FEBRUARY 2025 ISSUE 1,004

CHEMICAL AND PROCESS ENGINEERING NEWS AND VIEWS, BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE INSTITUTION OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERS

TAKING THE GUESSWORK OUT OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING

PLUS MANAGING AGEING ASSETS / CAREER SHIFTS FROM OIL & GAS / TRUMPING DIVERSITY / WHY SMILING MATTERS

cover1004.indd 1 23/01/2025 14:01:51

 ADVERTISEMENT

Why h (i.e. q/ΔT) and E (i.e. σ/ε)

must be abandoned
If q is proportional to ΔT, h (i.e. q/ΔT) is a constant, and q and ΔT are variables:

q = hΔT (1)
⸫ h = (q/ΔT) (2)
⸫ q = (q/ΔT)ΔT (3)

If q is a nonlinear function of ΔT, as in free convection and boiling, h

(i.e. q/ΔT) is a variable dependent on ΔT, and q, ΔT, and h{ΔT} (i.e.
(q/ΔT){ΔT}) are variables:

q = h{ΔT}ΔT (4)
⸫ q = (q/ΔT){ΔT}(ΔT) (5)
⸫ q = f{ΔT} (6)

Equations (4), (5), and (6) are identical because they all state that q is a function of ΔT, and the
function may be proportional, linear, or nonlinear. (The symbols in Eqs. (1) to (5) represent
numerical values and dimensions. The symbols in Eq. (6) represent only numerical values.)

In modern convection heat transfer, Eq. (5) is the de facto law because it applies to all forms of
behavior, whereas Eqs. (1) to (3) apply only if q is proportional to ΔT. Note that Eq. (5) is not
dimensionally homogeneous if q is a nonlinear function of ΔT.

In the new engineering, Eq. (6) replaces Eq. (5) because, if q is a nonlinear function of ΔT (as in free
convection or boiling), Eq. (6) always has two variables (q and ΔT), whereas Eq. (5) always has three
variables (q, ΔT, and (q/ΔT){ΔT}). Note that Eq. (6) is always dimensionally homogeneous because
it always contains only numerical values.

Q.E.D. Parameters such as h (i.e. q/ΔT) and E (i.e. σ/ε) must be abandoned because, if the behavior
is nonlinear, they are extraneous variables that greatly complicate solutions, and laws that include
them are not dimensionally homogeneous.

In the new engineering, laws are analogs of y = f{x} which states that the numerical value of
parameter y is a function of the numerical value of parameter x, and the function may be proportional,
linear, or nonlinear.

The new engineering and its application are described in The New Engineering
by Eugene F. Adiutori. It can be downloaded for personal use without charge at
thenewengineering.com, or purchased at bookstores for £31.50.

ISBN 978-0-9626220-4-5

TCE.1004.IFC.indd 2 08/01/2025 16:23:29

 The Chemical Engineer
Contents, Issue 1,004
FEBRUARY 2025

Mark Godden / Shutterstock.com

24 32 44

NEWS 44 AGEING ASSETS

3 EDITOR’S COMMENT
36 Managing ageing assets as part of
the clean energy transition
4 NEWS: IN NUMBERS 46 A CLEAN GETAWAY
6 NEWS: IN BRIEF Insights from chemical engineers
transitioning from oil and gas
8 NEWS: IN DEPTH
Fusion breakthrough; UK’s new AI 50 VIEWPOINT: SOFT SKILLS
strategy hailed; Ineos warning Faye Litherland on the secrets of
15 NEWS: ROUND-UP smiling – and why they matter

20 NEWS: ICHEME MATTERS 52 HOW TO...

Mark Apsey on making a difference; Davide Dionisi designs a biological
honours for IChemE Fellows wastewater treatment process

60 HIRST VIEWPOINT
FEATURES Nigel Hirst on takeovers and their
potential to ruin your company
24 ICHEME MATTERS: 36 AI FOR ENGINEERING
ACCREDITATION Aniqah Majid speaks to the Uni- 62 COMPLEX OR
Introducing IChemE’s Accredited versity of Birmingham spinout COMPLICATED: PART 4
Company Training Schemes (ACTS) harnessing the power of AI to Chris and Penny Hamlin say there
are no silver bullets when it comes
26 ICHEME MATTERS: design process equipment
to complex systems
BENEVOLENT FUND
38 DEI IN THE TIME OF TRUMP
Sam Baker meets the duo behind 64 PRACTICAL PROCESS
Mark McBride-Wright assesses how
the transformation of the Chemical CONTROL: PART 19
Donald Trump’s return might affect
Engineers’ Benevolent Fund Myke King explains the history of
diversity, equity, and inclusion
split-ranging
28 ICHEME MATTERS: ADVANCES
Zaid Rawi reviews the process
40 PROCESS SAFET Y
engineering applications set to be Leanne Potter and Ashley Hynds on
REGUL ARS
reshaped by digital technologies the importance of effective manage-
ment, control, and reporting systems
68 RECRUITMENT
32 AI FOR SIMUL ATION
Tim Duignan looks at how AI 43 STUDENT GRANT 69 WHAT’S ON DIRECTORY
A new memorial fund launched
accelerated simulation will take 71 TRAINING CALENDAR
the guesswork out of chemical to support process safety-minded
engineering students of data science 72 RESIDUE

FEBRUARY 2025 | The Chemical Engineer | PAGE 1

Contents1004 to fill.indd 1 23/01/2025 15:52:18

 INDUSTRY-BASED DEGREE
PROGRAMMES BY DISTANCE LEARNING
Our industry focussed distance learning degree We also offer Masters degrees in Advanced
programmes are flexible to fit in with your Chemical & Process Engineering, Process
current job, family commitments or lifestyle. Technology & Management, and Chemical
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Classes are delivered online, and include tutor
part-time distance learning degrees are aimed
support via forums, email and live webinars.
at candidates currently working in chemical
Whether it is a Bachelor, Masters, or shorter
and process industries who wish to advance
CPD programmes you are looking for, we will
their skills and knowledge.
have something to suit your professional needs
and lifestyle. All of the above degree programmes are
accredited by IChemE.
Our BEng/MEng Chemical Engineering
degree offers advanced entry to students with Join a virtual open day to find
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The programme covers the fundamentals of
View our courses here:
chemical engineering and is aimed at aspiring
https://bit.ly/CPE-distancelearning
Chemical Engineers.
Contact us: chemeng-online@strath.ac.uk

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FEBRUARY 2025 | The Chemical Engineer | PAGE 2

Masthead1004.indd 2 23/01/2025 16:43:53

 The Chemical Engineer
Editor’s comment

A Galvanising Moment?
ADAM DUCKETT

I
’VE SEEN a lot of sector strategy launches in my time, and planning needed to grasp them.
many are conspicuous for repeating the same tired plot If I were to offer a criticism, it’s the apparent absence of some
beats. Imagine my surprise then to attend a launch in Jan- key players I’d expect to be closely involved. The Chemicals
uary that went somewhat off the usual script. Industry Association for one and the professional engineering
These things are fairly formulaic. Broadly speaking, institutions for another. This perhaps encapsulates the scale of
people gather and there are canapes. Someone influential but the challenge the strategy itself outlines. And the risk, of course.
peripheral to the initiative, picture an MP, takes to the lectern and What price will UK industry pay if stakeholders continue working
sets the scene. They finish their bit and invite the person who led in disconnected siloes? But then how to involve everyone relevant
the work to come up and add the detail, though unfortunately they for something as all-encompassing as materials?
can’t stay around to hear it themselves because they must exit the First off, Henry Royce’s CEO said he wants to form a broader
stage for another priority engagement. coalition involving engineering institutions to now implement
So far, so usual at the launch of the Henry Royce Institute’s the strategy. And second, he talked keenly about how success
national materials innovation strategy (p10). But then things would hinge on the use of digital technology. Without blockchain,
began to take a turn. There was an unusually large procession of AI, modelling, and a shared data hub we’ll fall short on life cycle
influential people invited to the lectern to share their views. There analysis, smart recycling, and the circular economy. It repeats
was a government chief scientist who helped steer the work. The similar points made elsewhere in other strategies but hopefully
CEO of a multinational manufacturer, who hadn’t been so closely we’ll look back and see that the echoes were in fact a clarion call
involved but was celebrating the broad coalition that had, and that inspired sustained collaboration and accelerated innovations
promising his company’s full support for what comes next. already being made in the likes of fusion (p8) and biotech (p12).
And then came the moment of unusual candour. The person Much also hinges on alignment with the sector plans for UK gov-
who chaired the project stood in front of everyone and imagined ernment’s long-awaited industrial strategy, which are expected
its failure out loud. shortly.
How many times have we been here before, he asked. How In the meantime, we too are keenly focused on that ever-roll-
many strategies have we each helped write and launch only to see ing wave of digitalisation. You can read how AI is accelerating
them gather dust on a shelf? modelling (p32) and channelling Darwin to rapidly iterate the
He paused to let the question sink in. design of process equipment (p36). I’m keen we continue shar-
“How many?” he challenged. Among the audience, nervous ing stories about how you are using AI to bolster your work. If
glances were exchanged. “Lots,” he told them. And people nodded. you’ve lessons you think will help students, teachers, researchers
This warning against complacency felt uncomfortable but or engineers in industry, please get in touch.
refreshingly honest – perhaps even galvanising. As I made my way
off to a side room to conduct an interview with the CEO, there was
an energy in the room. When I returned 20 minutes later it was
still there along with the broad coalition of people from industry,
academia, government, and research institutes who are needed to
keep that dust away.
All in all, it was encouraging. Much like the strategy itself Statements and opinions expressed in The Chemical Engineer are the
which acknowledges the transformational opportunities but ­responsibility of the editor. Unless described as such, they do not ­represent
also the system-wide collaboration, coordination and long-term the views or policies of the Institution of Chemical Engineers.

FEBRUARY 2025 | The Chemical Engineer | PAGE 3

comment1004.indd 3 23/01/2025 15:29:16

 News
IN NUMBERS

ENGINEERING BIOLOGY AWARENESS

AROUND 60% of British people say they have never heard of engineering
biology, with a further 24% saying they have, but cannot explain what it is,
according to a public trust survey from the Department
for Science, Innovation & Technology.

LOW BATTERY A survey of 3,000 adults represents the first time the UK public has been
asked about five applications of engineering biology, including healthcare,
DEMAND for essential battery agriculture and growth, and the development of new materials.
materials, including nickel and
copper, is set to outpace supply Engineering biology involves taking systems in biology, including
due to the rise in battery electric DNA, proteins, and genes, and applying them to processes
vehicles (BEVs), according to a in chemistry, industry, and manufacturing.
new report from McKinsey. Respondents were more aware of its applications in fields like healthcare
The consultancy estimates that and less so in creating new materials, but more than three-quarters
the BEV market will grow sixfold agreed that “engineering biology has the potential to be good for society”.
from 2021 through 2030, with The survey asked: “Before reading this explanation,
annual unit sales increasing from had you heard of engineering biology being used in or to produce…?
4.5m to 28m.
Consequently, McKinsey projects 6% 6% 6%
that demand for lithium will 29% 29% 23%
outweigh supply by 13% in
64% 65% 71%
2030, while demand for nickel
will outweigh supply by 24%,
and demand for manganese will Healthcare Low Carbon Agriculture and
outweigh supply by 62%. Fuels Food Growth

The shortfall will prove especially

6% 6%
challenging for the European 21% 16%
Union, which relies heavily on
imported battery materials, 72% 78%
importing 68% of its cobalt
from the Democratic Republic of New Chemicals Recycling
Congo, 24% of its nickel from and Materials Natural Waste
Canada, and 79% of its refined
lithium from Chile. YES NO DON’T KNOW

https://bit.ly/4g9NasY https://bit.ly/4gbeqaL

FEBRUARY 2025 | The Chemical Engineer | PAGE 4

NIN1004.indd 4 23/01/2025 12:07:26

 NEWS IN NUMBERS

CEMENTING SUCCESS BACK OF THE GRID

CEMEX has achieved a significant green milestone THE UK is lagging behind Germany, Spain, and Italy,
at its Rugby cement plant in Warwickshire, UK, as well global energy heavyweights China, the US, and
surpassing 1m t of production for its Australia when it comes to electricity grid investment.
alternative fuel product, Climafuel.
The UK only spends 25p (US$0.30) on cables
Launched in 2015, Climafuel is produced using and power lines for every pound spent on renewables,
household, commercial, and industrial waste, according to data published by BloombergNEF.
including paper, wood, carpet, and plastics.
To enhance connectivity and expand renewable
capacity, the UK’s National Grid is working on “The
Great Grid Upgrade”, an ambitious project set to
60% build five times more electricity transmission
infrastructure in the next six years than was
constructed over the past three decades.
40%

Cemex aims to
Climafuel has replaced reduce its direct

20–60% CO2 emissions by

of the fossil fuels, such 47%

as coal and petcoke, (compared to 1990
traditionally used to heat levels) by 2030
the kilns in Cemex’s
UK cement plants

For every National Grid’s RIIO-T3

£1 plan will invest up to

The cement industry

the UK invests in
renewables, it only invests
£35bn
is responsible for
between 2026 and 2031
8% 25p into new transmission
of global CO2 in cables and power lines infrastructure
emissions

https://bit.ly/3E8mQlR https://bit.ly/4jrVSG4

FEBRUARY 2025 | The Chemical Engineer | PAGE 5

NIN1004.indd 5 23/01/2025 12:07:34

 NEWS IN BRIEF

Eni enlists
supercomputer
ITALIAN oil giant Eni has switched on
its next generation supercomputer,
ranked the most powerful in Europe,
marking what it says is a “pivotal” step
forward in the company’s decarbonisa-
tion strategy.
High Performance Computing 6
(HPC6) is based at Eni’s Green Data
Center near Pavia and has been devel-
oped to improve the accuracy of
geological and fluid dynamic stud-
ies for CO2 storage and to help create
“high-performance” batteries.
Claudio Descalzi, Eni’s CEO, said:
“Technological advancements allow
us to use energy more efficiently by
reducing emissions and promoting the
development of new energy solutions.”
Ammonia makes green the new While the technology can be used
to make more accurate predictions,
yellow thereby improving operational efficien-
cies and avoiding associated emissions,
A FIBRE that changes colour when exposed to toxic gas could find use in indus- oil companies, including Eni, have also
trial workwear that would alert wearers to unsafe conditions. used them to efficiently find new oil
The fibre, developed by engineers at Shenkar College in Israel, changes colour and gas reserves.
from yellow to green when exposed to ammonia. The researchers say the fibre can
be woven or knitted into clothing to change its colour when exposed to the gas.
Elizabeth Amir, head of chemical engineering at Shenkar, told tech website Walla: AI hunts old maps to
“Ammonia is one of the most common toxic gases and we chose to focus on it
initially. Ammonia in high concentrations in the air can cause health damage and
find lost oil wells
even death.” RESEARCHERS at the Lawrence Berke-
The team hopes their technology can be taken up by factories whose workers are ley National Laboratory in California
at high risk of ammonia exposure. Amir is also excited by the prospect of using the have used AI to find undocumented oil
new material to develop food packaging that would change colour when food spoils. and gas wells across the US.
There are thought to be as many
as 800,000 undocumented oil and gas
wells across the US. Used before regu-
Crystal cooling under his team have found the first baro- lations were introduced, many of them

pressure claric material that absorbs heat at

temperatures low enough for domestic
are not plugged, leading to concerns of
oil and methane leaks.
RESEARCHERS at Deakin University in refrigeration. Fabio Ciulla and colleagues used AI
Australia, have identified a novel “plas- The materials absorb heat when their to analyse scans of maps of the US dat-
tic crystal” material which they say molecules transform from an ordered ing as far back as 1884 that included
could replace harmful chemicals used to a random crystal structure. Unfortu- locations of oil and gas wells long
in refrigeration and air conditioning. nately, the new material only works at out of operation. The tool helped find
Most cooling technology uses liq- excessively high pressure so Deakin said more than 1,000 undocumented wells,
uids called hydrofluorocarbons (HFC) more work is needed to identify “mate- although so far only 29 have been man-
that absorb heat but have a much higher rials that exhibit sufficient barocaloric ually verified. The team hopes to use
global warming potential than CO2. effect upon application of a small, drones in future projects to speed up
Deakin researcher Jenny Pringle and applied pressure.” verification.

FEBRUARY 2025 | The Chemical Engineer | PAGE 6

NIB1004.indd 6 23/01/2025 15:43:36

 NEWS IN BRIEF

Ciulla said the study showed that AI’s At the same time, engineers will
information gathering capabilities were
not just limited to cutting edge data:
build the CO2 transportation and stor-
age systems needed to store the captured
Online only
“While AI is a contemporary and rap- emissions.
idly evolving technology, it should not University Challenge
be exclusively associated with modern Chemical engineer and science com-
data sources.” Heinz greenz beanz municator Yasmin Ali sits down with
Aniqah Majid to discuss the energy
BEANS and cement are set for a green transition, her university days,
£4bn of contracts boost in the UK after Heinz and Hanson and her recent appearance on the
awarded for UK CCS were awarded government grants for
industrial decarbonisation.
Christmas edition of University
Challenge.
ENGINEERING firms, including Costain Heinz, known for its popular beans
https://bit.ly/40rDVP1
and Wood, have been awarded contracts and ketchup products, was awarded
worth £4bn (US$5bn) to construct two £2.5m (bringing its total funding to
CCS projects in Teesside. £7.5m) to install heat pumps that reuse Clamp-on metering
The projects involve building a world- heat waste from other areas of its fac- With water companies facing
first gas-powered power plant with the tory in Wigan. unprecedented fines and mount-
systems needed to capture its emissions The factory currently relies on fossil ing pressure to reduce leakage and
and transport them offshore for burial fuels to heat the water it uses to blanch storm overflow pollution, IChemE’s
beneath the North Sea. beans and boil spaghetti hoops. Process Management & Control
The contracts have been awarded by Hanson Cement received £5.6m for Special Interest Group has been dis-
Net Zero Teesside Power (NZT), a joint its carbon capture and storage project, cussing the urgent need for reliable,
venture between bp and Equinor, for Padeswood CCS, which aims to capture real-time flow monitoring.
engineers to begin constructing a 742 up to 800,000 t/y of CO2 and is expected In a webinar presented on
MW combined cycle gas power plant to be operational by 2029. 10 January, Andy Hammond of
with a carbon capture capacity of 2m t/y. They were among 25 companies Emerson discussed the latest
Construction will start in mid-2025 and awarded £52m (US$64m) under the advancements in clamp-on ultra-
create 3,000 jobs. Operations are expected Department of Energy Security and Net sonic metering, reviewing key
to start in 2028, creating 1,000 jobs. Zero’s Plan for Change scheme. factors including installation best
practices and real-world versus lab-
oratory performance.
Nigel J. Harris / Shutterstock.com

Join the SIG and watch the recording:

https://www.icheme.org/pmcsig

How I Did It: Koh Kai

Seng
In the latest How I Did It video from
IChemE, Koh Kai Seng talks about
his journey to becoming an assistant
professor at Heriot-Watt University
Malaysia and the joy he takes seeing
his students grasp complex chemi-
cal engineering concepts.
“I hope to shape my students’
understanding and inspire them to
incorporate sustainable practices in
their professional careers,” he says.
Watch the video: https://bit.ly/4hqIPTw
Share your story:
https://bit.ly/42pWV37

FEBRUARY 2025 | The Chemical Engineer | PAGE 7

NIB1004.indd 7 23/01/2025 15:43:37

 UKAEA
NEWS IN DEPTH

NUCLEAR

Fusion progress as engineers

make high-strength steel at scale
Race for commercialisation underway as new reactor deals signed and
designers shortlisted

MORE than five tonnes of fusion-grade group team leader at UKAEA, said the The challenge is reflected by a 2024
steel have been produced using an elec- achievement “lays the foundation for survey from the Fusion Industry Asso-
tric-powered furnace in Middlesbrough, cost-effective manufacturing of these ciation in which 14 out of the 38 private
the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) types of fusion steel for future commer- companies responding highlighted
has announced. cial fusion programmes”. finding neutron resilient materials as
It is the first time the metal has been He added: “Developing these types a “major challenge” to achieving grid-
produced to high enough strength to of steel could also benefit adjacent scale power by 2030.
withstand the extreme temperatures industries that require high-strength, Meanwhile, the Materials Process-
and neutron radiation of nuclear fusion high-temperature structural steels, such ing Institute is attempting to revitalise
reactors at an industrial scale. as nuclear fission or petrochemicals.” the UK steel industry through a newly-
The high-grade steel, 5.5 t of which formed Steel Council. Once a cornerstone
was produced at the Materials Process- of the British economy, the UK steel
ing Institute in Middlesbrough, is able to MAJOR CHALLENGES industry employed around 320,000
withstand temperatures up to 650°C. It During nuclear fusion, neutrons and people in the early 1970s, a far cry from
was produced by the NEURONE consor- extreme heat radiate out from the reactor the current figure of 33,700. A switch to
tium, a collaboration between UK core, which can cause degradation to the electrified steelmaking, while a positive
universities and UKAEA, in an electric arc external structure. Walls made from step for the UK’s decarbonisation plans,
furnace. regular steel would have to be replaced has made jobs even sparser for the likes
UKAEA estimates that producing frequently. of Tata Steel workers.
fusion-grade steel in electric arc furnaces Finding suitable materials to build The government has commit-
can reduce costs by a factor of 10. David nuclear fusion plants has been one of the ted £2.5bn (US$3.1bn) to rebuilding
Bowden, NEURONE programme lead biggest hurdles to making fusion a viable the industry and is leading the council
and materials science and engineering way of generating grid-scale electricity. alongside Materials Processing Institute.

FEBRUARY 2025 | The Chemical Engineer | PAGE 8

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 NEWS IN DEPTH

Working with the CEOs of British Steel, 2022 at California’s Lawrence Liver- ENGINEERS SHORTLISTED
Tata Steel and Sheffield Forgemasters, more Laboratory. Their success has only FOR UK PROTOT YPE
the council plans to launch a strategy been repeated in a handful of facilities In January, the UK government built on
by the end of Q1 to boost production, around the world, including at the Joint this investment by pledging £410m for
competitiveness, and safeguard jobs and European Torus (JET) research facility at fusion development and shortlisting the
steel communities. the Culham Centre in Oxfordshire, UK, engineering and construction companies
which ceased experiments in December that will help build the country’s proto-
2023. type fusion power plant.
THE BIRTHPL ACE OF There is also the difficulty of sustain- The £410m will be spent develop-
FUSION WILL BE… ing fusion reactions to deliver a constant ing the STEP prototype power plant in
Efforts in the US to commercialise fusion power supply. The current world record is Nottinghamshire at the site of a former
have also moved a step closer after held by China’s “artificial sun” facility, coal-fired power plant, repurposing the
Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS) which achieved constant fusion reactions now defunct JET fusion test reactor in
announced plans to build a plant that will for 17 minutes in 2022. Culham, and funding the Fusion Futures
deliver electricity to the grid by early next CFS says it will achieve sustained net programme, which will foster fusion
decade. energy and expects its prototype reactor skills and build a fusion fuel research
CFS claims to be the world’s first to be operational by 2026. The reactor will facility.
company to develop plans to build a grid- use superconductors to drive powerful Five consortia have been short-
scale fusion plant. The generator will be magnets which CFS said could produce listed to design and build STEP. The two
built in Chesterfield County, Virginia, twice as much energy as it requires. vying to become the engineering partner
which the company’s CEO Bob Mumgaard Luke Crampton, chair of IChemE’s for the project are Celestial (which
called the “birthplace of commercial Nuclear Technology Special Interest involves Eni, AtkinsRealis, Jacobs Clean
fusion energy”. Group, told TCE: “This is a significant Energy, Westinghouse, and Tokamak
CFS says their reactor, known as ARC, development in fusion design. It is really Energy) and Phoenix Fusion (Cavendish
will generate around 400 MW of electric- promising that there is now investment Nuclear, KBR, and Assystem Energy and
ity for the grid, enough to power 150,000 in a wide range of nuclear technologies Infrastructure).
homes. The company expects to generate that pave the way to a more sustainable Those in the race to construct STEP
at this capacity by the early 2030s. future.” are Inovus Infrastructure (Balfour Beatty
Mumgaard described the announce- Crampton added that CFS’s reactors Civil Engineering, Vinci Construction,
ment as a “historic moment”. He added: “present a huge opportunity for chemical AtkinsRealis, Mott Macdonald, and
“In the early 2030s, all eyes will be on… engineers globally” and that they are WSP), ILIOS (Kier Infrastructure and
Chesterfield County, Virginia, as the “critical to making these applications a Overseas, Bam Nuttal, Nuvia, AECOM,
birthplace of commercial fusion energy.” reality”. Turner and Townsend Infrastructure,
The ARC reactor will be built on land CFS is a private company that spun and Amanda Levete Architects) and
owned by Virginia energy company out of Massachusetts Institute of Tech- Ferrovial Mace (Ferrovial Construction
Dominion, while CFS will finance, build, nology in 2018. To date, it has raised over and Mace Consult).
and operate the plant. US$2bn, which includes major backing They will now have detailed discus-
from Italian oil giant Eni. sions with UK Industrial Fusion Solutions
CFS and Wisconsin-based Realta (UKIFS), the subsidiary of the UK Atomic
FUSION AIMS Fusion are the only two private enter- Energy Authority that is leading the
Nuclear fusion has the potential to prises in the world with viable plans to design, build, and operation of STEP,
generate vast amounts of power from very produce net energy from fusion in the ahead of the winning partners being
little resources. All existing nuclear power near future, according to the Fusion awarded a contract by early 2026.
stations in the world use nuclear fission, Industry Association’s latest report. The £410m provided by the govern-
which generates radioactive waste that The UK Atomic Energy Authority ment will include funding for the LIBRTI
requires highly complex management. signed a five-year collaboration deal with (lithium breeding tritium innova-
Fusion reactors, in contrast, produce no CFS in 2022, while the UK Department tion) project. It’s estimated that £200m
radioactive waste. of Energy Security and Net Zero signed will be spent up to 2028 constructing a
The biggest challenge to making a US$52m deal in December with the testbed facility for the tritium feeder
nuclear fusion commercially viable is US Department of Energy that involves blanket system. This system will be used
producing “net energy”, which is gener- testing a lithium coating at Tokamak in fusion facilities to both produce more
ating more energy than is required for Energy’s ST40 fusion reactor in Oxford- fuel for fusion and provide heat exchange
the reactor to operate. shire in an effort to improve plasma from the fusion process to generate more
Net energy was first achieved in confinement. electricity. AD/AM/SB

