aluminum conductor composite reinforced (ACCR), which is an overhead cable and this is supporting the requirement for increased demand, which we know will happen in the UK over the next 20-30 years. Our ACCR cable allows the transmission companies to deliver more electricity through existing infrastructure, and this is really important, both from a cost and an environmental point of view. It negates the need to build new towers. Through using existing infrastructure and lines, and getting more electricity delivered through them, there is obviously a great benefit in terms of cost savings. It also avoids the need for lengthy planning cycles.
3M is also developing other products for smart grids that will enable power distribution companies to become much more effective in monitoring and managing usage on the network. Some of these really interesting technologies we’ve just started to trial in Europe. These products will really help power utilities and transmission companies become more efficient in how they manage
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