On Wednesday 19^th November, CATCH hosted the latest meeting of the CATCH Humber Industrial Decarbonisation Network at Aura Innovation Centre. Joe Howe, Chair and Net Zero Humber Professor, University of Lincoln, welcomed delegates in the room and those that joined the meeting online.

Joe welcomed our first speaker, Nigel Greatorex, Global Industry Business Manager – CCS, ABB, who talked about CCS Clusters and how they differ from oil and gas. He then highlighted the challenges, including CO2 emission impurities which can cause issues with pipelines, compressors and aquifers.  One of these major issues faced is corrosion, which is due to typical CCS impurities reacting to form strong acid. Nigel explained that severe corrosion to pipelines can occur in less than 3 months. ABB have the ability to predict the likelihood of corrosion to support both operators and operations, as well as to maximise uptime, ensure safety and save money. Nigel then introduced Pace CCS – Experts in CCS Design and CMG, who specialise in sub-surface modelling. Nigel continued by showcasing CCS 360, which models the mass and energy balance of the CCS process stream, highlighting the corrosion dashboard and the potential impact of solids in the pipeline amongst other features. Nigel concluded by taken questions from delegates both online and in-person.

Joe then introduced David Kipling, Chief Executive Officer, On-Site Energy. David introduced On-Site Energy, before speaking about the significance of energy to company margins and sustainability. David then introduced Aquifier Thermal Energy Storage (ATES), which is a technology that seeks to use the ground as a large thermos flask – creating both cold and hot wells. ATES has a small footprint and can be placed under car parks or green spaces. The Netherlands are one of the earliest adopters of ATES at scale – they have over 3000 systems in operation. David explained that within the UK, large areas of England are suitable for ATES, however geological studies are required to check suitability. David then shared examples of savings that companies have achieved from adopting this technology, including a pharmaceutical plant that saw a 92% CO2 reduction on cooling and £1.25M saving per year, with a payback of the investment in just two years.

The last presentation before the coffee break saw Tom Glyn – Jones, Senior Advisor, Environment Agency, discuss their latest report – Environmental Capacity for Industrial Clusters. Tom discussed pressures on the environment that already exist, which pose a possible risk to industrial decarbonisation including the availability of water, air quality and the risk of flooding. Tom explained that the Environment Agency had engaged with government, resulting in a part-funded study through a four-year programme and was recently acknowledged in the recent Clean Power 2030 Mission Report. Tom then discussed the key findings of the report and the recommendations, which can be found here.

Tom concluded by highlighting that the Environment Agency are committed to supporting government and industry to deliver on Net Zero targets, with appropriate strategic planning and system-based interventions to support long term sustainable growth and unlock future investments.

After the coffee break, Joe welcomed Beau Grey, New Energies Project Manager, Centrica Energy Storage, who spoke about the use of hydrogen fuel for low carbon lime production through a project with Singleton Birch. Beau told the group that the project, which was submitted into the hydrogen application round, was waiting for an update from DESNZ on the project status to see if they can move into the next stage.

Beau explained that the Singleton Birch project has a focus on green hydrogen, and that the government is looking at proposals that demonstrate value for money. Centrica’s aim is to develop hydrogen storage that will complement other renewable technologies in the area. Singleton Birch is a leading lime producer, and the project tested hydrogen as a combustion fuel within the industry. Centrica and Singleton Birch are also supporting the energy transition journey within UK industry, working with the likes of Tronox and British Steel.

In order to support the decarbonisation of the lime industry, Centrica are taken stops to design and construct a 10Mwe Green Hydrogen Production Facility at Singleton Birch, where the hydrogen production rate will allow a hydrogen blend of up to 60%. Beau then discussed the technology behind the project and challenges faced, as well as the impact of strike price and demand.

Joe then introduced our last speaker, Arran Taylor, Partner, Deloitte. Arran began by taking the group through their recent Pan-European and UK survey, which focused on the hard-to-bate industrial sectors, including chemical, steel, lime and more recently, data centres. The survey found that decarbonisation is an important commitment in the long term, with 90% of those who took part in the report being on track or ahead of schedule, and 80% plan to increase investment in decarbonisation. Arran advised that respondents said that the UK has 87% higher costs than the rest of the world, and 74% compared to Europe. Most respondents do see lower carbon products as a competitive advantage; however it does cost more to create sustainable products with the challenge being the price customers are able to pay. The survey went on to report that energy cost is the main barrier to growth.