FEBRUARY 2025 | The Chemical Engineer | PAGE 9

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 NEWS IN DEPTH

INDUSTRY

UK needs integrated materials

sector to drive growth, urges report
Plea made for collaboration and to ensure strategy doesn’t end up
simply gathering dust

THE AUTHORS of a national materi- authors say there is the potential to and addressing the UK’s habit of seeing
als strategy have warned that without double the number of jobs by 2035. the materials it develops at home being
concerted industry leadership their David Knowles, CEO of the Henry Royce scaled up and commercialised abroad.
attempts to accelerate innovation will Institute, said at the launch: “Without The strategy has not recommended the
fail, holding back UK growth, skills, and your leadership, the strategy will fail. It’s UK pursue specific technological solu-
security. really important that you engage.” tions, instead picking 19 opportunities
The calls were made in January as for innovation spread across six themes:
leaders from industry, research, and energy, healthcare, infrastructure,
government gathered in London for SILOES AND SCALEUP surface technologies, electronics and
the launch of a strategy which could The Henry Royce Institute has taken sensors, and consumer products and
underpin growth in sectors as varied advice from more than 2,000 experts polymers.
as energy, consumer products, and from across business, academia, research These include the development of novel
telecommunications. organisations, and government. The battery chemistries and membranes,
It’s estimated that some 52,000 people result is a plan to move beyond what it materials for industrial heat exchange,
in the UK work directly in materials-spe- describes as the siloed efforts of the past and hydrogen transportation. Success in
cific roles, contributing £4.4bn (US$5.3bn) to create an integrated materials sector these areas would help retain manufac-
a year to the economy. Top employers that serves all the UK’s industrial growth. turing and process industries by lowering
include Jaguar Land Rover, Rolls-Royce, A key challenge will be addressing lengthy energy costs and create new technologies
BAE Systems, and Tata Steel. The report’s and expensive commercialisation cycles and companies that bolster the economy,
sustainability, and materials security.
MPI

TRANSL ATION, TRANSL ATION,

TRANSL ATION
Knowles said the next steps he’d like
to see taken include the creation of a
business case and implementation plan
for the ten-year strategy; the creation of
a national materials innovation leader-
ship group to push this forward; and an
assessment of the infrastructure needed
for scaleup and manufacture.
“I think the institutions like chemical
engineering, mechanical engineering,
and materials, they’ve all got to come
behind this and say, ‘this is the right
thing’,” Knowles said. “We need to come
together as a cohesive group.
Materials strategy launched with plea for industry to prevent it from gathering “You heard me talk today about ‘trans-
dust on a shelf lation, translation, translation’. There are

FEBRUARY 2025 | The Chemical Engineer | PAGE 10

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 NEWS IN DEPTH

The Henry Royce Institute/Chris Foster Photography

some really quick wins in this, including Academy of Engineering’s policy unit,
some great technologies that are coming supported by IChemE. It called for the
through around the transition to net zero government to establish a National Mate-
concrete.” rials Data Hub to monitor and forecast
Knowles was referring to a process supply chains, material flows, and
developed at the University of Cambridge material requirements for net zero infra-
that is being scaled up at the Materi- structure. Using the renewables sector
als Process Institute (MPI) to make zero as an example, the academy noted that a
emissions steel and cement from a single large offshore wind turbine can contain as
process. much as 5,800 kg of neodymium magnets
He added that some companies are yet there is a lack of information on
having to go abroad to access scaleup exactly how much of this critical material
capabilities. “That’s maybe where we is locked up in all the wind turbines
need some investment, but it should be across the UK, and then what date these
modest. We should also look at what valuable magnets will become available
[existing capabilities] we have got and for reuse in the car industry.
what can we deploy better.” “We have to think about deploying
Given the UK’s poor economic situ- technologies like blockchain. It’s one of David Knowles, CEO of the Henry
ation and demands for investment in the things I want to sit down with govern- Royce Institute, said: “Without your
public services, Knowles acknowledged ment to discuss,” Knowles said, noting leadership, the strategy will fail.”
that he’s not expecting a sudden influx of the government has been very supportive
state investment. of the strategy.
“A lot of what we’re talking about is This includes Julia Sutcliffe, chief INDUSTRY INTERVENTION
going to be delivered by industry. So, scientific advisor to the Department of Allan Cook, chair of the Materials Inno-
industry have to have a major stake in that Business and Trade, who was a member vation Leadership Group, opined the
process, and they need to work together of the leadership group that helped number of strategies he’s seen launched
with government.” develop it. that end up gathering dust on a shelf.
Government can assist with some of Sutcliffe said: “Transitioning new Pointing out “titans of the industrial
the “blockers” to progress such as regu- technology and innovation into tradable landscape” present in the room, he said:
lation and skills provision that Knowles outcomes is anything but simple. For the “Without your commitment and without
said are stymying UK innovation in materials sector, this challenge is even the commitment of the people that are
the likes of the biomedical and nuclear more acute because when you’re devel- within your organisations, we are not
sectors. He added that they have a key oping a new material, you might find going to turn this into an implementa-
role to play in developing the cross-cut- yourself in a position where the stand- tion and a reality.”
ting themes that the strategy identifies ards, the regulation, the manufacturing, Joan Cordiner, IChemE Fellow and
as being crucial to accelerating materials and the scaling processes don’t actually chair of the National Engineering Policy
innovation. exist. So, you’re almost doing everything Centre Working Group on Materials and
in parallel. All of that requires huge Net Zero that prepared the RAEng study
focus and collaboration across industry, published in October, welcomed the
PASSPORTS FOR MATERIALS academia, and government with aligned strategy.
Chief among them is “materials 4.0” objectives. And quite excitingly, that is She said: “The UK has world leading
which could shorten the time it takes what we are seeing right now.” materials development expertise which
to commercialise innovations and help She concluded that the materials should be capitalised on to deliver solu-
track materials as they move through strategy resonates with the government’s tions for these key challenges. A strong
the supply chain, providing them with own industrial strategy which includes a strategy and cross-cutting innovation
something akin to a digital passport. focus on advanced manufacturing, clean will drive the UK to develop a thriving
This would be underpinned by a materi- energy, and digital technologies. economy in new materials, solutions for
als informatics framework that combines Sutcliffe said the government is our challenges, and ensure resilience for
capabilities in modelling, large data, AI, working through 3,000 responses received the UK in materials needs.”
and machine learning. The traceability it during the industrial strategy consulta- Those who contributed to the strategy
enables would support the development of tion and expects to publish sectoral plans include ScotChem, the universities of
life cycle analysis and a circular economy. this spring that will outline the policies Sheffield, Cambridge, and Manches-
This echoes recommendations made on innovation, infrastructure, skills, and ter, and representatives from Unilever,
last year in a report published by the Royal regulation needed to support growth. Rolls-Royce, and Victrex. AD

FEBRUARY 2025 | The Chemical Engineer | PAGE 11

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 NEWS IN DEPTH

RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

UCL academics praise UK’s new

AI strategy as ‘positive shift’
Prime minister tours labs to see how chemical engineers use AI in their
research

ACADEMICS at University College Google DeepMind co-founder Mustafa “Putting AI to work right across the
London (UCL) who met with Sir Keir Suleyman warned of the possibility economy can help businesses cut waste,
Starmer have welcomed the UK govern- to engineer biological weapons using move faster, and be more productive.”
ment’s new strategy on AI. AI. This was followed a month later by
The prime minister launched the AI then-PM Rishi Sunak’s warning that “AI
Opportunities Action Plan following a could make it easier to build chemical or MORE THAN ‘WORKING
tour of UCL’s biochemical engineer- biological weapons”. MAGIC WITH DATA’
ing labs on 13 January, announcing Gary Lye, director of UCL’s Manu- During his tour of the labs, Starmer spoke
his ambition for the UK to be a “world facturing Futures Lab and professor to academics who are already using AI
leader” in the technology. of biochemical engineering, told TCE: in their research. Max Besenhard, a
The government’s focus is on produc- “Safety concerns cannot be ignored chemical engineer researching how AI
tivity, and for humans and machines to but the focus on the benefits of AI is a can identify optimum conditions for
work side-by-side. Starmer said that AI positive shift.” chromatography, described the govern-
“will drive incredible change” and that The new government plan has ment’s plan as “a fantastic and highly
it “has the potential to transform the attracted a commitment of £14bn welcome commitment”. He told TCE:
lives of working people”. (US$17.1bn) of investment from the “The plan is clear in emphasising the
The latest AI plan represents a private sector. The government predicts importance of talent development, the
shift from the previous government’s this will create 13,250 jobs, many of integration of new technologies across
emphasis on AI safety, marked by the which will be based in data centres. various sectors, and, most notably, the
AI safety summit in Bletchley Park in Peter Kyle, the UK’s science, inno- critical role of data.
November 2023. In September 2023, vation and technology secretary, said: “AI is much more than simply working
magic with data. A true commitment to
AI also means supporting experimen-
University College London

tal science and engineering to create the

necessary tools that generate reliable
data and can autonomously operate,
empowered by AI algorithms.”
Starmer also saw an example of UCL’s
progress towards “self-driven labs”, in
which “liquid handling robots” perform
multiple experiments in parallel and
generate data more quickly than a
human.
Solomon Bawa, a lecturer in digital
manufacturing who works with the
robots, told TCE that AI could “transform
materials discovery and synthesis”,
while giving engineers more time “to
Prime minister Sir Keir Starmer met with researchers at UCL’s biochemical engineering focus on solving complex challenges in
department before launching the government’s AI strategy chemical processes”. SB

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 NEWS IN DEPTH

INDUSTRY

UK chemicals industry
headed for extinction
Ineos chairman issues dire warning following Grangemouth plant
closure

BILLIONAIRE chairman of Ineos Sir merely shifts production and emissions developing an industrial strategy that
Jim Ratcliffe has said the UK’s chem- elsewhere. The UK, and particularly the works for Scotland and the whole of the
icals industry faces “extinction”, after north, needs high-quality manufacturing UK.
the company’s closed its Grangemouth and the associated manufacturing jobs. “Before July last year there was
ethanol plant in January. “We are witnessing the extinction of no plan to support the Grangemouth
Ratcliffe blamed the Scottish plant’s our major industries as chemical manu- workers. Within a matter of weeks, and
closure on what he called the UK’s “lack facture has the life squeezed out of it.” working with the Scottish government, we
of energy strategy” as well as high energy The company added that energy prices announced £100m (US$121m) to support
prices. He added that the UK’s emissions in the UK have more than doubled in the the local economy and create jobs and
trading scheme has effectively served as a last five years which has incentivised launched Project Willow to explore options
tax on UK producers, favouring imported imports from the US where energy prices for a sustainable industrial future for the
products from countries without such a are five times lower. wider Grangemouth site.”
scheme. David Simmonds, a domestic energy A Scottish government spokesperson
The closure, announced in March 2024, consultant and IChemE Fellow, called for said: “As set out in our draft Grangem-
resulted in 80 job losses, while more than “market reform”. He told TCE: “Renewable outh Just Transition Plan, the Scottish
500 were affected indirectly. The facility energy should bring about an era of lower government is committed to securing a
was one of only two synthetic ethanol costs, but we need a longer-term strategy long-term and sustainable future for the
plants in Europe, producing 226m L of and plans for energy balancing to allow Grangemouth industrial cluster including
ethanol per year, predominantly used in savings to be realised. for Ineos’ petrochemicals business.
healthcare and pharmaceuticals. “Frankly, I believe the Grangemouth “Through the Project Willow cross-
Ratcliffe’s latest comments come after facility could be saved if the government site study and other initiatives, we will
September’s announcement that an oil planned the transition to net zero utilising continue to explore viable routes to
refinery in Grangemouth co-owned by more carbon capture technology.” support industrial emitters at Grangem-
Ineos would close in the second quarter outh as they decarbonise and transition to
of 2025 resulting in 400 job losses. The low carbon and renewable projects.”
announcement led to the launch of Project DISAPPOINTING NEWS Ratcliffe is the 129th richest person in
Willow, a joint initiative from the UK and A UK government spokesperson said: the world, according to Forbes, with a net
Scottish governments to investigate how “This is very disappointing news from worth of US$15.6bn, and was one of the
Grangemouth could be transformed into a Ineos. This is yet another failure of Scot- UK’s most prominent industrial support-
low-carbon manufacturing hub. land’s two governments to have had a ers of Brexit. The UK’s withdrawal from
Ratcliffe, who is a chemical engineering credible industrial strategy over the past the EU has cost the country’s chemicals
graduate, said: “Deindustrialising Britain 14 years. sector at least £2bn, according to a 2022
achieves nothing for the environment. It “This is why the UK government is Defra impact assessment. SB

FEBRUARY 2025 | The Chemical Engineer | PAGE 13

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 NEWS IN DEPTH

INDUSTRY

EU prepares PFAS ban on

consumer products
Exemptions sought by industry as Royal Society of Chemistry calls for
national PFAS inventory

THE EUROPEAN UNION (EU) will push The association added that while it The EU’s decision to implement
ahead with proposals to ban PFAS in “fully supports the restriction of the restrictions on PFAS, which contains
consumer products, the EU’s environ- release of PFAS into the environment”, more than 10,000 unique substances,
ment commissioner Jessika Roswall the use of PFAS “should remain possible comes amid similar discussions in the
told Reuters this week. for those applications where no alterna- UK parliament. On 24 January, MPs were
Roswall said that any ban is unlikely tives are available”. due to vote on the second reading of the
to be imposed until at least 2026 while A 2020 study identified over 200 PFAS (Guidance) Bill which would make
the bloc considers exemptions requested individual uses of PFAS, most of which water companies legally liable to keep the
by industry. are industrial applications. Accord- amount of PFAS in water below 100ng/L.
While PFAS is most well-known as ing to data reported under the US The Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC)
the class of harmful “forever chemicals” Toxic Substances Control Act in 2016, believes the law should go much further,
used in non-stick pans and firefight- at least 2,180 t of PFAS were used as calling for the PFAS limit in drinking
ing foams, industry figures deem it an functional fluid in electrical equip- water to be 10ng/L, after finding a third
“essential” component in industrial ment manufacturing. This figure is of English and Welsh water sources
processes. likely underestimated, as some data contained “high” or “medium” risk
Prior to confirming plans to ban the remains inaccessible to the public due to levels of PFAS according to thresholds set
chemicals from consumer goods, the EU commercial sensitivity. by the Drinking Water Inspectorate.
held a six-month review in 2023 which The second largest user of PFAS was A YouGov survey published for the RSC
attracted over 3,000 responses from the refrigerant manufacturing industry. in January found that 90% of respondents
companies that use PFAS, the majority support PFAS control in food, drinking
requesting exemptions from any ban. water, and the environment, while 84%
The EU has highlighted asthma inhalers PFAS IN WATER support greater regulation of PFAS-using
and semiconductors as products that The widespread use of PFAS is a conten- industries.
will be subject to some exemptions, tious topic owing to links between the RSC policy advisor, Stephanie Metzger,
although the bloc stressed that disposal chemicals and testicular cancer, liver said: “Citizens expect their government
of these products will face greater damage, and developmental disorders in to use its existing powers and make new
restrictions. unborn children. laws where necessary in order to effec-
A 2023 report from the European To date, chemicals giant 3M has tively manage the manufacture, use,
Association of Pump Manufacturers settled lawsuits over PFAS contami- and disposal of these chemicals. Now is
said it would “reject the broad restric- nation of drinking water at a total cost the time for all MPs to use that power to
tion of PFAS, as many vital applications of more than US$10bn, while DuPont protect their constituents by enshrining
will not work without PFAS materials”. has paid US$1.2bn in contamination in law stricter standards for our drinking
The report pointed to water transport, lawsuits, including the famous case that water.”
packaging production, heating, venti- inspired the film Dark Waters. 3M has Metzger also called on the govern-
lation, and manufacturing as processes pledged to cease all PFAS manufacturing ment and industry to establish a national
dependent on PFAS. by the end of 2025. inventory of PFAS. SB

FEBRUARY 2025 | The Chemical Engineer | PAGE 14

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 NEWS ROUND-UP

Linzixuan (Rhoda) Zhang, David Mankus, Dhruv Varshney, Ruiqing Xiao, Shahad Alsaiari, Abigail Lytton-Jean, Robert Langer, Ana Jaklenec

ENERGY

Australia invests
A$2bn to ‘super-
charge’ green
aluminium industry
AUSTRALIA’s energy-intensive alumin-
ium producers are being urged to go
green, with the government introducing
a A$2bn (US$1.2bn) production credit to
drive the shift towards cleaner practices.
Australia is the sixth largest producer
of aluminium in the world, producing
1.6m t/y and operating four smelters,
the largest of which is in Tomago, New
RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT South Wales.
Prime minister Anthony Albanese,
said: “Increasingly, the world is look-
Biodegradable microbeads for your ing to import clean, reliable metals
like Australian-made aluminium. This
face and food? represents a massive opportunity for
growth.”
CHEMICAL engineers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have developed The government plans to provide
a new type of biodegradable material (pictured above) that could replace microplastics smelter operators with a tax produc-
in beauty products and food. tion incentive for every tonne of clean
The team produced biodegradable poly(beta-amino esters) that can be used in aluminium they make over ten years.
cleanser products like makeup remover. Their findings, published in Nature Chemical Aluminium production uses around 10%
Engineering in January, showed that the materials break down into sugars and amino of Australia’s electricity production, and
acids. contributes 7% of the country’s emis-
Many existing cleanser and beauty products contain so-called microbeads, parti- sions. The credit comes as part of the
cles of non-biodegradable plastic like polyethylene no more than 1 mm in diameter. government’s Future Made in Australia
Microbeads end up in the environment and can contaminate food sources for wild- plan, which is focused on attracting
life. Research by Plymouth University has shown that up to 94,500 microbeads can be global investment to make Australia a
released into the environment from a single use of exfoliant. leader in renewable energy.
The researchers tested their biodegradable alternative by mixing it with soap and Australian climate organisation Cli-
found it was more effective at removing permanent marker and waterproof eyeliner mateworks Centre reports that Australia
than plastic microbeads. could reduce aluminium supply emis-
The US and EU have begun legislating to phase out microplastics. In October 2023, sions by 98% by 2050 if renewable
the EU banned companies from adding microplastics for non-essential functions such energy was used instead of coal.
as loose glitter. The bloc plans to continue to gradually phase out microplastics from Rio Tinto, which owns the Bell
other products such as medicine, fertiliser, and food. Bay aluminium smelter in Tasma-
The latest research also demonstrated the use of poly(beta amino esters) in forti- nia, welcomed the investment in green
fied food. The team inserted their biodegradable microbeads into bouillon cubes and aluminium, with CEO Kellie Parker
immersed them in boiling water and found the nutrients remained intact after two confirming it is working with the gov-
hours. Nutrients such as zinc, iron, and vitamins A, C, D, and E would typically break ernment to develop new smelter
down when exposed to heat. technology.
Ana Jaklenec, lead author on the new study, hopes the research will lead to health The credit scheme is due to begin
improvements in parts of the world with high levels of nutrient deficiency. She said: in 2028, with the government hoping
“Bouillon is a staple ingredient in sub-Saharan Africa and offers a significant oppor- smelters will have fully transitioned to
tunity to improve the nutritional status of many billions of people in those regions.” renewable energy by 2036.
The team are now preparing a clinical trial for foods fortified with the particles.

FEBRUARY 2025 | The Chemical Engineer | PAGE 15

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 NEWS ROUND-UP

INDUSTRY

Ultra-potent greenhouse gases still

‘major problem’ despite global phase-out
agreement
EMISSIONS of ultra-potent greenhouse gases are much higher than official reported figures
suggest, according to a recent study.
Researchers at the University of Bristol, UK, have found that global emissions of the greenhouse
gas HFC-23 are five times greater than figures reported by governments. HFC-23 is a greenhouse gas
14,700 times more potent than CO2. Most emissions of the gas are thought to be as a byproduct in
the production of another substance, HCFC-22, a feedstock used to make refrigerants, fire protection,
and products such as Teflon. The latest analysis, published in Communications Earth & Environment
and based on the most recently available atmospheric readings from monitoring stations around
the world, showed HFC-23 emissions measured 14,100 t in 2023. While a reduction from 17,300 t in
2019, the figure is five times the target level agreed by more than 160 countries in 2016.
Fionnuala Walravens, a senior climate campaigner at EIA, told TCE: “The issue of unreported and
huge HFC-23 emissions is a major problem.” She added that, while most countries have commit-
ted to phasing out the gas, “atmospheric data shows that in reality, it’s not happening effectively”.
She said: “We need a range of measures including better transparency and reporting from the pro-
duction facilities, more use of alternatives to HCFC-22 and bans on use of HFC-23 as a refrigerant
and in fire protection.”
The latest research found that significant emissions originated in China despite its 2018 claim to
have almost entirely abated HFC-23 from its production of the feedstock.
She added: “What makes this even more frustrating is how cheap and easy it is to abate this gas.”
Walravens estimates that HFC-23 can be abated for “well below” US$1/t CO2e.

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT INDUSTRY

L’Oreal to start using AI for  ow-carbon cement production

L
sustainable ingredient research begins at Welsh plant
COSMETICS giant L’Oreal has announced a partnership with MATERIAL EVOLUTION has opened a low-carbon cement production
IBM to develop artificial intelligence technology that will help facility in North Wales which it claims will result in an 85% reduction
identify sustainable alternatives to the harmful ingredients used in emissions compared to traditional Portland cement production.
in its beauty products. The Middlesbrough, UK-based company first produced “ultra-low
Non-biodegradable microplastics, like glitter, are often carbon cement” in October and plans to scale up production at the
added to cosmetic products and their resistance to extraction Wrexham plant to 120,000 t/y. It says their new production method
from general waste makes them particularly harmful to the uses no heat or kilns. Instead, it uses a patented process called alka-
environment. The new partnership will see IBM develop a cus- li-fusion. The Wrexham plant is on the same site as concrete block
tom AI foundation model for L’Oreal, specifically to help their manufacturer CCP, a subsidiary of British construction company Sig-
research teams find more bio-based and recycled materials, maRoc, who contributed to a £15m (US$19m) investment in Material
both in creating new products and reformulating existing ones. Evolution last year. While cement only constitutes around 10–15% of
In AI, foundation models are tools that have been tested on concrete by mass, the remainder being water and aggregate, cement
very large ungeneralised, unlabelled datasets. production accounts for around 80% of the total emissions from con-
Allessandro Curioni, IBM’s vice-president for Europe and crete production.
Africa, said: “Using IBM’s latest AI technology, L’Oreal will be Material Evolution co-founder Sam Clark said: “We hope this
able to derive meaningful insights from their rich formula and facility proves that cement and concrete decarbonisation is not only a
product data.” possibility in the future – it’s a reality on the ground today.”

FEBRUARY 2025 | The Chemical Engineer | PAGE 16

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 NEWS ROUND-UP

REGULATION

Align EU and US
chemicals regulations,
report urges
TOXIC chemical waste regulations in
the EU and US should be more aligned
to improve transparency, according to a
THE PROFESSION new report.
Planet Tracker, a UK-based green
finance think tank, has also called on
UK launch green Energy Skills Passport investors to favour companies operating
in jurisdictions with clearer regulations
to support industrial heartlands of toxic chemical waste.
In the EU, toxic chemical waste reg-
UK OIL AND GAS workers now have a streamlined path to green jobs with the launch of the ulation is based on the worst possible
government-backed Energy Skills Passport, designed to support the transition to renew- harm a substance could cause if released
able energy careers. into the environment, while US regula-
The much-anticipated certification document has been in the works since 2022, and has tions are based on the likelihood of the
been delivered by trade associations RenewableUK and Offshore Energies UK, in partnership substance causing harm. The report says
with the UK and Scottish governments. that the lack of alignment between the
Workers in traditional fossil fuel roles can now use a digital platform to showcase their EU and US regulatory frameworks makes
skills and experience, explore courses and career paths, and find opportunities in the oil, it hard to evaluate a multinational cor-
gas, and renewables sectors, including offshore wind. poration’s global toxic footprint.
The passport is part of the UK government’s Plan for Change and its goal to make Brit- While industry often sees the EU’s
ain a “clean energy superpower”. regime as more burdensome, Planet
Ed Miliband, the UK energy secretary, said: “Our Plan for Change to deliver clean power Tracker argues that it is more reliable.
is not just about protecting households and businesses from the roller coaster of fossil fuel The report says that clearer regulations
markets, it is also about reindustrialising Britain with thousands of well-paid, good union across jurisdictions are in businesses’
jobs in industrial communities.” best interests as the current ambigu-
Gillian Martin, the Scottish government’s acting cabinet secretary for net zero and ity increases the chances of litigation.
energy, said: “It is absolutely vital that we recognise and retain the considerable skills of oil It points to chemicals manufacturer 3M
and gas workers and ensure they are supported, as part of the Scottish government’s com- who in 2023 agreed to settle legal pro-
mitment to ensuring a fair and just transition for Scotland.” ceedings over PFAS contamination for
Aberdeen, Cheshire, Lincolnshire, and Pembrokeshire are currently key growth regions US$10bn which they will pay over the
for clean energy, particularly offshore wind, nuclear, and solar. next 12 years.
Both governments have partnered with businesses in these regions to identify the skills Richard Wielechowski, a senior
support needed to advance renewable projects. investment analyst at Planet Tracker,
Steve Flynn, chair of the IChemE Oil, Gas and Energy Transition SIG welcomed the told TCE that “investors must push for
launch of the passport, saying: “I would encourage chemical engineers involved in the oil transparency and advocate for robust
and gas industry and the energy transition to stay in touch with these developments, to both standardised regulatory framework to
support implementation and share the learning from the pilots around the global industry.” protect themselves.
Oil and gas workers in the UK have faced widespread redundancies in recent years as the “While producers may favour mar-
fossil fuels sector contracts. kets with a lower regulatory burden,
In January, bp announced plans to cut 4,700 employees – more than 5% of its total they risk losing access to higher-regu-
workforce – and an additional 3,000 contractors. lated markets and could face litigation
The company employs 90,000 staff worldwide of which around 11,000 are engineers. challenges.
bp has declined to provide a breakdown of the types of roles facing cuts. However, Reuters “Standardisation benefits both envi-
reports that Emeka Emembolu, head of bp’s technology division, messaged his team saying ronmental responsibility and financial
he expects around 1,100 roles will be cut through redundancies or by shifting work from the stability.”
UK and the US to Hungary, India, and Malaysia.

