Boiler User Group 2021: Energy from Waste, Biomass and Fossil Fuels

Ben Jenkins: Head Office Engineer, British Engineering Services

Ben Jenkins joined British Engineering Services in 2019 as a head office engineer dealing with conformity assessment under the Pressure Equipment Directive. Ben had started his engineering career in the pressure equipment industry back in 2006 and completed a part-time Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering in 2020. He is part of the team responsible for reviewing the conformity assessment of pressure equipment falling under the requirements of both the Pressure Equipment Directive (CE marking) and the Pressure Equipment Safety Regulations (UKCA marking). He has an interest in the future use of additive manufacturing in the pressure equipment industry.

Gavin Edley: Technical Manager, Hartford Steam Boiler UK Limited

Gavin Edley joined Hartford Steam Boiler in 2002 from a pressure vessel engineering background. He has held numerous roles within the organisation for the design approval, inspection and certification of a wide range of pressure equipment in both the nuclear and non-nuclear energy sectors. He has led Hartford Steam Boiler’s Notified Body under the EU Pressure Equipment Directive since 2014 and is now Technical Manager for its UK Approved Body under the UK Pressure Equipment (Safety) Regulations.

David Kilpatrick: Director, Combustion Engineering Association

David Kilpatrick was a general mechanical Engineering Apprentice with Whessoe Heavy Engineering, Darlington. He then spent a year with Coles Cranes before moving to a new factory with Rothmans Tobacco for the next 15 years working both in the UK and abroad.

He moved to Weetabix in Kettering as Process Engineering Manager for 8 years, followed by a move to London to work for Guinness for 3 years until closure of the brewery.

He joined Rockwell Automation in Milton Keynes, and then moved again to work for Spirax Sarco for 3 years. He relocated back to the North East with Spirax and then took on a post at Sunderland University managing a multimillion-pound project for NEPA (North East Productivity Alliance). That project finished after 6 years, he moved to SEMTA a sector skills council, looking after the Automotive industry and the Marine industry for skills and funding, until being made redundant again. Following this he took up the position as Director of CEA, and still here 10 years later.

Davey Wharrier: Fuel Handling Manager, Lynemouth Power Ltd.

Davey Wharrier had over 30 year’s experience in the UK Deep Mines sector before moving to Lynemouth Power in 2006 as raw Materials Engineer. He has been the engineering lead for the biomass conversion for over 7 years and project manager for the Biomass Storage and Handling project for the duration of the contract. Today, he holds the post of Fuel Handling Manager for Lynemouth Power, with responsibility for both Lynemouth and Port of Tyne installations

Andy Jones: Boiler Subject Area Manager, Uniper

Andy Jones is a chartered Chemical Engineer with 23 years experience in the power industry. Andy has gained experience with the boiler engineering department completing activities such as pressure part design, structural inspection, preparation of specification, tender and design review. During 2012-2015 Andy was the power island SAM for the Ironbridge Conversion project, a project which converted the two existing coal fired units to wood pellets. The project adopted a number of pioneering features and was successful in consuming over 2 million tonnes of wood pellets generating 4TWh of electricity during the 2.5 year project period.

Dan Eyre: Lead Fuel Technologist, Uniper

Dan Eyre is a Chartered Scientist who has worked in the Combustion and Fuel Technology teams for 19 years. During this time he has developed expert understanding of fuel quality, analysis and utilization in thermal power plants. Dan is an expert user and developer of computer models to predict fuel quality impacts on plant performance and operating costs. Dan has led trials of new coals at power plants, managed pilot-scale performance tests of new fuels and has completed investigations into fuel quality related problems on power plants (e.g. slagging, milling and emission issues).

Colin Bateman: Director of Business Development EMEA, IGS Europe sro

Colin graduated in 1996 with a Masters degree in Mechanical Engineering from Newcastle University and has 20+ years of experience in developing and specifying protective barrier solutions for mission critical assets. Working in the Energy Sector, he currently supports asset owners in Europe and the Middle East, helping them to manage and mitigate their erosion and corrosion challenges through the utilization of robust surface protection technologies, developing preventative maintenance programs.

