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
Graham Sorbie (GS): I work for SSE’s Thermal Engineering and Asset Management (TEAM) providing technical support and asset management for its boilers, HRSGs, steam and water pipework and auxiliary plant. In recent years, a large part of that role has involved supporting new build projects.
I have over 38 years experience in the power industry having previously worked with Babcock Energy, Marconi Simulation and Training and NNC.
What are the top challenges facing your industry at present?
GS: We have 2 new build thermal plants at the proposal stage which will have to be equipped with carbon capture plant. Not only does this greatly increase the capital cost but it is also a completely new area of technology in the UK. Getting to grips with this will be challenging, particularly given the present recruitment challenges.
How would you say your industry has evolved over the past five years?
GS: Radically, five years ago we were burning significant amounts of coal. Now these coal plants have gone and we are both looking to build new gas plants with carbon capture and stretch the life of the existing gas plants in the short term.
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?
GS: The electrification of vehicles and heating will increase demand, whilst at the same time more and more renewables are coming on to the grid. Providing generation plant that is sufficiently flexible to respond to large variations in demand will be a challenge and we haver yet to see how flexible gas plant with carbon capture will prove.
Why is it important for operations and maintenance engineers to come together at this event?
GS: In most generation companies, operations and maintenance have separate reporting lines, so the different pressures and priorities are often not mutually well understood.
Why is it important to address operations safety and reliability concerns in a forum such as this?
GS: The industry rightly regards safety as the number one priority. If plants cannot be operated safely and reliably, that will impact on availability. That will prove critical in maintaining a secure and stable electricity supply – increasingly so if capacity margins tighten as expected. Just think of all the crucial services which depend on electricity from the grid.
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.