Britain and Europe will be powered predominantly by electricity from renewable sources by 2050, according to the guest speaker at Humberside Engineering Training Association’s annual presentation night. Steve Clarke, UK Content Manager with Mainstream Renewable Power, told his audience that the UK will lead the way in generating and delivering electricity through a pan-European offshore supergrid. “At night, vast offshore wind farms will be banking electricity to provide power to companies and homes,” he predicted. “It will be distributed by the supergrid and will allow us to store and trade electricity across all borders.”
 

Mr Clarke explained that SMart Wind was a 50/50 joint venture company set up with Siemens to deliver the 4 Gigawatt Humber offshore wind farm.
“To put the scale of the construction and the engineering into context, if this was an onshore wind farm, it would stretch from Grimsby to Liverpool,” he said before offering his audience a “global snapshot” of the current energy problems being faced and a far more optimistic view of the situation in 2050. “Population growth refuses to abate,” he said. “Around ten per cent live in Europe and the prediction is that this will increase by a staggering 40 per cent by 2050.
 

“Fossil fuels take billions of year to create but are burned off in an instant. Much of the world’s supply is held in countries that are environmentally and politically unpredictable so it is impossible for the market to predict the future costs and this small island can’t hope to compete with China and India’s purchasing power.
“But we have wind in abundance and we know the cost of it. For this reason, after a slow start, generation of electricity from wind, which is clean and readily available, has been accelerating. Objections to turbines evaporate when they are built 103km off-shore. “By 2050 we will have revolutionised production of electricity and moved society away from its reliance on fossil fuels.”

To audience laughter, Mr Clarke also predicted that leading multi-national corporations would have their logos on the shirts of Premier League team Hull City.
Coming closer to the present, he said that 2020 was a milestone year when the business plan for the offshore supergrid would have been approved in Brussels and transmitter operators appointed. Moving backwards from this, he said: “In 2019, the first 20MW class offshore turbine will be unveiled with a Made in Britain badge, in 2018 new factories will be producing the necessary infrastructure having taken shape in 2017 and in 2016 the first generation of 5-10MW turbines will be in high volume production.

“Prior to that, the UK will have completed construction of at least one deep water quayside facility, probably on the Humber, to handle the supply of turbines offshore.
“In order to deliver such growth, we are talking about well-trained and competent people, they are the common denominator. The industry must have engineers of all types ahead of the supply train growth. And they will not be individuals who are waiting for something to happen, it’s going to be people who make things happen, like those we have here tonight. “I have worked with HETA for two years and I congratulate you all on your achievements. I am sure your location on the Humber Estuary will increase your options in the offshore wind industry.”

HETA General Manager Eric Collis told apprentices and guests that this was a particularly special night as all the stakeholders in the HETA Group Training Association charity programme were present. He paid tribute to the achievements of all the apprentices but particularly those who had no sponsor and had still travelled in without pay through all the bad weather. “They took that leap of faith, deciding that this was for them,” he said. “They had nothing but their own motivation to achieve the high standard of performance that is required to be a HETA apprentice.”
 

“We took on 82 and we now have only 17 left, some of whom have interviews with companies coming up. My thanks go to our team, the instructors, the administrators and the contractors who make HETA what it is. HETA is only a name but its programme and ethos is instilled into every member of the team. Thanks also to our network partners, the schools, universities and colleges and people who have supported us for many years. HETA also runs STEMnet which involves 418 schools and promotes science, technology, engineering and maths. "

“Finally, big thanks are due to the mainstay of HETA, the members of the charity, the companies who are there year after year, taking apprentices into their organisations and supporting the apprentice training programme with additional funds from their own coffers. These are the organisations that drive the Programme Led Apprenticeships and they demonstrate the corporate social responsibility which makes them good community members. We thank them all.”

Mr Collis went on to explain that in the last 27 months, HETA has taken on 211 PLAs – apprentices without a sponsor – and to date, well over 150 have found placements with companies. Mr Clarke then presented NVQ/NRQ certificates to all the apprentices before moving on to individual awards, several of which were new for 2011 including an award for Excellence in Health & Safety. To close the evening, Eric Collis made a special award to recognise the valuable contribution of Russ Meyers, a HETA sub-contractor who provides invaluable help in pastoral care for apprentices.