Next, he discussed the respondent’s confidence in their own ability on start-up, engagement and scaling new technologies, finding that taking ideas from pilot thought to scale was where support was needed the most. The survey then gave recommendations to refresh your investment and innovation strategy and can be found here.

Chair Joe Howe closed the network and thanked all for attending both online and in person. The next meeting of the CATCH Humber Industrial Decarbonisation Network is Wednesday 28^th January 2026, to be held at Aura Innovation Centre in Hull.

For more information about CATCH Membership and other networks, please contact Katie Hedges, Chief Strategy Officer, katie.hedges@catchuk.org.

On Wednesday 29 October 2025, British Steel hosted the CATCH Human Factors Network in Scunthorpe. The event was well attended with over 20 delegates in person and via Teams. Chris Marron, Competence Framework Lead at Dr Reddy’s and Network Chair welcomed delegates and introductions were made.

Fiona Bird, Head of Human Factors from Pendyne, led a workshop on Human Factors Integration, reflecting on her extensive experience of projects in the rail sector.

Fiona began by explaining how Human Factors Leaders often find themselves isolated in their role, with a strong message from Fiona being to reach out to others early, find your allies and understand their role within various projects.  Human Factors Leaders become experts on managing compromises, communication and clarity, whilst also maintaining purpose and boundaries. Fiona then invited delegates shared their experiences on finding allies across diverse project teams.

Fiona went on to explain how Human Factors Leaders will benefit from knowing your uniqueness and being able to clearly define your value to both leaders and managers. The advice given by Fiona was to explain how HF makes or saves money and how compliance with HF can gain product acceptance and triggers milestone payments. Compliance with HF avoids fines or late fees, while also reducing the risk of accidents, penalties and reputational damage. By communicating benefits more clearly, Human Factors Leaders are better able to convey their role better without giving a lecture.

Mapping history of Human Factors within your business or sector can be extremely valuable, particularly when the aim is to get colleagues to buy in to Human Factors as an integral role. Accident history, especially accidents that highlight Human Factors can be impactful and essential to the discussion surrounding the importance of Human Factors. Fiona also explained how business may also be able to map their evolutionary maturity level, and that within the rail sector this has evolved significantly through mature and advanced approaches to Human Factors. Fiona once again opened the floor to delegates and their personal experiences of finding their own personal why within their companies.

After a break, Fiona explored the importance of requirements, including the process of understanding the requirements, how best to map the topics, identification of Human Factors activities & deliverables and finally the need of requirements to ensure alignment across the project. The group learnt about best practice for both writing a Human Factors Integration Plan and delivering the plan. Fiona finished by taking questions from the group, and the meeting closed with delegates sharing updates from their own companies

The next meeting of the CATCH Human Factors Network will be held on Wednesday 25 February 2026.  For more information about this and other CATCH Networks, please contact katie.hedges@catchuk.org

CATCH Cyber Security Network was hosted at Tronox on 15th October 2025. Over 30 delegates joined the session both in person and on Teams, welcomed by Adam Chapman, Manager of OT Cyber Security at Tronox & Chair of the CATCH Cyber Security Network. Adam opened the meeting and introductions to the speakers were made.

The first speaker of the Network was Luke Molyneaux, Cyber & Information Security Officer at ABB PAEN UK. Luke gave a presentation on Cyber Security in Energy Transition Greenfield and Brownfield systems, initially setting the scene stating that the UK is experiencing 1,925 cyber-attacks per week, impacting major organisations such as Jaguar Landover, the NHS and Marks & Spencers to name a few.  Luke explored risk reduction for industrial cyber security in the workplace through malware protection, security updates, backup, system hardening, application allowlisting and asset inventory, describing the features of ABB Cyber Security Architecture for reference. Luke finished by providing an update on Regulatory Changes to NCSC CAF [4.0], and how ABB can support sites with system hardening and control of application allowlisting.

