OTTO Simon

OTTO SIMON

AT THE FOREFRONT OF THE UK’S ZERO-CARBON TRANSITION POWERED BY INSIDE SUSTAINABILITY

OTTO SIMON

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PROFILE

AT THE FOREFRONT OF THE UK’S

ZERO CARBON TRANSITION

Building on 150 years of expertise in gas processing, thermal processes and technology selection, Otto Simon Ltd has expanded into the emergent technologies sector, delivering projects for methane fermentation, bio-syngas production, and utilising hydrogen as fuel. Senior Project Manager Clive Mansfield discussed further the employee owned trust’s pioneering work in the burgeoning hydrogen sector. Feature by Andy Probert.

2 Otto Simon

Becoming an employee owned trust in 2019, Otto Simon has around 100 employees in Manchester, Rotherham, Stalybridge, Forfar, and based on long-term client sites across the UK.

Enviable track record Otto Simon has developed an enviable track record in applying advanced technology in the coke/steel, renewables, waste, biomass, biofuels, energy, petrochemical, water and refinery sectors.

Building on 150 years of expertise in gas processing, thermal processes, and technology selection, it has since expanded into the emergent technologies sector, delivering projects for methane fermentation, bio-syngas production, and utilising

O

hydrogen as fuel, among others.

original company, led by Dr Otto, became

remains at the forefront of technical inno-

a world leader in coke processing and built

vation in the developing hydrogen market.

tto Simon Ltd has always led from the front, no matter what century it found itself. From the late 1800s, the

more than 48,000 coke ovens worldwide.

Henry Simon, a Prussian born engineer

Otto Simon became a member of the North West Hydrogen Alliance in 2019 and

“We specialise in providing services to the hydrogen sector, working on pioneering

who moved to the UK in 1860, revolutionised

UK projects,” commented Senior Project

the flour milling industry by introducing the

Manager Clive Mansfield. This includes

rolling flour milling plant. He turned his inter-

providing practical hands-on engineering

ests towards revolutionising the manufac-

expertise for feasibility studies, due dili-

ture of coke and implemented innovative

gence, undertaking demonstration trials,

technology across the UK.

and repurposing conventional gas equip-

When the companies merged in 1974, later becoming Otto Simon Ltd in 2004, a consolidated legacy of know-how and

ment to utilise blended or pure hydrogen as a fuel source in industrial settings.

The team has built considerable experi-

experience as a privately owned engi-

ence with hydrogen as a fuel and provides

neering consultancy and project delivery

technical engineering support to several

organisation began.

pioneering hydrogen projects.

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OTTO SIMON

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Otto Simon is supporting Progressive

develop and promote hydrogen tech-

Energy with the Department for Business,

nology in the North West of England,”

Enterprise, and Industrial Strategy (BEIS)

Mr Mansfield revealed.

funded fuel switching studies. It recently delivered the HyDeploy project at Keele

Key role in hydrogen projects

University, working with Progressive Energy

Hydrogen has a crucial role to play in the UK

and Cadent to trial the blending of hydrogen

government’s strategy to be net-zero by

into the gas grid.

2050. The North West of England produces

“We are working closely with the North West Hydrogen Alliance to 4 Otto Simon

40 million metric tonnes of CO2 emissions each year and acknowledges it is part of

press, pipe and store it in depleted gas fields in the Irish Sea. The UK government recently awarded £33 million to HyNet to further develop this project, supported by a further £39 million of private funding from the HyNet consortium.

Investigative works have been undertaken to prove the feasibility of producing and supplying sufficient volumes of hydrogen to satisfy industrial demand, while preparatory work continues regarding the capture and storage of CO2.

The preparedness for the hydrogen revolution is in part driven by the funding from BEIS. Fuel switching studies and trials have commenced in which practical assessment will qualify the suitability of hydrogen as an alternative to natural gas.

This includes evaluating the introduction of 100% hydrogen into furnaces and fired equipment whilst parallel events have taken place assessing the effects of blending 20% hydrogen in natural gas for commercial and domestic use.

This is where Otto Simon’s extensive experience in gas processing, gas cleaning and managing the process and its safety standards and requirements is quickly gaining ground. the global problem. But now, the North

Hydrogen in an industrial environment

West is at the vanguard of implementing

Otto Simon is also heavily involved in

regional solutions.

a fuel-switching project at glass manu-

HyNet is arguably the most high-profile

facturer NSG’s gas furnace in St Helens.

project of its kind in the UK. It has two prin-

It designed and implemented innovative

cipal objectives: to supply hydrogen to

modifications to allow the glass manu-

large industrial consumers of natural gas,

facturing plant to run on hydrogen fuel.

which will entail building pipelines, and

“The process was successfully trialled,

upgrading plant and fired equipment;

marking an important step in decarbonising

and to capture CO2 from industry, com-

the UK industry,” commented Mr Mansfield.

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OTTO SIMON

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Before a wholesale switch to hydrogen is made, the effect of its use on the manufacturing process needs to be tested and understood. Unlike boiler systems where fuel is used to raise steam or hot water, which can be piped for use elsewhere, fuel used in the manufacture of glass comes into direct contact with the product. Any adverse impact upon product quality would be unacceptable.

Working with its partners, Otto Simon provided design, construction and commissioning services to facilitate the innovative hydrogen trials at NSG Pilkington Glass’s Greengate site. The trials were successfully completed and demonstrated hydrogen was as capable as natural gas in achieving excellent melting performance and product quality in the furnace, with vastly reduced carbon emissions.

