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The Academy of Joint Integrity, part of the Flexitallic Group, has delivered a programme of specialist training for Yorkshire Water maintenance staff to support the utility’s new energy generating process at Esholt Wastewater Treatment Works.
Yorkshire Water is investing £30 million in a new plant, which will generate heat and power from sewage sludge using thermal hydrolysis and anaerobic digestion to create bio-gas for renewable energy generation. In contrast to Yorkshire Water’s existing facilities, engineers will be required to maintain equipment and systems at higher temperatures and pressures.
To enable its existing maintenance team to safely and effectively work on flanged bolted connections operating at higher pressures, Yorkshire Water approached the West Yorkshire-based Academy to produce a bespoke training programme.
The Academy of Joint Integrity provides accredited, bespoke and open courses covering all aspects of joint integrity, which are employed across a range of industries. The Academy is accredited by the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB) and Energy Institute.
A group of 10 engineers took part in the programme at the Academy’s training centre in Cleckheaton where they went through a range of practical training sessions and assessment to focus on correct procedures, ensuring best practice. The training utilised a specialist flange joint assembly rig, which is unique to the Academy, to provide a strong mix of practical, hands-on learning and classroom-based sessions.
The Flange Assembly Demonstration Units (FADU) enables trainees to tighten a bolted joint and see the impact of the tightening procedures, on a computer screen, through innovative load-monitoring software.
Gary Milne, Technical Training Manager said: “We were delighted to work closely with Yorkshire Water and support its investment in its new plant with this specialist training programme. Flange joint integrity is an essential part of plant maintenance and this training will enhance the competencies of the engineers and support Yorkshire Water’s commitment to safe operations.”
Richard Haigh from Yorkshire Water said: “The processes of our new bio gas plant require specialist machinery, which generates increased temperatures and pressures. The training provided by the Academy will ensure that our maintenance engineers have the correct technical grounding to work towards the skills and competencies required to undertake their duties safely and effectively.”