After a brief coffee break, the group discussed how to take Cyber Security Standards and turn them into CSMS Policies & Procedures. The discussion included ISO 27001, IEC 62443, UK CAF/NIS/OG86, NIST and NIS 2. Those present compared their sites experiences of compliance with standards and how to meet various demands. The group also discussed how site leadership can help develop robust systems and procedures.

Adam outlined training dates in 2026 for IEC 62443 with ISA (booking with ISA through their website), and will be held at CATCH on the following dates:

16-20 Feb IC32/33 (part 1)

13-17 July IC34/IC37 (part 2 hands on technical)

14-18 Sep IC32/IC33 (part 1)

Over lunch the group heard from Martin Holste, Chief Technology Officer at Trellix Cloud & AI Security.  Martin was joined by Dominic Sowden, Mo Cashman & TG Singham, all of whom are from Trellix, and provided an international input crossing several time zones.  Martin gave an insightful overview surrounding the use of AI for security and how to spot the threat and neutralize it before it strikes.  When correctly used, a generative AI solution can save time, offering consistent approach to corrective actions against threat actors. Martin concluded by giving a full demonstration on how Trellix Wise investigates and deals with an alert.

The next meeting of the CATCH Cyber Security Network will be held on 11th March 2026. For more information about this and our other CATCH network please contact katie.hedges@catchuk.org.

CATCH held their Environmental Managers Network on Wednesday 8^th October via Teams. The group chair, Martin Jones, HSEQI Manager at Prax Lindsey Oil Refinery, welcomed over 30 delegates to the meeting and introductions were made.

Martinbegan the meeting by honouring the memory of Dr Tony Edwards, who sadly passed away recently. Tony was not only chair of the CATCH Environmental Managers Network for many years, but also an active director of Humber Nature Partnership and regularly lectured at University of Hull. Tony will be missed by all who knew him.

Martin introduced Colin Robinson, Business Manager UK & Ireland, from Evides Industriewater, who gave a presentation on Industrial Wastewater Treatment & the Environment. Colin shone a spotlight on our low carbon future, which will also be a high nitrogen one. Colin described the 3 different causes of N2O production in Denitrification processes and then explained how climate change could have an impact on water quality, a result of warmer, wetter winters. Industrial sites might see bio-fouling requiring more maintenance, reduced effectiveness of water cooled systems, lower water treatment recovery rates or temporary limits introduced for water abstraction. Colin advised that water should be on your risk register with plans in place for coping with seasonal variation. Sites would benefit from knowing their water balance and mass balance for key pollutants – buddying up with neighbouring sites for treatment and supply may also mitigate impacts.

After a break, Matthew Woolin from the Environment Agency gave a presentation on Regulation for Climate Change Adaptation. Matthew laid out the EA’s expectations & objectives for EPR and COMAH sites including undertaking a site-specific climate change risk assessment and preparing and regularly reviewing an adaptation plan. Guidance is available here:

Develop a management system: environmental permits – GOV.UK

Adapting to climate change: industry sector examples for your risk assessment – GOV.UK

Climate impacts tool: guidance for Environment Agency staff

The EA aims to help industry adapt to climate change whilst remaining compliant with their permits and operating a successful business. COMAH sites will have received information from the EA in May explaining the intervention priorities for 2025/26.

Company updates included the following announcements:

Uniper were pleased to announce they have submitted their planning application for a Humber Green Hydrogen Hub project in Immingham, more details here https://www.uniper.energy/united-kingdom/news/uniper-submits-planning-application-for-humber-h2ub-green-hydrogen-production-facility/

Humber Nature Partnership are now taking registrations for their Annual Conference on 13 November at Hull Guildhall. Details can be found https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2025-humber-conference-tickets-1780454720999?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=ebdsshcopyurl

The CATCH Conference Centre is now closed for expansion and renovation and is due to be open again in early spring. Networks and events will continue to run as normal with members hosting as far as possible.  CATCH facilitate a series of industry led network groups for members, more details can be found at https://catchuk.org/catch-networks/

The next Environmental Managers Network will be held on Wednesday 4^th March 2026.

CATCH are pleased to announce that we have been successful in our push to deliver Department for Education Skills Bootcamps, designed to allow development and training for the changing industrial landscape.

