The UK’s biggest supplier of fuel cards - the payment system that van and lorry drivers use to buy fuel - is launching a new service that can offset 100% of the carbon its customers currently release from the 1 billion litres of fuel they use each year.

UK Fuels, owned by Radius Payment Solutions, has partnered with UK-government endorsed carbon offsetting company Forest Carbon to invest in renewable energy projects. The new carbon offsetting service will benefit the 76,000 British businesses of all kinds which use fuel cards from UK Fuels, the 500,000 drivers who work for them and of course their customers.

Businesses which take up the new service can reduce their carbon footprint and support their social and environmental responsibilities while avoiding the risk of wasted investment in ineffective offsetting schemes.

UK Fuels has pledged not to take any profits from the new biodegradable ‘Radius Future’ fuel card. Companies will pay 1 penny on each litre of standard fuel, which will be invested by both Forest Carbon and UK Fuels. Renewable energy projects will include wind, hydro, waste-to-energy and solar power in countries including India, China, Turkey and Guatemala. These projects have been chosen for their ability to achieve immediate carbon neutrality.

UK Fuels customer footprints will be calculated using UK government conversion factors that correlate litres of diesel and petrol to the equivalent emissions in tonnes of CO2, and businesses which participate can request a certificate showing their carbon offsetting record.

Forest Carbon, whose other partners include Microsoft, Siemens, Stagecoach and Ofcom, played a pivotal role in establishing national quality assurance standards that guarantee the ecological impact and carbon sequestration rates of any project. Their new woodland schemes are certified by the Woodland Carbon Code, which is supported by the UK government and internationally recognised by ICROA whilst their peatland programmes are certified by the Peatland Code which is supported by the IUCN. These certification codes guarantee that each tonne of carbon stored is permanent and incremental.

Through planting over 13 million trees since 2006, Forest Carbon is already removing nearly 3 million tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere, as well as providing other benefits to society including flood mitigation and enhanced biodiversity.

UK Fuels Managing Director Jonathan Haseler commented: “As a company, our whole strategy is now focused on planning for sustainable travel in the future. This includes investing in electric vehicle charging solutions and green energy. If every customer takes up Radius Future, together they could accelerate Britain towards the goal of net zero emissions by 2050.”

To make the service as inclusive as possible, UK Fuels will offer the same carbon offsetting service with any of the other branded fuel cards it provides, which include all the big energy companies plus smaller chains and supermarkets. Businesses which choose this alternative approach will still see their offset carbon itemised on each invoice.

Companies interested in carbon offsetting the diesel or petrol they use can find out more by visiting ukfuels.co.uk/radius-future or calling Radius on 0344 880 2468.

About UK Fuels

Founded in 1990, UK Fuels is the largest fuel card provider and manager of fuel payments in the UK. Operating from offices in Crewe, Ipswich and York, UK Fuels supports 76,000 businesses across the country using 500,000 fuel cards. UK Fuels provides its own branded fuel cards accepted at around 3,500 locations and almost all other branded fuel cards from the global energy companies as well as smaller chains and supermarkets. The company is part of Radius Payment Solutions, a global business services company. www.ukfuels.co.uk

About Forest Carbon

Forest Carbon leads the way in UK woodland creation for carbon capture. Through the planting of over 13 million new trees since 2006, our partners’ projects are removing nearly 3 million tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere, as well as providing a host of other benefits to society, including flood mitigation, enhanced biodiversity and increased public access. www.forestcarbon.co.uk

The main event at COP26 on Thursday 4th November 2021 focuses on ‘Energy: Accelerating the Global Transition to Clean Energy’. During this time the policy proposals on the agenda will examine the transition away from coal power and the scaling up of clean power.

UK based green-tech company, Clean Planet Energy, who construct ecoPlants that remove non-recyclable waste-plastics from the environment and convert it into ultra-clean fossil-fuel replacements, have today revealed that the United Nations COP26 Climate Change publication features Clean Planet Energy on its front cover, and includes a 4-page article about the UK firm.

Clean Planet EnergyTwenty thousand (20,000) copies will be distributed at the main Scottish Event Campus (SEC) and to all Ministers of Environment, MPs, MEPs and Senators of the G20 member countries. Additionally, copies can be found in transport entry points, and will be sent to Government departments of Commonwealth countries.

'The New Economy' publication includes introductions by the United Nations, and also Alok Sharma, the President of COP26 and Minister of State at the Cabinet Office.

COP26 is the 26th climate change ‘Conference of the Parties’, and this year is hosted by the UK in partnership with Italy. The 'Parties' are the governments which have signed the UN Framework Convention of Climate Change (UNFCCC). The COP brings these signatory governments together once a year to discuss how to jointly address climate change. These conference are where the Kyoto Protocol (COP3) and Paris Agreement (COP21) were signed. The conferences are attended by world leaders, ministers, and negotiators but also by representatives from civil society, businesses, international organizations, and the media.