FEBRUARY 2025 | The Chemical Engineer | PAGE 17

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 NEWS ROUND-UP

ENERGY

Heating houses with

water from flooded
mines
THE UK government has opened a
Living Laboratory in Gateshead in
northeast England to research how
heat can be extracted from water
inside former coal mines.
Mine water is thought to be an
efficient source of low-carbon heat-
ing and is already used to supply heat
networks around the UK, the larg-
est being in Gateshead, which was
launched in March 2023.
INCIDENT The council-owned Gateshead
Energy Company’s heat network uses
mine water from 150 m below the
LA wildfires cause atmospheric lead surface to heat 350 council homes
along with public buildings.
levels to soar The Mining Remediation Author-
ity (MRA), the government agency
WILDFIRES in Los Angeles, US have caused a steep rise in the amount of lead in the city’s responsible for the lab, hopes the new
atmosphere, new data shows. lab can inform decisions on permit-
Measurements taken during the recent wildfires in the Pico Rivera suburb of Los Ange- ting and access for future mine water
les by the Atmospheric Science and Chemistry Measurement Network (ASCENT) reveal that heat networks. Along with Gates-
atmospheric lead levels rose to more than three times the amount considered safe by the US head Council, the MRA will publish
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). open-access data on the temperature,
Lead particulates in Pico Rivera peaked at 472 ng/m3 on 9 January, reducing to their normal chemistry, and pressure of water in
levels on 11 January. The EPA says the average atmospheric lead concentration over a three- the flooded mines.
month period should be no greater than 150 ng/m3. Atmospheric lead levels in Los Angeles The water inside former coal
were virtually zero prior to 8 January, one day after the Palisades wildfire was first reported. mines is typically between 20°C and
ASCENT was launched in May 2024 and is funded by the US National Science Foundation. 30°C, with the temperature increasing
It records real-time concentrations of particulates less than 2.5 micrometres in diameter – at greater depths.
known as PM2.5 pollutants – in the air at 12 locations across the US. The Los Angeles data has A planned heat network for a new
not yet been fully quality tested. As well as the Los Angeles monitoring station, PM2.5 levels development in Seaham, County Dur-
were also measured at sites in Riverside, around 50 miles east of LA, and in the Joshua Tree ham, will be supplied by mine water,
National Park, around 125 miles east of LA, to study the transport of pollutants across southern with estimated emissions savings
California. Neither station recorded spikes in atmospheric lead. of 2,600 t/y CO2e over its expected
It is thought that such a dramatic increase in atmospheric lead was caused by older build- 25-year lifespan.
ings containing leaded paint and pipelines catching fire. Prashant Kumar, an expert in air Fiona Todd, a geoscientist at the
quality at the University of Surrey, told TCE that in the future “it is crucial to ensure that wild- MRA, said: “This research project
fires do not reach areas with lead-laden materials present”. represents a strategic step in trans-
He explained: “This could involve stricter building codes to prevent structures from burning forming Great Britain’s mining legacy
during wildfires, properly disposing of materials that contain lead and ensuring they are not into a powerful driver for sustainable
burned. Also, air quality monitoring during and after wildfires can help to indicate the increase growth. Repurposing disused mines
in ambient lead levels, providing an opportunity to take relevant response measures.” as sources of low-carbon heat will
Exposure to lead can affect the nervous, kidney, immune, reproductive, developmental, deliver both environmental and eco-
and cardiovascular systems. It is also linked to neurological and developmental issues, such as nomic benefits to local communities.”
reduced IQ, especially in children.

FEBRUARY 2025 | The Chemical Engineer | PAGE 18

Newsroundup1004.indd 18 23/01/2025 16:30:17

 NEWS ROUND-UP

BIOTECHNOLOGY

UK protein study has potential to

transform personalised medicine
A HUGE study launched to find treatments for diseases by measur- microorganism pathways for productivity and novel therapeutics,
ing how the proteins circulating in our bodies change over time has integrating proteomics into in silico models for predictive protein
the potential to transform the application of biochemical engineer- dynamics, and adapting biopharmaceutical manufacturing to cater
ing and biotechnology. to the individualised demands of personalised medicine.”
The UK Biobank Pharma Proteomics Project is being funded by UK Biobank, which is running the project, says it will allow
more than a dozen pharmaceuticals firms including AstraZeneca researchers to create and explore a first-of-a-kind database, detail-
and GSK. It will measure up to 5,400 proteins in each of the blood ing how changes to an individual’s protein levels influence disease. A
samples given by more than half a million volunteers and compare pilot project in 2023 involving 54,000 UK Biobank participants pro-
them with a second set of samples taken in the 15 years since. duced data that has already led to advances in disease prediction and
Will Olughu, chair of IChemE’s Biochemical Engineering Spe- potential targets for treatments for breast cancer and Parkinson’s.
cial Interest Group, said advances in this field – known as human Olughu said the research could help chemical engineers develop
population proteomics – will help scientists understand the intri- so-called “medicine-in-a-box” technology in which compact,
cate interplay between genes, environment, protein translation, and integrated systems designed to perform complex medical processes
ageing, and will usher in an era of personalised medicine. “These – such as diagnostics, drug formulation, and treatment delivery –
insights hold transformative potential for biochemical engineer- are housed within a single portable unit that would produce “on
ing and biotechnology, including metabolic engineering to optimise demand medicine”.

ENERGY
RECYCLING
Piloting hydrogen from wood
Cornell researchers upcycle gold
WASTE wood from Germany’s Black Forest region could soon be
used to produce hydrogen for local industry as engineers build a
from e-waste for CO2 conversion
pilot plant that uses bacteria and algae to get the processing done. CORNELL University researchers have developed a new
Researchers from Germany’s Fraunhofer research institutes and method of extracting gold from electronic waste, which can
the University of Stuttgart are scaling up the process which uses then be used to convert CO2 into organic compounds.
two interlinked fermentation processes to produce biohydrogen The method, described by the researchers as a “win-
out of waste from the region’s large number of wood processing win for the environment”, uses crystalline polymers to
companies. selectively extract gold ions and nanoparticles from waste
Under a pressure of up to 200°C, wood, including old pallets and central processing units (CPUs). The polymers were able to
fence panels, is broken down in a mixture of ethanol and water to recover more than 99% of the waste’s total gold, while only
separate the wood fibres from contaminants such as adhesive and extracting 5% of the nickel and 2% of the copper.
paint. Cellulose remains in the wood fibre after boiling and is fur- The gold was then used as a catalyst to convert CO2 into
ther broken down into sugars to feed hydrogen-producing bacteria. “useful chemicals”. Amin Zadehnazari, lead author on the
These also produce CO2, which is fed to a photobioreactor as a car- study, said: “By transforming CO2 into value-added mate-
bon source for algae to multiply. The algae are then transferred to rials, we not only reduce waste disposal demands, we also
another reactor, releasing a second stream of hydrogen via direct provide both environmental and practical benefits. It’s kind
photolysis. of a win-win for the environment.”
The researchers have found that around 1 kg of wood waste can The gold-loaded polymers could be used six times as
produce 0.2 kg of glucose, subsequently producing 50 L of hydro- catalysts in CO2 conversion, the team found.
gen. In parallel, around 2 kg of CO2 can produce 1 kg of microalgae The research, published in Nature Communications in
biomass, 50% of which is starch that can be used to make plastic December, is the latest in the growing field of “urban min-
products. Fraunhofer says a modular expandable pilot plant with ing”. Electronics waste is a rich source of gold, with a tonne
three bioreactors is currently under construction and a biorefin- of disposed electronics containing around ten times the
ery is set to begin operation next year on Campus Schwarzwald, a amount of gold found in a tonne of ore.
research centre dedicated to the Black Forest region.

FEBRUARY 2025 | The Chemical Engineer | PAGE 19

Newsroundup1004.indd 19 23/01/2025 16:30:18

 NEWS ICHEME MATTERS

NEWS: AWARDS

Williams and Barclay awarded new

President’s year honours
NOTES ICHEME Fellows Richard Williams and Kate Barclay have been
awarded orders of the British Empire in the new year hon-
ours list.
Williams, vice-chancellor of Heriot-Watt University, was
awarded a CBE for services to education, engineering, and
entrepreneurship, while Barclay was awarded an MBE for her con-

No half measures tributions to education and skills.

Williams has worked in academia since 1986 and has spent
MARK APSEY, ICHEME PRESIDENT much of his career in mineral engineering research. He has been
vice-chancellor of Heriot-Watt in Edinburgh since 2015. He
2025 is halfway through a decade which – by common consent is also an editor of IChemE’s Chemical Engineering Research and
Design journal.
- requires urgent action if we are to avoid the worst impacts of
Williams said the recognition “celebrates the distinctive and
climate change.
purposeful approach we have in supporting inclusive and acces-
Progress so far is slow. The World Meteorological Organ-
sible education and our impact on the wider economy in Scotland
ization has said 2024 was the hottest year on record and the
and beyond”.
recent tragic wildfires in California are a stark reminder of the
Barclay has spent over 30 years in commercial manufacturing
real consequences for people and livelihoods if we fail to act
and early clinical R&D in the pharmaceutical industry. Since 2015,
quickly. Yet we must remain optimistic and keep in mind that
she has guided government policy on technical STEM education
chemical engineers are uniquely placed to find technical solu-
and has sat on the board of the Institute for Apprenticeships and
tions across industrial sectors and inform policy that enables
Technical Education since its launch in 2017.
positive action. We can make a difference. And I believe we are.
Barclay spoke at an IChemE roundtable in parliament in Feb-
In December, I chaired a roundtable event at the House of
ruary 2024 about the need to attract new workers to jobs in the
Commons hosted by IChemE member and MP Chris McDonald.
green transition sector. She advocated for apprenticeships and
We brought together leading chemical engineers and represent-
technical education at any career stage.
atives from academia, consulting, and other expert institutions
She told TCE: “I have a real passion for opportunity and believe
for a discussion covering the role of chemical and process engi- that your background and previous experiences should play a
neers in driving progress, the workforce challenges in this area, positive part in the contributions you make, and definitely not
and the importance of cheap, clean energy to British industry. be a barrier.
I know members are determined that IChemE engage with pol- “Playing a leading role in apprenticeships and technical edu-
icymakers and other influencers in an effort to inform effective cation has been a real privilege and I hope there are now many
policy related to industry and STEM. We are committed to this. more opportunities for people to progress into meaningful careers
In January, we are convening an expert group to discuss cyber- in engineering.”
security and another in February on chemical defossilisation
(see Policy Corner). We are also planning a joint get-together of
the presidents and CEOs of professional engineering institu-
tions to enhance collaboration.
January marks the halfway point of my presidential year.
I’m encouraged by the significant progress we’ve made in that
time with our DiscoverChemEng campaign, launch of our vir-
tual work experience platform, increased member benefits and
much more. Volunteering is very rewarding and I’d urge oth-
ers to put themselves forward to help shape IChemE and the
profession. Nominations for vacancies on the Board of Trustees
and Congress will open on 11 February. Please look out for an
email on how you can participate.
I always welcome any feedback, and value any input or ideas – you
can contact me at president@icheme.org (Left to right) IChemE Fellows Richard Williams and Kate Barclay
were recognised on the 2025 new year honours list

FEBRUARY 2025 | The Chemical Engineer | PAGE 20

IChemEmatters1004.indd 20 23/01/2025 11:55:17

 NEWS ICHEME MATTERS

NEWS: EDUCATION
Shining a light on the
Your free access
valuable work of IChemE
to Perry’s
Volunteer volunteers
SPOTLIGHT VIRA JOGIA
ICHEME members can
now read the latest
edition of Perry’s Chem-
Vira, tell us a bit about yourself and why you ical Engineer’s Handbook
volunteer online for free, along
I’m a process safety consultant and I volunteer as a with a host of other
member of the technical committee for IChemE’s technical resources,
Hazards process safety conference as it aligns perfectly with my expertise. This role after IChemE signed an
has been incredibly rewarding, allowing me to give back to the profession while en- agreement with pub-
hancing my knowledge and expanding my professional network. lisher McGraw Hill.
The committee is dedicated to ensuring that the technical content presented and Known colloquially in the discipline as
published for the conference meets the highest standards of quality and ethics. Since the bible of chemical engineering, Perry’s is
my career is centred around major hazards, I find great synergy in this work, which a reference book for students, academics,
motivates me to contribute actively. and practising engineers who want to find
What is your favourite recent volunteer activity and why? fundamental information about a process,
One of my favourite aspects of this volunteer role is chairing presentation sessions a type of processing equipment, or data
and observing healthy debate and engagement amongst the conference participants. required for a calculation.
It’s inspiring to witness how months of hard work culminate in compelling presenta- Members can gain access to Perry’s and
tions and how delegates receive that content. The audience at the hazards conference hundreds of other resources by visiting
possesses extensive technical knowledge, making it an intimidating environment for IChemE’s website; logging into MyIChemE;
presenters, but I admire their courage and passion to share their insights. selecting “Resources”; and then “Access-
Engineering”, which takes users directly to
What is one piece of engineering you could not do without? McGraw Hill’s online engineering reference
I couldn’t live without my smartphone as it keeps me instant- library.
ly connected to the world. While this has its drawbacks, it’s AccessEngineering includes more than
ultimately up to the individual to regulate their use. 700 books on engineering technology, busi-
ness skills, and engineering management,
This the 26th article in a series that highlights the variety dozens of interactive graphs and spread-
of work done by IChemE member volunteers. To read more, sheets for performing calculations, and
visit the series hub at https://www.thechemicalengineer. videos demonstrating solutions to chemical
com/tags/volunteer-spotlight engineering problems.
Claudia Flavell-While, IChemE’s director
Are you interested in becoming an IChemE volunteer? of learned society, said: “We are commit-
Volunteers help strengthen our community and it’s ted to continually enhancing the services we
good for your CPD. To browse the latest volunteering provide to our members, ensuring they have
opportunities, visit: www.icheme.org/education-career/ access to world-class resources that sup-
volunteer-for-icheme/find-a-role/ port their professional growth and empower
them to contribute to a sustainable future.”

Don’t miss out on your chance to nominate in IChemE elections

ICHEME members have until 4 March to make their nominations for the Board of Trustees and Congress.
Roles open for nominations to the board include deputy president, treasurer, vice-president (qualifications),
and the UK seat for regional/ordinary member. Twenty-three seats are available on Congress across various
geographical and membership colleges. Eligible members will be sent an email on 11 February via IChemE’s
electoral services provider Mi-Voice with details and a link to make their nominations.
Last issue, IChemE deputy president Raffaella Ocone called for as many members as possible to consider
standing and playing their part in the future of the institution (p22 TCE 1002/1003).

FEBRUARY 2025 | The Chemical Engineer | PAGE 21

IChemEmatters1004.indd 21 23/01/2025 11:55:20

 NEWS ICHEME MATTERS

NEWS: THE PROFESSION

Stewart keen to use ANZFChE role to

enhance STEM
POLICY
CORNER EWAN STEWART, the new chair of the Australian and New Zealand
Federation of Chemical Engineers (ANZFChE), has pledged to use
his position to promote the mutual growth of STEM in the region.
Stewart, who is chair of IChemE’s board in Australia and sen-
ior process engineer for the energy engineering company Kent,
became chair of ANZFChE in December.

Digging deeper “I believe that as a community of chemical engineers, collab-

oration of IChemE with similar institutions makes us all stronger.
DUNCAN LUGTON, HEAD OF POLICY Through ANZFChE we have a valuable relationship with both the
Royal Australian Chemical Institute and the Institution of Profes-
AND IMPACT
sional Engineers New Zealand. I intend to build upon this and seek
further opportunities for mutual growth,” Stewart said.
DESPITE the dark British winter, I’m starting 2025 with a ANZFChE, which was formed in 1997, counts IChemE as one
good deal of positivity and am looking forward to the pol- of its five joint member organisations. One of the main activities
icy work we have planned for the year. of the Federation is to provide oversight of the annual Chemeca
One area I’m particularly excited about is thinking more conference.
about the chemicals industry. In so many of the policy “I have attended Chemeca for the last three years, and it really
conversations last year, a key theme was the fundamen- is the highlight of the Australasian chemical engineering calendar.
tal strategic importance of this industry in underpinning It’s a vibrant and uplifting event, a window into the future, and
a wide range of economic activity as well as being a crucial an opportunity to catch up with friends, old and new. As ANZFChe
enabler for the UK government’s missions such as growth chair, I want to ensure that Chemeca continues for years to come.”
and clean energy. This year’s Chemeca conference is being held in Adelaide, Aus-
This theme came up at a number of our roundtables, tralia from 28–30 September.
in our submission to the government’s consultation on its
industrial strategy, and it has also cropped up in a number
of external reports we’ve been reading and events we’ve NEWS: RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT
been attending.
To understand this topic better, the IChemE policy team Beale’s Andrew Lecture focuses on
will be doing some work to dig deeper into the topic of
defossilising the chemicals industry, as this lies at a cru-
CO2 hydrogenation catalysts
cial intersection between the government’s growth and net ANDY BEALE, professor of chemistry at University College Lon-
zero aspirations. don (UCL), has been awarded IChemE’s 2025 Andrew Medal and
We want to better understand the specific technologies, Lecture. Beale received the accolade and delivered the lecture as
equipment, and infrastructure needed for defossilisation, part of the UK Catalysis Conference, which took place on 8–10
what the cost implications are, and how these vary depend- January at Loughborough University.
ing on factors such as the size and location of the plant. We Beale’s research focuses on using spectroscopic and scattering
also want to develop our insight into the different kinds of methods to understand how the structure of materials, particu-
pathways that can be used to transition the sector to defos- larly heterogeneous catalysts, influences their performance. This
silised feedstocks. has given fundamental insight into real industrial problems and
I’m also looking forward to our first roundtable of the led to the creation of two spinout companies – one a chemicals
new year on cybersecurity. At our roundtable on battery characterisation and analysis consultancy, the other focusing on
energy storage systems, one point that stuck with me was methane and nitrogen oxides removal in the marine sector.
the idea that it’s the digital side of a plant or installation Beale used the Andrew Lecture to discuss his work with
that might be the most vulnerable to attack or failure. It’s advanced X-ray methods to study structure-activity relationships
a new topic to me, and I’m excited to develop a distinctive in catalysts for carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide hydrogena-
chemical engineering take on this critical subject. tion. He explored how catalyst structure and support interactions
influence performance, focusing on applications for converting
For more on our work: www.icheme.org/policy
carbon monoxide and dioxide into hydrocarbons as alternatives
to fossil fuels in industry and transport.

FEBRUARY 2025 | The Chemical Engineer | PAGE 22

IChemEmatters1004.indd 22 23/01/2025 11:55:20

 We invite you
to renew your
membership
subscription

There’s never been a more exciting time to be an IChemE member as we continue to put members at
the heart of what we do. Staying part of our community means you’ll benefit from new initiatives and
resources to maximise the value of your membership.

Renew your subscription for 2025

Log in to your account to view your subscription(s) and pay online. You can also find information
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Thank you for your continued support in helping to build a more dynamic, inclusive,
sustainable and supportive institution and profession.

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LC 0142_24

LC 0142_24 2025 Renewals - TCE advert.indd 1 15/10/2024 14:27:18

 FEATURE
ICHEMEVIRTUAL
MATTERSWORK
ACCREDITATION
EXPERIENCE

IChemE Accreditation for All

Steven Gasser discusses IChemE accredited company training schemes
(ACTS), a flagship initiative that supports organisations investing in the
professional development of the next generation of chemical engineers

I
CHEME accreditation is designed with flexibility at WHY ACTS MATTERS
its core. Whether your organisation is a multinational
corporation with hundreds of graduate engineers A CLEAR PATH TO CHARTERED STATUS
across multiple sites, or a small enterprise with a ACTS are a powerful enabler for graduates aiming to achieve
handful of employees, the accreditation framework Chartered Chemical Engineer and CEng status. In gaining
is broad enough to accommodate the diverse industries that accreditation for your graduate scheme, you evidence that you
exist within the sector. This adaptability is particularly offer a robust initial professional development.
important in today’s business landscape, where agility and
diversity are critical to success. CONSISTENCY ACROSS LOCATIONS
The ACTS framework helps companies offer their grad- For organisations with multiple sites, whether national or
uates the right type of training and experience during their international, ACTS ensure a consistent standard of training,
initial professional development as they work towards Char- eliminating disparities and ensuring every graduate has equal
tered Chemical Engineer status. ACTS were developed to opportunities for development.
ensure graduates receive the full range of work-based training
and experience needed to demonstrate their competence and SCAL ABLE FOR ANY SIZE
commitment, with IChemE accreditation delivered under ACTS don’t impose a one-size-fits-all approach. Whether you
licence from the Engineering Council. onboard ten graduate engineers annually or 100, ACTS accom-
modate your operational scale.

ENHANCED EMPLOYER BRANDING

Accreditation demonstrates your commitment to professional
excellence, making your organisation more attractive to top
talent. Graduates recognise IChemE accreditation as a mark of
quality, and it can give your recruitment efforts a significant
competitive edge.

CELEBRATING DIVERSIT Y IN
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
Chemical engineering is a field enriched by diverse perspec-
tives, skills, and experiences, and IChemE ACTS embrace
this diversity. The framework is inclusive by design, encour-
aging companies to support engineers from all backgrounds
and routes into the profession. Accreditation is not limited to
schemes recruiting via traditional pathways; it accommodates
graduates with non-accredited degree qualifications, and
those with non-traditional career trajectories and multidisci-
plinary roles.
Moreover, ACTS are accessible to a wide range of industries,
from those with established engineering pipelines to emerging

FEBRUARY 2025 | The Chemical Engineer | PAGE 24

Accreditation.indd 24 23/01/2025 15:20:35

 FEATURE
ICHEMEVIRTUAL
MATTERSWORK
ACCREDITATION
EXPERIENCE

FIND OUT MORE

Explore how IChemE accreditation can elevate your
organisation today. Visit www.icheme.org/acts-
schemes to learn more or email acts@icheme.org
to start your journey.
fields which rely on chemical engineering professionals. By
fostering this inclusivity, IChemE supports the broad applica-
tion of engineering skills and ensures every organisation can A CALL TO ACTION
benefit from developing its people. Investing in talent is no longer optional – it’s imperative.
IChemE accreditation is more than just a stamp of approval; it’s
a strategic asset that enables organisations to build the skilled,
BENEFITS BEYOND ACCREDITATION adaptable, and innovative workforce required to thrive in the
The advantages of ACTS accreditation extend beyond the 21st century. No matter the size of your company, the industry
recognition itself. Companies that adopt the framework report you operate in, or number of engineers you employ, IChemE
improved employee retention – staff feel valued and supported accreditation has a lot to offer. By adopting this adaptable
in their professional journeys. The structure of ACTS also relies framework, you’re not just supporting your engineers – you’re
on mentoring and knowledge-sharing, creating a culture of helping to shape the future of the profession.
continuous learning and collaboration.
For smaller organisations, ACTS offer a valuable opportu-
nity to benchmark against industry standards, ensuring that This is part one of a series of articles on the benefits of accredited company
even without extensive resources, their training programmes training schemes (ACTS) for employers, graduates, and volunteers. To
are competitive and effective. read the whole series, visit www.icheme.org/acts-benefits

Have you searched

the Knowledge Hub?
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FEBRUARY 2025 | The Chemical Engineer | PAGE 25

Accreditation.indd 25 23/01/2025 15:20:45

 ICHEME MATTERS BENEVOLENT FUND

Transforming Support for Chemical

Engineers and their Families
The Chemical Engineers’ Benevolent Fund is changing to better serve chemical
engineers worldwide, tackling modern challenges with tailored assistance
and outreach. Sam Baker finds out more

W
HEN Stephen Richardson was appointed major revamp of the charity, supercharged by Richardson and
chair of the trustees of the Chemical Day throughout 2024, the charity has more than trebled the
Engineers’ Benevolent Fund (CEBF) in number of people on its caseload.
November 2022, he says “it was obvious
we needed to change”. Since taking on the
role, he has made it his goal to shake up the charity, making it PERSON-SPECIFIC SUPPORT
more equipped to understand and tackle the problems facing Richardson served as IChemE’s president from 2019 to 2021. Before
today’s chemical engineers. he took up his post as CEBF chair, the benevolent fund essentially
The CEBF was established as an independent charity in 1928 served as a piggy bank for chemical engineers who had fallen on
with a founding mission to help chemical engineers in “neces- hard times – a “here’s some money, off you go” approach, as Day
sitous and straightened circumstances”. Since then, it has puts it. The charity now advertises support “specific to a person’s
“sort of just sat there for 90 years”, according to the charity’s individual circumstances” such as grants for energy costs or school
manager Paul Day, appointed in 2024, who felt the organisa- uniform, as well as offering advice on state benefits. Indeed, Day
tion had not adequately moved into the 21st century. has identified £30,000 (US$37,000) worth of state benefits that
“We were very much lagging behind as a charity,” Day went unclaimed by eligible IChemE members in 2024.
tells TCE. While equivalent charities across STEM professions, The charity also hopes to provide a more comprehensive
such as the Royal Society of Chemistry’s Chemists’ Commu- mental health service, the most common issue chemical engi-
nity Fund, have for many years been supporting hundreds of neers would like more support with, according to a recent TCE
people each year, the CEBF supported just 17 in 2023. Amid a reader survey.

