Water & Wastewater Treatment Magazine
Issue link: https://fhpublishing.uberflip.com/i/670657
22 | Book your free ckets today www.u lityweeklive.co.uk Gas "I am delighted by the inroads we have made in commissioning research focused on underpinning empirical evidence that will allow us to make sound judgement decisions on how to improve awareness and understanding of carbon monoxide." Chris Bielby, Chair, Gas Industry Safety Group " A few years ago, the long term future for the Great Bri sh gas transmission and distribu on networks looked grim. The trend was for increasing electrifi ca on and alterna ve methods to keep our homes warm – including heat networks – rather than relying on gas, which was seen as a high carbon solu on. However, the future for the hydrocarbon fuel now looks brighter than ever, with a growing recogni on that consumers want gas to heat and cook with, and with new, innova ve solu ons helping to reduce its environmental impact. One of these innova ve projects is SGN's Opening Up The Gas Market scheme in Oban. This is tes ng diff erent composi ons of gas throughout SGN's network to see how it performs compared to the regular gas mix and aims to demonstrate its suitability for the GB market. SGN head of innova on and new technology manager Angus McIntosh (see interview p24) is speaking in the Gas Theatre on Day One on the role alterna ve gases will have in the future gas network. The impact that fracking and shale gas could have on the future energy mix is another topic being discussed. While there is a focus on the future of the gas networks at U lity Week Live, there are also discussions about the here and now. Nurturing and retaining engineering talent in the gas sector is of vital importance, and a seminar led by Energy and U lity Skills will tackle how the sector can replace the 50 per cent of employees due to re re from the industry by 2023. Having the skills base intact is also of importance for ensuring the resilience of the gas network – in par cular around the ongoing network mains replacement programme. This scheme has seen a host of innova ve no-dig, technologies developed and tested on the network as the Gas Distribu on Networks aim to speed up and cut the cost of installing new mains. The future for gas is bright and the sector is pressing ahead in ensuring its future remains as such and is able to transi on to the low carbon economy. U lity Week Live will help you keep up to speed with what's happening and what to expect in the future.