The 4-page feature details Clean Planet Energy's solution to the plastic-pollution and climate crises. It also focuses on the significant growth the UK renewables company is experiencing, developing new ecoPlants across the world. Clean Planet Energy's ecoPlants have the capacity to remove 20,000 tonnes of waste-plastics from the environment every year, and recycle them into ultra-clean fuels and circular-naphtha. The ultra-clean fuels can reduce CO2e emissions by 75%+ compared to fossil fuels.

During COP26, the publication can be found on the following airlines: Air France, Air New Zealand, Austrian Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Emirates, Etihad Airways, KLM, Lufthansa, Qantas, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, SwissAir, Thai Airways and Virgin Atlantic.

Whilst the publication can be picked up by delegates and visitors to the main venue (Scottish Event Campus) and side events, 10,000 copies will also be sent to:

• All Ministers of Environment, MPs, MEPs and Senators of the G20 member countries.
• Government departments of Commonwealth countries.
• Leading NGOs.
• Mayors of 40 capital cities.
• The World Bank, IMF, IFC, ECB, EBRD and regional developmental bodies.
• Commonwealth Development Corporation.
• Chairmen, Presidents, CEOs & MDs of major corporations (FTSE 100 & Fortune
• 500).
• The environmental scientific community.
• Major utility & infrastructure companies.
• Consultants & technology developers.
• Major embassy ambassadors (G20).
• United Nations agencies including UN, UNDP, UNFI, UNEP, and UNCTAD.
• Major schools and universities (worldwide).

The publication is being distributed by Gold Key Media, the world’s largest distributors of newsagents, newsstands, and conference publications. It is expected the total readership will surpass 120,000.

The 4-page article, and visuals of the publication can be read digitally online here

http://www.cleanplanet.co.uk/

The Swedish textile recycling company, Renewcell, has chosen AFRY as partner in order to digitalize production operations in their plants in Kristinehamn and Sundsvall, Sweden. AFRY will deliver an Industrial IT solution, containing AFRY MES and AFRY ProTAK, to manage production information and secure both high quality, as well as high overall efficiency in the production. The delivered solution will serve as a hub for all production process information.

Renewcell is a multi-award-winning textile recycling company based in Sweden. With the technology they have developed, the company has succeeded in recycling and regenerating textile fiber from old clothes to turn it back into fiber pulp. Renewcell has had a production site in Kristinehamn since 2017 and is now scaling up the production in their new
production plant in Sundsvall. The new plant is expected to be operating during the first half of 2022.

“Modern production and logistics require a high level of digitalization to meet the demands for, e.g., traceability, and therefore the systems and experience from AFRY will be very important to us,” says Ylva Stjernquist, Supply Chain Manager and Project Leader at Renewcell.

AFRY has a long experience in Industrial IT and will now deliver the two leading, closely integrated digital solutions for production management to Renewcell. The AFRY MES (Manufacturing Execution System) is a highly advanced digital information system that connects, monitors, and controls the complex production systems and data flows of the production processes. AFRY ProTAK is a digital tool that measures the effectiveness of a plant’s production machine performance. The system gathers information from different sources (e.g., DCS, MES, Maintenance) and combines that with the operators’ notes to calculate or
present Overall Equipment Efficiency (OEE), which will lead to optimized production and
increased profitability.

Together these tools will improve traceability and secure a high production efficiency by
integrating data from all production systems and equipment.

“We are focusing on improving sustainability within process industries, and it is therefore an honor to be part of Renewcell’s textile recycling through a full-scale digitalized solution. Our modern and competitive digital solution will definitely bring added value to these types of processes,” says David Andersson, Business Segment Manager Digitalization,
AFRY Process Industries Sweden. 

AFRY MES and AFRY ProTAK will be installed to both Kristinehamn and Sundsvall plants. The installation is planned to be up and running during Q2 2022.

Read more about our digitalization offering for process industries:
https://afry.com/en/competence/digitalisation-and-smart-site

AFRY is a European leader in engineering, design, and advisory services, with a global reach. We accelerate the transition towards a sustainable society.

We are 16,000 devoted experts in infrastructure, industry, energy and digitalisation, creating sustainable solutions for generations to come.

Making Future

The sale of edge computing products, services and solutions will grow to reach US$17.8bn in 2025, up from an estimated US$8bn in 2019, at a compound annual growth (CAGR) rate of 15.6%, according to GlobalData. The leading data and analytics company notes that growth will be driven by the market becoming more diverse and competitive.

