Institution news
For further details and to book your place, please visit the event website.
Please briefly explain your role, involvement, and experience within the power industry
Derrick Carter (DC): Since joining BEIS 2 years ago I have been responsible for the technical input to Dispatchable power agreement (DPA). The DPA is a private law contract between a carbon emitting electricity generator and Government which sets out the terms for capturing and storing carbon and the compensation which the generator will receive in return.
What are the top challenges facing your industry at present?
DC: Shortage of technical workers and Engineers to build and deliver the planned CO2 clusters.
How would you say your industry has evolved over the past five years?
DC: Over the past 5 years many of the engineering tools that are used to design large infrastructure projects have become more integrated. This integration has led to the development of digital twins. Digital twins will allow operators to simulate their process plants in real time and simulate “what-if” scenarios to provide reliable predictions of a plant’s operation and safety behaviour.
What developments are going on in your industry that may have an impact on future approaches to power plant operations and the wider power industry?
DC: In the future with the uptake of hydrogen I expect the traditional CCGT will have to run more frequently but for short duration. Operators will therefore have to understand and adapt plant operations with this in mind.
Why is it important for operations and maintenance engineers to come together at this event?
DC: It’s important for operators and maintenance engineers and Design engineers to get together because it allows maintenance/ operator teams to air any design issues, they have with the plant they work with. Often designers will choose a design because that is what they have always done it in the past. But this typical design may not be the most optimal or practical from a maintenance perspective.
Why is it important to address operations safety and reliability concerns in a forum such as this?
DC: Forums like this are essential as they allow all the operational and safety lessons learnt to be disseminated throughout the industry.
Power Plant Operations and Reliability 2023 will take place on 27 April 2023 at the ICC in Birmingham
Led by the Institution’s Thermal Power Committee, the seminar’s core focus will be on thermal power plants, exploring common technical challenges and presenting solutions to them from key, industry-specific case studies.
Presentations will provide perspectives from engineers across multiple industries to share best practice, fresh approaches, and operational strategies for all attendees.
To book your place, please visit the event website.