Michael Apanisile: Mechanical Engineer, Scunthorpe Central Power Station, British Steel

Juan Sanchez-Hanton: Principal Metallurgist, Doosan Babcock

Juan Sanchez-Hanton has worked in the Power and Infrastructure industry for 15 years, and is the Global Technical Authority for Metallurgy and Fabrication for Doosan Babcock, performing a governance role of all aspects of materials quality and performance issues globally, from materials selection to asset management. He holds a PhD in Physical Metallurgy, is a Chartered Engineer, a European Engineer, and a Fellow of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining. His professional commitments include membership the ASME Boiler & Pressure Vessel Code Section II Working Group on CSEF Steels.

Christian Parkes: Mechanical Engineer, Drax Power Ltd.

Christian began his career working at Tata Steel as a graduate engineer, after undertaking a development programme took the responsibility for maintenance of the turbo blower house. He moved to the power industry with EDF Energy, working on coal fired boilers & ancillary systems with a focus on pressure systems & outage management. Later moving to Drax and managing a multi-million-pound project to install & commission explosion mitigation systems on the original biomass handling facility.

Robin Buller: Director Business Development, KRR

Robin has worked in the energy sector for many years, gaining experience in senior roles with several multi-national corporations. Previously based in Asia and then the USA, he was the Director of International Sales for the Oil and Gas division of a large German conglomerate and later Executive Vice President of a start-up developing production of ethanol from waste agricultural crops. He has been with KRR Prostream for ten years and is responsible for business development and building and maintaining customer relationships.

Pete Smithson: Plant Manager, BWSC Generation Services UK Ltd

Pete Smithson has worked within the electricity supply sector, since joining as a graduate in 2004, holding a variety of positions in both coal and CCGT technologies with EON and EDF Energy, covering maintenance, asset integrity and outage management. Since 2015 he has been Plant Manager at Brigg Renewable Energy Plant, a 40MWe straw-fired biomass asset. Here he has undertaken the initial establishment of the site teams, through commissioning, warranty and into full commercial operation and subsequent optimisation.’

Lorenzo Castillo Garcia: Thermodynamic Modelling Expert, Uniper

Graduated with a degree in Mechanical Engineering and Master on Energy Systems from the Universidad Politecnica de Madrid (UPM). The first steps in his professional career were working in the modelling of concentrated solar power systems in France. Also, he achieved a PhD from the Universite de Pau et des Pays de l’Adour (UPPA) with a thesis on the Modelling of Absorption Chiller Cycles Coupled with Concentrated Solar Power Systems. After he moved to England to work on the modelling of turbine blade cooling systems. Currently, working as a Thermodynamic Modelling Engineer at Uniper Technologies where he oversees model developments of power stations.

Jake Waterhouse: Technical and Sales Director, DEKOMTE

Trained with Allen Gears (within Rolls-Royce Industrial Power Group) and completed a Bachelors of Engineering (BEng Hons) degree in Mechanical Engineering at the Birmingham City University. In Allen Gears he worked as a sales, applications and project engineer for main drive parallel shaft and epicyclic gearboxes. In 2004 he joined DEKOMTE operations in the UK, and is now responsible for managing and developing the UK expansion joint business. Since 2011 has been on the corporate board of DEKOMTE with responsibility for all international business. As a chartered engineer, Jake uses technical ability to deliver specialised solutions tailored to the customers' requirements.

Steve Kendrick: Service and Sales Director, Spiral Weld Limited

Steve is an experienced power industry technician, commissioning engineer and manager having worked in the industry for over 40 years. His expertise and knowledge cover steam and gas turbines, nuclear reactor systems, boiler and balance of plant. Steve is currently Service and Sales Director at Spiral Weld Limited.

Ashley Corke: Operations Manager, FCC

Ashley started his career at Tyseley ERF as a Mechanical Apprentice pursuing the engineering tasks of a fitter. After 4 years he moved to become a control room operator through the commissioning of Staffordshire ERF. He stayed in this position furthering his knowledge of the system for 3 years before becoming a Shift Team Leader for a further 4 years providing efficient operation of the plant and achieving safety from the system for any works being conducted. He is now the Operations Manager for Eastcroft and continuing the development to bring the plant in to the modern era of EFWs.