In North America, sales of edge computing products, services and solutions will amount to US$6.85bn by 2025, which is equivalent to 38% of the total global market. Sales in Asia Pacific and Western Europe will amount to US$4.65bn and US$3.39bn, respectively, equivalent to 26.4% and 19.3% of the total global market.

Chris Drake, Principal Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “The proliferation of products, services and solutions for edge computing is being driven by an interest in edge computing’s potential to enable a plethora of new applications. These include applications that leverage large amounts of data, and those that depend on real-time data processing capabilities, such as autonomous, driverless vehicles and virtual, augmented and mixed reality (VR, AR, XR) applications.”

The market for edge computing products, services and solutions already includes a diverse range of hardware, software and converged infrastructure offerings. These have been specifically designed to process data collected by different types of edge device. They also include solutions that enable the development, management and delivery of new kinds of digital applications. In addition, IT vendors and service providers offer a wide variety of migration, management, and support services to help enterprise customers deploy, maintain, and capitalise on edge opportunities.

Drake continues: “Edge computing opportunities are being targeted by IT infrastructure vendors, as well as telecoms network operators, cloud service providers, content delivery networks (CDNs), systems integrators and others.

“Some vendors and service providers offer solutions that are designed to support the edge computing requirements of specific verticals, for example manufacturing, energy or healthcare. Others offer generic solutions that are intended for a range of different use cases. Most IT vendors and service providers offer a choice of solutions, targeting different market opportunities.”

• Quotes provided by Chris Drake, Principal Analyst at GlobalData
• Information based on GlobalData’s report: GlobalData Market Opportunity Forecasts to 2025: Edge Computing
• GlobalData’s Edge Computing forecast splits the total market by product and service type, while also providing market size and forecast data for 49 countries and regions and 22 vertical industries. Industries covered include Banking and Financial Markets, Government, Manufacturing, Media, Pharmaceuticals and Transport and Logistics.
• Edge computing involves the redistribution and deployment of compute and other data processing resources closer to the locations where data is collected and digital applications are developed, hosted, and consumed by end users.

About GlobalData

4,000 of the world’s largest companies, including over 70% of FTSE 100 and 60% of Fortune 100 companies, make more timely and better business decisions thanks to GlobalData’s unique data, expert analysis and innovative solutions, all in one platform. GlobalData’s mission is to help our clients decode the future to be more successful and innovative across a range of industries, including the healthcare, consumer, retail, financial, technology and professional services sectors.

The Rohde & Schwarz technology company ends a successful 2020/2021 fiscal year despite ongoing global economic challenges. With its cutting-edge solutions, the company has continued to prove robust in last year's highly dynamic market environment. In addition to its established business fields, Rohde & Schwarz has made substantial investments in future technologies such as 6G, quantum technology, the industrial internet of things (IIoT), artificial intelligence and cloud technology. The company is a trailblazer in the socially relevant topics of security and connectivity.

The independent technology company Rohde & Schwarz closed its 2020/2021 fiscal year (July to June) with EUR 2.34 billion in revenue. Operating results were almost at the previous year's level. The company exceeded its target values that had been adjusted to match market developments. This sends a good signal in light of the challenging dynamics of the past fiscal year.

Employees are the most valuable asset
Even under challenging economic conditions, Rohde & Schwarz has proven a reliable employer that sees its innovative employees as the cornerstone of success. Consequently, many issues related to how the company will collaborate in the future are high on the agenda. For example, the high-tech company now offers greater flexibility for working hours and workplace, and has anchored this in agreements to reflect current and future changes in conditions. The workforce of the privately owned, global company grew at a moderate rate. At the end of the fiscal year, Rohde & Schwarz had around 13,000 employees in more than 70 countries worldwide.

Future technologies drive innovations
Rohde & Schwarz is a pioneer in many technologies, including the further development of mobile communications up to 6G, T&M solutions for quantum computing, the IIoT, the increasing inroads made by artificial intelligence as well as cloud technologies. Together with its subsidiaries and partners, the company is developing future technological solutions with a passion for innovation.

New three-division structure creates added value for customers
Three strong divisions allow Rohde & Schwarz to address distinct customer needs even more closely and lay the foundation for further growth. The Test & Measurement Division provides products for diverse market segments such as wireless communications, industry, components and research as well as automotive.

The former Secure Communications, Monitoring & Network Testing and Broadcast & Media Divisions were merged to create the new Technology Systems Division. In this division, Rohde & Schwarz bundles technological system expertise and resources in the markets where project business plays an important role. The company's solutions contribute significantly to the digital sovereignty of customers.

The Networks & Cybersecurity Division equips business and public authorities with secure WAN, LAN and WLAN network infrastructures and products to protect data transmission, devices and applications. Future-ready network, security and encryption solutions protect the digital information and business processes of companies and public institutions against the effects of cyberattacks.

