Business Breakfast: Harrogate robots help reduce UK’s greenhouse gas emissions

The Stray Ferret Business Club’s next meeting will take place on Thursday, November 30. 

The Business Club provides monthly opportunities to network, make new connections and hear local success stories.

A Harrogate advanced engineering company is working with gas networks to detect and repair leaks with the aid of state-of-the-art robots.

Synovate‘s LeakVISION robot crawls along pipelines and uses heat sensors to detect leaks, which are often caused by shrinkage, a phenomenon that accounts for more than 1% of the UK’s greenhouse emissions.

The issue is a significant one for the gas companies. Earlier this year, a major methane leak in the UK was detected from space. The amount of methane – a potent greenhouse gas – that was lost over three months would have been enough to power 7,500 houses for a year.

Synovate’s new robot technology was trialled by Cadent, the UK’s largest gas distribution network, ahead of the King’s Coronation festivities in London. The use of robots minimised the need for roadworks at a time when the capital was extremely busy with hundreds of thousands of visitors.

The technology earned Synovate the award for Innovation of the Year at last year’s Gas Industry Awards.

Simon Langdale, engineering director at Synovate, said:

“We continue to develop and invest in a large fleet of robots and operator training to support the utility companies fight against leaks. Addressing shrinkage in a low-impact manner is crucial to reducing road disruptions for councils and road users. It will also help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and support the nation’s climate goals.

“We believe this scalable rapid-response technology is essential to maintaining services for homeowners and businesses across the UK. Synovate’s technology ensures the faster and more efficient detection and repair of gas leaks, contributing positively to households, communities, and the environment.”

The design and development of the robots took two years and an investment of £1.2 million. Synovate collaborated with engineering experts from Sheffield, Birmingham, Bristol, and Leeds Universities.

LeakVISION’s development was backed by the Strategic Innovation Fund, a collaboration between UK energy regulator Ofgem and Innovate UK under UK Research and Innovation.

Free leadership seminar

Harrogate-based business consultancy Quarterdeck will be holding a free leadership seminar next month.

The event will examine ‘Why most leadership training is a waste of time and money’, ‘The difference between management and leadership’, ‘Why most people fail to become a good leader’, ‘How to motivate others to greater performance’, ‘Why most people don’t bother’, and ‘The one area that most people neglect but is essential’, which deals with work-life balance.

Advertising the event, Quarterdeck’s website says:

“We’ve worked with thousands of people across hundreds of businesses and we find common threads that people encounter when trying to manage people.”

It adds:

“We’ve found that leaders are not born, they are made, and we can show you how.”

Quarterdeck’s leadership seminar will be held from 9am to 12 noon on Tuesday, November 21 at the Rudding Park Hotel in Harrogate. Bookings can be made online.

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Business Breakfast: Harrogate company builds robots to help tackle leaking pipes

It’s time to join the Stray Ferret Business Club!

The second in our series of networking events in association with The Coach and Horses in Harrogate is an After Work Drinks event on February 23 from 5.30pm. Don’t miss out on this chance to network with businesses from across the Harrogate district, get your tickets now by clicking or tapping here.

A Harrogate-based robotics company, Synovate, has built robots which are set to help reduce leaks in water and gas pipes.

The ‘LeakVISION’ robot uses thermal imagining technology from aircraft to detect minor temperate changes in pipelines and identify leakages.

The robot can be deployed remotely, reducing the excavation needed to find a leak whilst avoiding road closures.

The LeakVISION robot has already been trialled successfully with Northern Gas.

Synovate worked with Northern Gas to train repair-workers to operate the robot. The idea is to make jobs safer and more efficient without making them obsolete.

Simon Langdale, engineering director at Synovate, said:

“The LeakVISION robots will make it easier and faster to identify and fix leaks, which will be a significant benefit to the environment. In addition, deploying robots saves time and resources over traditional excavation methods.

“We are also trialling new technology where the robots will seal leaks from within the pipes, further reducing the need for extensive digging.”

Synovate worked with experts from universities in Sheffield, Birmingham, Bristol and Leeds as part of the Pipebots scheme to help create the robots.

In addition to the LeakVISION robot, the company is also designing robots to spot hydrogen leaks.

Artist with Harrogate gallery adds new location in York

Lucy Pittaway, who has a gallery in the centre of Harrogate, has announced a new gallery will be opening in York.

Her existing Harrogate gallery, which is on Prospect Place, features original works of art and prints, as well as various other products including stationary and homeware.

The new gallery in York is located at 21 Coppergate, in close proximity to attractions such as the Jorvick centre, the Shambles and York Minster.

Lucy said:

“We hope our gallery offers a refreshed opportunity for locals to love their high street and enhance the experiences for tourists with a further boost to the city’s visitor economy.”

The new site is Lucy’s sixth solo gallery.

Lucy, who has painted many landmarks from across Yorkshire, added:

“Yorkshire affords us so many opportunities to enjoy diverse landscapes such as fells and valleys, amazing coast lines and vibrant cities and historic towns.”

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