Novel technology addressing climate change concerns wins big at IChemE Global Awards
8th November 2019
The University of Birmingham’s Centre for Energy Storage, together with Chinese firm Jinhe Energy, triumphed at the Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE) Global Awards yesterday (7 November 2019). Their novel technology could be the key to solving a fundamental issue in the climate change debate, regarding the storage of surplus clean energy.
Renewable energy will be key to ensuring the UK, and rest of the world, meets the UN’s global climate change targets. However, a major issue with renewables such as wind power is its ability to respond to fluctuating demand. This international team has taken this problem and commissioned a commercial demonstration plant that replaces coal-fired heating boilers with environmentally friendly materials that absorb and release, when required, thermal energy from wind power.
The plant has harnessed approximately 28,920,000kWh of otherwise wasted wind power, and reduced CO2 emissions by approximately 10,000 tonnes (equivalent to around 3,600 tonnes of coal) since it opened in 2016.
The project won both the Energy Award and Research Project Award, before going on to be presented with IChemE’s coveted Outstanding Achievement Award, sponsored by ExxonMobil.
Warwick Davis, of Harry Potter and Star Wars fame, hosted this year’s Awards evening, which was held at the DoubleTree Hilton in Hull, UK.
Curaphen, a BPA-free phenolic resin developed by Bitrez Ltd for internal and external food packaging, won the Food and Drink Award. BPA, used to coat cans and bottles, has been universally reported to cause adverse health effects. Curaphen is free of dangerous chemicals and has already benefitted an untold number of children and adults worldwide.
Micropore Technologies took home two gongs in the Pharma and Innovative Product categories for their project Membrane Emulsification Finally Comes of Age. Their device allows them to produce liquid medicines in a more controlled and precise way at an industrial scale, offering a more sustainable production and meaning that they are more accessible for patients.
Dr Florence Gschwend, co-founder of Imperial spin-out company Chrysalix Technologies, was crowned the Young Researcher Award winner. A chemist turned chemical engineer, her company commercialised the BioFlex process, a circular bio-economy technology, which turns unwanted waste wood into renewable chemicals, material and fuels.
Chartered Chemical Engineer and Chartered Mechanical Engineer Thomas Isaac scooped the Young Industrialist Award. Working for Progressive Energy, Isaac has played a key role in overcoming barriers to hydrogen deployment within the UK energy system with the HyDeploy energy programme.
The Business Start Up Award went to University College London for their innovative, green and low-cost process that maximises the production of high-quality graphene. Meanwhile, Costain took home the Diversity and Inclusion Award for its pioneering inclusion strategy, aimed at addressing key diversity concerns within the engineering industry such as LGBT and female representation.
Haldor Topsøe won the Oil & Gas Award. After 20 years of research and development, it has successfully commercialised an energy efficient process for converting natural gas into high quality gasoline, reducing the dependency on crude oil imports for countries short of oil reserves.
New Zealand company, Avertana, won the Sustainability Award for their project Industrial Waste to Essential Raw Materials. Sellafield Ltd was awarded the trophy for Industry Project for their project Safe Retrieval of Legacy Nuclear Waste.
University College London scooped the Training and Development Award for its project Bioprocess Engineering Leadership Centre. Since 1999, the centre has been developing the future leaders of the international bioindustry. It pioneered the Engineering Doctorate (EngD) programme and works closely with industry to focus on company-collaborative research that addresses real world engineering challenges.
The Biotechnology Award went to CPI, UCB Celltech, Lonza Pharma and Biotech, Horizon Discovery, Sphere Fluidics, and Alcyomics, UK for their project Defining and Developing New Generation Medicines. The Water Award went to Jacobs Engineering and Public Utilities Board in Singapore for their waste-to-bio-fuels project Tuas Nexus and Tuas WRP.
Engie Fabricom UK, Nippon Gohsei, INEOS Oxide, and Zeeco, UK were presented with the Team Award for their collaborative design and installation project of a temporary flaring solution. Whilst ExxonMobil won the Process Safety category for their project Delta HAZOP.
IChemE President Ken Rivers said:
“Our profession has always shown incredible passion. Today, chemical engineers are constantly striving for better products, improved processes, and more environmentally friendly solutions.
“The Global Awards has always managed to distil the best of chemical engineering into one glorious evening, and last night we were able to paint a picture of why and how chemical engineering matters. Congratulations to all the winners.”
Find out more on each award winner's project or individual award in their summary.
View the official photo gallery.
