In response to Covid-19, the Spanish chorizo industry has laid out plans to focus on sustainability issues and the digitalisation of the chain to promote future growth in the sector.

• The Spanish Chorizo Consortium is made up of 22 producers/exporters and was established in 2016.
• The Spanish chorizo seal ensures the origin – Spain – and a unique guarantee. It certifies monitoring of the product and the facilities in which it is manufactured, creating a distinctive brand and recognition for its sale in the home market.

• A 100% Spanish product: a product that is always manufactured in Spain, with 100% Spanish premium quality ingredients.

• Chorizo of the Spanish Consortium must carry garlic and paprika, differentiating this particular sausage from other origins and other sausages. It is cured outdoors or smoked. The main base is minced pork and marinated with spices such as paprika that gives it its typical red colour. Only paprika from fruits grown, dried and milled in the Spanish territory is allowed.
• The UK is the consortium’s largest export market, followed by France and Germany. Colombia and Canada are the most relevant outside Europe. In Europe, Ireland, the Czech Republic, Belgium and Denmark are also notable export destinations.

The Consorcio del Chorizo Español (Spanish Chorizo Consortium) is a voluntary association that groups companies in the Spanish meat sector, all experts in chorizo production and export, with the aim of producing and marketing authentic, high quality Spanish chorizo. All companies associated with the consortium must comply with the quality regulations and certified procedures. Chorizo with the Consortium label is quality-assured and made in compliance with specific criteria in terms of traditional and authentic Spanish ingredients and production methods.

Chorizo producer and Consortium member Noel Alimentaria has proposed a €300m investment project to improve their own sustainability efforts. The scheme will have direct impact on the entire value chain, from the origin of the raw material to the final product. The programme will invest in new production facilities and more energy-efficient technology. It also aims to reduce their carbon footprint and to enable the development of new lines of healthy products and alternative proteins, and the digitalisation of the chain to achieve an innovative, cooperative, connected and integrated business model.

Emcesa, another of the Consortium’s processors, is currently realigning its chorizo production towards Industry 4.0 (a digitalised industry) and has invested significantly in research, development and innovation between 2015 and 2020. The Toledo-based meat company has committed €3 million to maximising the efficiency of human and technical resources available.

Chorizo producer Goikoa has become an Amazon partner, supplying chorizo products to physical Amazon sites in the UK. The producer provides three products for the Amazon brand, including chorizo rings and sliced chorizo. The British market continues to be the main destination for premium chorizo from the Consorcio del Chorizo Español with 1.1 million kg of Consortium-labelled Chorizo being exported to the UK in the first half of 2021.

Silgan Holdings Inc. (Nasdaq:SLGN), a leading supplier of sustainable rigid packaging solutions for consumer goods products, announced today that it has acquired Easytech Closures S.p.A. This business manufactures and sells easy-open and sanitary metal ends used with metal containers primarily for food applications in Europe. It operates a manufacturing facility in Fisciano, Italy and is projected to generate approximately €38 million, or approximately $45 million, in sales and approximately €6.6 million, or approximately $7.8 million, in adjusted EBITDA in 2021.

“Easytech is a leading manufacturer of a broad portfolio of metal ends, including easy-open metal ends, in the European market. We have had an excellent long-standing business relationship with Easytech and have great respect for its owners and management team. We are excited to now welcome Easytech to the Silgan team,” said Adam Greenlee, President and CEO. “This acquisition will allow our combined businesses to more effectively and efficiently utilize existing capacity for metal ends, reduce capital investment in the near term and accelerate completion of an on-going cost reduction program. Our acquisition of Easytech is yet another example of our strategy to build shareholder value through a disciplined capital allocation model. We now look forward to the successful integration of our three recent acquisitions,” concluded Mr. Greenlee.

The purchase price for this acquisition was €31.5 million, or $36.5 million, subject to customary adjustments including for net debt and working capital. With this acquisition, Silgan expects to realize annual synergies as a result of this acquisition of approximately €4.1 million, or approximately $4.9 million, within 12 months primarily through procurement savings and increased capacity utilization. Silgan funded the purchase price for this acquisition with revolving loan borrowings under its senior secured credit facility.

This acquisition is expected to be slightly accretive to the Company’s earnings in 2021, excluding the impact of required purchase accounting adjustments, with additional accretion expected in 2022.