CEBF IN ACTION
Paddy Hall and his wife Denise received help from the benevolent fund in 2024. After his
Parkinson’s diagnosis, Paddy learned last year that he also had progressive supranuclear
palsy, a rare degenerative brain disorder that impedes movement, balance, and speech.
As the condition worsened, everyday home tasks, such as walking upstairs for a
shower, became more and more difficult for Paddy, a chemical engineer for over 45
years in a career that took the couple from Norfolk to Texas to Germany. “I could see
that this was more and more of a challenge each day,” said Denise, Paddy’s wife of 57
years. “I was filled with worry that he might end up falling.
“It’s difficult to see someone you love going through something as hard as this.”
The benevolent fund provided the couple with a £5,000 grant to install a shower
downstairs in their house in June 2024. Denise said at the time: “We all take something
as simple as being able to take a shower in our own home for granted. It brings us both
such joy that he’s been given this little piece of his life back.”
Paddy has since moved into a nursing home following a deterioration in October, but
Denise tells TCE that for the months they had the downstairs shower “it really meant a
lot to him”.

FEBRUARY 2025 | The Chemical Engineer | PAGE 26

Ben Fund.indd 26 23/01/2025 11:26:48

 ICHEME MATTERS BENEVOLENT FUND

The charity hopes to provide a

more comprehensive mental health
service, the most common issue
chemical engineers would like
more support with, according to a
recent TCE reader survey

One sector for which Richardson expects the charity to be in

high demand in coming years is oil and gas. He tells TCE that
as fossil fuels “become dirtier and dirtier words” a swathe of
mid-career workers who assumed they had stable jobs for life
will now need to reskill. In addition to financial assistance, the
CEBF connects unemployed members with a career coach.

SPREADING THE WORD

While the CEBF assists retired chemical engineers and their
families, the largest group receiving support in the last year
has been those in their late 20s and early 30s.
Furthermore, the charity stresses that its scope is inter-
national, with non-UK residents accounting for 30% of those
currently supported. Women, meanwhile, make up around 40%
of the charity’s caseload, despite only accounting for around
20% of the profession overall.
Outreach has been a big challenge for the charity and Day’s
mission is to spread the word about how it can help people. He
told TCE: “What we would like is the support of the community.
It’s their charity – it has been a proud part of their profession
for over 90 years. Even if you think ‘this isn’t for me’, I would
still suggest keeping in touch with us as there may be friends
or colleagues who are struggling.”

To support the charity, IChemE members can make regular

donations by choosing to pay a higher subscription fee.
Anyone who has worked as a chemical engineer, biochemical
engineer, or process engineer or is a member of IChemE or
an equivalent organisation, is eligible for support from CEBF.

Applications for assistance can be made via the charity’s

website at https://www.chemengbenfund.org/request-
support

FEBRUARY 2025 | The Chemical Engineer | PAGE 27

Ben Fund.indd 27 23/01/2025 11:26:49

DVANCES25ADVANCES25ADVA
DVANCES25ADVANCES25ADVA
DVANCES25ADVANCES25ADVA ICHEME
ICHEME
MATTERS
MATTERS
ADVANCES
BENEVOLENT
CONFERENCE
FUND

DVANCES25ADVANCES25ADVA
Digitalisation in the
DVANCES25ADVANCES25ADVA
Process Industries
DVANCES25ADVANCES25ADVA
Zaid Rawi reviews the process engineering applications set to be reshaped by
digitalisation technologies

D
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IGITALISATION has already changed our process
industries, enabling both greater projects and QUICK READ
operations efficiency, flexibility, and cost savings. Advancements in Process Automation and Control:

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By leveraging proven and advanced technologies, Emerging technologies, including deep reinforcement
companies can improve their projects and opera- learning, hybrid models, and open automation standards,
tions and gain a competitive edge. are transforming process control by enhancing operational
As co-chair of the technical committe for IChemE’s efficiency, reducing tuning requirements, and integrating

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Advances in the Digitalisation of the Process Industries confer- legacy and new systems
ence, I wanted to offer readers some thoughts on how things are
Enhanced Monitoring and Maintenance Through
changing and the opportunities you need to be aware of.
Digitalisation: The adoption of IIoT, augmented reality for

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technicians, autonomous robots, and predictive analytics
is enabling real-time monitoring, early problem detection,
PROCESS CONTROL AND OPTIMISATION and safer operations. These innovations improve mainte-
Process control has traditionally been achieved by proportional,

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nance efficiency and reduce equipment downtime
integral, derivative (PID) controllers in distributed control
Automation and Data-Driven Engineering Design: New
systems (DCS), which have parameters that must be tuned.
tools leveraging AI and digital engineering data are auto-
However, technologies are now available for the reduction

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mating tasks like process flow design, CAD modelling, and
or avoidance of manual tuning, including non-linear model-
hazard studies. Proper data management and integration
based adaptive techniques (which may require access to data for
are essential for creating digital twins, optimising designs,
system identification) or even model-free adaptive controllers.
and ensuring sustained operational excellence
And, with the adoption of new standards like Open Process

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Automation (OPA), OpenPLC, Universal Automation, and
Modular Automation/Module Type Package (MTP)1 it is easier to
integrate these technologies from different vendors, allowing multivariable control and optimisation (also known as advanced

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new and legacy system elements to work together. process control). This incorporates larger scale steady-state
Asset optimisation involves the use of mathematical models models and linear programming-based optimisation and can be
and algorithms to find the best operating conditions for a applied to a process unit or even an entire factory.

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process, considering factors such as cost, safety, and environ- New and traditional vendors are starting to offer novel
mental impact. Traditionally, this has been done in the process technologies, including deep reinforcement learning,2 which
industries with model predictive control technology for dynamic promise faster deployment and could offer clearer strategies
for sustaining these technologies in ongoing operations. This
includes using different types of machine learning (ML) and
Technologies are now available artificial intelligence (AI) and more cloud-based technologies.
In addition, many owner operators and vendors are also using
for the reduction or avoidance

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cloud technologies to put steady-state, first-principles process
of tuning, including non-linear models online in parallel with a plant. The model can then work
out how to best optimise the actual asset/plant/factory for more
model-based adaptive techniques efficient operation (ie less energy use, increased production etc)

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(which may require access to data or to spot something that is physically wrong with the factory.

for system identification) or even For less well-modelled parts of the plant where it’s harder to
develop first principles models,3 users are advocating the appli-
model-free adaptive controllers

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cation of hybrid models. This could see a first principles model

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paired with ML for a reactor where the catalyst activity or ther-
modynamics are less well understood. •
cleaning and preparing surfaces
operating in harsh environments such as offshore oil rigs
or chemical plants

INDUSTRIAL INTERNET OF THINGS Robust indoor-use drones for confined spaces are also transform-

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The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) refers to the use of inter- ing the internal inspection of equipment, often with a degree of
connected sensors, instruments, and other devices, including autonomous operations, increasing safety and efficiency. They are
operator mobile devices, in industrial settings. These devices generally designed to be collision tolerant and the payloads they

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collect and share data, allowing companies to monitor and carry can be tailored to enable them to carry out:
optimise their operations in real-time. IIoT technologies can
improve efficiency, reduce downtime, and increase safety in all • high resolution visual inspection
the process industries, including water, food and drink, energy, • remote thickness measurements

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chemicals, and oil and gas.4 This can build on existing sensors • laser scan
that are often connected to a plant DCS or supervisory control and • radiation detection
data acquisition (SCADA) with programmable logic controllers

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(PLC) or similar. These have become easier to install with wireless
versions although these are generally more expensive to buy and PROCESS MONITORING AND
install than “traditional” IoT devices (but often with increased, PREDICTIVE ANALY TICS
specifications, quality, and robustness). Machine learning, first-principles, hybrid, or even new AI-based

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The networks can also prove useful for getting accurate diagnos- solutions enable operators and subject matter experts to do early
tics back from such instrumentation or even actuators like control detection of problems with equipment and diagnostics. This allows
valves, for improved maintenance performance. In addition, field them to take preventative actions earlier, keep assets running, and

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technicians will become more digitally enabled through digitised reduce downtime and lost production.5 For example, identifying a
procedures on tablets and even augmented reality (AR) assistance problem with a compressor or static mechanical equipment such
through smart glasses for carrying out procedures, equipment that maintenance work can be better planned in for the next turn-
diagnosis or maintenance tasks – although this will be cheaper to around or shutdown. This has been one of the earliest successes of

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deploy where there is more equipment and/or system standardi- ML/AI plus multivariate data visualisations in the process indus-
sation in the industry. tries, particularly for rotating equipment, control loops, and the
control valves. However, care must be taken on false positives or

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negatives that can reduce user buy-in and similarly too many low
INDUSTRIAL ROBOTS AND DRONES priority alerts can also exhaust individuals and organisations –
Many companies have now developed autonomous legged and necessitating careful selection of target applications.

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wheeled robots as well as robust drones – often now with certifi- As systems become more sophisticated, there may be value in
cation for hazardous areas, not to mention new ways of contracting integration to computerised maintenance management systems
to purchase, lease, and support such devices. Legged robots are and even new types of maintenance strategies. And the techniques
designed to navigate challenging terrains and perform inspection are being applied to more and more disciplines such as static
and maintenance tasks in industrial environments. BASF’s collab- mechanical with online FEA (finite element analysis) models
oration with ANYbotics sees ANYmal X conducting automated for vessel fatigue or the monitoring of electrical networks, not
visual and thermal inspections throughout multi-level Ex-rated to mention monitoring and testing of things like safety instru-

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areas at BASF’s Ludwigshafen site in Germany. Further capabili- mented systems (SIS) and other barriers.
ties and use cases include:

• autonomous navigation, obstacle avoidance, and gauge ENGINEERING DESIGN

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reading Computer-aided design (CAD) has been around for decades but
• inspection of industrial equipment using various sensors now providers are adding rule sets and templates to automate
• carrying out some operations or maintenance tasks such some elements. For example, importing early process models of

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as operating valves or buttons and tightening bolts or a new asset can automatically generate process flow diagrams

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ICHEME
MATTERS
MATTERS
ADVANCES
BENEVOLENT
CONFERENCE
FUND

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DVANCES25ADVANCES25ADVA also be used better by organisations for increased efficiency. For
example, GenAI to learn from operational and incident reports as
well as technical documents and standards. And where 3D CAD
models are not available or sustained for brownfield assets, laser
scans or photogrammetry can be used for applications such as

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work preparation and execution (although work is going on to
auto-tag equipment or convert them to 3D CAD models using
machine learning). Similarly, some suppliers are now offering AI/

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(PFDs), piping and instrumentation diagrams (P&IDs), and even ML solutions to ingest old control system designs to allow you to
concept or front-end engineering design (FEED) plot plans, and semi-automate the migration to new DCS systems.
3D models (initially for onshore assets). Initially focused on tasks
like piping and cabling routing, new products are now being tested

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to further enhance and automate 3D CAD design using genera- CONCLUSIONS
tive AI. The adoption of these technologies will likely require and Key for further adoption will be new ways to make it more efficient
drive significant changes in the working methods and contract- to deploy and sustain the above technologies, as well considera-

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ing practices between engineering procurement and construction tion of human factors and trust in the technologies – for which
(EPC) contractors, owner-operators, and vendors. Further inno- it is encouraging that DNV and others are offering certification
vations like digitised engineering requirements management will services. Appropriate training and fresh ways of organising and
also be used by companies to check designs against requirements working will also need to be adopted by companies in the process

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or even for new CAD tools to auto design to the requirements in industries. It will be exciting to see how these technologies can
the first place. New technology is emerging that automates the help new net zero, low carbon energy plants, such as hydrogen,
creation of first-principles dynamic models of assets using digi- offshore wind, and carbon capture, and for increasing sustaina-

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tised engineering data. This innovation is extremely useful for bility and decarbonisation of existing plants.
design studies and operator training simulators, making it easier So do please register your interest for the IChemE Advances
to develop and maintain them over time. in the Digitalisation of the Process Industries conference,7 which
takes place in Manchester, UK on October 16–17, to learn more

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about these technologies and their applications in the process
ENGINEERING STUDIES industries.
Digitised engineering data, such as intelligent P&IDs, 3D CAD

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models, and instrumentation databases, can significantly enhance
the efficiency of engineering studies when combined with engi- Zaid Rawi CEng is a product owner at bp
neering rule engines or even ML/AI technologies. For example,

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multiple parties are working on semi-automation of hazard and
operability studies (HAZOPs)6 or planning of equipment isola- REFERENCES
tions for maintenance. In addition, this kind of data can be used 1. ARC Advisory Group: Modular Approaches to Automation and
by owner operators to create the knowledge graphs or ontology of Production: https://bit.ly/3Pw95zI (arcweb.com)
how equipment is related – to help build digital twins of assets. 2. Imubit customer story: https://imubit.com/customer-story-fhr/
It is imperative that such data is handed over correctly 3. Digital-Twin for Production Monitoring and Optimisation:
from new projects, moving from documents to data, and being Two Case Study Application Examples: DOI:10.2118/208104-MS

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stored in an appropriate engineering information management 4. Trustable Tech: Success Stories of Industrial IoT Applications:
system. The engineering and maintenance data then needs to be https://bit.ly/3E3WHVc
sustained through effective management of change (MoC). New 5. SparkCognition: Improving Offshore Platform Production With AI:
industry standards such as DEXPI (data exchange in the process https://bit.ly/4ha80tf

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industries), IOGP CFIHOS (capital facilities information handover 6. Datacentric System for Automatic HAZOP Study: https://doi.
specification) and the IOGP FL3DMS (Facilities Lifecycle 3D Model org/10.4043/32371-MS
Specification) specifications will help with this. 7. Advances in the Digitalisation of the Process Industries confer-

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Documents will still have value as a lens on data and can ence: https://www.icheme.org/training-events/advances-2025/

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Advances 2025 is a must-attend event for industry professionals applying and working with digital
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 VIEWPOINT AI FOR SIMUL ATION

Viewpoint: Take the

Guesswork out of
Chemical Engineering

Tim Duignan looks at how AI accelerated simulation will transform chemical

engineering, freeing chemical engineers up to tackle more complex challenges

P
ICTURE yourself as an ancient bridge builder. You’ve
studied under masters, memorised rules of thumb, QUICK READ
and learned from countless failures. Yet each new
AI’s Impact on Chemical Engineering: AI-driven simu-
bridge is still a leap of faith – will your design hold, or
lations reduce trial and error, enabling precise predictions
will it collapse? This was engineering before modern
and transforming process design
simulation tools. In contrast, today’s bridge builders can model
Power of Neural Network Potentials: Neural network
every beam, bolt, and load with a precision that would seem mag-
potentials offer near-quantum accuracy at high speeds,
ical to their predecessors.
bridging molecular to larger-scale phenomena
Now imagine that same revolutionary leap forward in
chemical engineering. That’s where we stand today with artificial Preparing for the AI Era: Chemical engineers must
intelligence and molecular simulation. After decades of running embrace AI, build interdisciplinary skills, and adapt training
experiments, making educated guesses and learning through to stay competitive
trial and error, we’re on the cusp of being able to simulate almost
any chemical system from first principles with unprecedented
accuracy. It’s a turning point similar to the introduction of THE RISKS OF FALLING BEHIND
computational fluid dynamics or finite element analysis. Those Companies that embrace AI simulation will have an insur-
tools didn’t replace chemical engineers – they amplified our mountable advantage in:
capabilities and freed us to tackle more complex challenges.
AI accelerated simulation will do the same again, but on a far • speed to market
greater scale. Chemical engineering will transition away from a • development costs
reliance on educated trial and error to an era of precise prediction • product optimisation
and design. The only question is whether you’ll be leading this • process efficiency
transformation or trying to catch up. • environmental impact

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 VIEWPOINT AI FOR SIMUL ATION

Those who don’t adapt risk becoming as irrelevant as slide rule the design of membranes for separations; and in consumer
manufacturers in the age of calculators. However, the transi- products, informing the development of new formulations.
tion won’t be instant or easy. We’ll face challenges with: The guesswork of molecular mechanisms – whether a reaction
proceeds through a concerted or stepwise pathway, how solvent
• data quality and availability effects influence reaction rates – can now be explored through
• model validation simulation. This suggests a future of faster development cycles,
• integration with existing processes lower costs, and deeper understanding of the chemistry we’re
• regulatory acceptance working with.
• skills gaps

But the direction is clear. Just as no one today would design a TEACHING AI THE L ANGUAGE OF
bridge without computer simulation, in ten years, no one will MOLECUL AR FORCES
develop chemical processes without AI accelerated simulation To understand how AI is revolutionising molecular simulation,
assistance. we need to grasp a fundamental innovation: neural network
potentials. Let me explain this breakthrough using an analogy
that chemical engineers will instantly recognise.
THE DAWN OF PRECISE PREDICTION Think about how you learned to predict chemical behaviour
I first glimpsed this future through my work simulating elec- in your early training. You started with basic principles – elec-
trolyte solutions for battery systems. Just a few years ago, tronegativity, atomic radii, bonding rules. With experience,
modelling even basic ion interactions in these solutions you developed an intuition for how molecules would behave.
required months of processing time on supercomputers, and You learned to recognise patterns: certain functional groups
we could only handle the simplest cases. The computational consistently react in particular ways, specific molecular
demands were so intense that practical questions about real- arrangements lead to predictable properties.
world battery systems remained frustratingly out of reach. Neural network potentials work similarly, but with super-
Then came the breakthrough. Today, we can simulate human precision and scope. Traditionally, when we wanted to
complex, practically important systems like real battery elec- simulate molecular systems, we had to write explicit mathe-
trolytes overnight on a regular desktop computer. What once matical rules for how atoms interact – like creating a massive
seemed impossibly complex – modelling the intricate dance of cookbook of every possible chemical reaction. These classi-
ions through channels, predicting electrolyte behaviour under cal force fields were limited by our ability to mathematically
different conditions, understanding the subtle interactions that describe complex quantum mechanical interactions.
determine battery performance – has become routine. This The revolutionary insight was this: instead of trying to write
isn’t just an incremental improvement in speed; it’s a funda- rules by hand, we could teach AI to understand the underlying
mental shift in what’s possible. patterns in quantum mechanical data. We start by performing
Think about how computer-aided design changed architec- extremely accurate but computationally expensive quantum
ture and manufacturing. Architects can now test thousands of calculations for a diverse set of molecular configurations. The
designs virtually before breaking ground. Soon, chemical engi- neural network then learns to recognise patterns in this data
neers will have the same capability with molecules and processes. – much like how you learned to recognise patterns in chemical
This shift transforms how we approach chemical engineering behaviour, but with the ability to handle millions of examples
problems at their core. Where we once relied on trial-and-er- and thousands of variables simultaneously.
ror experimentation – mixing different compounds and hoping The result is remarkable: a simulation method that
for desired results – we can now increasingly predict outcomes approaches quantum mechanical accuracy but runs at speeds
before entering the lab. Take catalyst design, for instance. closer to classical molecular dynamics. It’s like having a savant-
Instead of synthesising dozens of potential catalysts and level chemical intuition that can be applied to any molecular
testing each one, we can simulate their performance virtually, system.
understanding how different molecular structures will likely
interact with reactants.
For complex formulations like pharmaceutical co-crys- The revolutionary insight was this:
tals or battery electrolytes, we can predict stability, instead of trying to write rules
solubility, and performance characteristics, potentially
reducing the time-consuming cycle of make-test-iterate. This
by hand, we could teach AI
capability could reshape multiple industries: in pharmaceuti- to understand the underlying
cals, accelerating aspects of drug development through better
prediction of molecular interactions; in energy storage, helping
patterns in quantum
optimise battery materials; in materials science, supporting mechanical data

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 VIEWPOINT AI FOR SIMUL ATION

Figure 1: Diagram showing how a neural network potential bridges scales, providing access to much larger scales of
molecular simulation starting from quantum mechanics alone

NEURAL NETWORK POTENTIALS

SCHRODINGER
EQUATION

10 -10 10 -9 10 -8 10 -7 10 -6 10 -5
LENGTH SCALE (m)

The real magic lies in how these neural networks represent may enable predictive multiscale models of macroscopic
molecular environments. They don’t just look at pairs of atoms phenomena that are built on nothing but fundamental physical
like classical force fields do. Instead, they consider the entire laws. Chemical engineers may soon be able to predict which
local environment around each atom – how many neighbours crystal structures will form when cooling a complex mixture of
it has, their types, their arrangements, and how these factors solutes, capturing everything from the initial nucleation events
influence each other. This holistic view allows them to capture to the final crystal morphology and size distribution, using the
subtle quantum effects that emerge from the complex inter- power of coarse-grained neural network potentials to neglect
play between electrons and nuclei. unimportant parts of the system such as solvent molecules
Consider our earlier example of electrolyte solutions. Clas- which do not directly participate in the key processes.
sical models struggled because they couldn’t capture how the
presence of ions subtly influences the behaviour of nearby
water molecules, which in turn affects other ions – a cascad- COMPUTATIONAL MICROSCOPE
ing series of interactions that determines everything from The first and most significant impact of neural network
ion channel function to battery performance. Neural network potentials will be their ability to act as a computational micro-
potentials can capture these intricate quantum mechanical scope. For too long, understanding molecular-scale processes
effects while running fast enough to simulate realistic systems has been like trying to identify objects in a dark room using
over meaningful timescales. only touch, smell, and taste. We’ve relied on indirect exper-
imental measurements and complex interpretations, piecing
together clues about what might be happening at the molec-
L ARGER AND LONGER SCALES ular level. Nuclear magnetic resonance signals, spectroscopic
Neural network potentials aren’t restricted to simulating every data, and vapour pressure are all valuable indicators, but ulti-
atom in a system, though. Recent exciting developments have mately indirect evidence of the molecular dance we’re trying
shown that neural network potentials can also be used to build to understand.
coarse-grained simulations that focus only on the parts of AI-powered molecular simulation is like finally being able
the system that are most important, ie the solute atoms in a to flip on the lights in that dark room. We can now directly
solvent or the backbone atoms of a larger molecule, as shown observe the critical time and spatial scales where chemistry
in Figure 1. actually happens – watching bonds break and form, seeing how
These simulations can access dramatically longer time and ions navigate through channels, understanding exactly how
spatial scales than is possible with all atom molecular simu- catalysts interact with their substrates. This computational
lations and have already been used to simulate processes like microscope reveals molecular processes with unprecedented
protein folding and crystal nucleation. clarity, showing us not just what happens, but how and why
This means that, although it may take longer, these tools it happens. We’re no longer making educated guesses about
won’t just be applicable to molecular scale processes. They molecular behaviour; we’re watching it unfold before our eyes.

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 VIEWPOINT AI FOR SIMUL ATION

Crucially this microscope can be applied to new molecules and data generation strategies being explored. For example,
and systems without having to order in new chemicals or carry the company I work for, Orbital, has recently introduced Orb,
out challenging synthesis procedures but merely by changing an innovative model that combines diffusion models with
some parameters in a digital input file. a highly efficient architecture – achieving breakthrough
accuracy with far higher speed than alternatives.

OTHER USES
Neural network potentials can also provide data to param- INTEGRATION WITH L ARGE
eterise and validate models of larger scale processes, such L ANGUAGE MODELS
as activity coefficients and diffusivities. This capability is The combination of these tools with LLMs, such as chatbots,
particularly valuable for process engineers, as accurate flow is a particularly powerful one, as they can provide a source of
modelling and process simulation depend critically on having ground truth information even for new systems that can be
reliable thermodynamic and transport properties. hard to obtain otherwise. Orbital is working on building agents
Currently, working with new chemicals or unusual condi- that can help to automate and streamline the process of setting
tions often means costly and time-consuming experimental up, running, and analysing these simulations to minimise the
measurements to obtain these essential parameters, or making expertise gap and increase the scale and scope of problems
do with rough estimations. In many cases, the lack of reliable they can be efficiently applied to.
data can be a major bottleneck in process design. With neural The implications stretch far beyond simple optimisation of
network potentials, engineers could generate this fundamental existing processes. We’re talking about:
data computationally for any chemical system and operating
condition, making accurate process modelling possible even • custom materials designed atom by atom for specific
for novel compounds or extreme conditions where experimen- applications
tal data would be difficult or impossible to obtain. Additionally, • drug discovery without endless screening cycles
with sufficient computational speed, these tools could enable • complete lifecycle analysis from raw materials to
rapid virtual screening of thousands of potential molecules environmental impact
or materials, automatically identifying promising candidates
that meet target property requirements before any physical
synthesis is required. WHAT CHEMICAL ENGINEERS NEED
TO DO NOW
• Build AI literacy. Don’t just delegate AI to the IT
THE RACE IS ON department. Every chemical engineer needs to
The core idea of neural network potentials has been around understand the basics of machine learning and how it
for some time, but the field has recently experienced a seismic applies to the field
shift, mirroring what we’ve seen in large language models • Start small but start now. Begin with simple projects.
(LLMs). New hardware custom built for AI models combined Use existing neural network potentials to model well-
with new model architectures and larger datasets are spurring understood processes like vapor-liquid equilibria of
a rapid acceleration in capabilities. Big tech and startups are common solvents, solubility predictions for simple
now building massive, universal neural network potentials organic molecules in water, or diffusion coefficients
trained on unprecedented amounts of quantum mechanical in binary mixtures. Compare the results with your
data. These universal neural network potentials are focused on experimental data. Build confidence in the technology
building models that can handle virtually any combination of • Foster interdisciplinary collaboration. The magic
elements in the periodic table with remarkable accuracy. It’s happens at the intersection of chemical engineering,
a bit like moving from having a different dictionary for each physics, mathematics, computer science, and data
language to having a universal translator that works across science. Build bridges between departments
all languages simultaneously, but one that can learn new • Rethink education and training. Universities and
dialects from just a few conversations. These universal models companies need to integrate AI and simulation skills
represent a fundamental shift from the traditional approach into their core curriculum and training programmes
of building specialised potentials for specific systems. The
implications are profound: chemical engineers can now tackle The future is clear: chemical engineering is becoming a compu-
previously intractable problems without needing to develop tational science. Those who embrace this change will write it.
system-specific models first and can rapidly adapt these Those who don’t will read about it in retirement.
models to specific systems.
Just as in the field of LLMs, the race is on to have the most
capable model, with different architectures, modelling choices, Tim Duignan is a researcher at Orbital Materials

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 FEATURE ENGINEERING PROJECT VISIT

The ‘Birmingham
Blade’ wind turbine

Saving Time and Energy with

Process-focused AI Simulations
Aniqah Majid spoke to University of Birmingham spinout Evophase about its
location-specific wind turbines and how AI could change the way engineers
design process equipment

E
VOPHASE has come a long way from its humble Together with Kit [Windows-Yule], our CSO, we initially used
beginnings above a Birmingham chicken shop. these technologies in an academic context. And then after success-
Last July, the University of Birmingham-based fully pestering him for two years to start a company, Kit finally
startup used its novel AI simulation technolo- gave in and here we are.
gy to develop a wind turbine – the Birmingham
Blade – specific to the city’s low urban wind speeds, along- AM: THE NOVEL AI TECHNOLOGY YOU HAVE BUILT
side local steel fabricators KwikFab. I spoke to the small IS CALLED HARPPP (HIGHLY-AUTONOMOUS RAPID
team hoping to become “the AI for engineering company”. PROTOT YPING FOR PARTICUL ATE PROCESSES). CAN
YOU EXPL AIN THE THINKING BEHIND IT?
ANIQAH MAJID (AM): HOW DID EVOPHASE COME KIT WINDOWS-YULE, (KWY): The basic concept is surviv-
ABOUT? al of the fittest, but for simulations instead of animals. The soft-
LEONARD NICUSAN (LN), CHIEF TECHNOLOGY ware that we have, it can launch tens, or hundreds, or thousands
OFFICER: Jack [Sykes, COO], Dominik [Werner, CEO] and I are of slightly different versions of a simulation of the same sys-
three PhD best mates who lived together in our first year PhD, tem, where each one has a slightly tweaked geometry or slightly
funnily enough above a chicken shop of all places, and we were tweaked operating conditions.
just incredibly keen and excited about developing AI simulation The ones that do not perform very well are killed off and the
technology that could change the industrial landscape. ones that perform very well indeed, we breed another genera-
Even today, you can see the code that we were uploading online tion of these simulations whose designs are based on the best of
with the time stamps at about 3am. That’s mainly when we devel- the last generation. And you go through this iterative process and
oped these algorithms. generation by generation, the designs get better.

