“Hydrasun has been involved in a wide range of hydrogen projects and so we’re excited to be working on the Aberdeen Hydrogen Hub. These projects are built on the expertise of our people, and frameworks such as the ECITB Small Bore Tubing (SBT) training standards play a vital role in supporting that capability.”
That’s the view of Stuart Gardiner, Operations Director at Hydrasun, ahead of delivering an advanced SBT programme for its H2 technicians working on a hydrogen project in Aberdeen.
In August 2024, Hydrasun secured the hydrogen technology package for the Aberdeen Hydrogen Hub, a project led by bpAHEL, a joint venture between bp and Aberdeen City Council.
Hydrasun – which specialises in delivering integrated fluid transfer, power and control solutions across various sectors – will support the development of a scalable green hydrogen production, storage and distribution facility, located at Hareness Road, Aberdeen.
As both an ECITB-approved training provider and international employer, Hydrasun recognises the vital importance of having a skilled and competent workforce, particularly around core skill sets, such as SBT installation and maintenance.
The ECITB’s SBT training standards and four-stage model of training and testing were developed alongside industry to increase the standard of workmanship and integrity of connections and installations in industrial applications.
The model, which includes four SBT tests that verify technical competence, helps to mitigate releases of gases and liquids in a process environment, leading to a reduced environmental impact and greater safety for the site and workforce.
“There has to be a strong emphasis on safety and competency when working with hydrogen,” says Stuart.
“ECITB training standards are therefore absolutely critical to underpin the required skills in order to deliver safe, efficient and reliable operations.
“The SBT standards are a clear reference point to define the quality of training and assessment we need to deliver as an industry.
“Being part of the ECITB’s SBT forum, we support the evolution of these standards, both in terms of installation and inspection. Making sure they are fit for purpose is so important.
“Setting that reference point for industry to deliver against ensures the workforce have the right competencies as hydrogen projects begin to move into construction.”
Transferable skills
The SBT scheme has been one of the ECITB’s most used products since it was developed in partnership with industry experts in 2013, in collaboration with Step Change in Safety. Since 2013, more than 14,000 workers have benefited from this training in Great Britain.
Traditionally viewed as a discipline needed in the oil and gas industry, reviews and changes to the training standards in the last decade have future-proofed SBT for net zero, such as for the hydrogen work undertaken by Hydrasun.
Headquartered in Aberdeen, but with bases in five UK locations, Hydrasun employs more than 500 staff globally – with more than 70 employees focussed on hydrogen solutions.
Hydrasun has five decades of experience delivering high pressure gas system solutions across sectors including oil and gas, renewables, petrochemical, marine and defence. For the past 25 years, it has delivered training to support internal competency development and their customers.
Over the past decade, Hydrasun has diversified into the hydrogen market, delivering over 50 key projects across the mobility, power and industrial sectors across the UK and Europe.
Hydrasun has leveraged transferable skills such as SBT across to these new sectors.
“Whilst hydrogen systems are complex, the existing skills and core technical competencies are transferable with upskilling to ensure we work safely with different gases and technology. Hydrasun has demonstrated that as we’ve transitioned into the hydrogen market,” Stuart adds.
Supporting the energy transition
Hydrogen projects delivered by Hydrasun have included the integration of hydrogen production and refuelling at Tyseley Energy Park in Brimingham and installing equipment at Toyota’s manufacturing plant in Derby to refuel its hydrogen buses and cars.
Hydrasun’s hydrogen technicians have been through the full ECITB route to competence for SBT. This is part of the company’s wider hydrogen training, which includes integrity inspection, leak detection, pneumatic testing and process safety fundamentals.
Training and testing are carried out in Hydrasun’s Hydrogen Skills Academy in Aberdeen, which helps to reskill and upskill the future hydrogen workforce. The academy delivers ECITB’s SBT and Mechanical Joint Integrity (MJI) standards as part of its skills framework.
“We’re really proud of the core industrial business that we do, but also how we’re supporting workforce development for the energy transition, which is hugely important for industry,” Stuart says.
“Our involvement in delivering hydrogen projects across the UK and in Europe means we’re well positioned to support the evolving requirements of the energy workforce.
“Skills and competence are at the heart of what we do. That’s why we established the Hydrogen Skills Academy – to equip the people at the centre of these projects with the skills and competencies they need to deliver them safely.”
Find out more about ECITB Small Bore Tubing at: https://www.ecitb.org.uk/professional-development/technical-and-trade/small-bore-tubing/