Working in conjunction with Maersk Training and Renewable Power Academy, these Skills Bootcamps help develop new skills that employers are looking for, as well as providing workers with progression opportunities that can be used to further their current careers.

The following Skills Bootcamps will be offered at our CATCH Facility in Stallingborough:

•  Introduction to Industrial Engineering (Welding, Metal Fabrication and Mechanical Engineering)

     Successful completion of this Skills Bootcamp will see participants receive an EAL Level 2 NVQ Diploma in Performing Engineering Operations

     Contact bootcamps@catchuk.org to book a place. 

This 12-week programme will allow participants to develop vital Industrial Engineering Skills in Mechanical Engineering, Welding and Metal Fabrication, as well as receiving support with employability, interviews and CV Building.

• Green Skills Bootcamp – Wind Turbine Technician

     Successful completion will see participants receive GWO Accreditation from Maersk Training.

      Contact windcareers@maersktraining.com to book a place.

• Green Skills Bootcamp – Blade Repair Pathway

     Successful completion will see participants receive both GWO and ECITB Accreditation.

     Contact greenskills@renpow-group.com to book a place.

Positions on the bootcamps are open to both employed individuals and those currently out of work, with participants being fully supported throughout the duration of their bootcamp not only with technical elements and assessments, but with obtaining the necessary endorsements and sign posting to further their careers, should this be required.

Our next Skills Bootcamp dates are as follows:

24th November 2025: Green Skills Bootcamp – Wind Turbine Technician Pathway (windcareers@maersktraining.com)

6th January 2026: Introduction to Industrial Engineering (bootcamps@catchuk.org)

26th January 2026: Green Skills Bootcamp – Wind Turbine Technician Pathway (windcareers@maersktraining.com)

23rd February 2026: Green Skills Bootcamp – Wind Turbine Technician Pathway (windcareers@maersktraining.com)

CATCH Skills are pleased to introduce two new CATCH Skills Courses this Autumn.

The first of these new, CATCH Accredited Courses, is Rigging Loft Management and LOLER Compliance, which looks to build on existing knowledge of slinging and lifting, with a greater focus on legislation, regulatory compliance and the necessary skills to manage rigging lofts.

“This course was created following feedback from clients who have completed slinging and lifting and were looking for a rigging loft managers course to further their learning” said Daisy Morgan, CATCH Skills Account Manager.

This new Rigging Loft Management and LOLER Compliance will cover aspects such as rigging fundamentals and inspection and maintenance of essential equipment, as well as challenges faced in the workplace and how to best overcome them.

In addition, we are also furthering our CATCH Skills Course reach by introducing our new CATCH Skills Managing Working at Height course, which has been carefully designed and curated for those whose teams work at height.

Aiming to raise awareness of both safe systems of work and legislation surrounding working at height, the course blends both practical and classroom-based learning to ensure delegates receive the necessary training to be able to safely and competently manage teams.

Daisy continued by saying: “From discussion with delegates, we’ve recognised that there is a lack of training across these topics in the local area, so being able to offer this new course helps bridge the skills gap.”

Our ex-industry expert tutors have used their extensive knowledge to be able to build these courses based on industry requirements, regulatory legislation and bridging the training gap that has been identified within the region.

For more information about our new CATCH Skills Courses, please contact info@catchuk.org, or call 01469 552828.

As CATCH continues to try and bridge the skills back by providing skilled and competent new entrants to industry, we are proud to share the introduction of our new Pre-Apprenticeship Programme.

This 12-week intensive programmes provides learners the opportunity to fast track their way to a Level 2 Qualification in Performing Engineering Operations, with the view to obtain employment or a further Level 3 Apprenticeship in the new year.

Our first cohort consists of 7 talented individuals, all of whom have been working tirelessly to succeed in such a short period of time.

During their first 3 weeks, the pre-apprentices, many of whom gained a place on the programme with little or no engineering experience, have not only learnt the fundamental principles of health and safety and effective communication in the workplace, but have also gained vital hands-on experience across both mechanical and electrical engineering from their first day at CATCH.