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 FEATURE ENGINEERING PROJECT VISIT

LN: In terms of the tech itself, we have a stack of technologies We then discussed with the manufacturing team at KwikFab
of artificial intelligence algorithms. Everything from doing the what kind of constraints they have, including whether we would be
maths for us to evolving geometries and calibrations, we are mak- able to let the AI develop these angles and so on – you must make
ing sure these simulations capture reality. the AI representative of the manufacturing capabilities of the team
After developing amazingly accurate simulations of real indus- you work with.
trial equipment, the next step was to use AI to go beyond what the Then it was a matter of creating a simulation, validating it,
human can tweak and change in terms of designs and conditions making sure that the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) actually
and allow us to find completely novel patentable designs. So, in a represent reality. And in this case external aerodynamics are one
way, the HARPPP technology, specifically the one that optimises of the most difficult forms of CFD.
geometries, is a patent-making machine. We have developed this simulation and then we let our AI run
We have been able to apply them to anything from reactors for wild with it. It developed designs that we found to be seven times
pharmaceutical applications to grinders for chocolate manufactur- better converting wind and wind kinetic energy into angular
ing, mixers for batteries and so on. So, the amount of applicability rotation energy than the currently available urban designs.
there is can be transformative across entire industrial sectors. We started the project in June, developed the simulation in
August, ran it in September, and handed it over to KwikFab in
AM: HOW DID YOU USE THE TECHNOLOGY TO October. And it was on campus in November.
DEVELOP WIND TURBINES?
KWY: Vertical axis wind turbines historically only work for rela- AM: WHAT WILL A COMMERCIAL WIND TURBINE
tively high wind speeds, so you need to hit a pretty high wind speed LOOK LIKE?
before the blades even start moving for most conventional designs. PAUL JARVIS, MD OF KWIKFAB: We are still figuring this
It means that they simply don’t work very well in places like Bir- out. This prototype turbine is built for the speeds we get around
mingham, where you just don’t have the right kind of wind speeds. Birmingham, but we have not got that far to see how varied the
The idea was to try and optimise designs for a specific region. construction will be for other wind speeds. We want to build a few
So rather than having a good wind turbine that can be put of them for operation. This is just a display build. We will be de-
wherever it can, we developed a specific one for Birmingham and veloping some working models that are a bit bigger and get them
then another specific one for Edinburgh. Obviously, historically up on the roof and then testing them for six months or more and
that would be completely impossible if it’s costing hundreds of see what comes of it.
thousands of pounds and an entire R&D team taking two years to We would start off with just the same design, then probably
make one design. modify them as we’re going along. Testing the modifications
before we put them back up on the roof and try again. But this one
LN: I have worked on a three-year grant that was worth £300,000 does exactly what the lads said it would do and it has not stopped
with a company whose entire raison d’etre is to make one piece turning all day.
of equipment, a static mixer, and it took them three years and
£300,000 to create one single design. AM: WHAT CAN WE EXPECT FROM EVOPHASE IN THE
NEAR FUTURE?
KWY: But if you can try tens of thousands of designs in a couple DOMINIC WERNER, CEO: We are planning to publish our
of weeks, then you can optimise the design for each individual software as a service platform where we are going to shift away
locality where you might want to have one of these wind turbines. from a consultancy-based model towards an online platform
We think this could solve a huge problem for the UK because if where users and companies can do exactly those kinds of simu-
you go with conventional wind turbines, one of the big problems is lations and optimisations that we have with KwikFab, without us
that most energy use in the UK is in the south, in London, and the needing to help them. That makes it cheaper for them, cheaper for
best place to create wind energy is in Scotland. And then you’ve got us, and more efficient.
to transfer that energy down and you lose, and waste, a phenome-
nal amount of electricity. KWY: We are also currently working with Johnson Matthey on
The idea that we had is to create local energy produced and used optimising some of the classical pieces of chemical engineering
locally instead of wasting all this energy in transit. We believe that equipment and obviously partnering with a business like that, the
every city in the UK should have its own little wind turbine design, reach they bring and the sustainability focus, is absolutely fan-
and they should be on the roof of every industry in that region. tastic.
Aquapak Polymers are developing biodegradable and recy-
LN: We started discussing the evolutionary algorithms we devel- clable plastics, and we’re working with them not only to make
oped with the company KwikFab, a family-run manufacturer in their processes more efficient, but to develop more bio-derived
Birmingham, who were keen to let us try to optimise these wind polymers. So, we are working on a number of projects spanning
turbine designs. We talked about the design possibilities, what at least five different sectors and trying to bring new efficiencies
they wanted, and what freedoms we wanted to give to the AI. to all of them.

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 VIEWPOINT
VIEWPOINT
DIVERSIT
DIVERSIT
Y, EQUIT
Y???????????
Y, AND INCLUSION

A Trump
Card
against

Alexandros Michaili
Diversity?

dis / Shutterstock
.com
Mark McBride-Wright looks at what the US presidential term of Donald
Trump might mean for diversity, equity, and inclusion in STEM

A
S THE dust settles on the inauguration of incoming Trump administration, leaving online spaces less safe
Donald Trump, many in the science, technology, and inclusive.
engineering, and mathematics (STEM) commu-
nity are grappling with what the US president’s
return might mean for diversity, equity, and FEDERAL SHIFTS AND THE CULTURAL DIVIDE
inclusion (DEI). In November, shortly after the election result, I delivered a keynote
Trump has issued a swathe of executive orders cutting federal talk organised by an LGBTQ+ network within a large defence
DEI programmes. Federal support for DEI initiatives in universi- organisation as part of their Global Training Week. During my
ties – many of which have already started to roll back on DEI – is presentation, I introduced a framework examining organisational
under threat, creating uncertainty for organisations and individu- cultural models: “When in Rome”, “Embassy”, and “Advocacy”.2
als committed to fostering inclusion. Trump repealed 78 executive The model sparked thought-provoking discussions about how
orders signed by his predecessor Joe Biden, including at least a organisations position themselves in the context of societal shifts.
dozen measures supporting racial equity and combating discrim- The When in Rome model reflects organisations that conform
ination against gay and transgender people. entirely to prevailing societal norms. In contrast, Embassy organ-
It is hugely concerning. The US has been home to pivotal DEI isations create safe havens for employees, allowing limited
programmes, such as the National Science Foundation’s Broad- inclusion while avoiding external engagement. Finally, the
ening Participation in STEM.1 These initiatives have been critical Advocacy model represents organisations that champion inclusion
in funding research, supporting underrepresented groups, and and actively work to challenge inequality.
fostering innovation. Without sustained federal backing, there is A genuine concern raised during the session was whether the
a real risk that progress made in diversifying STEM could stall, US is shifting toward a When in Rome or Embassy model, where
leaving smaller institutions, under-resourced programmes, and individuals from marginalised groups may feel pressured to hide
marginalised individuals in precarious positions. aspects of their identity out of fear – fear of violence, fear of
Already we have seen Meta, owners of Facebook, Instagram discrimination, or fear of losing hard-fought rights. This chilling
and WhatsApp and a huge employer of engineers, roll back DEI possibility could profoundly impact workplace culture, particu-
programmes and align its speech policies more closely with the larly in STEM, where innovation thrives on diverse perspectives.

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 VIEWPOINT DIVERSIT Y, EQUIT Y, AND INCLUSION

Meta has long been an advocate for employee resource groups, Step by step, story by story, we can destigmatise vulnera-
worker-led communities that create a sense of belonging at a bility, particularly among men in engineering. By cultivating
company, but Maxine Williams, who has been Meta’s chief diver- cultures where openness is valued and safety – both physical
sity officer for more than a decade, was quick to quash talk of the and psychological – is prioritised, we can make significant
company’s changes damaging their DEI efforts. strides toward creating workplaces where people feel they can
In an internal memo, Williams praised the impact of Meta’s be their true selves.
employee resource groups (MRGs) and Black employee resource
groups (BRGs) as we “leverage our different backgrounds, working
together to build products for the world”. CORPORATE RESPONSES: A DIVIDED PATH
She went on to say she and her team “would continue to Corporate America is showing mixed responses to these chal-
support [MRGs and BRGs] contribute to our global community lenges. While Meta is not alone in stepping back, wary of political
at Meta”. However, she will need to do that from her new role backlash, others are doubling down. Organisations that have
focused on accessibility and engagement, having seen her diver- historically prioritised DEI recognise it as a core driver of innova-
sity role swallowed up. tion and resilience, not a passing trend.
For instance, some defence and technology firms are strength-
ening their commitments, recognising the importance of
DEI AND SAFET Y: A SHARED IMPERATIVE inclusion in attracting and retaining talent, with Apple CEO Tim
In the face of this worrying shift, I believe engineering organisa- Cook recently speaking out against efforts to end the company’s
tions must embrace DEI. For one, it’s important to a healthy safety DEI programme. Indeed, Apple has urged shareholders to reject
culture. If Facebook has a serious incident, lives are not directly at proposals to do so. These companies are continuing to invest in
risk. In our plants, a lack of diversity could be fatal. employee resource groups, global leadership training, and public
Furthermore, for those unfamiliar with the stats, engineering pledges to DEI, understanding that such efforts are not just
has alarmingly high suicide rates. Mental ill-health and suicidal morally imperative but also strategic business moves.
ideation do not discriminate; they can affect anyone, regardless
of background. The cornerstone of an inclusive culture is curi-
osity and empathy for others. We need this more than ever. The A CALL TO ACTION
EqualEngineers Masculinity in Engineering Research found one in This moment also demands vigilance. As societal pressures
four engineers reporting suicidal ideation or self-harm, and one in mount, we must challenge the narrative that hypermasculine
five having lost a work colleague to suicide.3 strength equates to effective leadership. Instead, we must build
Creating a psychologically safe culture where people can call cultures where people feel safe to be open and authentic. Creating
out unsafe acts and non-inclusive behaviours without fear of retri- spaces where everyone can thrive is not just a business impera-
bution is the goal. It’s also vital to foster an environment where tive; it is a moral one.
engineers feel comfortable discussing the underlying causes that The coming months and years will test our resolve, but they
may contribute to high rates of self-harm and suicidal ideation. also present an opportunity to redefine what it means to lead
I have delivered culture sessions to many engineers, and one inclusively in STEM. As we watch programmes like NSF’s “Broad-
thing that is a massive taboo and is going unspoken is fertility ening Participation in STEM” evolve under new pressures, let this
issues, the difficulty in trying to conceive a family, and baby loss. be a call to action for individuals and organisations alike. Inclu-
Men tend not to open up and talk about stuff which affects them. sion, curiosity, and empathy must remain at the heart of our work
And in engineering, which is still a mostly male profession, there – because safety, in its truest sense, is about ensuring everyone
is a dearth of opportunity. can show up as themselves and thrive.
Even the most hardened of engineers would do well to pause
and reflect on their own diversity stories. What is your diversity
story? What experiences have shaped you, and what could you Mark McBride-Wright, MBE CEng FIChemE is founder and CEO of
share with the world to act as a metaphorical lighthouse for others? EqualEngineers, a Fellow of the Energy Institute, and Royal Academy of
In DEI we differentiate between lived experience and learned Engineering visiting professor, Inclusive Engineering Leadership @ UCL
experience. Your lived experience is everything which has
happened to you to shape your view on the world. This is often
through a narrow lens. We have to seek out diversity to enrich our REFERENCES
frame of reference and acquire learned experience, hearing from 1. Broadening Participation in STEM: https://bit.ly/4g6qLg5
others how they experience the world. The more people there 2. Harvard Business Review: How Multinationals Can Help Advance
are sharing their stories, the more opportunities there are for LGBT Inclusion Around the World: https://bit.ly/42nOrcC
learning, and the higher the probability you will hear something 3. Masculinity in Engineering Survey: https://bit.ly/40qukIv
which resonates with your own experiences, and so we create the 4. www.markmcbridewright.com
scaffolding of a more emotionally attuned industry. 5. www.equalengineers.com

FEBRUARY 2025 | The Chemical Engineer | PAGE 39

Diversity.indd 39 23/01/2025 14:53:27

 SAFET Y MANAGEMENT

Charting a Safe Course

Leanne Potter and Ashley Hynds take to the high seas to underline the
importance of an effective management, control, and reporting system
when it comes to process safety

M
AJOR hazard businesses can be like super-
Figure 1: Example of management, control and
tankers; slow to move, and even harder to
reporting system
change course. And just like a supertanker,
there needs to be a clear line of sight between
ANNUAL BOARD STRATEGY DAY
the boardroom (bridge) and the control room
(engine room) to be able to navigate safely. A ship’s master needs
QUARTERLY BOARD-HSE MEETING
to know their current position, destination, and course. Business

CONTROL
leaders need to understand their current process safety status,
REPORT

MONTHLY HSE ASSET MEETING

what needs improvement, and how they’ll get there. But how is
this achieved in practice?
An effective management, control, and reporting system WEEKLY PRIORITY MEETING
(MCRS) ensures that a clear line of sight is in place. It provides
clarity on where information is collected within an organisation, DAILY OPERATIONS CALL
where it is reported, where decisions are made and direction is set,
and where responsibility lies. Generally, information is reported WORK EXECUTION
up through an organisation and the resulting strategy trickles
back down. In the example in Figure 1, from work execution, infor-
mation travels through a daily operations call and ultimately up to
the board. Information can also flow through other means such as IMPROVING THE LINE OF SIGHT
through audits, digital dashboards, and informal networks. To help clients better manage their process safety risks, DNV has
developed a three-stage methodology (see Figure 2) to improve
their management, control, and reporting systems:
WHEN MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS GO WRONG
Many people will be familiar with the disasters that resulted from 1. We run a workshop where we map current arrangements
a failure of a management system. Chernobyl, Bhopal, and the in detail to understand what process-safety-related
failure of the Challenger shuttle all came about, at least partially, information is collected, how it flows through the
due to poor management decisions, a lack of visibility about what organisation, and who makes the decisions
was going on at the frontline, and weaknesses in the internal flow 2. We identify opportunities for improvement using our
of process-safety-related information. knowledge of major hazard industries and business good

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 SAFET Y MANAGEMENT

Figure 2 DNV three-stage methodology to improve management, control, and reporting systems

EXPLORE DESIGN IMPLEMENT

• EXPLAIN THE PROCESS TO • FOLLOW-UP WORKSHOP(S) • DEFINE NEW PROCESSES
THE PROJECT TEAM TO CRITIQUE AND IDENTIFY AND UPDATE REFERENCE
• INDIVIDUAL PREPARATION IMPROVEMENTS DOCUMENTATION
• MAPPING WORKSHOP(S) • TRIAL NEW PROCESS AND • ESTABLISH BUSINESS
• FOLLOW-UP 1:1 ADJUST AS USUAL
CONVERSATIONS TO FILL IN • MOVE TO CONTINUOUS
THE GAPS IMPROVEMENT

practice. We do this through running follow-up workshops and reviewed so that we can understand how the organisation
to identify and recommend improvements; organisations currently operates. A broad range of staff at all levels and func-
then go on to trial and adjust their new processes tions need to be involved to ensure it is truly representative.
3. Changes are selected and implemented in the final stage Participants are requested in advance of the workshop to
through revising the MCRS. This includes defining new think about which of their regular meetings and activities relate
processes, such as reporting lines and decision-making to management of process safety, and to bring along a document
authorities, and updating reference documents (eg meeting representing that activity (eg a meeting terms of reference, a
terms of reference). We also provide training and support calendar entry, a dashboard). The participants’ documents are
at this stage to aid the continuous improvement then placed on a large piece of brown paper during the workshop
to represent the overall flow of the process; a digitised version is
included in Figure 3.
MAPPING WORKSHOP The paper has two axes, with organisational level on the vertical
The process mapping workshop (pictured below) aims to identify axis, and frequency on the horizontal axis. Activities completed at
what process-safety-related information gets collected, reported, the upper levels of the organisation are placed at the top of the

Figure 3: Process mapping workshop

ANNUAL QUARTERLY MONTHLY BI-WEEKLY WEEKLY DAILY

ORGANISATION

FREQUENCY

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 SAFET Y MANAGEMENT

mapping, with activities completed by the frontline at the bottom If leaders aren’t visible at work sites,
of the mapping, and other organisational levels placed in between.
Similarly, activities completed at the annual level were placed at
they are missing an opportunity to
the left of the mapping, with activities completed frequently placed influence the behaviours and
at the right of the mapping. The different activities are then linked,
showing how their inputs and outputs flow between each other and
culture of their organisation
how information travels through the organisation. Mapping out
and connecting individual activities in this way allows us to better understand and control their risks. The first layer consists of
understand the overall management system. regular self-monitoring by local teams to ensure procedures are
being followed. The second (less frequent) layer uses internal
subject-matter experts to assess the efficacy of the risk controls
RESULTS and/or compliance to regulations. And finally the third layer uses
Once there is a clear picture of what the current processes are and an external team (eg a corporate function or independent consul-
how information flows within the organisation, we can examine the tants) to bring a fresh perspective and knowledge of external good
effectiveness of the system. We can see how the MCRS will manage practice.
a piece of process safety data by tracing the flow of that data up The value from audits and how any findings are taken forward
the organisation – we find out where this data gets reviewed, who can be maximised by assigning an overall audit score to each,
reviews it, and what authority they have to act. We’ll also find out based upon compliance or level of risk control. This supports
whether they have sufficient oversight of related information to comparisons between sites, audit topics, or even individual topic
make a good decision, and whether the outcome would be suffi- risk aspects, and leads to appropriate escalation within a business
cient given the risk level and significance of the information. which prioritises support. Organisations should ensure that all
actions arising from audits, investigations, and studies are held in
a common system that is visible throughout the company to take
T YPICAL FINDINGS an overview of risk areas.
We typically find that the MCRS has not been constructed as an Finally, a well-publicised, anonymous, no retaliation, whis-
integrated system – it can be a collection of parts that don’t always tleblowing policy means that people can speak up if they see
work well together, and which have developed organically over time. something that isn’t right. This isn’t just about having a reporting
There can be limited consideration of process safety leadership or system – people must see that any reports are dealt with swiftly
risk management. Mergers and acquisitions can create uncertainty and appropriately.
and change, as different management systems come together. There
is sometimes confusion for where the responsibility of making
decisions lies. And although different areas of organisations can SUMMARY
locally have good practices and informal process-safety-related So, we’ve described the challenge of piloting a supertanker. And
initiatives, these may not be embedded across the business. how there are many parallels with a running a major hazard
business. It’s essential that effective systems are in place to allow
senior leadership to:
SOME SOLUTIONS
A good starting point is to review existing meetings where process • see what is going on in the engine room
safety information is discussed and to ensure that the purpose of the • get an accurate forecast of the weather and see if any
session, agenda, attendees, and inputs and output are clarified in a storms are approaching
terms of reference document. A critical evaluation of the terms of • communicate the course they wish to set
references often identifies gaps or opportunities for improvement.
Reviewing how process-safety-related KPIs are used within the A ship’s master is heavily invested in making these management
organisation can be insightful and establishing a tiered process systems successful because they live and work onboard them-
safety performance indicators system can help drive corrective selves. The same is not necessarily the case for major accident
action. hazard sites. But there are practical tools and techniques that can
If leaders aren’t visible at work sites, they are missing an help those senior leaders get the same level of connection with the
opportunity to influence the behaviours and culture of their organ- frontline and improve their control of risks. And the starting point
isation. By establishing a senior leadership site visit programme, is mapping and understanding how process safety information
they can see the challenges their teams are facing. The way that currently flows.
leaders interact with staff can support a positive reporting culture
where individuals feel comfortable to raise concerns and point out
weak signals, safe in the knowledge that they will be heard. Leanne Potter AIMechE is a consultant with DNV Services UK, where
Three-layer audit programmes allow organisations to better Ashley Hynds CEng FIChemE is a senior principal consultant

FEBRUARY 2025 | The Chemical Engineer | PAGE 42

Safety management.indd 42 23/01/2025 13:05:28

 SAFET Y STUDENT GRANT

Empirisys Launch Memorial

Fund to Inspire
Future Data Scientists
Grant in memory of Alex White, who died at 29 from
meningitis, aims to support students pursuing careers in
process safety and data science

A
LEX WHITE joined Empirisys as a data scientist in Alex’s memory. It’s never going to be the Wellcome Trust – it’s just
2022 and CEO Gus Carroll was quickly “blown away” going to help a small number of graduates who are really interested
by the master’s student. “He would come to a solu- in this area to do something they might not otherwise do.
tion that none of us could have got to,” Carroll told “Alex was quite an anxious young lad,” Carroll added. “He had
TCE, reflecting on the complex maths and coding the inner voice that always told him that he wasn’t good enough.”
problems Alex worked on. He was also dyslexic, so Carroll is encouraging neurodiverse
Graduating with a physics master’s degree from the University students to apply for the grant.
of Exeter in 2016, Alex worked in retail and finance before finding
his calling in data science. As part of a post-graduate diploma in
applied data and AI at the University of South Wales, he started an FITTING TRIBUTE
industrial placement at process safety startup Empirisys. Carroll For Carroll, one of the most wretched things about Alex’s death was
immediately saw him click with the work, reserving a full-time job that he was seemingly overcoming his anxiety and self-confidence
for Alex once he completed his studies. issues as he worked on increasingly complex problems.
In June 2023, just shy of submitting his final dissertation, Alex “When he was really into it, there were none of those confi-
died in hospital after contracting meningitis from the swim leg of dence issues,” Carroll said. “I could see so much potential, such a
a triathlon. He was 29 years old. love for life.”
Determined not to let Alex’s short time at Empirisys be Carroll rarely comes across people for whom he has such affec-
“completely pointless and in vain” Carroll set up the Alex White tion and recalls endless pub chats with Alex about everything from
Memorial Fund. The scheme will provide a £4,000 grant to process mental health to their shared love of rugby. He hopes the memorial
safety-minded students studying towards a master’s degree or fund will help shape similarly bright data scientists.
equivalent on a data science-related course. Alex’s father Geoff told TCE the memorial fund is a fitting tribute
“We see this as a way of memorialising Alex,” Carroll told TCE. to his son’s life. “He had always been someone who looked out for
“We want to do something relatively simple that will help sustain everybody else…he was very generous with his time and money.”

SUPPORT
Initial cash for the memorial fund has come from a combination
of donations from Empirisys and Alex’s family, and from fund-
raising events including a bike ride around the Gower peninsula
in South Wales (pictured left). Alex himself was a keen cyclist, with
both Carroll and his father recalling his love for the outdoors.
Carroll’s aim is to support three to four master’s students each
year, starting in the 2025/26 academic year. Students can submit
applications for the grant through the Empirisys website. Success-
ful applicants will spend eight weeks working at the firm in the
summer following graduation.