Test & measurement business again proved to be robust
Especially markets highly dependent on the latest technologies as well as their suppliers continued to invest heavily. This drove business performance in the Test & Measurement Division.

Rohde & Schwarz has designed market-leading solutions from V2X to 5G for challenging automotive applications such as communications between vehicles and their surroundings and for the latest wireless communications standard in mobility. The company could further improve its position in this field with innovative radar T&M instruments and systems. For example, automotive manufacturers, suppliers and test houses benefited from a unique test solution that cost-efficiently translates realistic driving scenarios from the road to the lab. The global expansion of 5G networks continued unabated, generating high demand, in particular for user equipment testing in the frequency range up to 7 GHz.

Rohde & Schwarz has meanwhile established itself on the market as an oscilloscope supplier. Since entering the market over 10 years ago, the technology company has continually developed new instruments that were designed and developed specifically with customer needs in mind. The demand for T&M solutions among component manufacturers reflected the sustained high level of investment in digitalization and connectivity in almost all industries. To position Rohde & Schwarz T&M solutions in the quantum computing field, the company successfully completed the acquisition of the leading Swiss T&M manufacturer Zurich Instruments AG, effective July 1, 2021.

Global customer proximity ensures technology partnership in project business
The strong local presence of Rohde & Schwarz compensated for pandemic-related restrictions on project business, e.g. due to travel regulations. In Germany, the company consolidated its position as a national champion in the secure communications market segment. From air traffic control to secure communications for ground and naval forces, Rohde & Schwarz makes a key contribution to the digital sovereignty of government customers for security-critical applications by offering cross-platform systems such as CERTIUM®, SOVERON® and NAVICS®.

The global expansion of 5G networks requires technical adaptations to network monitoring systems, driving demand for suitable solutions in the mobile network testing (MNT) market segment. Major network operators and infrastructure providers worldwide appreciate the test performance of Rohde & Schwarz solutions due to their optimal quality of experience (QoE) and quality of service (QoS). A 5G campus network at one of its plants allows Rohde & Schwarz to directly optimize the implementation of real Industry 4.0 use cases.

Rohde & Schwarz meets growing demand for network and security solutions
The Networks & Cybersecurity Division benefits from additional demand for network and security solutions in both public and private sectors. The growing number of cyberattacks, increasingly decentralized structures and rise in mobile work are raising the importance of digital security and sovereignty. Together with its subsidiaries LANCOM Systems and Rohde & Schwarz Cybersecurity, the technology company is one of the largest suppliers of network, security and encryption solutions for professional customers in Europe.

LANCOM Systems offers the first software based business router certified by the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) to enable secure site networking. As part of the DigitalPakt Schule (digital pact for schools) support program, the network and security specialist has already equipped more than 3,000 schools with network technology that meets the highest security and data protection standards. In the government sector, Rohde & Schwarz Cybersecurity equipped the public authority network of a German federal state with BSI-approved encryption technology. Other German federal states are planning to use this as a blueprint for the modernization of their networks.

Outlook: focus on growth
The global economic recovery positively impacted the performance especially towards the end of the fiscal year. Thanks to its global positioning in future markets and its strong economic base, Rohde & Schwarz is very well positioned for further growth.

First-of-its-Kind, Large-Format Screen Printing Produces Superior Indoor and Outdoor Durability

Empire Screen Printing, expands its printing capabilities with the introduction of a revolutionary new multi-color, roll-to-roll screening press that more efficiently produces superior quality, highly-durable printed products for the industrial decal and OEM markets. The technologically sophisticated and environmentally-friendly system delivers high volume, reduces setup, and streamlines the production process. Used in products such as Warning and Danger Decals, Industrial Decals, Product Branding, Name badges, Nameplates, Overlays and Decorative or Informative Graphic Decals, Roll to Roll innovations are ideal for the Medical industry.

Empire’s Roll-to-Roll Screen Press employs several innovative features that eliminate variability and increase efficiency, including a patent-pending registration platform, an automated chase, vacuum functions, and a completely standardized set-up system. The press utilizes a camera registration system to ensure precise color-to-color and graphic-to-cutting registration. These advancements in registration allow the material to automatically re-register itself when needed. 

With this innovation, Empire combines the outdoor durability advantages of screen printing with the efficiencies of a roll press. The industry standard for screen printing is sheet-fed equipment and most roll labels are printed on offset or flexo equipment, which cannot produce products that stand up to outdoor and challenging indoor conditions.  

Custom-built by Empire’s industrial engineers, the Roll-to-Roll Screen Press can print on a variety of first and subsurface materials including Polycarbonate, Polyester, Vinyl, BOPP, and Paper products with material thickness ranging between .005” to .03” thick. Finished products can be delivered to the customer on rolls, as sheets, kiss cut on carriers, and as individual cut decals.

