Plant Equipment Feature Library

Operations Engineer's library catalogues editorial features going back five years.

Access to all archive material is free to all, including non-members of IPlantE (the Institution of Operations Engineers) or BES (Bureau of Engineer Surveyors), under the umbrella of SOE (Society of Operations Engineers). However, to discover the many benefits of becoming an SOE member, please click here.

04/02/2025 Comment: Honoured to be chair

In December, I took over as the new chair of IPlantE from Ian Jackson. I am honoured to be holding this role to share my insight, skills, experience and knowledge from Hong Kong, where I reside. » Read More

29/11/2022 Powering up

Uninterruptible power supplies play a key role when mains power fails, making a carefully planned maintenance regime all the more crucial » Read More

18/07/2022 Blue, green or both? Decyphering hydrogen generation options

The government has doubled its target for hydrogen production, from five to 10GW by 2030, as part of its new Energy Security Strategy. But how ready is UK industry? By Tom Austin-Morgan » Read More

19/01/2022 Profile: coming in to land

Kelly Cole started her engineering career as an apprentice technician at GE Aviation, eventually progressing to a field service director. Earlier this year, she took a role as general manager of electric power for Caterpillar’s UK dealer ... » Read More

12/08/2021 Inspection shutdowns in UK AGR nuclear power plants

UK nuclear power plants including Heysham 1, Torness and Hinkley Point B have recently undergone shutdowns that have included inspections for cracks in their graphite core. Such work has gained a new sense of urgency in the past few years, ... » Read More

06/12/2012 Fuel from air

Following a flurry of news reporting the apparent achievement of practical fuel from air plant, Brian Tinham talks to the developers about the present and the future » Read More

01/10/2009 Saving the earth

In the rush to save energy and reduce emissions, it's easy to forget the sheer range of potential solutions. Dr Tom Shelley reviews some of today's most powerful options » Read More

01/10/2009 Making the case

Plant engineers have serious value to add, way beyond their primary function. Brian Tinham talks to E.On's Ian Jackson about the need to stand up and be counted » Read More

01/02/2009 Electric Engineers

It's often said that one of the biggest differences between plants in, say, the chemical or pharmaceutical industries, as opposed to those in power generation, is that the former are developed in a laboratory pilot (where the learning is ... » Read More

01/12/2008 Near zero emissions

With the obvious exception of the global economic crisis and its insidious infection now of the ?real economy', recent months, and indeed years, have seen no greater issue than climate change. Governments and organisations around the world ... » Read More

01/02/2008 Carbon capture

The UK is to finance the construction of a 300-400MW coal-fired power station with full carbon capture, and intends to work with China on developing and implementing the technology globally. Why? 'Because coal is still the cheapest and ... » Read More

01/02/2007 Turning ash into cash

1. Building on its vast experience, Clyde Bergemann has developed a new dry bottom ash system, known as DRYCON 2. Adjustable air inlets are located along the casing 3. Air inlets are also to be found at the system's discharge end 4. ... » Read More

01/10/2006 Maintain power

With the cost of unscheduled downtime for some engineering and manufacturing companies running into hundreds of thousands of pounds a day, plant engineers are under pressure to ensure continuous production. Yet with more pressure being put ... » Read More