FEBRUARY 2025 | The Chemical Engineer | PAGE 43

Interview safety.indd 43 23/01/2025 12:00:31

 FEATURE AGEING ASSETS

Managing
Ageing Assets as
Part of the Clean
Energy Transition Ash-Wroughton / Shutterstock.com

As the UK reduces its reliance on coal and oil, Aniqah Majid speaks to the
Health and Safety Executive (HSE) about risk factors to look out for as assets
age and operators look to repurpose them

L
AST September, the UK said farewell to the
Ratcliffe-on-Soar Power Station in Notting- QUICK READ
ham (pictured above), the last coal-fired plant Proactive Risk Management for Ageing Assets: Operators
in the country, marking the end of 140 years of must adopt robust inspection and maintenance processes
the British coal industry. to manage the risks associated with ageing infrastructure,
The shutdown, and upcoming decommissioning of the 2 including degradation, design limitations, and evolving
GW capacity facility, comes as part of the UK’s commitment threats such as those introduced by repurposing for new
to the 2015 Paris Agreement, and its plan to completely phase energy applications
out coal.
The Importance of “Creeping Changes”: Subtle, gradual
Dominated by its eight 114 m cooling towers, work at the
changes in plant operation or use, such as those seen during
plant is far from over, however, with operators Uniper devising
the Covid-19 pandemic, can introduce new risks. Recognis-
a redevelopment plan.
ing and addressing these changes is crucial for maintaining
The energy company is discussing with stakeholders and
safety and efficiency
Rushcliffe Borough Council the potential use of the site for
advanced manufacturing, low-carbon energy production, and Balancing Safety and Innovation: As the UK transitions to
energy storage. clean energy, repurposing ageing assets like coal-fired plants
The facility is one of many ageing UK assets and infrastruc- and oil infrastructure offers innovation opportunities but
ture previously used in the coal or oil and gas industry that requires careful planning and hazard identification to ensure
could be repurposed for cleaner energy production. safe operation in line with net zero goals
Working with ageing assets, which account for more than

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 FEATURE AGEING ASSETS

70% of world production across industries according to engi- UK infrastructure needs a balanced
neering consultancy Vysus Group, is a challenge in terms of
process safety. Though ageing and near end-of-life assets are
approach, necessitating safe
not directly linked with an increased risk of accidents, it is a operation of existing assets while
relevant indicator for the likelihood of risks becoming more
prevalent.
moving to net zero in accordance
The UK regulator, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), says with government-stated aims
that plant operators should be aware of “creeping changes”. The
principal specialist inspectors in both mechanical engineering
and process safety departments told IChemE that companies such projects evolve, adapting infrastructure originally designed
should have a process for managing change over time and iden- for different purposes becomes critical.
tifying hazards. “The operating and inspection history are again crucial to
The regulator lays out a series of precautions to look out for assessing condition prior to the change, but the nature of the
to ensure that the running of a plant remains efficient and, most threat is also likely to change too. For example, the introduc-
importantly, safe, no matter what it produces. tion of hydrogen can bring additional risks from embrittlement
for plant constructed from standard steels, with implications for
crack propagation, fatigue life etc, that in turn necessitate differ-
RISK FACTORS TO LOOK OUT FOR ing inspection regimes and potentially shortening asset life.”
Above all factors, the HSE says that primary containment should The HSE spokesperson explained that where a plant is being
be the first consideration for operators running ageing plant repurposed, operators need a robust process in place that consid-
assets. ers threats to integrity. The established hazard identification
Containment of materials is a crucial part of safe transport, processes help, but additional thought is needed when consider-
storage, and use of hazardous chemicals in industry. If there is a ing asset reliability and safe operation.
loss of containment those materials could lead to environmental Operators must also be aware of their own shortcomings
contamination, injuries, and even death. when it comes to inspection, namely the limitations of their
tock.com
The most common causes of loss of primary containment inspection techniques, which they should accommodate in their
(LOPC) are often linked to equipment design flaws, material fitness for service calculations, applying the worst-case scenario
degradation (arising from defects during manufacture and and being conservative.
construction or wear and tear), and operating beyond design These regular inspections and critique of practices lead into
limits, including overpressure or excessive heat input. what the HSE describes as the “creeping change” involved in
A study by the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre managing ageing assets and how operators can prepare for them.
on major accidents involving ageing plants highlighted the 2005 The spokesperson said: “Slow changes may be more diffi-
explosion at BP’s Texas City refinery as a case where “exceed- cult to discern but are important to recognise and manage; for
ance of equipment limitations became the norm”. The incident, example, the Covid pandemic saw change in use for some plant,
caused by an overpressurised distillation tower, claimed the lives slowing of processes or even stagnation, introducing different
of 15 workers.1 degradation threats – discrete changes.”
The HSE says that in controlling primary containment, As the UK transitions towards cleaner energy, the challenge
operators need to have an “end of life” approach, where more of managing ageing assets remains pivotal. Repurposing sites
inspection and maintenance is required to keep the risk of failure like Ratcliffe-on-Soar and Goldeneye demonstrates the poten-
to acceptable levels. tial for innovation, but it also underscores the need for rigorous
A spokesperson for the HSE said: “Degradation due to ageing safety measures and proactive risk management. As the HSE
may not be linear, and indeed new mechanisms may manifest says: “UK infrastructure needs a balanced approach, necessitat-
as an asset ages. Many standards in the petrochemical sector ing safe operation of existing assets while moving to net zero in
work on a half-life principle; as assets deteriorate, the inspec- accordance with government-stated aims.”
tion interval is set at half the remaining predicted life; such an By embracing careful planning and continuous monitoring,
approach works well if risks are identified (by HAZOP etc) and the industry can navigate the evolving energy landscape while
there is confidence in the asset history.” mitigating risks and protecting both people and the environ-
ment.

APPLICATIONS IN NEW ENERGY

Since 2018, Shell has been repurposing its Goldeneye gas produc- REFERENCE
tion field to support the Acorn CCS project. This initiative will use 1. Chemical Engineering Transactions: Lessons Learned from
the existing pipeline infrastructure to transport emissions from Major Accidents Relating to Ageing of Chemical Plants: https://bit.
the St Fergus gas terminal to storage sites in the North Sea. As ly/4asb6XB

FEBRUARY 2025 | The Chemical Engineer | PAGE 45

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 CAREERS TRANSITIONING FROM OIL & GAS

Making a
Clean Getaway
With our energy systems going through profound change, Adam Duckett
asked chemical engineers who have transitioned from oil and gas to greener
pursuits for insights that could help others make the switch

Q: WHAT KEY SKILLS WERE RICHARD BOOCOCK works as a

TRANSFERABLE AND WHICH

consultant in clean energy after a ca-
reer at Air Products supporting clients
ONES WERE NOT? across sectors including oil and gas.
BOOCOCK: The principles
MICHELLE MORTON made an of chemical engineering are not
internal switch within an oil and gas changing dramatically – we still look
firm to focus on biofuels. She later at unit operations, we still have to
became the company’s sustainability follow the laws of thermodynamics.
manager for new energies. Know-how is perhaps less transfer-
MORTON: Lots of skills were able, for example running a hydrocracker in a refinery is not
transferable including project man- directly transferable to running an electrolyser complex in a
agement, problem solving, and peo- green hydrogen plant. However, I do think that sometimes we
ple management. The work did not overstate the clarity of separation between the old world and
include much traditional chemical the new world. New world sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) plants
engineering except for “mass balance” concepts which are now will utilise many of the same unit operations that we have seen
widely used in the sustainability sphere to transfer information in old-world gas-to-liquid plants.
through the supply chain.
ROY CALDER works as an indus-
NASIRU MOHAMMED moved try principle on new energies for
into nuclear new build in 2019. His industrial software firm Aveva. He
experience is applicable to early and says his perspective is applicable
mid-career engineers. to professionals working across
MOHAMMED: My key transfera- engineering, technical sales, pro-
ble skills were project management, ject management, and strategic
stakeholder management, financial leadership roles, plus those at the
management, FEED, and risk man- intersection of policy, technology,
agement including HAZOPs. and sustainability.
CALDER: Chemical engineer-
YASMIN ALI has worked at fossil- ing-based technical problem-solving,
Geir Engene

fuelled power stations and in oil and process simulation and optimisation,
gas exploration and production. She as well as project management skills
now works for RWE’s battery project were highly transferable.
development team.
ALI: There are tasks like selecting SANJOY SEN works on energy
contractors for engineering studies transition projects following roles
and managing engineering consultan- in petchems and oil and gas.
cies that are identical process-wise. SEN: [My transferable skills have

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Careers Adam.indd 46 23/01/2025 11:30:54

 CAREERS TRANSITIONING FROM OIL & GAS

included] techno-economic concept evaluation, multidiscipli- different outcomes may emerge for a given decision. I think
nary team working, and putting process safety at the heart of these techniques are under-used in traditional engineering/
everything. project risk analysis work, and I think they could add so much
value to assess the viability and risks of hydrogen, carbon
TONY GRIFFITHS made the switch capture, intermittent renewables, or energy storage projects.
in mid-2020, setting up a consul-
tancy designing web applications
Q: WHAT ARE THE KEY
ATTRIBUTES THAT CHEMICAL
to support the decision-making for
clean energy and decarbonisation
projects. ENGINEERS SHOULD
GRIFFITHS:
EMPHASISE WHEN APPLYING
I found that the
skills I thought had the least direct
application like hardcore process OR INTERVIEWING?
engineering, such as detailed P&ID,
flare header network simulation, and relief valve sizing, or CALDER: Candidates should stress adaptability, have a strong
how the subsurface drilling world really works, often crop up. grasp of process design and optimisation, and a strong passion
It’s quite valuable in debunking some popular myth or making for sustainability. Showcasing success in multi-disciplinary
a sensible judgement on the viability of aspects of energy projects and a willingness to learn new skills also sets appli-
transition projects especially for hydrogen, carbon capture, cants apart.
geothermal, and offshore wind. HOOPER: The ability to lead in highly technical envi-
ronments, manage multi-disciplinary effort, and balance

Q: ARE THERE ANY UNEXPECTED technical, economic, and strategic considerations. Employers

SKILLS THAT ARE HIGHLY

value a systems understanding of engineering and commercial
frameworks, as well as practical knowledge of regulatory and
TRANSFERABLE? commercial environments for successful deployment.
BOOCOCK: Top of mind for me are systems thinking, risk
GEORGE HOOPER now works as management, process safety, large capital project execution
an energy consultant after holding a and coordination, operational excellence, and flawless startup.
variety of roles including at the New
Zealand Synthetic Fuels Corporation
and the country’s department of Q: HOW DID YOU “MARKET”
scientific and industrial research. YOUR SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE
HOOPER: Thermodynamics is an
unexpected yet highly transferable
DURING THE RECRUITMENT
skill. It provides the foundation for PROCESS?
many engineering analyses. My ex-
perience has shown that many in the renewable energy sector MOHAMMED: I relied heavily on my LinkedIn profile,
lack a strong grasp of thermodynamics, which hampers their updating the certification training that I completed, and
ability to adopt a systems approach to technical interven- collecting references from past colleagues. I used AI CV opti-
tions. misation tools to help align my skillset with each job advert I
was responding to. I also attended conferences and career fairs.
MORTON: Mass balance and whole systems viewpoints
were super useful. ANDREW RAWSTRON, who made
CALDER: Soft skills such as stakeholder engagement, inter- the switch in 2023 after working in
disciplinary collaboration, and the ability to translate technical design, project management, plant
concepts for non-specialists has proved unexpectedly critical management and as a director, now
in renewables. works as an independent consultant
SEN: Not so much a skill but the ability to sometimes ask helping companies optimise their
“dumb” questions and challenge assumptions can help. Not processes.
everything has always been thought through. RAWSTRON: I talked about my
GRIFFITHS: Perhaps a slightly random one that sticks out previous wins and how these are not
for me are the semi-sophisticated probabilistic/stochastic sector specific. How I delivered 20%
methods…used in oil and gas development planning to help year-on-year productivity improvements. How I developed
understand and discuss the shape of uncertainty, and what new ways of bringing in production.

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 CAREERS TRANSITIONING FROM OIL & GAS

CALDER: Demonstrating a proactive commitment to learning to take our CPD seriously, and I have taken advantage of
new technologies and aligning with sustainability goals reso- some of the courses offered by IChemE and other organisa-
nates with colleagues and clients alike. tions to improve my knowledge and broaden my technical
GRIFFITHS : I market my oil and gas background as being competencies.
fundamental in understanding energy projects and showing
expertise in energy project delivery.
Q: WHAT NEW SKILLS OR
KNOWLEDGE DID YOU NEED TO
Q: DO YOU NEED NON- ACQUIRE TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING YOUR NEW ROLE AND HOW DID
SKILLS TO MAKE THE YOU GO ABOUT ACQUIRING
TRANSITION? THESE SKILLS?
ALI: A basic understanding of electrical engineering definitely MORTON: More political and negotiating skills were
helps. A lot of my project development work hinges on grid required when working with regulators, NGOs, and other
connections. sensitive stakeholders. Missing skills were mostly achieved
CALDER: Yes, a foundational understanding of electri- on the job, but some internal training was also offered.
cal systems, mechanical engineering principles, and digital MOHAMMED: I had to learn a lot of new project manage-
solutions is beneficial, given the interdisciplinary nature of ment techniques, upskill on sustainability and sustainable
renewable projects. development goals and keep up to date with the emerging
MORTON: Mechanical engineering skills are always an asset technologies and regulations. I put together a CPD plan based
and were very useful early in my career even before moving on the gaps I identified while job hunting. I then enrolled in
into new energies. Biology, ecology, agricultural engineering courses that provided certifications on successful comple-
skills would have been strong assets in my sector. tion. This helped improve my attractiveness to prospective
HOOPER: It depends. Many renewable technologies, such employers.
as geothermal, solar thermal, electrochemistry, and hydrogen BOOCOCK: I expanded my understanding and apprecia-
production, fall squarely within the domain of chemical tion of some of the processes to which I had not been exposed,
engineering, relying on foundational principles like thermo- such as renewable energy systems and electrolysers. Online
dynamics, kinetics, and heat/mass transfer. courses and CPD materials as well as vendor courses were
particularly helpful.
CALDER: Understanding the commercial landscape of
Q: TO WHAT EXTENT HAVE clean energy, government policies on decarbonisation, and
YOUR REQUIRED TECHNICAL the specifics of new technologies in the CCUS and SAF areas

COMPETENCIES CHANGED AS
were crucial. Familiarity with digital transformation tools
also became essential. Continuous professional development,
A RESULT OF THE TRANSITION? such as IChemE webinars, attending industry conferences,
and engaging in targeted collaborations with academia and
HOOPER: The primary area where I needed to develop addi- various UK and EU policymakers were the key strategies I
tional expertise was in transitioning from traditional covalent followed.w
chemistry and separation techniques to the new forms of green Additionally, I have read more technical journals in the last
chemistry. Biology is the new chemistry and now a critical three years than I had in the previous ten.
aspect of chemical engineering, particularly for novel synthe- SEN: You don’t need to become an expert on government
sis routes and decarbonisation pathways. policy but it’s useful to be familiar with the direction of travel
CALDER: Expertise in areas like hydrogen generation to understand where opportunities might arise.
systems, carbon capture, and lifecycle analysis is essen- GRIFFITHS: I’ve had to learn from scratch about how to
tial. The shift also demanded a deeper integration of digital set up, govern, and lead a business; how to market and sell
tools and data analytics, especially as the value chain of these products and services; and how to compete for innovation
projects expands from simple plants to networks. project funding. We’ve been through some valuable startup
MOHAMMED: I’ve moved from greenfield new builds to incubator and accelerator programmes including The Green-
brownfield development and extending the life of existing house, which is a joint venture between Imperial College
assets. I needed to pick up asset management methodologies London and the Royal Institution, and an Energy Systems
so I’m taking courses for this. Catapult one that helped us structure our business strategies
BOOCOCK: I think as chemical engineers we all need early on.

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 CAREERS TRANSITIONING FROM OIL & GAS

Q: WHAT STRATEGIES, ACTIONS and commercial readiness. It was essential to ensure proper

AND/OR BEHAVIOURS WERE

engineering validation of key process assumptions and vari-
ables. Educating stakeholders about the requirements for
MOST HELPFUL IN MAKING THE successful technology deployment was also challenging,

TRANSITION? particularly when optimism overshadowed bankability.

MORTON: I had to regularly deal with stakeholders who
CALDER: Maintaining an open and adaptable mindset, espe- were very distrustful of oil and gas companies [that were
cially when networking across different industrial sectors, and developing new energies] which made my job challenging
seeking mentorship from experts in renewables played vital but also rewarding when I succeeded in making progress on
roles for me. partnerships.
MOHAMMED: Transitioning to a new industry isn’t easy MOHAMMED: The biggest challenge was landing a position
and will come with a lot of failed attempts, so being resilient. in a new sector. With most recruiters now relying heavily on AI
ALI: For me, it was about connecting with people who could tools to select the best matches, transitioning becomes a tricky
guide me in the right direction. I knew vaguely what I wanted balance between highlighting your transferable skills and
to do, but didn’t know how to do it, who to talk to, or what jobs ensuring skills closely match the advertised desirable skills.
to apply for. Making use of my network was invaluable. SEN: Understanding that the energy transition is a fast-evolv-
ing sector and that all the answers are not all out there. A few

Q: HOW DOES THE WORK years ago, hydrogen was seen as the solution to everything.

CULTURE AND ENVIRONMENT

Nowadays, people are asking where it should best be deployed.
ALI: I struggled to get my foot in the door and took quite a
DIFFER FROM OIL AND GAS? junior role to start with to get me going. I wasn’t sure I had
made the right decision, but I got a more senior role after
MORTON: I found the culture of sustainability work to be around eight months, so no regrets.
more caring and inclusive.
SEN: Generally more multi-disciplinary, often younger teams.
BOOCOCK: I think there is a desire in some companies to Q: DID YOU HAVE TO TAKE A
create a different culture, perhaps more of a “tech” culture. LOWER SAL ARY? IF SO, ANY
TIPS ON HOW TO MINIMISE THE
Q: WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES DROP?
IN PROCESS SAFET Y MINDSET?
GRIFFITHS: I took no salary for the first year or so of setting
RAWSTRON: I think it’s more immature in the new markets. up, and currently I’m still earning less than I was in 2002 as
But given the company objectives I find they’re more interested a young contract process engineer with just over five years’
in delivering process safety standards as a societal imperative experience. If we are smart, we can hopefully reap longer-
rather than regulatory. term rewards through our business growth to compensate for
SEN: We are in relatively new territory with CCUS and hydrogen. the lower salaries we’re currently paying ourselves.
It’s important to ask questions and constructively challenge – ALI: I did initially but worked my way back up. Sense check
don’t assume something has been considered already. what you are offered is in line with industry standards using
CALDER: In my mind, process safety remains paramount. websites like Glassdoor or the IChemE salary survey. And
However, many clients are not aware of the various stages of always keep in mind when recruiters ask you what salary
HSE that they have to incorporate in their projects. you’re currently on, or what your expectations are, you do not
MOHAMMED: There is definitely a greater emphasis on have to tell them. Let them make the first offer.
safety, transitioning to nuclear new builds. Every meeting CALDER: Highlighting long-term potential personal
starts with a safety moment. This keeps safety on everyone’s contributions and exploring roles in high-demand areas like
mind. hydrogen or digital solutions could go a long way to help
minimise short-term salary impacts.

Q: WHAT WERE THE BIGGEST BOOCOCK: Emphasise the value of your experience and

CHALLENGES YOU FACED WITH

how that will accelerate delivery of business objectives and
reduce risk.
CHANGING SECTORS?
HOOPER: The most significant challenges involved managing For more on IChemE’s analysis of the changing future of the oil and
expectations within the renewables sector regarding technical gas industry: www.icheme.org/future-oil

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 VIEWPOINT SOFT SKILLS

Why Soft Skills Can

(and Should) be Taught
From awkward smiles to cult-avoidance strategies, Faye Litherland’s journey
proves that mastering soft skills is no different to learning pump calculations
– practice makes perfect

W
HEN I start talking to people about the impor- This attitude that you have got it or you haven’t is particularly
tance of soft skills in engineering it generally damaging when you look at how soft skills are handled in educa-
isn’t long before I get comments such as “it’s tional and workplace settings. Let’s take a scenario I am sure we
easy for you because you are naturally good are all familiar with: participants are asked to work in groups and
with people” and “people are either good at then present their findings to the rest of the participants at the
soft skills or they aren’t”. end. This is a standard exercise which is often used as an evalu-
Let’s take a moment to think about how ridiculous this is. If ation exercise in educational settings or as part of team-building
I was to say to you that you can either do pump calculations or events.
you can’t, you would tell me that I was being unfair. How could I If you take the time to really watch what happens next it is
possibly expect someone to just be able to do pump calculations? both fascinating and horrifying from a sociological perspective.
They need to be taught how to do them. Leaders will emerge, some participants will be picked first, some
I feel the same way about soft skills. If I wanted to teach you will be picked last, there will be those who end up not in a group
how to calculate the NPSH of a pump then I would explain the and need to be placed in one by the facilitator. The confident ones
principles behind the calculation, the factors associated with the will dominate the groups, the shy ones will hang back and feel
calculation, and how to use the formula to get the answer. You intimidated by the confident ones, and those who had to be placed
would practice, probably get it wrong a few times, and I would into a group will feel like they have no place there and their confi-
help you until you got it right and were confident to carry out the dence will sink further. No one is learning anything about effective
calculations on your own. I firmly believe the same approach holds communication because no one has been taught anything. It is like
true for soft skills. watching a low budget remake of Lord of the Flies.

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 VIEWPOINT SOFT SKILLS

This attitude that you have got someone to close their eyes while you say the same phrase smiling

it or you haven’t is particularly and not smiling. I bet they can tell the difference. Amazingly this
works even if the smile is fake. So even on a bad day, when you join
damaging when you look at a Teams or Zoom call, you can slap on a fake smile and your voice

how soft skills are handled in will automatically sound more cheerful and engaging. Even a fake
smile will start to release endorphins to make you feel happy even
educational and workplace settings if you are not. This is a classic example of “fake it ‘till you make it!”.
So how can smiling get us into trouble? Surely everyone can
We are expecting that the participants already know how to smile. Well, that is what I thought too. It turns out I was wrong.
work in a team. There is an assumption that children learn how If you smile too much it can make people feel uncomfortable and
to work in teams by playing with others and cooperative games they may start to wonder if you are ok. I learned this the hard way.
as they grow up, but what happens when this learning doesn’t I was so focused on getting my smile right that I momentarily lost
happen? Some will pick it up later in life, but if they are naturally track of a conversation and continued smiling while someone was
a bit shy and maybe don’t make friends easily it is not hard to see talking about their cat being missing for two days. These changing
how these children will prefer playing alone and miss the social facial expressions can make it look like you are having a psychotic
experience that their peers are getting. Some children, especially break if you get it badly wrong or change between expressions too
those who are neurodiverse, may not pick up the social rules natu- quickly, so it is also worth practicing the transitions in front of a
rally and will need them explaining even later in life. These people mirror.
will make mistakes and then unfairly be classified as not having Another thing to watch out for is that a smile doesn’t just
good soft skills. indicate a happy state. It can also convey dominance, condescen-
So, what right do I have to be talking about soft skills? I said in sion, embarrassment, flirtation, reassurance or even confusion and
the opening paragraph that most people consider me to be good appeasement. Getting even a fake smile right takes time and if you
with people. It will shock many who have met me to know that I are not used to smiling it is easy to get it wrong and send the wrong
was not always confident with people, and I am not naturally a message. It is important to monitor the effect that you are having
good presenter. I was the shy toddler hiding behind their mother’s on others so that you can fine-tune your smiles to convey the
skirt who wouldn’t talk to people. I was the child at school with no correct message and get the response you are looking for. Practice,
friends. I was the adult who had learned to present confidently, but practice, practice, and don’t be afraid of failure.
after 15 minutes at a networking event would be in the toilet being Ensure you interpret the other person’s smile accurately – are
sick from anxiety and have to leave. I was also the adult who nearly they smiling with you or in a dominant or condescending way?
ended up in a cult because I didn’t know how to end a conversation Recognising smiles helps you adjust your approach and ensure a
with someone without appearing rude. Trust me when I say that positive interaction. Learning to read other people’s smiles is just
soft skills can be learned. It isn’t easy, but then nothing of value as important as getting your own correct.
ever is. When I first started working in industry it was considered
perfectly acceptable to be technically excellent, but not have very
good people skills. Today’s world is different. Companies now
SMILE WITH CONFIDENCE place almost as much, if not more, weight on soft skills as they do
Let’s take smiling as our first skill. Why is smiling important? Apart on technical skills, especially when you reach more senior posi-
from being an excellent way to make your body release endorphins tions. If you want that top job where you will be more client facing
and make yourself feel better, your smile also directly influences and dealing with more senior people within your own organisa-
those around you. When you smile at someone, you trigger a part tion, then you absolutely have to have the necessary soft skills.
of their brain called the cingulate cortex which is an unconscious Your technical skills will only get you so far. Research has shown
automatic response area. This means that when you smile at it takes less than a tenth of a second to form a first impression1
someone, they automatically smile back. This releases endorphins and spending more time with that person will not change their
in their body and makes them feel good about themselves and their impression of you. So when you meet someone, make sure that you
interaction with you. They are more likely to seek you out to work have honed your soft skills so the impression you make is the one
with because quite simply you make them feel better. Research has you want.
also shown that smiling makes people more likely to trust you and
consider you likeable and approachable when interacting with you.
Smiling may seem simple, but if you are not a natural smiler it Faye Litherland is director of process technology at FPC Life Sciences
is more complicated than it first appears. Even if you are a natural
smiler, it is worth checking that your smile is sending the message
you think it is. REFERENCE
The interesting thing about a smile is that you can hear in 1. First Impressions: Making Up Your Mind After a 100-Ms Exposure to a
someone’s voice if they are smiling, even if you can’t see them. Ask Face: https://bit.ly/40H5m8M

FEBRUARY 2025 | The Chemical Engineer | PAGE 51

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 How to...
FEATURE SERIES HOW TO...

