INNOVATION ON THE ISLE OF SHEPPEY


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ello and welcome to the December/January issue of


Electrical Engineering. As we enter a new year, and a new decade, we can reflect on 2019 being the cleanest year on record for Britain as, for the first time, the amount of zero carbon electricity used by UK homes and businesses outstripped that from fossil fuels for a full 12 months. Data released by National Grid


shows a combination of wind farms, solar and nuclear energy, alongside energy imported by subsea interconnectors, delivered 48.5 per cent of Britain’s electricity in 2019, compared to 43 per cent generated by fossil fuels. The remaining 8.5 per cent was generated by biomass. A study published last year by


the University of Sussex and Aarhus University revealed that Europe has the capacity to produce more than 100 times the amount of energy it currently produces through onshore windfarms. In an analysis of all suitable sites


for onshore wind farms, the study found that Europe has the potential to supply enough energy for the whole world until 2050. Now that we are at the midway


point between 1990 and 2050 – the year in which the UK has committed to achieve at least a 100 per cent reduction in emissions based on 1990 levels - there is much to be done. In December, National Grid set out plans to invest almost £10bn in the UK’s gas and electricity networks over five years, of which almost £1bn has been ear-marked to enable the transition to Net Zero. Safety is a prominent topic in this


issue, with features including Arc Flash, Safety in Engineering and Fire Safety. We also bring you a Lighting &


Lighting Controls case study on how a London primary school is on track to significantly reduce its annual energy use, and Lutron Electronics looks at how automated shades can balance performance and aesthetics. In Smart Buildings & IoT, Schneider


Electric considers how the Internet of Things can help a business to go green; while in Test & Measurement, we look at the addition of a new Multiple Timing Test feature on Megger’s multifunction Sverker 900 test set. Wishing you all the best for the


year ahead. Carly Wills, Editor


YOUNG FEMALE ENGINEERS AWARDED


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hree young female engineers have been recognised at the Institution of Engineering and Technology’s


(IET) Young Woman Engineer of the Year Awards for their work in engineering. IET Young Woman Engineer of the Year, Ying Wan


Loh (28), is a manufacturing engineer for Rolls-Royce plc. She also co-founded a technology startup that developed rapidly within a year and won the CSSA UK High-Tech Entrepreneurship Bronze Award. IET Mary George Memorial Prize for Apprentices,


Samantha Magowan (21), is an applications engineer for Dale Power Solutions, and the winner of the Women’s Engineering Society (WES) Award, Dr Claire Lucas (33), is an associate professor of systems and information engineering at the University of Warwick. On winning, Ying Wan Loh said: “I am so honoured


to receive this award. I have a great team and support system behind me, and this is an amazing feeling. “This award isn’t just about me, it’s about all


A


new anaerobic digestion (AD) plant in Kent, which converts food and agricultural waste


from the county into biogas and electricity, has been connected to the national grid. Malcolm McAllister from developer Farm


Renewables Ltd, explains that the plant on the Isle of Sheppey will be producing 500 cubic metres per hour of biomethane for the national grid, which is enough to heat almost all the homes on the island. “The plant is also producing 499KWh of


electricity, 50 per cent of which is being used to power the AD plant, while the remainder is exported to the grid,” he said. “As to be expected, there is also a significant


amount of heat produced during the AD process, which we’re planning to use to heat our landowner’s commercial grain storage and drying operation, greatly reducing the amount of diesel required.” By producing energy from waste, and reducing


the demand for fossil fuels, Sheppey AD plant is contributing towards the development of a circular economy at a local level. Now it is operational, the plant will use 15,000


tonnes of maize, 6,000 tonnes of straw, 6,000 tonnes of chicken manure and 6,000 of tonnes fruit waste from the area each year to produce renewable energy. The digestate, which is a by-product of the AD


process, will be spread on local arable fields, providing nutrients and organic matter to improve soil quality, reducing the reliance on artificial nitrogen-based fertilisers. The build of the new plant has also seen the


implementation of innovative technologies to help maximise its efficiency. For example, a unique straw processing unit has been developed to overcome the challenges associated with having a large proportion of dry matter in the feedstock. “This technology allows straw bales to be broken


down, via a hammer mill into fine pieces which are then compacted and made into briquettes. Rather than using straw in its raw form, the uniformity of the briquettes aids the digestion process inside the plant, helping increase efficiency and gas production per tonne of straw,” explained McAllister. Overall, the project cost £14,460,400, and was


fully funded by specialist energy from waste funder Privilege Finance.


4 DECEMBER / JANUARY 2020 | ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING


the outstanding women changing the world through engineering.


DATATEAM BUSINESS MEDIA ACQUIRES WHAT’S NEW IN ELECTRONICS LIVE


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hat’s New in Electronics Live, the dedicated electronics and manufacturing event, has been


successfully acquired by Datateam Business Media and will now join the company’s portfolio of existing events and supporting publications including Electronics, Electronics World and Components in Electronics (CIE). With extensive experience in industry events


covering a range of industries and sectors, Datateam is ideally positioned to support and implement the next growth phase of the WNIE Live event in the UK. The show will now sit alongside Sensors &


Instrumentation Live and both events will run in Hall 1 at the NEC, Birmingham, on 29-30 September 2020. The development of this acquisition will be led by


business director, Louise Pudney, and her team, who are excited about the upcoming combination and the prospect of delivering many more years of vital events for the market. Claire Saunders of New Events, who has been


running the UK event for over 20 years, commented: “Datateam is investing heavily into the UK electronics, manufacturing and industrial sectors and will be adding WNIE Live to its existing event portfolio alongside other acquisitions. The company also has magazines which will support these events and we are confident the new team will deliver great customer service, and a quality event with relevant visitors.” For information on exhibiting at What’s New in


Electronics Live or Sensors & Instrumentation Live please contact Louise Pudney at lpudney@datateam.co.uk or 01622 699104.


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