The Roll-to-Roll Screen Press also exemplifies Empire’s commitment to environmental sustainability and employee safety. Empire is the first company to develop and implement UV LED ink curing technology for screen printing in its small-format Kammann K61 Eco Press, which has a max image size of 14x13.50”. The new Roll-to-Roll press brings this innovation to large format printing, with a max image area of 36.00” x 18.00”. LED curing has no emissions and is up to 600% more energy-efficient than UV Mercury bulbs. The Roll-to-Roll press is also designed with waste reduction measures as a one-of-a-kind web press that allows for starting and stopping with no web loss. 

Empire’s ingenuity, lean principles, and customer focus drove this development to deliver superior outdoor durable products for the appliance, electronics, automotive, and medical equipment manufacturers. This state-of-the-art technology modernizes screen printing with an environmental focus. Empire was able to expand its capabilities without increasing its carbon footprint, waste is minimal, and the quality reproduction of their product is enhanced with this newest manufacturing process.

For more information on Empire Screen Printing visit www.empirescreen.com.

About Empire Screen Printing

Empire is a family-owned, award-winning business that prides itself on using environmentally-friendly print methods. A full-service company in OEM and POP markets, Empire produces overlays, vinyl decals, crystal-line domes, nameplates, magnets, and roll labels, using UV LED and UV screening, digital, and flexographic printing.

Endress+Hauser’s Process Training Units to host ISA certified training courses starting fall of 2021.

Endress+Hauser and the International Society of Automation (ISA), a non-profit professional association for leaders in industrial automation, announce their current and future collaboration efforts for training and certification. ISA will provide select certified training courses in conjunction with Endress+Hauser’s instrumentation training courses, with these courses offered onsite at Endress+Hauser’s process training units (PTUs) located across the U.S.

“Combining a selection from the deep ISA training offering with the many choices of instrumentation training provided at Endress+Hauser’s world-class PTUs provides a powerful set of options for instrument technicians who need help with their professional development,” says Jerry Spindler, customer training manager, Endress+Hauser USA.

Combining strengths for advanced offerings

With the goal of advancing training of process industry personnel, Endress+Hauser has designed and built 11 PTUs across the United States. These full-scale, working process units offer hands-on experience with the types of configurations, operations, diagnostics, and troubleshooting found in real-world process plants.

With this strategic collaboration, ISA brings its advanced expertise in controls, valves, drives, and other areas outside the Endress+Hauser portfolio to more students, and in a real-world setting. ISA will send a representative to the Endress+Hauser PTUs to teach the material with a seamless, holistic approach. This provides a world-class, one-stop-shop for training where learners can advance their technical education, eliminating the need for training from multiple vendors.

ISA has long been a provider of certification for automation professionals through its Certified Controls System Technician^® (CCST) strategy. The CCST program provides a non-biased, third-party, objective assessment and confirmation of skills for control systems technicians. Endress+Hauser and ISA will focus on providing training for Level 1 certification, which confirms that technicians possess a vast knowledge with respect to calibration, maintenance, repair and troubleshooting.

Adding value to the industry

 “We are thrilled to collaborate with Endress+Hauser and leverage the strengths of our respective organizations,” says Geri McGrath, director of global education and outreach at ISA. “The combination of Endress+Hauser’s PTUs and ISA’s training services offers increased workforce development opportunities for industrial automation and control professionals.”

Additional offerings for a tailored approach

To get the most out of training, it’s important for learners to understand their specific needs because what strengthens one company’s employees may not be necessary for another. To address this and other issues, Endress+Hauser and ISA have co-developed an online assessment tool for customized training. Designed for convenience and ease-of-use, the assessment generates a report highlighting personnel strengths and knowledge gaps for an organization. From there, representatives work with these organizations to create a training plan tailored to their specific needs. This online tool is being developed according to ISA’s CCST Body of Knowledge, and it will be offered through both the ISA and Endress+Hauser websites in 2022.

To learn more about ISA certifications and training, visit: www.isa.org

To learn more about Endress+Hauser training offerings, visit: http://www.us.endress.com/Training

The Endress+Hauser Group  

Endress+Hauser is a global leader in measurement and automation technology for process and laboratory applications. The family company, headquartered in Reinach, Switzerland, achieved net sales of over 2.6 billion euros (2.89 billion U.S. dollars) in 2020 with a total workforce of 14,000.  

Endress+Hauser devices, solutions and services are at home in many industries. Customers thus use them to gain valuable knowledge from their applications. This enables them to improve their products, work economically and at the same time protect people and the environment. 

Endress+Hauser is a reliable partner worldwide. Own sales companies in 50 countries as well as representatives in another 70 countries ensure competent support. Production facilities on four continents manufacture quickly and flexibly to the highest quality standards.  

