NEWS
UCC-led project aims to convert waste industrial heat into electricity
Electrotechnical and engineering services association ECA has highlighted the importance of electrical apprenticeships in the move to low carbon technologies and net zero as students across the UK receive their A Level results. ECA is placing a need for more electrical apprentices firmly at the centre of the new government’s agenda, launching an Electrical Skills Index to analyse uptake of classroom-based courses compared to apprenticeships. Mike Smith, Technical Director and former President of ECA, said, “Undertaking an electrical apprenticeship was the best decision I ever made. It gave me the opportunity to learn about electrical theory and the practical elements of how to install various cabling methods, containment, switchgear and electronics. “Far from restricting career choices, undertaking an apprenticeship has opened so many doors for me and allowed me to develop as I wanted, at a pace that suited me.” Visit the Electrical Careers website, an industry-approved portal for finding routes into electrical apprenticeships, at www.electricalcareers.co.uk/case-studies/ ECA champions electrical apprenticeships post A Level results
A €3m Horizon Europe project to develop a new system for energy harvesting from industrial waste heat is underway, led by the Tyndall National Institute at University College Cork (UCC). Energy-intensive, high-temperature processing industries such as cement, steel and glass are losing more than 50% of their energy as waste heat during production. Totalling approximately 400 TWh of power each year, the waste heat represents almost one seventh of the total European electrical power demand. Despite the availability of technologies to convert waste heat into electricity,
the adoption of these solutions at an industry scale has been poor. INFERNO, a Horizon Europe-funded project, is tackling specific barriers such as efficiency and cost of renewable technologies, with the aim of developing a new hybrid platform system based on the integration of solid-state devices. A collaboration between European experts in materials research, the project is looking at modelling, cell fabrication, thermoelectricity and electronics, aiming to develop new materials and systems for the conversion of thermal power to electricity. www.tyndall.ie
SRC student among eight finalists to compete at SkillELECTRIC UK Final
Jonathan Gough, an apprentice at MD Electrics studying at Southern Regional College (SRC), is among eight competitors scoring highest in regional heats of SkillELECTRIC. After competing in the SkillBuild NI Regional Competition 2024 hosted by CITB NI at South West College in Enniskillen on May 21, Jonathan has qualified for the SkillELECTRIC UK Final to be held at Oldham College across the week of November 18. SkillELECTRIC, an annual search for the UK’s best student electrician, is part of the WorldSkills UK competition framework. Alongside SkillELECTRIC, around 50
other WorldSkills national competition finals featuring over 400 competitors will be taking place around Greater Manchester. SkillELECTRIC competitors will have to excel in a complicated three-day practical installation task set to a strict timescale and against rigorous marking criteria. This year’s event will also include an EV charging-related task for competitors to tackle. Top age-eligible performers could be in with a chance of representing the UK in the Electrical Installation competition at WorldSkills 2026 in Shanghai, China. www.skillelectric.org.uk
SRC apprentice Jonathan Gough has been selected to compete in the SkillELECTRIC UK Final.
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