Silgan is a leading supplier of sustainable rigid packaging solutions for consumer goods products with annual net sales of approximately $4.9 billion in 2020. Silgan operates 113 manufacturing facilities in North and South America, Europe and Asia. The Company is a leading worldwide supplier of dispensing and specialty closures for food, beverage, health care, garden, home, personal care and beauty products. The Company is also a leading supplier of metal containers in North America and Europe for food and general line products. In addition, the Company is a leading supplier of custom containers for shelf-stable food and personal care products in North America

Holistic Offshore Wind Design Process can demonstrate rapid decarbonisation – says Wood Thilsted

With the UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow less than two months away, the offshore wind industry can help lead the way in showing COP representatives that solutions are readily available to deliver rapid decarbonisation.

According to Danny Bonnett, Engineering Director at geotechnical and structural specialists, Wood Thilsted, politicians need to understand that in addition to all the sound environmental benefits, fast action on decarbonisation is needed because business is yearning for this transition.

“As we see demand for offshore power continue to soar across the globe”, he said, “governments need to think big when writing the next chapter at COP26 in Glasgow”.

Efficient design process is crucial - according to Wood Thilsted

He added: “As offshore wind engineering specialists, we for example, can show just how efficient the design process can be with a holistic approach to what we specify and where. We have the solutions to deliver rapid decarbonisation across the energy sector in the very short term, and in the rest of the economy in the medium term. COP26 is a golden opportunity for bold action by governments to allow businesses to invest, to innovate, to seek the fastest and most cost-effective ways of stripping out carbon”.

Bonnett also pointed to SteelZero (which Wood Thilsted strongly advocate) – a global initiative that he believes sends a very powerful message to steel producers, policymakers and investors to accelerate the transition to widescale production of net zero steel. Bonnett claims that many of the barriers currently facing the offshore industry in its steel supply chains can be removed.

He continued: “During these past 18 months of the pandemic, the world has grown up. I think we now have a much better insight into our human vulnerability than ever before. The Global Transition and its sub-set, the Energy Transition are critically important. COP26 must think big and act quick”.

www.woodthilsted.com

 Crane for confined spaces delivers lift at complex refinery site

Mammoet has completed the first lift using its innovative FOCUS30 crane; helping to reduce disruption during scheduled turnaround activity at a refinery in the UK. The FOCUS30 performed a top-and-tail lifting operation in tandem with a 500-tonne mobile crane, in order to install a vessel at the facility.
 
The FOCUS30 is designed to deliver significant lifting capacity at complex sites. As it is erected vertically in sections, the crane requires no laydown area during assembly of its boom. Thus, it can be built away from active plant, and less infrastructure must be disrupted or closed during its use.
 
During mobilization, this theory became reality. A conventional crawler crane would need to be built over a nearby pipe rack and cause a site road to be temporarily closed for a number of days. However, the FOCUS30 was maneuvered in sections around key infrastructure and its boom was raised within the area of the crane’s own footprint – reducing disruption.

The FOCUS360 lifts the new vessel into position on site

Mammoet first transported the new vessel approximately 3km from a local port, using 36 axle lines of SPMT. It was then positioned in a staging area so that the transport arrangement could be reconfigured to suit onsite requirements.
 
To facilitate the onsite route, a bespoke ‘book end’ transport frame was used, alongside the hydraulic stroke of the transporters themselves, to navigate the vessel under a number of low pipe racks. Once it reached its installation location, the FOCUS30 and a 500 tonne mobile crane were used in tandem to lift the vessel and set it securely on its foundations.
 
The FOCUS30 opens up new and innovative possibilities to engineer complex lifts in equally complex environments. In this case, it drove efficiency by delivering lifting capacity to a very compact location - allowing turnaround activity to continue in areas of the site that would have otherwise been needed to assemble a crawler crane.
 
In the future, FOCUS30 will enable large industrial facilities to expand, delivering increased energy for growing populations worldwide.

Mammoet
Mammoet helps clients with Smarter, Safer and Stronger solutions to any heavy lifting or transport challenge. We aim to develop long term relationships in order to understand their businesses and challenges best, so we can realize the most efficient and cost-effective approaches. We have a unique global network and an unparalleled fleet of equipment. Through deep and longstanding engineering expertise and the highest quality and safety standards in execution we bring an intelligent and flexible approach to projects across a wide breadth of industry sectors. Clients trust us to help them achieve feats that were once considered impossible, and we have often broken records in doing so.