Endress+Hauser was founded in 1953 by Georg H. Endress and Ludwig Hauser. Ever since, the company has been pushing ahead with the development and use of innovative technologies, now helping to shape the industry’s digital transformation. 8,000 patents and applications protect the Group’s intellectual property.

International Society of Automation

The International Society of Automation (ISA) is a non-profit professional association founded in 1945 to create a better world through automation. ISA advances technical competence by connecting the automation community to achieve operational excellence. The organization develops widely used global standards; certifies industry professionals; provides education and training; publishes books and technical articles; hosts conferences and exhibits; and provides networking and career development programs for its members and customers around the world.

ISA created the ISA Global Cybersecurity Alliance (isa.org/ISAGCA) to advance cybersecurity readiness and awareness in manufacturing and critical infrastructure facilities and processes. The Alliance brings end-user companies, automation and control systems providers, IT infrastructure providers, services providers, system integrators, and other cybersecurity stakeholder organizations together to proactively address growing threats.

ISA owns Automation.com, a leading online publisher of automation-related content, and is the founding sponsor of The Automation Federation (automationfederation.org), an association of non-profit organizations serving as “The Voice of Automation.” Through a wholly-owned subsidiary, ISA bridges the gap between standards and their implementation with the ISA Security Compliance Institute (isasecure.org) and the ISA Wireless Compliance Institute (isa100wci.org).

Small and medium-sized manufacturers are continuing to bounce back from the pandemic, despite experiencing significant supply chain and recruitment struggles.

The latest Manufacturing Barometer, which surveyed more than 400 SMEs across the UK, shows that nearly two thirds (64%) of companies are expecting to grow over the next six months and 52% plan to invest in capital equipment and manufacturing.

For the first time in over a year, the report also revealed that more firms are trading at increased levels than they were before Covid-19, highlighting the resurgence in fortunes since lockdown eased.

This encouraging data was set against a backdrop of disruption, with 60% of respondents stating that staff are having to spend additional time liaising with suppliers and, despite growing sales, just over half are being forced to increase product prices to recover some of their additional costs.

Organised by the South West Manufacturing Advisory Services (SWMAS) and the Manufacturing Growth Programme (MGP), the survey painted a concerning picture around staff retention and recruitment.

Over 60% of SME manufacturers have lost skilled staff since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic and, worryingly, almost three quarters said they have been unable to replace these employees – pointing to a widening skills gap that could drastically impact the recovery over the next year.

“Throughout the past 18 months, manufacturing has exceeded expectations in its ability to innovate and adapt to current conditions, but external factors are still presenting problems,” explained Nick Golding, Managing Director of SWMAS.

“Lead times are being extended, logistics costs are going through the roof, and energy/material prices are extremely volatile. This all results in complex challenges for manufacturers across the UK.”

He continued: “The improved confidence in future sales is not translating into increasing confidence for future profits. The ongoing supply chain challenges mean many businesses have had to reallocate and add additional resources to address these issues.

“In fact, respondents are currently having to commit an average of two full time employees to manage suppliers and customers, a number that often equates to between 5-10% of a SME manufacturer’s workforce.”

Despite respondents citing skills and staff shortages as the key triggers of current recruitment challenges, almost half think that high salary expectations are a contributing factor.

46% believe there is a lack of available people to fill current positions, and over half (59%) feel the need to increase wages to compete with other employers looking to recruit from the same pool of potential staff. 

Two fifths of those questioned cite reduced European labour since Brexit as a key driver in this trend. Companies said they are responding to staffing issues by increasing wages, offering new development programmes and providing flexible working options in line with employee needs.

Dean Barnes, Regional Director at the Manufacturing Growth Programme, went on to add:

“Our sector is doing well, but life is not without significant challenges, and many management teams were listening to the budget last week to see how the Government was going to help maintain the economic recovery.

“58% of manufacturers questioned called for tax incentives for investment, and this was reflected in the extension of the investment allowance for another year. However, a similar number would have liked to have seen more support for product development costs, as well as long term financing for new equipment.

“Interestingly, half of firms would like a Government-led ‘Buy British’ campaign to tap into an increase in demand for more local sourcing. It is clear more could be done to help the manufacturing sector at such a crucial time.”

The latest Manufacturing Barometer covers trading activity in July, August, and September 2021, with responses collected between the 4^th and 15^th of October.

The United Arab Emirates and the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) have just announced the Energy Transition Accelerator Financing (ETAF) Platform, a new global climate finance facility to accelerate the transition to renewable energy in developing countries. The UAE committed USD 400 million in funding provided by the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD) toward the platform’s goal of securing a minimum of USD 1 billion in total funding.

