Home Talking Revolution Is industrial project management a clear winner in the race to net zero?

Is industrial project management a clear winner in the race to net zero?

With new episodes of intense heat expected before the end of the summer, our planet needs a revolution, and industrial project management is needed to help support drastically reducing gas emissions to preserve our climate and achieve the Paris Agreement target of limiting global warming to 1.5ºC.

While there is an indisputable business case for Industrial Project Management to decarbonise and achieve net-zero deliverables, there is no clear path to reach this destination.

So, how is the UK economy starting the race to Net Zero? How do we translate innovative technologies into actual Industrial Construction Projects that deliver a reduction in fuel gas emissions? and…is Net Zero enough to reduce global warming?

We will discuss:

  • The power of Industrial Project Management to target Net Zero emissions
  • Where the Net-Zero journey doesn’t end
  • Key takeaways

But 1st, what is net zero?

Simply put, net-zero (or Net Zero Carbon Emissions) means reaching a balance between the carbon that human activity releases into the atmosphere, and the carbon removed from it. We name this balance Net Zero and it will happen when the amount of CO2 that we release into the atmosphere is no more than the amount subtracted.

Carbon dioxide is the most significant greenhouse gas released into the atmosphere. It is generated when we burn fossil fuels to meet our energy demands. The scientific evidence is unquestionable: the release of greenhouse gases from human activity is changing the climate and ecosystems.

As Industrial Projects transition to clean energy and green technology and we try to cultivate a more sustainable lifestyle, the UK Government has set out a Net Zero Strategy, detailing how the country will unlock £90 billion in investment to reach net-zero emissions by 2050 and support both, businesses and consumers, as they implement their transition strategies.

 

Practical Considerations

Encouraged by the grants issued by the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy’s (“BEIS”) Energy Innovation Programme, all industries, big and small, are now encouraged to deliver Industrial Construction Projects to compete and be winners in the race to Net Zero.

At Revolution Projects, w e are incredibly proud to have worked and supported TATA Chemicals Europe (TCE) throughout the challenging coordination, delivery and commissioning of the UK’s first industrial-scale Carbon Capture and Utilization Plant (CCU), enabling Net Zero pharmaceutical-grade sodium bicarbonate to be made from purified captured CO 2 , essential in the production of foods, medicines, glass, etc.

Friday 24th June 2022 marked the official opening of the TCE Carbon Capture & Utilisation (CCU) Plant in Northwich, a revolutionary piece of industrial Project Management that will aim to recycle 40,000 tonnes of waste CO 2 each year, equivalent to taking more than 20,000 cars off the roads or planting 20 million trees! A colossal step toward to the UK’s carbon footprint reduction.

The journey began in March 2020 and was only made possible with the vision, commitment, dedication and most importantly, collaboration across all teams involved. TCE managed the delivery of this pathfinding Industrial Project and ground-breaking plant with key alliances like Revolution Projects “who partnered with TATA Chemicals Europe to provide project and construction management services, achieving a safety performance to be proud of.”
Stewart Prentice, TATA Chemicals Europe

Have a glimpse to learn more about this leading Industrial Project Management job, here are some of the key points:

  • The journey began in March 2020
  • This Industrial project received a £4.2m grant from BEIS
  • 200k team hours to design
  • 14km of electrical cabling
  • 4km of pipework
  • 48m tall absorber column

However, and despite the proliferation of Net Zero Industrial Management Projects, racing towards the reduction of CO2 emissions, we also need clear guidance to transform the way we use energy in our homes and day-to-day lives and take a collaborative approach to save our planet.

Furthermore, the Energy Savings Trust , working to address the climate emergency, is challenging our lifestyle to reduce our CO 2 emissions in heating, transport, agriculture, etc. to achieve the 2050 emissions target.

Where the journey doesn’t end

Building the commitment of carbon reduction into manufacturing and industrial projects’ future directions and operations is making a huge step forward as we head into Net Zero in 2050.

But is this enough to stop global warming? In other words, does Industrial Project Management need additional support from new climate technologies?

As the planet continues to get hotter, could the solution be to give it some shade? That’s the simple idea behind solar geoengineering , a radical response to reduce global warming. However, the technology carries risks and some are afraid that it could discourage the need to reduce CO2 industry emissions. Besides, there is also the potential of making climate-change unequal. The debate is heating up…And, well…this may be a topic for a separate blog.

In addition, the substitution of natural gas with hydrogen will be the most impactful change yet to the Net Zero Industry strategies, using alternative fuel supplies of blue hydrogen (natural gas + CCU) and eventually green hydrogen (from renewable electricity) to propel us further into the Net Zero race.

Key Takeaways

No single Industrial Project or organisation has all the answers to combat climate change. We cannot achieve reducing greenhouse gas emissions by working in silos.

The dramatic weather emergency demands partnerships between all parties, sometimes even between competitors. It demands collaboration between the theorists who envisioned the crisis, today’s scientific experts, tomorrow’s innovators and us, normal people.

“Climate change is real. It is happening right now, it is the most urgent threat facing our entire species and we need to work collectively together and stop procrastinating.”
Leonardo Di Caprio, Actor & Environmentalist

Climate change affects everything from economies to migration, from life expectancies to wine lists. The answer lies in the addictive relationship between the world’s businesses, as suppliers, and us, as customers. Now, more than ever, both need to be committed to making a huge impact.

Our world is changing, and so should we. Contact us if you wish to seek further insight, help and support for any net zero industrial project management.

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This blog is based on our own client experiences. Written by Emile Malaney. 18/07/2022.