Official winners of the IChemE Global Awards 2019
Outstanding Achievement in Chemical and Process Engineering Award sponsored by ExxonMobil
Winner: Birmingham Centre for Energy Storage, University of Birmingham and Jinhe Energy, UK - The NexGen-TEST Project
Biotechnology Award sponsored by WSP
Winner: CPI, UCB Celltech, Lonza Pharma and Biotech, Horizon Discovery, Sphere Fluidics, and Alcyomics, UK - Defining and Developing New Generation Medicines
Highly commended:
National University of Singapore - Microbes Converting Polymerized Sugars to Chemicals
University College London, UK - Bioprocess Engineering Leadership Centre
Business Start Up sponsored by Sellafield Ltd
Winner: University College London, UK - Continuous Graphene Manufacturing by Microwave
Highly commended:
Engineurs, UK - Flawless Execution and Operational Excellence Specialist
Flocess, Germany - Software for Pillow-plate Heat Exchangers
Diversity and Inclusion sponsored by BP
Winner: Costain, UK - Costain's Inclusion Strategy: Implementation and Results
Highly commended:
ExxonMobil Chemical and Esso Petroleum Company, UK - Diversity and Inclusion
Rolls-Royce, UK - Continuing to Make a Difference
Energy sponsored by Rolls-Royce
Winner: Birmingham Centre for Energy Storage, University of Birmingham and Jinhe Energy, UK - The NexGen-TEST Project
Highly commended:
Birmingham Centre for Energy Storage, University of Birmingham, UK, and Chinese Railway Rolling Stock Company (CRRC), China - Cold Storage for Integrated Road/Rail Transportation
University of Sheffield, Imperial College London, and Newcastle University, UK - Assessment of Intensified Solvent-based CO2 Capture
Food and Drink sponsored by The Chemical Engineer
Winner: Bitrez Ltd, UK - Bitrez Curaphen
Highly commended:
Ecolab Ltd, UK - Ecolab's Manufacturing Processes Improve Food Safety
Global Water & Energy (GWE), Belgium - Water Reclamation for Breweries
Industry Project sponsored by Engenda Group
Winner: Sellafield Ltd, UK - Safe Retrieval of Legacy Nuclear Waste
Highly commended:
CPFD Software, USA and Viva Energy Refining, Australia - Risk Reduction Through Virtual Reactor Digitalisation
Johnson Matthey and Eastman Chemical Company, UK - Methanol and Syngas to MEG
Innovative Product sponsored by Doosan
Winner: Micropore Technologies, UK - Membrane Emulsification Finally Comes of Age
Highly commended:
CPFD Software, USA and Viva Energy Refining, Australia - Risk Reduction Through Virtual Reactor Digitalisation
Dow Chemical, Belgium - DOWSIL™ ACP-3073 ANTIFOAM COMPOUND
Oil and Gas sponsored by NES Global Talent
Winner: Haldor Topsøe A/S, Denmark - Topsoe Improved Gasoline Process (TiGAS™)
Highly commended:
ExxonMobil Chemicals, UK - 10" Heavy Hydrocarbon Line Freeze
University College London, UK - Solar Driven Methane to Fuels
Pharma sponsored by PM Group
Winner: Micropore Technologies, UK - Membrane Emulsification Finally Comes of Age
Highly commended:
Johnson Matthey, UK - Johnson Matthey Delivers Commercial Manufacturing in Annan
North Carolina State University, USA - Fast-Acting, Broad-Spectrum Antimicrobial Polymers
Process Safety sponsored by PM Group
Winner: ExxonMobil Chemical, UK - Delta HAZOP
Highly commended:
AstraZeneca, UK - Duty of Care When Outsourcing
Novartis Grimsby, UK - Implementation of a Human Factors Programme
Research Project sponsored by Otto Simon
Winner: Birmingham Centre for Energy Storage, University of Birmingham and Jinhe Energy, UK - The NexGen-TEST Project
Highly commended:
Johnson Matthey and Eastman Chemical Company, UK - Methanol and Syngas to MEG
Tianjin University, China and Loughborough University, UK - Next-Gen Fuel Cell Engine
Sustainability sponsored by Johnson Matthey
Winner: Avertana, New Zealand - Industrial Waste to Essential Raw Materials
Highly commended:
Econic Technologies, UK - Turning CO2 into Endless Potential
JTI, Malawi – Waste to Community Assets
Team sponsored by BakerHicks
Winner: Engie Fabricom UK, Nippon Gohsei, INEOS Oxide, and Zeeco, UK - Design and Build Temporary Site Flare
Highly commended:
Sellafield Ltd and Axiom Collaborative Solutions, UK - Thorp Evaporative Capacity Project
Synthomer, Malaysia - Synthomer NBR Expansion Project
Training and Development sponsored by AVEVA
Winner: University College London, UK - Bioprocess Engineering Leadership Centre
Highly commended:
National Nuclear Laboratory, Lancaster University, University of Liverpool, University of Manchester, and Sellafield Ltd, UK - CINDe: Bridging the Research-Industry Gap
Sellafield Ltd, UK - Sellafield Ltd "Cradle to Grave" Training Scheme
Water sponsored by Ecolab
Winner: Jacobs Engineering and Public Utilities Board, Singapore - Tuas Nexus and Tuas WRP
Highly commended:
Sellafield Ltd and National Nuclear Laboratory, UK - Dynamic Modelling Effluent Treatment Facilities
United Utilities and Royal Haskoning DHV, UK - Magic Granules
Young Industrialist sponsored by BOUYGUES
Winner: Progressive Energy, UK - Thomas Isaac
Young Researcher sponsored by bpe
Winner: Chrysalix Technologies, UK - Florence Gschwend
Links
IChemE Global Awards 2019 - photo gallery
Contact
For more information please contact:
Rachael Fraser, Communications Executive, IChemE
t: +44 (0) 1788 534435
e: rfraser@icheme.org
Ketna Mistry, Communications Executive, IChemE
t: +44 (0) 1788 534484
e: kmistry@icheme.org
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Chemical, biochemical and process engineering is the application of science, maths and economics in the process of turning raw materials into everyday, and more specialist, products. Professional chemical engineers design, construct and manage process operations all over the world. Oil and gas, pharmaceuticals, food and drink, synthetic fibres and clean drinking water are just some of the products where chemical engineering plays a central role.
IChemE
The Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE) advances chemical engineering's contribution worldwide for the benefit of society. We support the development of chemical engineering professionals and provide connections to a powerful network of around 37,000 members in 100 countries.
We support our members in applying their expertise and experience to make an influential contribution to solving major global challenges, and are the only organisation to award Chartered Chemical Engineer status and Professional Process Safety Engineer registration.
More information: www.icheme.org