The formal launch took place on the sidelines of the COP 26 United Nations Climate Summit in Glasgow in the presence of His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al Nahyan, UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, together with the Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda Mr. Gaston Browne, President of the Maldives Mr. Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and President of Togo, Mr. Faure Gnassingbé and UAE Climate Envoy Dr. Sultan Al Jaber.

• Energy Transition Accelerator Financing (ETAF) Platform secures USD 400 million anchor funding from Abu Dhabi Fund for Development as first strategic partner.
  
• Platform launched at COP26 aims to finance 1.5 GW of new renewable energy power in developing countries by 2030.

His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan said: “The new ETAF platform reinforces our long-standing commitment to support positive climate action for economic growth in developing and vulnerable countries. As a signatory to the United Nations Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the UAE fundamentally believes, we must work together globally, in partnerships, to mitigate the effects of climate change. The UAE is proud to act decisively in pushing forward a responsible, sustainability-led agenda, and in partnering with other nations to enable the significant benefits of renewable energy.”

HE Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, UAE Special Envoy for Climate and Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, said: “The UAE views development aid and climate action as powerful catalysts for economic growth, both domestically and internationally. Today’s announcement will help to advance the economies of partner countries by providing reliable, low-cost renewable energy for businesses, industry, and homes. We are proud of this significant new contribution by the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development to accelerate climate action and deliver immediate economic benefits in the process. This is the kind of initiative that combines partnership, policy and finance to create tangible progress, and it is this focus on practical results that has motivated the UAE to offer to host COP 28 in 2023.”

Through co-financing, ETAF will aim to mobilize an additional USD 2 billion in energy transition investments, targeting a total deployment of 1.5 GW of clean renewable energy generation and storage by 2030. ETAF will be managed by IRENA from its Abu Dhabi headquarters, capitalizing on the UAE’s climate finance market and renewable energy innovation infrastructure. The new accelerator platform will help mitigate investment risks and finance renewable energy projects in developing countries that may otherwise struggle to secure sufficient capital.

Francesco La Camera, the Director-General of IRENA, said: “We have reached a defining moment in our generation’s efforts to put our economies and our environment on a path to stability, resilience and shared prosperity. The energy transformation is the most attractive and effective tool we have to achieve that. This new investment platform reflects the UAE’s commitment to shaping a sustainable future, and IRENA’s efforts to serve its over 180 member countries as an indispensable energy transformation partner. We encourage multilateral development banks, international financial institutions, governments, and private sector actors to join us in bolstering sustainable development efforts.”

The new UAE-IRENA partnership to establish the ETAF platform builds on the long-term collaboration between IRENA and ADFD, which includes seven cycles of the USD 350 million IRENA-ADFD Project Facility. Between 2013 and 2020, the facility financed 26 projects in Asia, Africa, and the Americas, notably including Small Island Developing States.

In total to date, ADFD has worked with a number of clean energy partners and governments in 65 countries to support the development of 90 renewable energy projects that have the capacity to generate more than 9,000 megawatts of electricity. With the new ETAF contribution, ADFD’s total financing for renewable energy projects now stands at USD 1.8 billion.

His Excellency Mohammed Saif Al Suwaidi, Director-General of ADFD, said: “IRENA and ADFD have an excellent track record working together on the development of major renewable energy projects in developing markets. These projects have significant environmental, economic and social impact that is transformational for countries and their people. Through this new platform, we seek to bring together finance and development partners from around the world under a shared vision to combat climate change.”

His Excellency Al Suwaidi added: “Given the essential role that renewable energy projects play in achieving sustainable development for developing countries, ADFD has committed to allocating USD 400 million until 2030 to enable accelerated deployment. These projects will have a great impact on local communities, helping beneficiary countries to achieve greater economic and social development.”

The ETAF platform will source projects on an ongoing basis, supplemented by calls for proposals aligned with Paris Agreement and SDG milestones. Investment-ready projects identified under IRENA’s existing Climate Investment Platform will also represent a notable pipeline.

More information on ETAF is available here.

About the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA)

IRENA is the lead intergovernmental agency for the global energy transformation that supports countries in their transition to a sustainable energy future and serves as the principal platform for international co-operation, a centre of excellence, and a repository of policy, technology, resource and financial knowledge on renewable energy. With 166 Members (165 States and the European Union) and 18 additional countries in the accession process and actively engaged, IRENA promotes the widespread adoption and sustainable use of all forms of renewable energy in the pursuit of sustainable development, energy access, energy security and low-carbon economic growth and prosperity.

Leaders from some of the UK’s most pioneering organisations have joined forces to explore the role of hydrogen in decarbonising the country’s industry, transport, and domestic heating sectors – which amount to 40% of the UK’s emissions, and the equivalent of 180 million tonnes of CO2.