The pre-apprentices have learnt the relevant hand-fitting skills, using various tools and techniques to produce an “Engineers Square”, and this week have successfully completed electrical circuits composed of two-way switches, lights and 20mm conduit.

Following the successful completion of their 12-week programme, our pre-apprentices will be aiming to secure employment or a Level 3 Apprenticeship within the engineering industry. We would encourage employers and companies to speak to either Brad Fox (brad.fox@catchuk.org) or Bob Padley (bob.padley@catchuk.org) about the skills our pre-apprentices have developed, or how a pre-apprentice could be an asset to your business. We also welcome employers to visit our pre-apprentices at our CATCH Facility in Stallingborough, see their skills in action or provide useful insights surrounding the engineering industry, applications, interviews and the benefits of the programme which they are currently completing.

Should an employer be interested in taking on one of the CATCH pre-apprentices as a Level 3 Apprentice, CATCH are able to assist in facilitating this, with capacity to accept Day-Release Learners starting in January, or as a Full-Time Apprentice following February Half-Term.

We look forward to seeing how our pre-apprentices progress during their time at CATCH, and will be showcasing more of not only their technical abilities but also their personal development, employability workshops and visits from those already working in industry.

CATCH Industrial Decarbonisation Network Chair Joe Howe, welcomed delegates in person and online before explaining the format of the meeting. Joe invited our first speaker Torsha Nag ABB, who talked about Digital Solutions in Green Hydrogen Production.

Torsha explained that the process of Energy and Hydrogen Management is complex, with various components needing to be optimized for the process to be effective. She continued by discussing the ABB approach, covering production, distribution and end use. Torsha further added about ABB OPTIMAX digital solution, that provides a coordinated solution- including forecasting, energy optimization, advanced process control and energy market interaction. Benefits include a 20% reduction in OPEX costs, efficiency increases and emissions reduction and balancing of energy sources to ensure availability while leveraging from market prices.

Joe facilitated questions before introducing Blair McMaster, Senior Consultant Carbon Capture, starting with an Introduction into DNV, who have been active in CCUS over the last ten years. He highlighted two recent projects including Skylark in Cumbria where they have large scale release experiments and Transactions, where they are an ENI CCUS global infrastructure partner. Next, he introduced their new report – Energy Transition Outlook: CCS to 2050.

The key takeaways from the report suggest that the turning point for CCS is now. CCS project pipeline has grown significantly, with capacity to increase substantially with the strongest growth in hard-to-decarbonise sectors. By 2050 they estimate that 6% of global emissions will be captured.  Barriers include technical, high cost, public perception and regulatory and policy challenges. Blair discussed global predictions and highlighted that maritime transport is also included.

Link to the report –  https://www.dnv.com/energy-transition-outlook/carbon-capture-storage/

Next, Joe introduced Children Challenging Industry Primary Science Lead Melanie Boyeson, University of York. Melanie told the group about how they facilitate connections and provide resources for primary children to experience industry and help businesses to achieve their outreach goals. The aim of the CIEC at University of York is to encourage young people – our future workforce – to consider STEM and industry careers.  Find out more here – https://www.york.ac.uk/ciec/industry-support/

After a short break Joe introduced the paper The Road to Net Zero: Renewables and Nuclear Working Together, presented by William Bodel, Research Associate in Nuclear Systems, The University of Manchester. The paper is the latest of five position papers from the Dalton Nuclear institute and considers DESNZ detailed scenarios for future energy needs to 2050. The paper also analyses the High Electrification Scenario and suggests an alternative flexible nuclear scenario as well as the total installed power capacity and how much electricity is supplied. William introduced the solution of cogeneration, which uses nuclear power for electricity supply to the grid, and heat production for hydrogen, ammonia and synthetic fuels, direct air capture of CO2, industrial application and heating homes and businesses. This makes nuclear flexible in replacing gas as a support for wind. In comparison to the High Electrification Scenario which gas delivers 1% of all electricity, for 11% of the total cost.

Joe wrapped up the meeting after questions and thanked all our speakers and delegates.

The next meeting will be held on Wednesday 19^th November at Aura Innovation Centre, Hull, which will include Centrica ES+ & Singleton Birch Case Study – Hydrogen Fuel for Low Carbon Lime Production.