“It gives confidence that a wholesale switch to hydrogen as a fuel is not only technically feasible, it would eliminate

Highly commended

carbon dioxide emissions from the pro-

Otto Simon and partner FutureBay were

cess,” stated Mr Mansfield.

recently highly commended in the Energy

Once the feasibility was established,

Awards and the Sustainability Award at the

Otto Simon developed a conceptual

IChemE Global Awards 2021, which cele-

design for full-scale deployment of

brate chemical, process and biochemical

switching to the new hydrogen fuel. It

engineering excellence.

oversaw the construction and commis-

The awards were for FutureBay’s develop-

sioning of infrastructure for the hydrogen

ment of a new energy storage technology

trials at Greengate, and NSG successfully

based on a novel thermal cycle that delivers

manufactured architectural glass using

energy storage, cooling, heating, and con-

hydrogen fuel in a world-first trial.

verts waste heat to electricity.

Mr Mansfield asserted: “The results and

By capturing, storing, and converting

experience gained from this project will

heat to electricity, the system allows

allow us to support companies in other

users to shift the electrical load from

industries to trial and adapt to using

peak to off-peak periods, utilising heat

hydrogen as a fuel source.”

currently wasted to improve overall

8 Otto Simon

energy efficiency and enable electrical demand to be managed.

The technology can be applied to industrial

Once the system was built and commissioned, trials were conducted and proved the FutureBay system could capture the

and commercial processes, delivering signif-

waste heat from the data centre and deliver

icant environmental benefits to diverse

1.2MWth of cooling whilst simultaneously

industries. It can provide users with savings

delivering stored electricity.

of up to 50% of energy consumption, 100%

FutureBay’s containerised system has

of energy costs and reduces CO2 emissions

been designed for easy installation onto

by up to 60%.

existing facilities. The system has been

FutureBay built, tested, and operated

designed with environmental, health and

a full-scale demonstration unit in Oldham

safety benefits in mind, using nontoxic mate-

which confirmed all aspects of the system’s

rials operating at low temperatures and

operation. Otto Simon acted as principal

pressures for safe and reliable operation.

designer to deliver the demonstration unit,

Mr Mansfield commented: “Otto Simon is

supporting the concept development and

proud of our involvement with the develop-

managing the detailed design, installation

ment of this project. FutureBay’s novel

and commissioning.

thermal cycle delivers energy storage Otto Simon 9

OTTO SIMON

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PROFILE

capabilities which can benefit a wide

convert methane into a single cell protein

range of commercial and industrial applica-

product. The product, Feedkind™, is an

tions, as well as help to achieve the transi-

alternative to fishmeal in aquaculture and

tion to a zero-carbon economy.”

promises to be a significant development in the protein market.

More achievements

Otto Simon designed and constructed

Otto Simon has also been instrumental in

a plant to produce FeedKind™ protein that

working with Calysta and the Centre for

contributed to it winning ‘Team Award’ at

Process Innovation to deliver a new biotech

the 2017 Global IChemE Awards. Following

plant in Teesside that brings an interesting

the successful project delivery, Otto Simon

new twist in turning fuel into food.

supports developing a pre-FEED Process

As fish increasingly becomes an important source of protein, the debate for sustainability and protection of wild fish builds.

Design Package for commercial-scale projects worldwide.

Otto Simon has also worked with Go Green

The required increase in fish production will

Fuels, a spin-off from Advanced Plasma

have to come from farmed fish, and these

Power, to deliver a Compressed Bio-

fish need to be fed; at this point, technology

Methane Demonstration Plant in Swindon.

enters the debate.

The plant was designed to convert waste

Calysta has developed a process utilising methanotrophic bacteria that

from local homes and businesses into biomethane for injection into the local gas distribution network and reduce landfill.

The project won the Energy Award, Sustainability Award and Outstanding Achievement award at the 2018 Global IChemE awards.

Key differentiators Mr Mansfield emphasised that Otto Simon differentiated itself from the competition as it excelled in its chosen field while acting as an employee owned trust.

He explained: “Surveys show that employee-owned businesses achieve higher productivity, improved innovation, and better resilience to economic turbulence, and workforces are more engaged, more fulfilled, and less stressed.

“By giving employees a stake and a voice in how the business is run, the 10 Otto Simon

employee ownership helps promote a

While the business has naturally enacted

general wellbeing of employees.” It also

measures to limit the impact of the pan-

reduces staff turnover, enables long-

demic and continues to assess and respond

running relationships with clients and

to industry challenges, Mr Mansfield empha-

encourages repeat business.

sised that one of Otto Simon’s key activities

Ensuring all projects are delivered to the highest HSEQ standard, Otto Simon has

is to keep track of its carbon footprint.

He added: “Maintaining a continual

won the RoSPA Gold Award for the past

improvement quality system means we’re

five years, earning them the RoSPA Gold

always looking for ways to improve our

Medal Award for outstanding health and

operations. We work with clients to develop

safety achievements and they recently

innovative technologies and processes

achieved over 1 million manhours without

which promote sustainability and support

a RIDDOR reportable accident.

them in improving energy efficiency at their

Mr Mansfield reflected that Otto Simon is agile and responsive, with a flat man-

sites and facilities.”

Looking ahead, Mr Mansfield said: “The

agement hierarchy that enables them

government’s hydrogen strategy lays

to adapt quickly and be flexible to

out a road map for the next 20 years of

clients’ requirements.

hydrogen development in the UK. Otto

“Otto Simon has extensive experience

Simon plans to continue supporting the

delivering major projects from concept

development of the hydrogen economy

stage to commercial operation. We sup-

in the North West and continue investing

port clients at every step of their project

in emergent and novel technologies to

development and forge lasting relation-

promote decarbonisation.

ships to provide consistent, high-quality

“The challenge to the industry is to meet

support. All this is underpinned by main-

Net-Zero by 2050 and Otto Simon aims to

taining open, honest and collaborative

position itself as an expert on hydrogen

working relationships.”

fuel switching.”

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www.ottosimon.co.uk