As part of a UK-wide roadshow on the approach to the much-publicised UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, the 10-stop tour visited ground-breaking projects across the country. This included Northern Gas Networks' Hydrogen House – the UK's first homes to feature 100% hydrogen gas appliances – Thames Estuary, Equinor's Hydrogen-to-Humber (H2H) Saltend project, Fuel Cell Systems, Johnson Matthey, DNV, and the Shell Learning Zone at the Aberdeen Science Centre.

As part of the roadshow, Pilkington UK – together with HyNet and HyDeploy – shared the news that its Greengate site in St Helens has recently undertaken two pioneering demonstrations of using hydrogen to replace natural gas in powering the furnace.

Each day during the trial, two tonnes of hydrogen were consumed – which could have provided an equivalent hydrogen blend to approximately 30,000 average-sized homes.

Elsewhere, Welsh Water – which announced its net zero by 2040 target earlier this year – shared details of its feasibility work to produce up to 2,000 kg per day of renewable bio-hydrogen at the site – enough to support a fleet of 100 hydrogen buses.

DGA chair Chris Barron, and director of gas networks at Costain, said: “Hydrogen – like many other decarbonised gases – can help us meet the UK’s ever-pressing need for net zero climate emissions, at low cost, with minimal disruption, and while creating thousands of sustainable jobs across the country.

“It has a particularly valuable role to play in the notoriously hard to decarbonise sectors – heavy transport, industry, and heat. As a nation, we rely heavily on these industries, but they account for over 40% of UK greenhouse gases. They’re therefore the elephant in the room if we don’t work together to create a deliverable pathway to a net zero energy infrastructure.”

Now complete, the tour explored the need for a regional focus, as part of the Government’s roadmap and Ten Point Plan, and the impact that the public could have if they were better informed and engaged with the subject.

Each stop was handpicked to help drive the conversation on hydrogen and the role it plays in the country’s energy transition strategy – with chosen locations showcasing their own perspective on the hydrogen agenda, to not only raise awareness at policy level but among regional communities too.

Matt Buckley, UK managing director of Pilkington UK, part of the NSG Group, explained: “We are proud to sit at the forefront of hydrogen innovation in the glass industry. Our team’s collaborations with HyNet and HyDeploy are enabling huge steps forward to be taken, as we work towards the decarbonisation of our activities.

“Both trials have successfully demonstrated that it is possible to use hydrogen to safely and effectively fire a float glass plant. We now look forward to HyNet being fully up and running from 2025 in order to turn these demonstrations into reality.”

Ben Burggraaf, head of energy at Welsh Water added: “Producing bio-methane or even bio-hydrogen is an important step towards meeting our ambition to reach net zero by 2040 and achieving a 90% reduction in emissions by 2030.

“Using the biogas to produce renewable fuels could have up to 10 times larger decarbonisation impact than using it to produce renewable electricity, in particular when combined with Carbon Capture Utilisation and Storage technology – for example, producing food grade CO2.”

Andy Cornell, CEO at ABSL added: “The UK produces 30 million tonnes of waste a year which could generate up to 20 % of our energy needs. Sustainable production of biomethane and biohydrogen is critical for energy security.”

Iain Morley, hydrogen transformation manager at Wales and West Utilities, commented: “Bio substitute natural gas which Wales and West Utilities inject into the network can play a big role in reducing carbon emissions going forward. The HSE exemption of up to 1% hydrogen into the natural gas system delivers up to 5,000 tonnes of CO2 reduction which is the equivalent of 2.5k homes in the local area from the ABSL facility.”

Dr Phil Ingram, senior business development manager, low carbon hydrogen at Johnson Matthey, said: “Johnson Matthey was delighted to welcome the Decarbonised Gas Alliance roadshow to our sites in Teesside.

This is where our scientists and engineers created and continue to develop our award-winning low carbon hydrogen technology, which reduces CO2 emissions by over 95%. Manufacturing blue hydrogen at scale is a critical early step in decarbonisation, enabling us all to achieve net zero emissions targets and limit global temperature rises.”

Through innovation, collaboration, and greater public awareness throughout the regions, hydrogen can play a role in safely, quickly, and cost-effectively decarbonising UK infrastructure – providing the country with a stable pathway to net zero emissions.

The Decarbonised Gas Alliance (DGA) represents nearly 30 expert organisations who have come together to help decarbonise the gas system and meet the UK’s target of net zero climate emissions.

The Alliance offers a unique perspective to decarbonised gas markets including green, blue, and other ‘colours’ of hydrogen from biomass and plastics, as well as biogases and synthetic gas. The development of attractive market structures will be critically important in stimulating and underpinning decarbonised gas demand and supply side investment opportunity. The DGA is ready to help shape that process.

Web: www.dgalliance.org