HULL AWARDS
Most Improved Electrical Apprentice (Sponsor: Total / Lindsey Oil Refinery)
Robert Morley (Halltech) – presented by Dave Evans, Total/LOR

Overall Electrical Apprentice (Howdens)
Tom Emerson (Howdens)– presented by Richard Cain of Howdens

Hull Most Improved Fitting Apprentice (Total / Lindsey Oil Refinery)
Ryan Watkin (Door Repair & Service) – presented by Ian Neve, Total/LOR
 

Hull Overall Fitting Apprentice (Howdens)
Sam Christie (BP Chemicals) – presented by Richard Cain of Howdens
 

Most Improved Machining Apprentice (Lenzing)
Richard Garland (Freedom Eng) – presented by Neville Bluckert, Lenzing
 

Overall Machining Apprentice (Logan Teleflex)
Josh Firth (Wide Range Services) – presented by Ian Buffey, Logan Teleflex
 

Most Improved Process Apprentice (ABP Grimsby)
Nathan Herring (St Gobain) – presented by Steve Clarke, SMart Wind
 

Hull Overall Process Apprentice (BP Chemicals)
Tom Scott (Beckwood Instruments) - presented by Helen Keep (BP Chemicals)
 

Most Improved Multi Skilled Apprentice (Lenzing)
Daniel Ransom (Clarksons Services) - presented by Neville Bluckert, Lenzing
 

Overall Multi Skilled Apprentice (Logan Teleflex)
Joe Branson (Willerby Holiday Homes) - presented by Ian Buffey, Logan Teleflex
 

Overall Apprentice of the Year (Centrica Storage)
Sam Christie (BP Chemicals) – presented by Paul Read, Centrica Storage

GRIMSBY AWARDS

Most Improved Electrical Apprentice (sponsored by Total / Lindsey Oil Refinery)
Kane Vincent (Lenzing) – presented by Ian Neve, Total/LOR
 

Overall Electrical Apprentice (D S Smith Packaging)
Stephen Storr (Centrica Energy) – presented by Colin Shaw, D S Smith Packaging
 

Most Improved Mechanical Apprentice (Total / Lindsey Oil Refinery)
Dion Bird (Volker Rail) - presented by Dave Evans, Total/LOR
 

Grimsby Overall Mechanical Apprentice (D S Smith Packaging)
Josh Braid (Knauf) - presented by Colin Shaw, D S Smith Packaging
 

Most Improved Instrumentation Apprentice (ABP Grimsby)
Scott Holberry (Cristal Global) - presented by Steve Clarke, SmartWind
 

Overall Instrumentation Apprentice (Knauf)
Jordan Canfield (ConocoPhillips) – presented by Colin Gorbutt, Knauf
 

Overall Apprentice of the Year (Logan Teleflex)
Joel Baumber (Simon Storage) - presented by Ian Buffey, Logan Teleflex

ADDITIONAL RECOGNITION AWARDS
Staff 10 years Service Awards
Eric Collis, Joanne Lawson, Cathy Jackson, Keith Hague, Dave Bolton, Kelvin Wyall, Rachel Jackson, Ian Watson
- presentations by HETA Board chairman Paul Dennie
 

Staff & Apprentice Degree Recognition Awards
James Blackburn, Tom Johnston, Sarah Smith, Steve Cole, John Scott, John Wallis
 

Award for Outstanding Engineering Innovation (Norbert Dentressangle)
GROUP 1 Daniel Ranson, Ryan Waudby, Joe Branson
GROUP 2 Liam Green, Tom Slaney, James Billany
GROUP 3 Calum McPhee, Alex Davison, Jacob Lofthouse
Winner: Group 2- presentations made by Steve Matthews
 

Engineering Innovation Challenge (Vivergo Fuels)
GROUP 1 – The Fountain: Ryan Watkin, Joe Donald, Mike Maughan, Rory Needler
GROUP 2 – The Crane: Steve Vince, Will Soady, Tom Chisem, Jack Staples
Winner: Group 1 - presentations made by Steve Mitchell
 

IET Award of Excellence
Mike Smith (RES)
 

Award for Excellence in Project Management (Energy Institute)
Chris Kay (HETA) – presented by Paul Walker (EI)
 

ROCOL Outstanding Achievement Award
Sam Partington (BP Chemicals)- presented by Paul King of ROCOL
 

STEM Apprentice Ambassador (Centrica Energy)
Sam Partington (BP Chemicals) - presented by: Ian Griffiths of Centrica Energy
 

Excellence in Health & Safety
GRIMSBY SPONSOR: CATCH
Niall Cook (BP Chemicals)
HULL SPONSOR: BP Chemicals
Jack Townsend (BP Chemicals)
Presentations by Helen Keep (BP Chemicals)
 

Pastoral Recognition
Russ Meyers
 

View All News