Marking milestones
We take a look at some of the IGEM Section's highlights from the past year
Irish Section
Over the course of the year, the Irish Section held a variety of events for its members including an introduction to Purapipe with Dr George McIlroy, CEO and Director at Purapipe, who shared shares his insights into technology development within the company.
There was also a webinar which looked at safety in hydrogen blending into the Northern Irish gas network and site visit to Gormanston AGI to see an overview of the network within Ireland. More recently, the Section held its YPPC heat where six contestants battled it out to be crowned the Irish Section winner.
London, Southern & Eastern Section
Each year, the London, Southern & Eastern Section holds its flapship function, the London Showcase and Lions’ Lair event. 2025’s offering proved as successful as ever with hundreds in attendance to see the latest innovators competing for the Chris Bielby shield.
Prior to this event, the Section held its seminal Women in Gas gathering where over 50 attended to hear about the various women’s communities across the industry, speak up about some of the difficulties they had faced and to share advice to others in the room.
Social events across the calendar included the Christmas cruise across the River Thames and an evening at Junkyard Crazy Golf. Members also got the chance to tour the Mini Factory at Oxford and see a virtual tour of the AGIG HyHome in Australia.
Midlands Section
A range of visits were held by the Midlands Section over the past 12 months. It held some technical visits to Dunphy’s Factory in Rochdale where attendees gained valuable knowledge about the latest advancements in combustion technology and Severn Trent’s AD site to see how waste is used to produce biomethane.
It also held a valuable webinar on men’s mental health looking at the signs that men can be struggling, how to support them and busting the testosterone myths.
North East & Yorkshire Section
Over the past year, the Section has delivered a diverse mix of activities, including social events like golf and Dragonboat racing, technical webinars, site visits, the YPPC Section heat, and a successful joint event with the Yorkshire Gas Association.
The flagship event, the Charity Spring Ball, remains the jewel in Section’s crown. Through collective efforts, over £4,000 was raised to support The Great North Children’s Hospital Foundation and the Alzheimer’s Society.
North West Section
During the 2024-2025 period, the North West Section has held a variety of events including a hugely successful Women in Gas event where a range of speakers discussed allyship and inclusion topics.
It also featured social events like the Charity Sunset Walk and Christmas Lunch where attendees could network and make new connections. The Future Role of Gas and Political Engagement was a also topic discussed by Mike Foster, CEO at EUA, in February where delegates could learn more about the future of the industry and the challenges surrounding net zero.
Scottish Section
The Section’s events have taken attendees from the historic halls of the Scottish Parliament at Holyrood to the biomethane and hydrogen production facilities of Coupar Angus and Fife, raising thousands for charity and engaging hundreds of individuals from all areas of the country.
During the year, the Section, led by Gordon McMillan, created the IGEM Explores series. This initiative has created a space for open discussion on innovation, the energy transition, and professional development. Reaching more members than ever, it has welcomed a diverse range of thinkers to the community.
Welsh Section
The Section held a successful 58th Annual Dinner in Cardiff in October 2024 which brought together over 120 professionals from across the sector and raised over £2500 for Kidney Wales.
More recently, the YPPC heat took place at the ICC Wales In April which showcased the impressive calibre and talent within the industry.
Young Persons Network
The network provided a few events for members across the year including an exciting joint visit with IChemE to see DNV’s SpadeAdam site in Cumbria. Delegates got to see the research and testing facilities along with hearing presentations from DNV’s experts.
A webinar was also held looking at Bustling the Imposter Myth and how to engineer confidence which looked at understanding Imposter Syndrome, guidance on how to overcome it and interviewing Nicola Evans of Skewb on her experiences with it.
Large Business Forum (LBF)
Highlights of the LBF’s technical contributions this year saw the forum leading on the Gas Safe Register (GSR) TB Committee for technical bulletins (TBs) reviewing three existing TBs and developing two new ones regarding the commissioning I&C boilers and the flue gas analyser test measuring combustion CO2 on domestic natural gas boilers.
The LBF also developed a customer escalation letter which is a gas user/customer letter that a registered gas engineer or business can leave with the customer to help them understand their responsibilities and moreover help them to pass over the problem to the correct people e.g. the building owner, GDN, gas supplier. This is used for situations like a multi meter installations.
It worked on a procedure for downstream engineers when encountering reversed emergency cut off valves (ECV) and the investigating boiler/chimney positions vs solar panel/controls positions. Gas Safety Week was also a key highlight for the LBF, which successfully focused on the GSIUR Reg8 message where non-gas work affects gas fittings, including fire prevention and its impact on gas safety.