Design a Biological Wastewater

Treatment Process

Davide Dionisi’s worked example demonstrates how sustainable wastewater

treatment design can balance environmental protection, energy efficiency,
and operating costs

T
HE AIM of biological wastewater treatment
processes is to remove the biodegradable organic QUICK READ
matter from municipal or commercial wastewa-
Significance of Sludge Retention Time (SRT) in Process
ter streams so that they can be safely discharged
Efficiency: The SRT is critical in determining chemical
into the receiving water body (eg river or sea).
oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiency, oxygen consump-
In biological wastewater treatment, microorganisms grow
tion for aeration, and sludge production. Lower SRT values
on the organic matter from human waste, distilleries or other
reduce energy consumption, while still maintaining effec-
businesses converting it into new microorganisms, CO2, and
tive COD removal, contributing to operational efficiency and
water. These processes bring large environmental benefits
sustainability
but also consume large amounts of energy. Therefore their
Aeration System Design and Energy Optimisation : Proper
design needs to be optimised to maximise both environmental
design of the aeration system, including careful calculation
protection and sustainability. In this article we will cover the
of mass transfer coefficients and optimal dissolved oxygen
design of the activated sludge process, which is one of the most
levels, minimises energy usage. Reducing SRT significantly
common processes for biological wastewater treatment. Most
cuts aeration energy consumption while maximising methane
of the design concepts illustrated here can apply, however, to
production during sludge digestion, enhancing energy
other process configurations.
recovery
Dynamic Process Control for Sustainability: Implementing
PROCESS DESCRIPTION AND ASSUMPTIONS a control strategy to adjust the sludge waste flow rate based
In its basic configuration (see Figure 1) the activated sludge on COD readings helps maintain environmental standards
process is made of two tanks: the biological reactor and the and optimise energy use. This approach supports sustainable
settling tank. The biological reactor receives the influent operations by balancing oxygen demand and energy recovery
wastewater stream, usually after it has passed through the while adapting to process dynamics
primary treatments (eg screens and primary settling tanks). In
the biological reactor, the microorganisms carry out the biolog-
ical reactions that remove the organic matter (substrate) from
the liquid phase. The aim of the settling tank is to separate S0 (kgCOD/m3) = substrate concentration in the influent wastewater
the suspended solids, ie the microorganisms, from the treated S (kgCOD/m3) = substrate concentration in the biological reactor
effluent. The clarified effluent is sent to the final or tertiary X (kg/m3) = biomass concentration in the biological reactor
treatments (eg disinfection) while the settled microorganisms XR (kg/m3) = biomass concentration at the bottom of settling tank
are recycled back to the reactor. From the bottom of the settling Q (m3/day) = flow rate of the influent wastewater
tank, a stream of settled microorganisms is also removed, to QR (m3/day) = flow rate of the recycle stream
control the microorganisms’ concentration in the reactor. This QW (m3/day) = waste sludge flow rate
stream is often sent to anaerobic digestion, where the microor- V (m3) = volume of the biological reactor
ganisms are converted to methane for energy generation.
When designing an activated sludge process, I recommend The model of the biological processes occurring in this system
you assume that the feed is composed only of readily biode- assumes that two processes occur in the biological reactor:
gradable substrates and that the settling tank operates without biomass growth on the substrate and endogenous metabolism.
any biomass losses with the clarified effluent. You should also Biomass growth is the multiplication of microorganisms, which
assume that the substrate concentration is expressed as COD occurs when microorganisms remove the external substrate
(chemical oxygen demand). from the liquid phase. Endogenous metabolism includes all the
Use the following notation: processes (not yet entirely understood) which cause a reduction

FEBRUARY 2025 | The Chemical Engineer | PAGE 52

How to.indd 52 23/01/2025 13:32:11

 FEATURE SERIES HOW TO...

Figure 1: Scheme of the activated sludge process considered in this study

BIOLOGICAL REACTOR SETTLING TANK

CLARIFIED EFFLUENT
INFLUENT Q+Q R,S, X

Q,S0 Q-Q W,S, Xeff=0

AIR

SLUDGE RECYCLE WASTE SLUDGE

Q R,S, XR Q W,S, XR

in the concentration of microorganisms, eg self-oxidation, QR, S, X, XR, QW. So, in total, you need to calculate the values of
death, and predation. Both biomass growth and endogenous six variables.
metabolism involves the consumption of dissolved oxygen. These variables are linked by three mass balances, the
The kinetic model to use in this section is the well-known mass balances for the biomass in the reactor, the biomass in
Monod model where the rate of biomass growth is given by: the whole system, and the substrate in the reactor. These mass
balances are shown below.

(1)
Balance for the biomass in the reactor:

where is the specific growth rate in day-1. (4)

The rate of endogenous metabolism is assumed to be given by: Balance for the substrate in the reactor:

(2) (5)

where the negative sign is due to the fact that microorganisms Balance for the biomass in the whole system (reactor + settling
are consumed in this process. tank):
As a consequence of these assumptions on the kinetics of the
process, the rate of substrate removal is given by: (6)

These three equations can be rearranged after the introduc-

(3) tion and definition of recycle ratio (R), hydraulic residence time
(HRT), and solids residence time (SRT):
In the numerical examples in this article, you should use the
following values of the kinetic parameters: (7)

(8)

MASS BAL ANCES AND DESIGN

(9)
Designing the activated sludge process means finding the
values of all the variables that characterise it. You know the
characteristics of the feed, ie Q and S0, and the kinetic param- R is the ratio between the recycle and influent flow rates. The
eters mmax, KS, b, and Y X/S. The process will be designed when HRT is the “nominal” residence time of the liquid phase in the
you have calculated the values of the remaining variables, ie V, biological reactor, where the specification “nominal” accounts

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 FEATURE SERIES HOW TO...

for the fact that the actual flow rate going through the reactor The COD balance used in the equation represents an electron
is Q+QR, rather than just Q. The SRT is the residence time of the balance across the entire system. It indicates that the total
microorganisms in the system, and is calculated as the mass of electrons removable by oxygen from the organic substrate in
microorganisms in the reactor divided by the mass flow rate of the inlet wastewater (proportional to the feed COD) are either
microorganisms leaving the system. retained in the produced microorganisms or removed by
By introducing R, HRT, and SRT, and after some rearrange- oxygen.
ments, the three design equations become: In equation (16) the factor 1.42 that multiplies the sludge
production is needed to convert the biomass concentration in
(10) COD units. The oxygen consumption per unit of influent flow
rate is:

(11) Oxygen consumption (17)

(12) Note that, from the COD balance in the whole process, which
has been used to derive equation (16), it follows that, for a
Equations (10) through (12) are the design equations for the given influent flow rate and composition and for a given extent
activated sludge process. To solve these equations, you need to of substrate removal, the sum of the oxygen consumed and
choose the values of SRT, HRT, and R and then calculate S, X, and biomass produced (converted into COD units) is constant and
XR. Equations (10) through (12) represent a system of three equa- cannot be altered by changing any design or kinetic parameters:
tions in three unknowns (S, X, and XR) that can be solved easily.
Once the equations are solved, you know the values of SRT,
(18)
HRT, R, S, X, and XR. From these values you can immediately
calculate the other variables; the volume of the reactor, which
follows immediately from the definition of HRT, equation (8), Equation (18) is particularly important considering that usually,
and the required sludge waste flow rate, which is obtained by for well-designed and well operated processes, S<<S0 and so
combining equations (8) and (9): Q(S0-S) ≅ QS0 . Therefore, equation (18) shows that, for a well-de-
signed process, the sum of oxygen consumption and biomass
(13)
production only depends on the flow rate and composition of
the influent stream.
Once all the variables that characterise the process have been In summary, the activated sludge process for carbon removal,
calculated, the sludge production and the oxygen consump- in its simplest version of one biological reactor followed by a
tion can also be calculated. The sludge production is important settling tank, can be designed by specifying the values of the
because the produced sludge can be a resource (if it is used for solids residence time (SRT), the hydraulic residence time (HRT),
energy recovery using anaerobic digestion) or a liability (if it is and the recycle ratio from the settling tank to the reactor (R).
treated and disposed of) for the plant. The oxygen consumption by Once these three variables have been specified, and assuming
the microorganisms represents one of the main operating costs of appropriate rate equations for microbial growth, endogenous
the plant and therefore needs to be minimised, if possible. metabolism, and substrate removal, the values of all the vari-
The sludge production in the activated sludge process is ables that characterise the process can be calculated by solving
simply given by: the system of mass balance equations.

(14)
EFFECT OF CHOICE OF DESIGN
PARAMETERS ON DESIGN RESULTS
and per unit of influent flow rate: We have seen that designing the activated sludge process
means essentially choosing the values of the design parameters
SRT, HRT, and R. But how does the choice of these parameters
(15) affect the design of the plant, and which criteria should be used
to choose their values?
The most important parameter is the SRT. For a given flow
rate and composition of the influent wastewater, the SRT is the
The oxygen consumption rate by microorganisms can be calcu- only parameter that determines the effluent substrate concen-
lated using the COD balance on the whole system: tration, the sludge production, and oxygen consumption by the
microorganisms. This is evident from appropriate rearrange-
Oxygen consumption (16) ments of equations (12), (15), and (17) respectively:

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 FEATURE SERIES HOW TO...

(19)
Figure 3: Effect of the SRT and HRT on the biomass
concentration in the biological reactor

(20) 3

HRT = 0.25 (DAY)

2.5

X (kg BIOMASS/m3)
(21) 2

1.5
The effect of the SRT on S, Px/Q, and QO2biomass/Q is shown in HRT = 0.5 (DAY)

Figure 2. It shows that COD removal increases as the SRT 1

increases. However, it’s almost complete and unaffected by the HRT = 1 (DAY)

SRT if the SRT is high enough. As far as the substrate removal 0.5
is concerned, therefore, the SRT should be chosen high enough
to ensure the required degree of substrate removal. However, as 0
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20
the SRT increases, the oxygen consumption increases and the SRT (DAY)
sludge production decreases. Increased oxygen consumption
means higher energy consumption for aeration and decreased
sludge production means lower energy recovery in the anaero-
bic digestion of the sludge (assuming that the produced sludge is aeration, and when the sludge production is maximised, because
used in this way). Therefore, from a sustainability and also from of the higher energy recovery from the sludge (assuming that the
an economics point of view, too high values of the SRT tend to sludge is used as feed for anaerobic digestion). The conditions
have a negative effect. which maximise sustainability also minimise the process oper-
In the design of biological wastewater treatment processes, it ating costs because of the lower costs for energy consumption.
is important to choose the value of the SRT so that environmental Another important design parameter is the HRT. The HRT
protection is maximised but also the sustainability is maximised determines the reactor volume for a given influent flow rate.
and the operating costs are minimised. Environmental protec- Together with the SRT, the choice of the HRT determines the
tion is maximised when the COD removal is maximised, ie the concentration of microorganisms in the biological reactor. This
organic matter in the process effluent is minimised. Sustaina- is evident from the equation below, which can be obtained by
bility is maximised when the oxygen consumption is minimised, rearranging the design equations:
because of the lower energy consumption and CO2 emissions for

(22)
S0 − S
Figure 2: Effect of the SRT on COD removal ( S0 ), For a fixed SRT, the higher the HRT the lower the biomass
oxygen consumption (Q O2biomass/Q) and sludge produc-
concentration in the reactor. This is shown in Figure 3.
tion (PX/Q). Higher SRT leads to better COD removal
(improved environmental protection) but to higher From the point of view of plant economics, it is, of course,
oxygen consumption and lower sludge production desirable to design the process with the lowest possible reactor
(worsened sustainability) volume. Small reactors correspond to reduced capital cost and
to a small plant footprint. A small plant footprint is also desir-
0.5 COD REMOVAL 100 able from a sustainability point of view since it saves land that
SLUDGE PRODUCTION (kg BIOMASS/m3)

0.45 could be used for other purposes, such as housing or renewable

OXYGEN CONSUMPTION (kg O2/m3)

99.8
0.4 OXYGEN CONSUMPTION energy installations.
99.6 There is certainly an argument to design the process with
COD REMOVAL (%)

0.35

0.3 a low value of the HRT. However, if the HRT is too low, the
99.4
0.25 biomass concentration in the reactor becomes too large (accord-
0.2
99.2 ing to the trend shown in Figure 3) which can create problems in

0.15
the settling stage. Indeed, the settling velocity of biomass (and
99
of any solids’ suspension) decreases as the biomass concen-
0.1
SLUDGE PRODUCTION 98.8 tration increases. Consequently, the area required for settling
0.05
increases when the HRT is very low at constant SRT (see Figure
0 98.6
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 4). Therefore, the choice of the HRT is a trade-off between the
SRT (DAY) needs for a small reactor and for a biomass concentration that
is not too high.

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 FEATURE SERIES HOW TO...

Figure 4: Effect of the HRT on the minimum area re- Figure 6: Effect of SRT and HRT on the required sludge
quired for settling (at constant SRT). The chart shows flow rate expressed per unit of influent wastewater
that low values of the HRT lead to very large area (QW/Q)
requirements for settling
3,000 0.5 HRT -1 (DAY)
HRT = 0.5 (DAY)

2,500
0.4
MINIMUM AREA (m3)

2,000
0.3

(QW/Q)
`1,500
0.2
1,000

500 0.1

HRT = 0.25 (DAY)

0 0
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 10 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20
HRT (DAY) SRT (DAY)

Since the SRT also affects biomass concentration, with The sludge waste flow rate, QW, depends on all the three design
higher SRT giving higher concentration (see Figure 3), there is parameters SRT, HRT, and R. Figure 6 shows how QW/Q depends
an argument for a design that considers SRT and HRT simul- on SRT and HRT. Clearly, higher SRT means longer residence
taneously, aiming at the minimisation of both these design time of the microorganisms in the system, so the required QW is
parameters and the needs of COD removal. lower for higher SRT. For a fixed SRT, higher HRT means lower
The choice of the recycle ratio R affects, together with the biomass concentration in the reactor and at the bottom of the
HRT and SRT, the concentration of microorganisms at the settling tank, so QW increases as HRT increases.
bottom of the settling tank, as evident from the equation (23),
which is derived again by rearranging the design equations (10)
through (12). The effect of R is shown in Figure 5. DESIGN OF THE AERATION PROCESS
Once the process is designed and the composition and flow
rates of all the streams is known, the next step is the design of
(23)
the aeration system. Aeration is needed to provide the oxygen
required for the microorganisms to degrade the organic matter
and often represents one of the main operating costs for
the plant.
Figure 5: Chart showing that the biomass concentration
in the recycle (XR) increases as the recycle ratio (R) In order to design the aeration system, the first step is to
decreases calculate the value of the mass transfer coefficient, k La, that is
required in order to supply the amount of oxygen consumed by
8
the microorganisms, QO2biomass. The required value of k La can be
R = 0.5
7 calculated from a mass balance of oxygen within the aeration
tank. After rearrangements, the equation that gives the k La, or
6
better, the product of k La and the reactor volume, is:
XR (kg BIOMASS/m3)

5 R=1

4
(24)
3 R=2

1 In equation (24), in addition to the terms already defined, CO2

is the oxygen concentration in the aeration tank, CO2,feed is the
0
oxygen concentration in the influent wastewater (both CO2 and
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20
SRT (DAY) CO2,feed are in kg/m3), pO2 is the partial pressure (atm) of oxygen
in the gas phase in contact with the liquid phase in the reactor

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 FEATURE SERIES HOW TO...

and keq (kg/m3.atm) is the equilibrium constant between In equation (26) Qair is the air flow rate being pumped into
oxygen in the gas phase and in the liquid phase, defined as: the biological reactor and kdiff, bdiff are empirical parame-
ters depending on the particular type of diffuser (eg they are
(25) affected by the type of bubbles generated, coarse or fine, and
by the intensity of mixing). Equation (26) can be used to calcu-
where C*O2 is the oxygen concentration in the liquid phase in equi- late the air flow rate that is required to obtain the required
librium with a gas phase at partial pressure pO2. The required value value of k LaV.
of k LaV is affected by the oxygen consumption by the microorgan- Once the required air flow rate is known, the required
isms, QO2biomass, and by the chosen value of the dissolved oxygen compressor power, Pcompr, can be calculated with equation (26):
concentration in the biological reactor, CO2. In order to maintain
the required k La as low as possible, which will give lower energy
consumption, QO2biomass and CO2 need to be as low as possible. The (27)
only design parameter that affects QO2biomass is the SRT (see equation
(21) and Figure 2), which needs therefore to be maintained as low as
possible, as long as it guarantees satisfactory removal of the COD. In equation (27), γ is equal to 1.4 for air, pinlet and poutlet (Pa) are
The value of the dissolved oxygen concentration CO2 needs to be the inlet and outlet pressure of the air in the diffusers, and
maintained at the lowest possible level but making sure that there γ is the compressor efficiency (often in the range 0.70-0.80).
are no kinetic limitations to the growth of microorganisms. Typi- Note that in equation (27) the air flow rate Qair needs to be in
cally, this value of CO2 is in the range 1-2 mg/L. m3/s to obtain the power in W. pinlet is usually the atmospheric
Equation (24) is valid both in the case of mechanical aeration pressure and poutlet mainly depends on the hydrostatic head
and for aeration with diffusers, which are the most common at the outlet of the diffusers, which are usually placed at the
aeration systems in activated sludge processes. In both cases, bottom of the biological reactor.
pO2 can be taken equal, with good approximation, to the partial The compressor power depends on the required air flow
pressure of oxygen in the atmosphere, ie approximately 0.21 atm rate. Therefore, in summary, for a wastewater of given flow
(a more accurate method to calculate pO2 for aeration with diffus- rate and composition, the energy consumption for aeration
ers, taking into account the mass balance for oxygen in the gas will depend on the choice of the SRT, which affects the oxygen
phase, is described in the cited reference).1 consumption, on the choice of the dissolved oxygen concen-
For the rest of this procedure, we will assume that aeration is tration in the reactor (CO2), and on how effectively the aeration
carried out with diffusers (the procedure is similar for mechan- system transfers the oxygen from the gas phase to the liquid
ical aerators). Once the required k LaV has been calculated using phase (which is accounted for in the values of kdiff and bdiff).
equation (24), the required air flow rate needs also to be calcu- In general, to minimise the energy requirements for aeration,
lated. The k LaV is linked to the air flow rate by correlations of the SRT and CO2 should be taken at the minimum possible
the form (other forms of correlations are also available in the values, and the aeration system should be chosen so that it
literature): maximises the mass transfer coefficient for oxygen for a given
air flow rate.
(26)

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 FEATURE SERIES HOW TO...

DESIGN EXAMPLE: IMPACT OF SRT CHOICE balance under anaerobic conditions, which says that the COD of
ON ENERGY CONSUMPTION the feed to the digester (the waste sludge in this case) will be
Below are shown the design results for a plant treating a waste- recovered as the sum of the COD of the produced methane and
water having a flow rate of 20,000 m3/day and a COD concen- of the COD of the digestate.
tration of 0.5 kgCOD/m3. For the aeration system, assume that Assuming the ideal case of complete conversion of the sludge
the correlation for the mass transfer coefficient is given by: into methane (the actual conversion will be somewhat lower than
k L aV=20.0Q 0.85
air
where k LaV and Qair are in m3/day. We assume that the ideal depending on the efficiency of anaerobic digestion), the
the equilibrium of oxygen in water is described by equation (25) amount of methane produced in the digester is 149 kg CH4/day
with keq=0.043 kg/m3.atm. We also assume that the desired oxy- for SRT=20 day and 467 kg CH4/day for SRT=3 day. By consid-
gen concentration in the biological reactor (CO2 is equation (24)) ering the heat of combustion of methane, the total power that
is 0.0020 kg/m3 and that the oxygen concentration in the inlet can be generated by the produced methane is 8.40·105 kWh/year
(CO2,feed in equation (24)) is zero. In equation (27) we assume that for SRT=20 day and 2.63·106 kWh/year for SRT=3 day. In anaer-
pinlet and poutlet are equal to 1.0 and 1.5 atm (to be converted to obic digestion plants the produced methane is often combusted
Pa), respectively, and that the compressor efficiency η is 0.8. in CHP (combined heat and power) units, which convert the total
We choose as design parameters SRT=20 day; HRT=0.25 day and combustion energy into electricity and heat. Typical efficiencies
R=0.5. The results are as follows, from equations (10) through of CHP units are 35% for conversion to electricity and 50% for
(14) and (16): conversion to heat (15% being the energy losses). Using these
values, the plant with SRT=20 day would generate 2.94·105 kWhel/
V=5,000 m3; QR=10,000 m3/day; S=1.7·10-4 kgCOD/m3; X=2.39 kg/ year and 4.20·105 kWhheat/year, while the plant with SRT=3 day
m ; XR=7.15 kg/m ; PX=598 kg/day; QO2biomass=9,140 kgO2/day;
3 3
would generate 9.2·105 kWhel/year and 1.31·106 kWhheat/year.
QW=84 m /day3
It is worth calculating the net energy consumption of the
processes operated at SRT=20 day and SRT=3 day.
For the aeration system the design results are as follows, from For SRT=20 day the electricity consumption for aeration is
equations (24) through (27): 2.56·106 kWh/year and the electricity generation from anaero-
bic digestion is 2.94·105 kWhel/year, which gives a net electricity
k LaV=1.31·106 m3/day; Qair=4.64·105 m3/day; Pcompr=292 kW consumption of 2.27·106 kWh/year. Assuming a cost of elec-
tricity of £0.20/kWh, the net electricity costs for this plant
The energy consumption for aeration is 2.56·106 kWh/year. (electricity costs for aeration minus electricity produced from
anaerobic digestion) will be £454,000/year (US$554,000/year).
It’s interesting to see how the design changes if a lower value of For SRT=3 day, the electricity consumption for aeration is
the SRT is chosen while the HRT and R remain constant. If we 1.97·106 kWh/year and the electricity generation from anaero-
choose SRT=3 day, the values of V and QR will stay the same, the bic digestion is 9.2·105 kWhel/year, which gives a net electricity
others will change as follows: consumption of 1.05·106 kWh/year. Assuming a cost of electric-
ity of £0.20/kWh, the net electricity costs for this plant will be
S=3.9·10-4 kgCOD/m3; X=1.12 kg/m3; XR=3.19 kg/m3; PX=1,880 kg/ £210,000/year, ie a saving of £244,000/year compared to the
day; QO2biomass=7,340 kgO2/day; QW=585 m3/day same plant run at SRT=20 day.
In summary, these design examples show the advantages of
The effluent substrate concentration will be higher than for operating at low SRT, as long as the SRT is sufficient to meet
SRT=20 day. However, it will still be very low compared to the the desired COD reduction. In addition to reducing the energy
influent concentration and the COD removal will still be almost costs, lower values of SRT will cause a reduction in the use of
complete. The different value of QO2biomass will change the design fossil fuels and in CO2 emissions.
of the aeration system as follows:

k LaV=1.05·106 m3/day; Qair=3.57·105 m3/day; Pcompr=225 kW PROCESS CONTROL FOR SUSTAINABILIT Y

We have seen that the SRT is the key design parameter, affect-
The energy consumption for aeration is 1.97·106 kWh/year. ing COD removal, energy consumption for aeration, and sludge
production (hence energy recovery). During the running of an
This example shows that reducing the SRT from 20 to three days activated sludge process, a control strategy can be implemented
gives a saving of 23% in the energy requirements for aeration. to maintain the plant at the desired performance to maximise
Another important effect of the SRT is on the sludge produc- protection of the environment and sustainability.
tion. Assuming that the sludge is sent to an anaerobic digester This control concept is illustrated in Figure 7. Essentially,
for its conversion to methane, the methane production, and the sludge waste flow rate is manipulated based on readings
therefore energy recovery, from the produced sludge can be of the COD in the biological reactor. If the COD in the biologi-
calculated. One way of doing this calculation is to use the COD cal reactor is low and below the required standards, the sludge

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 FEATURE SERIES HOW TO...

Figure 7: Process control concept to maintain COD removal to the desired value, while also minimising the SRT, by
manipulation of the waste sludge flow rate

BIOGAS
COD
MEASUREMENT

DIGESTATE
EFFLUENT
INFLUENT

AIR

Q WX R

flow rate can be increased. This will reduce the SRT, with balances. For the activated sludge process, the main design
consequent decrease in biomass concentration in the reactor parameter is the SRT, which determines the extent of COD
and oxygen consumption and increase in the sludge sent to removal, the oxygen consumption, and the sludge production.
energy recovery via anaerobic digestion. In turn, this will The HRT is also important as it determines, together with the
improve the sustainability of the process without impacting SRT, the biomass concentration in the biological reactor. The
environmental protection. On the other hand, if the COD in the recycle ratio R affects the biomass concentration at the bottom
biological reactor is not satisfactory, the sludge flow rate should of the settling tank. The choice of the design parameters, in
be decreased to increase the SRT and maximise COD removal. particular of the SRT, is of great importance in determining
In implementing this control concept, the dynamics of the the environmental performance and the sustainability of the
process need to be considered as the system response to changes process.
of the SRT may be slow. This control scheme depends on the Overall, this design procedure can offer useful insight into
availability of inline COD sensors, which are not frequently how to design a biological wastewater treatment process while
used but are available on the market. minimising the energy consumption and the capital costs.
The methods described will give you a good starting point for
process design. However, as the design proceeds it is important
CONCLUSIONS to consider that the phenomena occurring in biological waste-
The design of biological wastewater treatment processes can water treatment are very complex and that the model used is
be done with the same tools used for the design of conventional inevitably simplified and so the design needs to be adapted
chemical reactors, ie primarily reaction kinetics and mass considering experience and practical circumstances.

