Our 2024 programme featured two keynote contributions. Lord Ravensdale, a crossbench Peer and Chartered Engineer, offered some thoughts on the unfolding legislative timetable following the election of a new Labour government in the UK in July 2024. John Fotherby from Kingsfield Academy shared his thoughts on the pressing need for collaboration and using flexible contract models in energy transformation projects.
Sessions included an examination of the HSE implications for the design, construction and operation of low-carbon energy infrastructure, a frank assessment of the attitudes of early career engineers, a deeper dive into contracting and finance issues and a series of project case studies and presentations on new technologies, concluding with a detailed look at the first of a kind design work on the proposed overground piped carbon dioxide transport arrangements for the Teesside and Humberside clusters.
Below is a full conference recording with direct individual sessions and speaker playback. The conference report will appear here after publication in Westminster on Tuesday, November 12, 2024.
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Following an introduction by BCECA Chair Mark Stanton, delegates heard from the Independent Peer, Lord Ravensdale - a rare breed amongst politicians because he's a professional engineer with extensive experience in energy projects. Lord Ravensdale reassessed the policy landscape after the UK general election in July and offered some insight into pending legislation and the potential impact for the engineering contracting community. The session continues with presentations examining blue hydrogen developments at the Essar complex in Cheshire and a broader view of the prospects for the energy transformation from BCECA member Bechtel.
Introduction by BCECA Chair Mark Stanton
Keynote - Lord Ravensdale
Session 1 – Project experience in the UK, now and next
BCECA is grateful to Fluor for sponsoring this session
The session continued with a more detailed look at the EET Blue Hydrogen Project, a key component of the proposed Hynet Cluster centred on the Essar Oil refinery at Stanlow in North West England. This is a £1.5 billion Track-1 CCUS project in the UK with the potential to produce 1,350 MW of Hydrogen and capture 2.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide. This was followed by a presentation looking at the high-level technical, political, legal and financial challenges confronting the EPC community in the UK. The session concluded with a Q&A focusing on skills supply and training issues.
Essar Energy Transition Blue Hydrogen Project - Richard Parkhill (EETH) & Andrew Delugar (KBR)
Delivering Energy Transition Projects in the UK - Mark Woolaghan (Bechtel)
Session 1 Audience Q&A and Panel Discussion
Session 2 – The future: health, safety, environment... and people
BCECA is grateful to Petrofac for sponsoring this session
The day's second session examined areas well understood by engineering contractors but requiring new and different approaches for energy transformation work. The presentation and discussion covered construction and process safety aspects and the need for effective stakeholder management during the planning and execution of low-carbon infrastructure projects. Environmental considerations were explored, including energy use, water consumption, and air emissions.
The morning concluded with a thought-provoking discussion of the findings of the latest survey commissioned by BCECA's Early Career Professional Committee, which revealed some worrying trends in workforce retention. Gabriel Jones, Ben Cox, Luke Canhan, Paul Church, and Masie Tuttle were on hand to offer personal insight.
Session 2 Chair's Introduction - Claire Gott (WSP)
Health and Safety Considerations for the COMAH sector in the Energy Transition - Adam Chisholm (HSE)
Environmental Considerations for CCUS Projects - Gareth MacGlennon (Petrofac)
The Importance of our People - BCECA ECP 2024 Recruitment and Retention Survey Findings
Session 2 Audience Q&A and Panel Discussion
Session 3 – Contracting for project success
BCECA is grateful to ECITB for sponsoring this session
The afternoon keynote was presented by John Fotherby from Kingsfield Academy. John's comprehensive keynote addressed the complexities of contracting for energy transformation projects. He highlighted the need for new thinking and more collaborative approaches in a volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous environment - or 'VUCA'. The keynote prompted a wide-ranging discussion by an expert panel comprising ECITB chief operating officer Andy Brown, Emily Sidhu from the UK Infrastructure Bank, Petrofac SVP Roddy McKnight and Bashir Mirza from KBR. A strong consensus emerged around the need for collaborative contracting as a pathway to successful energy transformation projects.
Session 3 Chair's Introduction - Tolani Azeez (Fluor)
Contracting for Project Success Keynote - John Fotherby (Kingsfield Academy)
Session 3 Panel Discussion and audience Q&A
Session 4 – Case studies and technology presentations
BCECA is grateful to Kent for sponsoring this session
The 2024 conference's concluding session featured technology-focused presentations from Johnson Matthey, Honeywell UOP, Kent, and Costain. A wide range of subjects were addressed, including applying synthesis gas technology to carbon reduction, pre- and post-combustion solvent capture, electrolytic hydrogen, and overground pipeline transportation of captured carbon dioxide. The presentations concluded with a short Q&A.
Session 4 Chair's Introduction - Neil Golding (EIC)
How can C1 Chemistry Help to Deliver the Energy Transition? - Graham Hinton (JM)
Choosing the Right Type of Carbon Capture for your Project - Duncan McSorland (Honeywell UOP)
Gas Processing of Electrolytic Hydrogen - Jorge Arzimendi-Sanchez
Designing the World's First Overground Carbon Dioxide Pipeline - Niku Nobakhti (Costain)
Session 4 Audience Q&A and Panel Discussion
Closing remarks and confirmation of 2025 conference
Thank yous and a final word with a snapshot assessment of the day's conversation by BCECA CEO Tracey Shelley
BCECA chief executive, Tracey Shelley wraps up the proceedings and thanks all who made the conference possible, including the sponsors and supporters, session chairs, panellists and presenters. In a first take on the day's proceedings, she highlights the importance of improving and building skills and capacity in four key areas:
- Systems thinking and energy transformation
- Collaborative working
- Contract design for multi-faceted decarbonisation projects
- Engineering capability at levels including technician and craft skills
BCECA's 5th Virtual Annual Conference will be held on Wednesday 8 October 2025.