For more information, visit www.mammoet.com

AMADA WELD TECH announces the availability of the DC-H3000A High Duty cycle, DC Spot Welding Power Supply for high precision micro-joining applications. This power supply is designed for use in the medical device industry and other applications where the highest level of accuracy, process control and traceability is required.

The switching system architecture of the DC-H3000A provides unsurpassed levels of DC current purity, with ultra-low ripple and fast loop response, which enables it to react to, and control challenging applications, achieving a stated accuracy of +/- 1% of the controlled parameter set point. The precise pulsed output delivered to the weld, is controlled in terms of either the peak voltage, current or power.

The DC-H3000A also features an exceptional user interface and system connectivity capabilities. A modern, intuitive Touch Screen display allows easy access to the weld settings, data logging and communications functionality. The DC-H3000A is equipped with USB, Ethernet, RS232 and conventional I/O communication ports for interfacing with control systems and/or capture of all welder performance data, which allows for simple automation and machine integration.

For a complete solution, the DC-H3000A can interface directly with the high-performance AMADA WELD TECH WH-L090A Linear Motor Weld Head or pneumatically driven weld heads for improved process control.

The DC-H3000A (formerly known as DC2013-T) is suited to any micro-joining application requiring a current of less than 3,000 Amps.

Learn more on our website: https://www.amadaweldtech.eu/products/resistance-welding/mid-high-frequency-inverter-power-supplies/dc-h3000a-high-duty-dc-spot 

About AMADA WELD TECH

AMADA WELD TECH is a leading manufacturer of equipment and systems for Laser Welding, Laser Marking, Laser Cutting, Resistance Welding, Hermetic Sealing and Hot Bar Reflow Soldering & Bonding. We customize our products around specific micro-joining applications for all our customers around the globe. AMADA WELD TECH product markets include medical devices, battery, automotive, solar industry, electronic components and aerospace. We are an ISO9001 certified company. Contact AMADA WELD TECH at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Find out more about the company’s products and services at www.amadaweldtech.eu.

Australian technology startup Gridcognition has announced a partnership with their first UK-based customer, expanding their modelling and optimisation capabilities to the UK energy market.

SNRG will be using the Gridcognition simulation platform to design and optimise microgrids for fully electric residential housing developments, a trend that’s gaining significant momentum in response to ambitious climate targets put in place by the UK government.

The partnership will allow SNRG to simulate a range of different physical and commercial options for the design of these microgrids, assessing the impact of distributed energy assets such as solar, battery storage, electric vehicle charging and load flexibility to create housing developments that deliver the best possible outcomes for house builders, residents, and the environment.

Recent UK policy announcements see a world-first change in rules for new housing to mandate electric vehicle charging infrastructure and prevent residential gas boilers; and ban internal combustion engine vehicle sales by 2030. SNRG are at the forefront of the electrification and the decarbonisation drive. With additional complexity, and massive shifts in consumption, generation and infrastructure in the market, a new level of modelling sophistication is required to develop solutions that can meet these policy objectives.

Dan Nicholls, Managing Director of SNRG SmartGrids, is a net-zero specialist with over 15 years of experience delivering clean energy products & infrastructure and is spearheading the partnership with Gridcognition. ‘Our work is all about reducing cost, complexity and carbon for all, and the more accurately we can plan and design these projects to deliver that, the better.’ said Dan. ‘Our partnership with Gridcognition allows us to quickly and accurately simulate multiple complex objectives and parameters to identify the optimal technical and operational strategy for our projects.’ SNRG, which is backed by Centrica, one of the largest energy utilities in the UK, collaborates with landowners, developers & residents of all-electric housing projects to implement intelligent microgrids that integrate community solar, storage, and vehicle charging. These fully funded ‘SmartGrid’ solutions offer net zero emissions and a streamlined experience for both developers and residents.

Gridcognition, having recently announced a $998k grant from the Australian federal to accelerate the global expansion of their distributed energy project simulation and optimisation platform, and are participating in the London Tech Week trade mission are thrilled to be able to play their part in an all-electric future for the UK.

With a shared purpose to accelerate the transition away from fossil fuels to an all-electric future, both companies are excited about the impact of applying this technology to residential housing developments in England.

