AFECO gains NIC EIC accreditation

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Building on a the development of our electrical engineering and installation capability and expertise, AFECO has successfully gained accreditation by the NICEIC.

NICEIC (National Inspection Council for Electrical Installation Contracting) provides assessment and certification services for contractors involved in electrical work and regulates the training and work of electrical enterprises in the UK. The NICEIC is one of several providers given Government approval to offer Competent Person Schemes to oversee electrical work within the electrical industry.

AFECO has been growing and developing their electrical engineering capability throughout 2017 and becoming an NICEIC approved contractor demonstrates the success of this growth. As part of the approval process, NICEIC assessors reviewed a sample of AFECO’s installation work, the Company’s premises, documentations, equipment and the competence of key supervisory staff. This assessment will be carried out on a regular basis going forward to ensure compliance is maintained. AFECO are now able to offer a complete electrical engineering service, from design through to installation, testing, commissioning and certification.

 

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AFECO is a dynamic, specialist engineering services and solutions provider focussed on servicing the immediate and future needs of the water, marine and energy sectors. AFECO offer a comprehensive range of professional services, solutions and products, based on a strong core expertise of process, chemical, mechanical, electrical and ICA engineering. With services ranging from the provision of expert consultancy, asset optimisation, concept development, engineering design, site installation and commissioning, AFECO have the skills and experience to provide a complete and integrated project delivery and support service. With a strong focus on robust and appropriate, yet innovative and cost-effective solutions, AFECO have established a reputation of professionalism, efficiency and innovation. AFECO is a subsidiary of EcoGenR8 Limited, a cleantech innovation and development company.

NICEIC is the UK’s leading voluntary regulatory body for the electrical contracting industry. It has been assessing the electrical competence of electricians for nearly sixty years and currently maintains a roll of over 26,000 registered contractors. NICEIC has developed a reputation amongst consumers, specifiers of work and industry for promoting safety, integrity and technical excellence. Contractors undergo a rigorous assessment process, covering a representative sample of their work, their premises, documentation, equipment, and the competence of their key supervisory staff. They are then re-assessed on a regular basis to ensure continued compliance.

AFECO in the press: the importance of alkalinity for wastewater treatment

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Building on a series of technical articles written by AFECO specifically for Superyacht Technology magazine on marine wastewater treatment, the latest edit written by the AFECO technical experts explains the importance of alkalinity in biological wastewater treatment.

In the operation and smooth running of a biological sewage treatment plant (STP) one of the parameters which is most often overlooked is alkalinity. Our article looks at what alkalinity is, why it is especially important for on board systems, and what can be done to ensure that everything works as it should.

Biological systems are very sensitive to the pH of the solution in which they are in. Species such as proteins and enzymes will only work properly within a very narrow range of pH values, and can be very susceptible to any changes in pH. Biological wastewater treatment systems in STPs are no different. The bacteria and enzymes which treat the wastewater are also sensitive to pH, and operate most efficiently within the pH range 6.8 to 8.0. The biological wastewater treatment process also generates hydrogen ions, and so alkalinity is needed to keep the pH of the solution in the required range. If the alkalinity is too low then the extra hydrogen ions are not removed, the pH drops, and the speed of the wastewater treatment slows or even stops. If the STP is nitrifying too (converting the ammonia in the wastewater into nitrates) then this process will also consume alkalinity.

This makes it even more complicated, as not only is it does the user need to know the alkalinity of the wastewater prior to treatment, it is also helpful to measure the residual alkalinity of the treated wastewater. The leftover alkalinity is a useful measure of whether the STP’s biological processes are working efficiently.

Alkalinity in natural water comes from the soil and rocks, which the water passes through prior to treatment. This means that the alkalinity present in shore water will vary depending on the geology of where the shore water was treated. It also means that when a vessel changes from shore water to water produced on board (through reverse osmosis), the process will remove the majority of the alkalinity from the water. This has a dramatic effect on the pH, and therefore the performance, of the STP.

As any discharges from a superyacht must comply with MEPC.227(64), this process could also mean owners are breaking the law if not aware of its effects. MEPC.227(64) states that ‘The pH of the samples of effluent taken during the test period should be between 6 and 8.5.” Ensuring an adequate alkalinity concentration in the wastewater will enable the pH to be kept within this range, and so will keep any discharges compliant with the legislation.

The full article can be read here:

http://magazine.superyachttechnology.com/january-2018#!/is-your-waste-water-being-treated-right

 

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AFECO is a dynamic, specialist engineering services and solutions provider focussed on servicing the immediate and future needs of the water, marine and energy sectors. AFECO offer a comprehensive range of professional services, solutions and products, based on a strong core expertise of process, chemical, mechanical, electrical and ICA engineering. With services ranging from the provision of expert consultancy, asset optimisation, concept development, engineering design, site installation and commissioning, AFECO have the skills and experience to provide a complete and integrated project delivery and support service. With a strong focus on robust and appropriate, yet innovative and cost-effective solutions, AFECO have established a reputation of professionalism, efficiency and innovation. AFECO is a subsidiary of EcoGenR8 Limited, a cleantech innovation and development company.

SUPERYACHT TECHNOLOGY is a company dedicated to digital marketing for the superyacht sector and is the only publication focused purely on technology. Through their website and a monthly online interactive magazine, Superyacht Technology seeks to bring the latest technologies to engineers and captains, shipyards, project managers, technical managers and ETO’s.

 

AFECO awarded Southern Water Optimisation Partner Framework

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Southern Water Services Limited has awarded AFECO a place on its Asset Innovation and Optimisation Partner Framework. The Framework will run through AMP6 until March 2020 with an option to extend for a further 5 years through AMP7 until March 2025.

Engineering services company AFECO, a subsidiary of cleantech innovation company EcoGenR8 Limited, has already delivered a number of initiatives for Southern Water that have delivered real business benefits. This Framework will support Southern Water in delivering further benefits by providing a platform through which a range of optimisation initiatives can be delivered.

Working collaboratively with Southern Water’s Optimisation Team, AFECO will utilise the Framework to trial and implement a range of their own proprietary solutions and products as well as working with Southern Water and technology companies to develop and deliver other ideas and concepts.

The award of this Framework demonstrates a recognition of the benefits that asset optimisation and innovation can provide and encourages collaborative working between companies to achieve a common goal of cost and compliance benefits.

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AFECO is a dynamic, specialist engineering services and solutions provider focussed on servicing the immediate and future needs of the water, marine and energy sectors. AFECO offer a comprehensive range of professional services, solutions and products, based on a strong core expertise of process, chemical, mechanical, electrical and ICA engineering. With services ranging from the provision of expert consultancy, asset optimisation, concept development, engineering design, site installation and commissioning, AFECO have the skills and experience to provide a complete and integrated project delivery and support service. With a strong focus on robust and appropriate, yet innovative and cost-effective solutions, AFECO have established a reputation of professionalism, efficiency and innovation. AFECO is a subsidiary of EcoGenR8 Limited, a cleantech innovation and development company.

Southern Water Services Limited is a private utility company, responsible for providing drinking water and wastewater services across the South East of the UK, covering Kent, East and West Sussex, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. Southern Water supply drinking water to approximately 1 million households from 83 water treatment works along 13,837 kilometres of water mains. They are also responsible for the collection and treatment of wastewater in this region, treating 718 million litres of wastewater at 365 treatment works through a network of 2,375 pumping stations and 39,600 kilometres of sewers. Southern Water is owned by Greensands Investments Limited, a consortium made up of pension and infrastructure funds.