Digital twins are a win-win at IChemE Global Awards
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UK nuclear giant Sellafield Ltd and the National Nuclear Laboratory scooped the Outstanding Achievement in Chemical and Process Engineering Award , sponsored by ExxonMobil , at the Institution of Chemical Engineers ( IChemE ) Global Awards , held tonight at the Mercure Manchester Piccadilly Hotel , Manchester , UK .
The collaborative project which utilises digital twinning technology to optimise the facility used to treat radioactive effluent from nuclear decommissioning and operational facilities won the Water Award earlier in the evening , and the judges were so impressed that they crowned Sellafield and the National Nuclear Laboratory overall winners of the IChemE Global Awards 2022 .
By accurately replicating the behaviour of a treatment plant , the project enables the optimisation of plant control and performance . The model has been internationally recognised as best practice for nuclear facilities and has been identified as business critical to the UK Government .
Head Judge , Keith Batchelor said :
“ In the midst of 14 worthy winners across different fields of engineering , this project stood out because it supports almost all UK nuclear activities which are set to become increasingly important as we grapple with current energy issues and the need to safely increase nuclear contribution as we move towards net zero . Most critically , it protects local and international populations from the significant impact of effluent discharged to sea . Well done to Sellafield and the National Nuclear Laboratory .”
Sellafield were also awarded the Process Safety Award for their work to safely remove highly hazardous waste from the 1960s-built Magnox Swarf Storage Silo ( MSSS ) on their site .
The evening , hosted by television and radio host Reverend Richard Coles , saw 12 winning teams and two individual
In the midst of 14 worthy winners across different fields of engineering , this project stood out because it supports almost all UK nuclear activities which are set to become increasingly important as we grapple with current energy issues .
winners take home 18 coveted trophies from the most prestigious awards in the chemical engineering profession .
A joint project from the Department of Sewage Treatment Plants and Networks , Dubai Municipality , and Alserkal Group ( Envirol ), UAE , won the Sustainability Award for their integrated recycling programme that processes about 18 million gallons of fat , oil and gas ( FOG ) waste from thousands of hotels and restaurants annually . This initiative has reduced greenhouse gas emissions and sea pollution , improved public health , and lowered the costs of sewer infrastructure for the region . This project was also Highly Commended in the Public Engagement category .
The health supplement that won TRU- MK7 the Innovative Product Award was created by company founder Dr Aydin Berenjian to bring his mother relief from joint discomfort . The New Zealand start-up developed an efficient and environmentally- friendly fermentation process for the health supplement Menaquinone-7 ( MK7 ) which supports joint health . After almost a decade of research the product is now protected by provisional patents and was successfully launched in the New Zealand market in 2021 .
The Chemical Engineering Research Society ( CERS ) of the University of New
South Wales , Australia , scooped the Public Engagement Award for their work to empower research students and create a collaborative , diverse and inclusive place for the chemical engineering research community . Within their inaugural year , they connected more than 250 members , established relationships with over 40 companies and raised more than AU $ 18,000 to support events .
The Research Project Award went to North Carolina State University , USA , Norwegian University of Science & Technology and SINTEF Industry , Norway for a unique advancement in membrane technology that allowed them to engineer ultra-selective CO2-separation membranes which help remove CO2 from fossil fuels .
Emma Claxton , Process Engineer at PM Group , UK , took home the Young Industrialist Award . Emma was praised for her technical competence and enhancement of safety standards , plus her work in robotics is making labour-intensive drug therapies more freely accessible . Emma is also driving positive change for women in chemical engineering and inspiring young women into STEM roles .
The Young Researcher Award saw Dr . Thomas Heenan from University College London , UK , was recognised for making substantial contributions to research and enterprise . To date , Heenan has published over 60 articles with more than 1,800 citations . He strongly believes that the translation of fundamental research into real-world tangible applications is important and advocates for open-source publishing . He has established several data archives that are freely available .
In other award categories there was global representation with winners and highly commended finalists from Norway , South Africa , Serbia , Germany , Saudi Arabia and Malaysia .
IChemE President David Bogle said :
“ The IChemE Global Awards provides an opportunity to recognise the best of our profession and it gave me great pleasure to welcome our finalists and guests for