‘Australia is a great testing ground for the future of energy – operating a wholesale energy market on the east coast, and a capacity market on the west, so is the perfect place to learn what works and then apply those learnings to the UK market.’ Pete Tickler, Co-founder.

Work to adapt the modelling engine to service the UK’s energy environment and enabling the modeling of physical and environmental constraints of the energy system in the United Kingdom is already underway, and these projects will break ground as early as 2022.

About SNRG – Empowered by Centrica

SNRG is a UK-based end-to-end smart energy solutions provider to new electric housing, mixed-use developments and the transport sector.

Contact:
http://oursnrg.com

Easy entry into the aseptic market for rapid prototyping and new product launches

SinnovaTek, a leading developer and integrator of advanced food processing equipment and technology, announces aseptic processing and filling capabilities at its new FirstWave copacking facility featuring state of the art technology to fit a range of unique food production needs. With no minimum order quantities required, SinnovaTek provides an easy entry point into the aseptic market for rapid prototyping and new product launches.

FirstWave is powered by SinnovaTek’s microwave processing technology which produces high quality products with improved nutrient, flavor, and color retention. The FirstWave aseptic processing and filling platform can run low acid and high acid products to shelf stability in a pouch format ready for retail. It is ideal for a wide range of pumpable products, including fruit and vegetable products, coffee, smooth soups, and smoothies. 

This precision-scale operation is an FDA registered facility containing everything needed for safe commercial food production, including cold rooms, freezers, and a quality assurance lab. SinnovaTek can run kosher, organic, and non-GMO certified products, enabling customers to add appropriate certifications to package labels.  

Featuring flexible packaging that results in lower materials usage, processed products are available for filling into 3.2 oz, 4 oz and 8 oz spouted pouches. Small batch sizes reduce raw material requirements, resulting in less expensive market entry and ultimately a more rapid commercialization process. Our team of experts can help with formulation, label compliance, and other regulatory needs to help make any product retail ready at an affordable price.

To learn more or schedule a trial, contact us at https://www.sinnovatek.com/contact.html.

About SinnovaTek

SinnovaTek is a leading developer and integrator of advanced food processing equipment and technology through its family of companies including SinnoVita and FirstWave. As a certified B corporation, SinnovaTek’s mission is to promote worldwide health and wellness by fostering the delivery of high quality, healthy foods through sustainable methods.

The SinnovaTek family of companies provides several pathways to service its customers' needs:

• Provides high-quality continuous flow microwave processing systems and pumps to food manufacturers along with the engineering and R&D support to make them successful. 
• SinnoVita: Provides science-backed VITERO ingredient technologies to reduce food waste and increase nutrient delivery. 
• Provides a platform for companies to test and launch new products in a high quality aseptic format without the minimum order quantities that are normally required for a launch, enabling SinnovaTek to service customer production needs before they are ready to move to a larger scale.

SinnovaTek is passionate about finding the best solution for its customers. Learn more at www.sinnovatek.com.

To further strengthen the digital offering, AFRY is acquiring the software company Zert AB.

Zert AB develops web-based software products and software enhanced services in the fields of occupational health and safety, risk management and technical documentation.

AFRY sees good potential in offering these products to a wider span of clients and increasing the revenue stream going forward. Environmental, health and safety is a top priority on corporate agendas and a pillar in sustainability. The market needs for experts and digitalisation in this field are increasing, driven by the sustainable transition with new technology and often more complex systems and products.

By acquiring Zert, AFRY will enable access for Zert’s digital products and services to many new clients enabling upscaling of the business from its current size; and also transforming more advisory services into software enhanced services, by combining digital tools with expert advisory.

“Successful and efficient risk management requires business integrated tools, and we are impressed by Zert and the value they create through their products. Together, we become a force in digitalising the field of safety and risk management in all sectors”, says Henrik Cederschiöld, VP and Head of Business Area Specialized Technical Services.

“We are very happy to become part of AFRY. Together we will be stronger and have even better opportunities to offer the market Zert’s smart services in technology and risk management”, says Peter Levisson, CEO Zert AB.

Zert AB has an annual sale of approximately SEK 16 million and nine employees based in Umeå. Zert will be consolidated into AFRY from October 1^st.