This design procedure can offer Davide Dionisi teaches biochemical engineering, biological
useful insight into how to design wastewater treatment, and renewable energy from biomass at
University of Aberdeen
a biological wastewater treatment
process while minimising the This article is provided for guidance alone. Expert engineering advice
should be sought before application.
energy consumption and the
capital costs. The methods
REFERENCE
described will give you a good 1. Davide Dionisi (2017). Biological Wastewater Treatment
starting point for process design Processes. Mass and Heat Balances, CRC Press

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 VIEWPOINT

Takeovers – How Not

to Ruin Your Company!
Not all company takeovers end badly but Nigel Hirst says for them to succeed
you need to do due diligence, navigate culture clashes and most importantly
of all, spot hidden liabilities

T
HE GERMANS have many compound words which of the US housing bubble and global financial crisis left RBS
accurately describe situations. Dunkelflaute needing £45bn of British taxpayers’ money to bail it out.
(dark-still) has almost reached common parlance I have been involved in the sale and acquisition of several
in English as away of describing the weather con- companies in my career, most of which, due to a strong nose for
ditions unsuited to solar panels and wind turbines. bulls**t and a refusal to be rushed, have gone to plan and here
There is another German word I am very fond of which is less are some of the things I have learned.
well-known, however. Verschlimmbesserung can be translated The companies being sold are usually being sold for one of
as “the act of making things worse when trying to improve one of the following reasons:
them” – and it frequently applies to takeovers.
There are many well-reported failures of company takeo- • Owner wishes to retire, to “cash-in”, or has lost interest
vers, the most recent and notorious of which is probably that in the business
of the software company Autonomy being acquired by Hewlett • The company hasn’t got enough money to continue
Packard. The resulting litigation over the true value of the • The company has lost a major contract or customer and
company was intense. will run out of money in the foreseeable future
There are well documented rules for disclosure of informa- • The company cannot recruit or retain staff due to
tion by the seller, and the buyer has the right to carry out an market competition
inspection of the books. Most issues arise when these are not
fully implemented, as was the case in the disastrous takeover of I am not claiming these are the only reasons but notice how
ABN Amro by a consortium led by Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS). they are predominantly negative for the business (if not the
The lack of due diligence from RBS – the directors apparently owner). The reason companies wish to acquire are, on the
relied on two lever-arch folders and a CD – saw them fail to contrary, generally positive:
fully appreciate the extent to which ABN Amro were involved in
the US sub-prime mortgage market. The subsequent collapse • growth into new or more profitable sectors
• expansion of talent pool
• savings through rationalisation (although this may have
The merging of two successful negative effects on employees)

companies often results in the Successful companies tend to have a strong culture and sense
“whole being less than the sum of mission, built up over many years. However, the merging

of the parts”, especially in the of two successful companies often results in the “whole being
less than the sum of the parts”, especially in the service sector.
service sector In my experience this is the norm when a large company takes

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 VIEWPOINT

over a small one. Small companies are successful because they value of shares in the combined company (see the
are inventive, responsive, and flexible. Large companies have Interserve takeover of McLellan for further details)?
a different set of strengths and often the cultures and way of
working are simply incompatible with the strengths of small And as a purchaser, these are the key questions you should ask
companies (many years ago my company signed a partner- yourself before you commit:
ship agreement with Davy McKee, the aim of which was to
give Davy McKee a presence in small projects which they were • Are you sure that there isn’t a liability you haven’t spotted?
commercially uncompetitive in. The partnership was unsuc- • Is this a vanity purchase? Are you really sure there isn’t a
cessful since all our quoted prices were doubled to account for liability you haven’t spotted?
“checking and other overheads”). • Do you really think that you can add value to your
So, if you find yourself looking to engineer a buyout, I acquisition while you change the culture?
recommend asking your sellers the following questions: • Why couldn’t you have done this on your own?
• Are you clear why the owner is selling? Are you really,
• Are you prepared to see the culture, tradition, name, and really sure there isn’t a liability you haven’t spotted?
possibly reputation which has been built up by your hard
work, vanish? Many of the famous names I recall in the history of the UK chem-
• If you as an employee are forced to stay on for a defined icals and contracting industries no longer exist, and the country
period following the takeover, are you prepared to do it is much the poorer for it. Verschlimmbesserung in practice…
in good grace?
• If there are any “retained payments” as part of the deal,
do you expect to get them? Nigel Hirst is immediate past-president of IChemE and has been
• Are you prepared to field a claim against any warranty involved in engineering acquisitions and disposals for over 30 years.
you have given? He assures us that the biggest disasters wouldn’t have happened if
• Do you prefer the certainty of cash to the illusion of only he had been listened to…

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Hirst viewpoint 1004.indd 61 23/01/2025 12:43:53

 The Engineering Mindset
THE ENGINEERING MINDSET COMPLEX OR COMPLICATED?

4. Complex or Complicated?
There are no silver bullets

Chris and Penny Hamlin say that in complex systems, the path to success is never
a single solution, but instead a dynamic mix of approaches that co-evolve

O
UR LAST article discussed how spans of control and
influence are important in complex systems and how QUICK READ
cooperation and collaboration can extend these into
Diverse Solutions Build Resilience: Complex systems need
areas that initially seem impossible to reach.
varied, context-specific solutions that adapt over time
In this article we explain why in complex systems
Progress Over Perfection: Focus on practical, incremental
there is no single best path to any desired outcome. Once you
improvements instead of chasing ideal outcomes
understand this, then your focus can shift from an optimising
approach to one that builds resilience and robustness for any given Guide, Don’t Control: Foster conditions for growth and

context and point in time. adaptation, avoiding rigid management

To illustrate this, we will once again draw on our experience

with the C-THRU research project, looking into greenhouse gas
emissions in the petrochemicals industry. may be ideal in one country, while solar panels are more effec-
tive in sunnier climes, but both are constrained by environmental
factors. Similarly, the ways in which limited quantities of renew-
SEEING THE WOOD… able energy are utilised cannot be prescribed. In some countries,
Ordered, linear approaches search for a single, uniform, best using the limited amount of renewables for electric vehicles might
solution for any given problem. However, in complex systems any have a greater impact than electrifying industrial processes, while
quest for a mythical silver bullet is both flawed and foolish for in others the opposite may be true. The same could be said for the
two reasons. Firstly, there is never a single, unique solution in a impact of using green electricity for AI datacentres as opposed to
complex system that works equally well in all situations, but rather domestic space heating and cooling.
there is a multitude of option combinations that could resolve
the current issue more effectively than any individual approach.
Secondly, any combination of solutions that works in one system …AND THE TREES
is unlikely to have the same effect in another system, or even work The forest analogy highlights how individuals, organisations,
again the same way within the same system. and solutions emerge and evolve within broader systems. Just as
To illustrate, consider a forest. Monoculture forests, planted an oak tree produces far more acorns than will grow into trees,
with a single tree type, lack the diversity needed to build resil- many ideas and innovations never come to fruition or are adopted
ience and adapt to changes, making them more vulnerable to in unexpected ways. Some acorns fall in the wrong place or fail to
environmental threats like disease and wind. Such systems are germinate, reflecting how many ideas fail to gain traction or meet
unsustainable as they deplete natural resources and hinder regen- their potential. However, when a seedling takes root, it begins
eration. In contrast, good forest management supports a variety to draw resources from its environment, enabling growth. This
of plant and animal species, fostering symbiotic relationships that process mirrors how new ideas or innovations require external
enable renewal and resilience. No one species or organism exists support and resources to thrive, gaining momentum as they draw
in isolation, nor can it survive without interaction and co-depen- on a wider network. No idea emerges fully formed and commer-
dency on the rest of the system. Biodiversity is essential, but only cially viable. For example, over the last 20 years solar panels have
indicative of the potential of the forest to build strength and resil- become amazingly more cost effective as manufacturing tech-
ience through interdependence and synergy. niques have evolved and economies of scale have been realised.
In general, complex systems require a diverse mix of solu- Hopefully, similar trajectories will occur with pyrolysis routes
tions to thrive. Each system’s context – such as its environment for the potential circularisation of petrochemicals and plastics
or specific challenges – demands tailored approaches that evolve production systems, and for bio-based alternatives to fossil fuel
and adapt, rather than relying on a one-size-fits-all solution. For feedstocks.
example, there are multiple types of renewable energy generation Not all saplings become mature trees; most are overtaken, get
options and no single solution is best for all contexts – wind farms eaten or fail before they can grow strong enough to survive. Yet,

FEBRUARY 2025 | The Chemical Engineer | PAGE 62

Complex 1004.indd 62 23/01/2025 11:36:26

 THE ENGINEERING MINDSET COMPLEX OR COMPLICATED?

these early-stage failures contribute valuable energy and resources Navigating complexity requires
to other, more robust organisms, strengthening the overall
system. This is akin to successful organisations that view failure engineers and problem-solvers
as a learning opportunity, rather than something to avoid. As a to approach systems with a
tree grows and matures, it eventually reaches a state of homeo-
stasis, where its potential for growth is balanced by external
mindset that values adaptability,
constraints such as competition for resources. New ideas or inno- context-awareness, and guidance
vations similarly reach a point where growth slows or stabilises
due to limitations or competition. For example, conventional CCS
over rigid control
is inherently limited by the ability to collect and concentrate CO2
emissions for diverse sources. We currently don’t know the extent are all striving for net zero when in fact some have the potential
of its viability or how its practical limit will shift over time, and to be carbon negative, thus allowing time for hard-to-decarbonise
where the eventual limit will be. sectors to take effective mitigation actions.
In terms of greenhouse gas mitigation we advocated taking
steps now to reduce emissions in whatever ways are economi-
C-THRU cally viable today (typically we observed this to be reductions of
The C-THRU research project was a three-year multi-disciplinary up to 70–80%). This enables structure and scale to emerge that
transnational research project which aimed to understand and continues to be directionally relevant and consistent and provides
propose approaches for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions from space for targeted innovation and experimentation to identify
the petrochemical industry. It initially followed an ordered system pathways to achieve the rest. This approach is likely to be much
approach which looked at individual mitigation options in isola- more effective than striving for years to understand how to achieve
tion and sought to maximise impact assuming all other aspects 100% reductions before taking any meaningful action. In complex
remained constant. This had some utility in that it gave an indica- systems terms, this is a focus on direction rather than destination.
tion of where the limits and extremes of the solution space might The team also recognised that there were too many variations,
be, but it ignored the fundamental factor that it was really dealing interactions, and interdependencies to model in detail. It was more
with a complex system that is dynamic and continually changing. appropriate to take small steps to reduce emissions and evolve
This initial approach lacked any meaningful consideration of inter- the approach through co-evolutionary symbiosis. For example,
dependencies which might actually generate better solutions and the reduction in demand for fuels due to increased use of electric
ignored the context in which the mitigations were being applied. vehicles might result in more availability of petrochemicals for
For example, electrifying steam crackers in isolation just creates plastics production, which exacerbates greenhouse gas emis-
surplus methane streams with nowhere to go. However, combin- sions, especially if the plastics are incinerated at end of life. This
ing them with steam methane reformers provides the potential highlights the symbiotic relationship between approaches and
for hydrogen or ammonia production without the need for addi- illustrates the need to encourage circularity of plastics alongside
tional virgin hydrocarbon extraction. Incorporating CCS provides promoting electric vehicles.
possible routes to net zero production of ethylene and hydrogen
or ammonia.
With this insight, C-THRU changed its approach to investigate CONCLUSION
the natural break points at which, in any given context, a miti- Navigating complexity requires engineers and problem-solv-
gation action stopped making sense either economically or from ers to approach systems with a mindset that values adaptability,
a sustainability perspective. Rather than focus on the forced context-awareness, and guidance over rigid control. Just as nurtur-
pathways to 100% reduction of emissions, we started to investi- ing a tree from acorn to maturity involves respecting the natural
gate the impact of making incrementally economically viable steps process of growth and creating supportive conditions, working
in the right direction and understanding where the break points within complex systems is about recognising that no single
occurred and what additional interventions might be required. solution fits all contexts, respecting each system’s unique envi-
Typically, we found that there were much more viable and economic ronment, and guiding development with flexibility.
(and therefore realistic) ways to realise a significant proportion of How do you do this though? How do you understand and evaluate
the desired reductions. For instance, when considering technolo- the direction you need at all the different scales? We will address
gies to target net zero emission ethylene, one potential approach this in the next article.
was initially discounted because the economics of achieving 100%
reduction in emissions were prohibitive. However, on investigation
it emerged that the technology proved to be highly cost effective Chris Hamlin FREng CEng FIChemE and Penny Hamlin are the
when focused on 85% reduction – this perfectly illustrates the co-founders of research-based facilitation, training and coaching
dangers of letting perfection be the enemy of the good. This is a company HancockHamlin where Chris is lead advisor and Penny is
major challenge of net-zero approaches where different industries managing director

FEBRUARY 2025 | The Chemical Engineer | PAGE 63

Complex 1004.indd 63 23/01/2025 11:36:27

 FEATURE SERIES: PRACTICAL PROCESS CONTROL
FEATURE SERIES PRACTICAL PROCESS CONTROL

19: Split-ranging
Myke King explains the history of split-ranging and looks at more effective
alternatives

F
IGURE 1 shows a common application of split-rang-
ing. Under normal conditions, the column pressure QUICK READ
is controlled by manipulating the condenser duty Split-ranging and Dual-acting Valves: Split-ranging
– in this case the flow of cooling water. Should allows a single controller to sequentially operate multiple
incondensable components build up, so that the valves, but dual-acting valves, which move simultaneously,
pressure controller fully opens the coolant valve, it will begin can provide more precise control in certain applications
to manipulate the flow of vapour leaving the overhead drum.
This sequential operation of the two manipulated variables is Tuning Challenges and Solutions: Split-ranging can
achieved by applying split-ranging. complicate tuning due to differences in process dynamics.
Using separate controllers for each valve can improve both
tuning and operator understanding
DUAL-ACTING VALVES Avoiding Overlap and Deadband: Overlap and deadband
Control valve positioners are generally calibrated to travel over in valve calibration can cause instability or inefficiency, but
their full range as the controller output varies from 0 to 100%. these issues can be mitigated by using dual controllers and
However, this calibration is configurable. So, while we would careful calibration
often require the valve to move from fully shut to fully open,
many other options are possible. For example, we might require
the valve to close as the controller output increases. Figure 2
shows two potential schemes for controlling the temperature pass through the cooler. By adopting the second scheme, as the
leaving a product cooler. The first relies on a single, conven- controller opens the bypass valve A, it simultaneously closes
tionally calibrated, control valve in the bypass. Should the valve B in the line through the condenser. This is achieved by
product temperature be too low, the controller will open the calibrating the valve positioners as shown in Figure 3. While
bypass valve. However, this may not offer a sufficient range of drawn in the same way as a split-range scheme, because the
operation. Even with the bypass fully open, some product will valves move simultaneously, they are described as dual-acting.

Figure 1: Split range example Figure 2: Dual-acting valves

PC 50–100%

TC TC

0–50%
A B

FEBRUARY 2025 | The Chemical Engineer | PAGE 64

Process Control 1004.indd 64 23/01/2025 12:11:35

 FEATURE SERIES PRACTICAL PROCESS CONTROL

dedicated connections to each valve is now negligible. This

Figure 3: Dual-acting valve calibration
also means that the valve positioners can be calibrated as full
range, with the split-ranging done within the control system.
120
However, rather than simply replicate the original pneumatic
VALVE POSITION (% OPEN)

100 system, we can now engineer better solutions.

80 VA
LV EA
60 CHOOSING THE SPLIT
A key disadvantage of split-ranging is that the column
40
EB pressure controller will require very different tuning, depend-
LV
20 VA ing on which valve it is manipulating. Split-ranging compels
us to choose a single set of tuning constants. A potential
0
solution is to move the split away from 50%. Figure 5 illus-
-20 trates this. The blue line shows how column pressure varies
0 20 40 60 80 100
as we move the coolant valve; the red line as we move the
CONTROLLER OUTPUT (% OF RANGE) vapour valve. Data to plot these lines could come from the
plant historian or from a test run. They illustrate the tuning
problem. As the controller output crosses the current split
at 50% the slope of the line, which is the process gain (Kp),
HISTORY changes by a factor of around 2. Using the formula below
Figure 4 shows how the valve positioners would be calibrated we can calculate that the split should be moved to 46.5%.
for our distillation example. The controller output range of 0
to 100% has been split into two ranges – one for each valve.
Split-ranging, however, has some limitations. Before describ-
ing these, we should understand the history of the technique
which was commonplace long before digital, or even elec-
tronic analog controllers. Taking our distillation example, a T WO CONTROLLERS
pneumatic controller would provide an output signal – typi- While this accommodates the change in process gain, it does
cally ranged from 3 to 15 psi. This would be transmitted to not compensate for any significant change in deadtime or lag.
the two valves via a shared pneumatic line. One valve would Opening the coolant valve will have a much slower impact on
be calibrated to operate over the range 3–9 psi, the other pressure than opening the vapour valve. The heat capacity of the
over 9–15 psi. It therefore had the advantage of avoiding the condenser will cause a significant lag in the response, whereas
costly installation of a second line. These days, control signals a change in vent flow will be almost instantaneous. Our choice
are electronic and transmitted through multicore cables or, of tuning constants would have to be some compromise that
more recently, via a digital network. The incremental cost of would probably perform poorly over the whole operating range.

Figure 4: Split-range valve calibration Figure 5: Choosing the split

120 15
(OPmin , PVminOP)
VALVE POSITION (% OPEN)

100
13
COLUMN PRESSURE

K=
p -
80 0. 2
4

60 11

NT UR K
40 LA P O (OPsplit , PVsplit)
9 =
O VA
p
-0
CO .5
1
20
7
0 (OPmax , PVmaxOP)

-20 5
0 20 40 60 80 100 30 35 40 45 50 55 60
CONTROLLER OUTPUT (% OF RANGE) VALVE POSITION (% OPEN)

FEBRUARY 2025 | The Chemical Engineer | PAGE 65

Process Control 1004.indd 65 23/01/2025 12:11:36

 FEATURE SERIES PRACTICAL PROCESS CONTROL

Figure 6: Preferred scheme Figure 8: Valve position controller

SP PV
50% VPC
PC PC

LARGE

SMALL
FC

single control valve. Two differently sized valves provide the

turndown we require. However, rather than allow the smaller
Another area for improvement is the operator display. With valve to fully open, we want to use it to retain fine control of
split-ranging we need to explain why the cooling water valve flow. We require both valves to move simultaneously, but with
indicates 100% open when controller output shows as 46.5%. the larger valve opening so that the smaller valve remains in its
Further, if the output increases to 60%, why does the vapour controlling range. We achieve this with a valve position controller
valve show as 25% open? (VPC), shown as Figure 8. Strictly, its measurement is not the
Both the tuning and display issues can be resolved by install- actual valve position, but the output of the flow controller. We
ing two separate pressure controllers, as shown in Figure 6. assume that the controller is working well, such that these are
Importantly, though they share the same measurement, they the same (although, these days, smart instrumentation might
can be individually tuned. To provide the sequential mecha-
nism we choose a slightly higher setpoint for the controller
manipulating the vapour valve.
Figure 9: Two flow controllers

VALVE POSITION CONTROL

There are other occasions in which we require a controller to
manipulate two valves. The scheme shown in Figure 7 applies FC
the same technique that we’ve developed for the column. We
require to operate over a range of flow that is too wide for a

LARGE

Figure 7: Separate controllers

SMALL
VALVE
POSITION

100%

FC PID
SP

LARGE
SP
ER

ER
GH

FC2 SMALL
LO
HI

H
ITH

IT

SP=50%
W
2W

FC2
+ -
FC
FC

TOTAL
FLOW SP
B
FLOW

FEBRUARY 2025 | The Chemical Engineer | PAGE 66

Process Control 1004.indd 66 23/01/2025 12:11:36

 FEATURE SERIES PRACTICAL PROCESS CONTROL

include the measured position). The flow controller manipulates

Figure 11: Valve calibration overlap
the smaller valve, as normal, but its output is the measurement
of a separate PID controller – the VPC. In this example, the
120
operator has specified that, to keep within the operating range,

VALVE POSITION (% OPEN)

the position of the smaller valve should be maintained at 50%. 100
The VPC achieves this by adjusting the position of the larger
80
valve. While the scheme will work well, it does require the total
E
flow to be disturbed if the operator changes the valve position 60 LV

N2
E VA

VA
target. The VPC will change the larger flow, disturbing the A R
FL

LV
40

E
total flow and requiring correction by the total flow controller.
We can reduce its impact by tuning the VPC to correct slowly. 20
Provided the small valve stays within range, it is not important
0
to hold it tightly at 50%.
However, the design also assumes that a single flow instru- -20
0 20 40 60 80 100
ment can cover the operating range. An improved scheme is
shown as Figure 9. A change to the valve position target will CONTROLLER OUTPUT (% OF RANGE)
change the setpoint of the larger flow controller, but the same
change is sent to a bias algorithm which maintains a constant
total flow by immediately making the opposite change to the
setpoint of the smaller flow controller. we open the flare valve, this may not be the case. As Figure 11
shows, there is a small overlap. The first issue is that, within
this overlap, we have effectively doubled the process gain. This
DEADBAND AND OVERL AP could cause instability but, more importantly, costly nitrogen
Figure 10 shows the application of the split-range technique to is being needlessly flared. Valves can also be slightly miscal-
nitrogen blanketing of a process vessel. Should the pressure be ibrated so that there is a deadband at the switchover point.
above setpoint, the controller output will increase. Because it is This again can cause an apparent tuning problem, because the
reverse-calibrated the nitrogen valve will initially close. Should process gain falls to zero within the deadband.
the controller output exceed 30%, the valve venting to flare will To ensure the valves operate over their whole range, some
begin opening. Both importing and venting gas are likely to leeway is included in their calibration. It is common to allow
have similar dynamics and so a single controller is probably a controller output to vary over the wider range of (say) -5 to
adequate. The problem here lies within the valve calibration 105% to ensure that the valve can be truly fully closed and fully
itself. Precisely calibrating valve positioners is a challenge. So, opened. We can exploit this by following the same approach
while we expect the nitrogen valve to be fully closed before as that on the column. Installing two pressure controllers will
then avoid overlap and deadband.

Figure 10: Nitrogen blanket

NEXT ISSUE
Our next issue will be the first of four articles covering the
N2 FLARE development and use of inferential properties. Also known
as soft sensors or virtual analysers, they are often key to the
success of an advanced control project. Perhaps of all the
30–0% 30–100% control technologies, they benefit the most from the appli-
cation of sound chemical engineering.

PC

Myke King CEng FIChemE is director of Whitehouse Consulting, an

independent advisor covering all aspects of process control. The
topics featured in this series are covered in greater detail in his book
Process Control – A Practical Approach, published by Wiley in 2016

Disclaimer: This article is provided for guidance alone. Expert

engineering advice should be sought before application.

FEBRUARY 2025 | The Chemical Engineer | PAGE 67

Process Control 1004.indd 67 23/01/2025 12:11:36

 The Chemical Engineer jobs
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 The Chemical Engineer Training Calendar
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FEBRUARY 2025 | The Chemical Engineer | PAGE 71

trainingdiary1004.indd 71 23/01/2025 12:59:42

 RESIDUE THE STUFF LEFT OVER AT THE END

A shot in the dark?

Holy guacamole! the US if Donald
Trump THE NIPPON FOUNDA
TION is providing US
are set to soar in in funding to a Scottis $2.4m
AVOCADO prices pose tariffs on go od s from h research team exa
with plans to im ining the deep ocean m-
follows through for “dark oxygen”.
Mexico. rted The team, led by
countr y are impo Andrew Sweetman
90 % of avo cad os going into the ile , of the Scottish Associ
Arou nd e UK , me anwh ation for Marine
cer . Th
world’s top produ Science (SA MS), claim
from Mexico, the wi th Pe ru, So uth Africa, ed to have discov-
from elsewhere, ered dark oxygen on
relies on imports for 84 % of the avocados the deep ocean floor
Spain accounting
Chile, Israel, and last year which the
y said could give
UK . clues to the origin of
brought into the red uc es the reg ion s su ita ble life. The discovery
mate ch an ge
Nevertheless, as cli ire s cou ple d wi th challenged the pre
vio usly held scien-
o and wildf
droughts in Mexic tific consensus that
for production – er ma jor avo cad o- gro w- oxy gen is produced
California (anoth
water scarcity in l avo cad o pri ces are solely from light thr
oug h photosynthesis.
– globa
impacted yields
ing region) have an y ad dit ion al costs to The support packag
e from The Nippon
rising. Therefore,
expected to keep on an d tra ns po rt would not Foundation will cover
ana lys is costs for research
ions from producti
reduce CO2 emiss in the central Pacific
Ocean and the dev
purpose-built and aut elopment of
be welcomed. tist at SINTEF
Sim on Ro us san aly, research scien instrumentation to
onomous landers, or
rigs, to carry specia
However, ch less than you depths of 11,000 m, list
rch , say s tha t ex tra may be mu tha
where the pressure
is more
Energ y Resea a study inv est iga tin g the n one tonne per squ
are centimetre.
is lead author on
think. Roussanaly cap tur e and storage in
ten The three-year res
earch programme
menting car bo n will also investiga
effect that imple the em iss ion s an d costs of whether hydrogen is
rel eased during the cre te
es wo uld ha ve on ation of dark oxygen
differ ent ind us tri and wh eth er it is used as an ene ,
ing avocados. rgy source for an un
e pro du cts an d ser vices – includ red uc- com mu nit y usu ally lar ge
nin nificant emission of microbes in parts
highlight that sig of the deep ocean, as
The evaluations at ma rgi nal costs for climate change might
impact biological act
well as how
cou ld be ach iev ed ivit y in the deep sea
50 %)
tions (beyond ces: bridge con str uc tion, NA SA are int ere sted and are reported .
end-products/servi to be in conversation
end-users in six r, electrici ty fro m off sh ore the research team as
it believes dark oxygen wit h
shore wind powe could be key to under
electricity from on zines, an d wa ste tre atm ent. standing how life can
be sustained on oth -
port by ship, maga er planets. But so too
wind power, trans 11% an d 37% ) could are deep sea mining
com
reductions (between panies like The Metal
s Company (TMC),
Moderate emission can and avocado pro
duc- who have plans to sta
rt har vesting the pol
lly no cos t for be er ymetallic nodules –
ieved at vir tua app are nt source of the dar the
be ach %, respectively. k oxygen – for their
wi th inc rea ses of just 0.3% and 0.2 pro vid e Th e rare metals.
tio n, , these result s bat tle lines have been
ch is still needed well and truly drawn
“W hile more resear d be ne fit s of CCS on a initial study which
has been described
follow ing the
o the real cos t an as “a paradigm shi
igh t int
invaluable ins try level,” sai d Ro us san aly . our un der sta ndi ng of the deep sea” ft in
t just on an indus or a hypothesis “th
societal level – no ducts an d ser vic es wa s wh olly rej ect ed” depending on which
at can be
among the nine pro side of the fence you
The only outlier CO 2 capture from the
air TMC’s rebuttal of the sit.
vel . Wh ile dir ect findings is aided by
tan ce air tra noted it sioned the original hav ing commis-
long-dis emiss ion s, the stu dy pap er, giv ing them access
of the associated to all the raw data
could offset 100% sumer costs.
and research notes.
TMC accuses Sweet
80 % inc rea se in con man et al of “selectiv
wo uld lea d to an rep ort ing data and omitti ely
ts!
ent of soaring cos ng key evidence, inc
The true embodim ments that show oxy
gen increases withou
luding experi-
t nodules”.
https://doi.org/n3hp Accusing the media
of sensationalising
on to say: “Rarely has the findings, they go
a dataset been publish
ically undermines the ed that so emphat-
leading hypothesis.”
So, a groundbreak ing
study that could pro
sustaining life on oth vide the basis for
er planets or a US$
trapped air bubbles 2.4 m folly based on
in equipment? The deb
for another three yea ate looks set to rage
rs at least.
https://bit.ly/3CicE Xh

by Paul Okey

FEBRUARY 2025 | The Chemical Engineer | PAGE 72

Residue 1004.indd 72 23/01/2025 12:26:31

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