James Bowers: Low Carbon Technology Manager, SSE Thermal

James Bowers manages a team that is undertaking the design development of Keadby 3 low carbon CCGT project and provides technical support to SE Thermal’s Low Carbon Industrial Clusters engagements. They have supported SSE Thermal in developing expertise in low carbon thermal technologies, including hydrogen and CCS, and conducting techno-economic assessments, which has informed the development strategy for Keadby 3 from which CCS was selected as the preferred technology option. They have led the design development, through technology assessment and optioneering, site feasibility, engineering requirements, technical risk assessment, and conceptual design, whilst also supported the planning application process. To support the Keadby 3 project they have consulted extensively with a wide range of external experts, including academia and through identifying risk and opportunities have sought to collaborate to find solutions that will ensure Low Carbon Thermal CCGTs will deliver what the energy system requires, i.e. value for money, low carbon, and dispatchable power.

Connor O’Shea: Head of UKCA Delivery, Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Connor O’Shea is the Head of the UKCA delivery team in BEIS. His team are focused on implementing the UK’s new post-Brexit goods regulation regime, which uses the UKCA marking. Connor’s team work closely with businesses domestically and internationally to help them understand new requirements so that they can continue placing goods on the market in Great Britain. Prior to this, Connor led communications, engagement and policy work in BEIS to support business preparations for Brexit. He has also worked in a range of other roles across government, including on apprenticeships and further education policy.

Simon Schofield: Senior Risk Engineer, Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance

Stuart Simpson: Technical Head Boiler Engineering, Uniper

Jon Dean: Senior Project and Mechanical Engineer, Tata Chemicals Europe

Jon Dean is a chartered engineer with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. He has over 25 years’ experience working as an engineer in the Manufacturing, Power Generation and Chemical Industries. He has held various project, manufacturing and maintenance roles, and has over 12 years’ experience working at Tata Chemicals Europe. During this time he has led in-house teams and contract suppliers to deliver maintenance work on existing assets and to build new plants. Jon is currently working as a Senior Project and Mechanical Engineer, on projects at TCE including the Carbon Capture and Usage Project in Northwich Cheshire.

Philip Jenkinson: Conversion Engineering Manager, Simec Atlantis Energy

Philip Jenkinson, having started his career in the coal industry, has progressed through the energy transition working internationally in the fields of emission reduction of coal fired power generating plant, conversion of coal plant to biomass combustion, energy from waste and now leads the technical delivery of the Uskmouth Conversion Project. Phil has a passion for improving the environmental impact of global electricity generating and energy intensive industries whilst maintaining their economic competitiveness via emissions reduction, efficiency enhancement and alternative fuel utilisation. The Uskmouth Conversion Project encompasses these passions as a world first repurposing of a coal fired power plant to fire waste derived fuels. This achieves significant reductions in CO2 (60%) and regulated pollutant emissions whilst becoming the world’s most efficient generator of electricity using solely waste as a fuel.

Paul James: Materials & Corrosion Team, Uniper Technologies Limited

A graduate from the School of Metallurgy & Materials Science at the University of Birmingham, Paul is the Senior Boiler Tube Analyst in the Materials & Corrosion Team at Uniper Technologies Limited based at Ratcliffe, near Nottingham. Over four decades, Paul has routinely conducted failure investigations, condition monitoring assessments and site-based surveys across a broad spectrum of boiler designs and fuel types based both in the UK and Internationally. Within this role he has actively developed targeted maintenance strategies for power plant with a complementary responsibility for producing longer term review and risk assessment documents.

Jonathan Wells: Principal Consultant, Risktec Solutions Ltd

As a Principal Consultant in the Asset Integrity Management Team of Risktec Solutions Ltd. Jonathan Wells has a keen interest in how alloys and coatings degrade at high temperatures and in corrosive environments. He has worked previously as a Technical Specialist at Siemens Industrial Machinery Limited and as a Turbine Metallurgist for RWE npower.

Michael Macpherson: Static & Dynamic Engineering Department Head, Doosan Babcock

Mike Macpherson began his career with Scottish Power with focus on their coal-fired assets, before joining Doosan Babcock’s Asset Management division as a graduate engineer. He has held a number of roles during his 14 years with the company, gaining experience of nuclear inspection and remote operations, before moving to a structural integrity discipline where he now leads a highly diverse team who manage the integrity of pressure-components on power generation, petrochemical and offshore oil & gas assets globally.