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 - https://afry.com/en

Metso Outotec is introducing its versatile magnetic separators portfolio consisting of wet and dry Low Intensity Magnetic Separators and High Gradient Magnetic Separators. The portfolio caters to a wide variety of applications with the separators’ flexible modular design, enabling superior separation selectivity and improved recovery of fine and ultra-fine particles.

"We have a long history in magnetic separation, and we delivered the first separator back in the 1890s. Since then, we've developed and delivered thousands of magnetic separators worldwide. We are continuously developing our products securing our position at the forefront of the magnetic separation industry.” says Jan Jirestig, Product Manager, Magnetic Separators, Metso Outotec.

Metso Outotec High Gradient Magnetic Separators (HGMS) are designed to recover weakly magnetic material from non-magnetic matter and can be used for many applications including the processing of iron ores, rare earths and other weakly magnetic minerals, which are not normally treatable by ordinary magnetic separators.

Metso Outotec Magnetic Separator

The Low Intensity Magnetic Separators (LIMS), which are designed to recover magnetic material from non-magnetic matter, are part of Metso Outotec’s Planet Positive product offering. The separators use physical separation and don’t require chemicals in the process. The Low Intensity Magnetic Separators feature modular design with several frames and process tank designs and use a common magnetic drum for ease of selection of the best machine for each individual application.

Metso Outotec’s offering also includes the SLon® Vertically Pulsating High-Gradient Magnetic Separator (VPHGMS), which effectively processes fine, weakly-magnetic minerals. The units are wet, high-intensity magnetic separators that use a combination of magnetic force, pulsating fluid, and gravity to process minerals.

Discover more about Metso Outotec magnetic separators on our website.

Metso Outotec is a frontrunner in sustainable technologies, end-to-end solutions and services for the aggregates, minerals processing and metals refining industries globally. By improving our customers’ energy and water efficiency, increasing their productivity, and reducing environmental risks with our product and process expertise, we are the partner for positive change.

Metso Outotec is committed to limiting global warming to 1.5°C with Science Based Targets. We ranked 8th on the 2021 Global 100 list of the world’s most sustainable companies.

Headquartered in Helsinki, Finland, Metso Outotec employs over 15,000 people in more than 50 countries and its sales for 2020 were about EUR 3.9 billion. The company is listed on the Nasdaq Helsinki.

ACWA Power, a leading developer, investor and operator of power generation, green hydrogen and desalinated water plants worldwide, will showcase its portfolio of leading renewable energy at the 23^rd Water, Energy, Technology and Environment exhibition (WETEX) as a Jubilee Sponsor. This year’s edition will take place at the Dubai Exhibition Centre at Expo 2020 Dubai - the first international Expo in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia and one of the first major events in the world since the COVID-19 pandemic.

• ACWA Power is a Jubilee Sponsor of the 23^rd Water, Energy, Technology and Environment exhibition (WETEX)

Cementing its role as a global accelerator of energy transformation, this year at WETEX 2021, ACWA Power will be exhibiting its record-breaking projects in the UAE that played an instrumental role in lowering tariff levels in the global renewable energy and water desalination sectors and opened new opportunities in energy efficiency and water production. The milestone projects will include Shuaa Energy 1, (MBR Solar Park Phase II); Noor Energy 1 (MBR Solar Park Phase IV), Shuaa Energy 3 (MBR Solar Park Phase V); Umm Al Quwain IWP; and Taweelah IWP, the largest desalination project in the world.

Mohammad Abunayyan, ACWA Power ChairmanAs always, we are pleased to play a strategic role in one of the largest and most important global water, environment, and energy exhibitions led by the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA). We are honoured to have established a robust partnership with DEWA to develop and operate vital projects that promote the sustainable development of the United Arab Emirates and fortify Dubai’s position as a global hub for sustainability, all the while contributing towards Dubai’s ambitious Clean Energy Strategy 2050 to increase its renewable energy share to 75% by the year 2050. The partnership between ACWA Power and DEWA serves as an example for successful public-private partnerships geared towards supplying energy that is reliable, responsible and cost effective. 

This year, in its 23rd round, WETEX is going to be more critical than ever due to the economic implications incited by the COVID-19 pandemic. Prioritising innovation today is key to unlocking growth – and WETEX is the ideal platform that gathers stakeholders, governments and companies who are eager to explore and reciprocate insights and visions on forward-looking smart technologies and electrification solutions for a collective prosperous future