FEATURE
Furthermore, the very nature of R&D is to encourage blue-sky thinking, often through highly interdisciplinary and disruptive solutions – something that is not necessarily as easy to do, or indeed possible to do, in an industry setting.
EMBRACE THE POTENTIAL OF TECH AND AI Technology and AI offer significant positive potential for safety in the transition. Examples include the possibility for AI to be used to train systems and operators into safer processes, discriminating and actuating on alarms, etc. This is particularly relevant in complex environments or processes that involve chemical transformations (such as electrolysis), physical processes (such as hydrogen transport), or when connecting several stages and energy vectors.
In addition, advances in technology involved in remote satellite observation and remote monitoring of safety systems (already present in a range of safety technology including gas and flame detection devices) offers huge potential.
At a more fundamental level, better and more connected technology as well as improved user interfaces offer scope to make safety easier: Easier for managers or those with overall safety responsibility to monitor colleagues and more quickly identify potential issues, and easier for colleagues to be alerted to hazards in the vicinity in which they are working.
SAFETY MUST KEEP PACE AND RESPOND TO
NEW INTELLIGENCE As mentioned earlier, we need to know and understand the safety risks involved but currently there is a very limited track record, and new technology, and techniques are being constantly developed so there is an element of the unknown when it comes to safety.
This means that the safety sector must be nimble and ready to keep pace in order to address constantly evolving safety requirements and to put in place comprehensive safety training for employees. This is particularly important where new energy technologies differ from the traditional oil and gas sector, and
x.com/TomorrowsHS
largely centres around improving our understanding of the unique risks posed from areas such as using EV batteries and storage of carbon dioxide.
Partnership between industry and academia will be vital to ensure that the latest intelligence is used effectively to keep people safe as the industry evolves.
Until recently, the industry talked about the Energy Trilemma, maintaining the balance of sustainability, affordability, supply security and energy reality. This has now evolved to the Energy Quadrilemma, with the addition of protecting people and assets. Significantly, safety holds relevance within all four elements of the Quadrilemma which, once again, highlights the essential role safety plays in the energy transition.
i) Energy security: To avoid shutdowns in energy supply by preventing accidents and power shortages.
ii) Environmental sustainability: To avoid damage to the natural resources associated to a specific site, for example.
iii) Economic viability: Save any costs for repair and in a major accident, protect investments by retaining industrial trust, while standardisation is crucial for international trade.
iv) Social justice: The perception of the local communities (as users) and then global citizens (as voters) will be paramount to accept these new technologies worldwide; the negative effects of accidents can polarise the society and obscure the obvious benefits (and urgency) of renewable projects (job creation, emission reductions, more affordable energy).
The bottom line is that if the energy transition does not get safety right first time, incidents such as the recent spate of highly publicised battery-related fires, are likely to lead to difficulty getting planning permission, insurance, investment and public backing.
Safety does not need to hinder progress or delay deployment, indeed quite the opposite: Getting safety right will ultimately speed things up and play a key part on achieving targets and timeframes.
www.draeger.com/en_uk/Safety/Clean-Energy-Solutions 29
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52