CATCH hosted the Humber Major Hazards Group on Wednesday 16 July, we were delighted to be joined by Yura Sevcenco a Principal Hydrogen Consultant with DNV based at Spadeadam, who gave a presentation on Hydrogen Safety and Carbon Dioxide testing developments at Spadeadam. The network’s chair, Dan Rawdin from SSE, welcomed over 25 delegates both on teams and in person at CATCH.

Yura first gave a detailed input on hydrogen safety, how hydrogen compares to natural gas in various scenarios and how the smaller mass of the hydrogen molecule leads to different behaviour and different hazard and risk management approaches. Yura demonstrated how hydrogen behaves differently to methane in situations such as accumulation and compared jet fires in both substances. Yura described results of experiments on the effects of reactivity on confined and congested explosions. Yura highlighted that Acetylene has a higher rate of deflagration to detonation transition than hydrogen and could present an example of a common chemical used today with the appropriate safety protocols in place. When looking at the wider risk of a gas distribution network running on methane (with older equipment) compared to a potential new hydrogen system deployed (with new equipment), there is evidence to suggest this being a safer system overall.

Yura took questions and after a coffee break continued with an update on a project called Skylark Joint Industry Project at Spadeadam, with a focus on CO2 hazards. Research on carbon dioxide safety, related to capture, transportation and storage, has been undertaken since 2007. Experiments have been performed at Spadeadam to understand how CO2 gas behaves in various leak/release scenarios. Yura described how dispersion models have been used for various weather conditions and how different terrain can affect the outcome. Learning points will be shared with emergency responders and training packages are being developed. 

Companies were given the opportunity to provide site updates and Katie reviewed the content of the website www.goinstayintunein.org with the group. The website is available to members to aid their communication of site hazards and actions to be taken in the event of an incident that may occur and result in offsite effects.

The next Major Hazards Group will be held on 12th November at PX, Saltend, Hull. If you are interested in attending, please contact katie.hedges@catchuk.org.

On Thursday 17th July 2025, CATCH Apprenticeships hosted their glittering End of Year Awards Afternoon, recognising the hard work and dedication of the 2024-2025 Apprentice Cohort.

Held at the Beachcomber in Cleethorpes, apprentices, employers, family and staff alike attended to see who would walk away with the coveted “Apprentice of the Year” Award.

Awards were also given for Practical Competency, Most Improved and Academic Achievement within each trade, as well as the overall Above and Beyond Award, and CATCH Champion.

Please join us in congratulating our 2025 winners:

Process Operations (Dakota)

Academic Achievement – Thomas Nurse (Croda)

Practical Competency – Harry Radford (Lenzing)

Most Improved – Henry Rosindale (Mitsubishi Chemical)

Process Operations (Denver)

Academic Achievement – Drew Docherty (Triton Power)

Practical Competency – Oliver Sims (Triton Power) 

Most Improved – Melissa Clubley (Centrica)

Electrical

Academic Achievement – Zachary Ogley (Centrica)

Practical Competency – Joseph Brewitt (Tronox)

Most Improved – Evie Dickinson (Knauf) 

Mechanical

Academic Achievement – Jack Horton (Tronox)

Practical Competency – Rhys Leake (Cargill)

Most Improved – Lucas James (Spirit Energy)

Welding

Academic Achievement – Jack Warrender (EFAB)

Practical Competency – Ethan Dawson (Rainham Industrial Services)

Most Improved – Finn Hillary (Blackrow)

Pipefitting 

Academic Achievement – Oliver Wilson (PJD)

Practical Competency – Harry Watt (Phillips 66)

Most Improved – Freddie Smith (EFAB) 

Metal Fabrication

Academic Achievement – Bartosz Potrzuski (PJD)

Practical Competency – Euan Hoyle (Worley)

Most Improved – Ellis Churches (PJD)

ECITB Scholars

Academic Achievement – Kieran Poole 

Practical Competency – Matthew Watson

Most Improved – Miller Johnson

Above and Beyond Award – Zachary Craig (Lenzing)

CATCH Champion – Emily Hasthorpe (Lenzing)

Apprentice of the Year – Barney Morley (Mitsubishi Chemical)