Meet Alex Jones, Mechanical Technician

What is your role?

I am one of the Mechanical Technicians. It is my job to optimise the Facility’s performance by regularly maintaining all mechanical systems and their components to ensure they operate smoothly and efficiently.

When did you start working at the Gloucestershire Energy from Waste Facility?

I started working at the Facility in November 2023, though before joining Urbaser, I had already worked on the site as a sub-contractor.

What experience do you have that helps you in your role?

After leaving school, I completed an advanced apprenticeship as an Engineering Technician at Oldbury Power Station. Subsequently, I moved to an organisation that specialises in rotating equipment repair services, initially serving as a Mechanical Fitter before being promoted to a Mechanical Supervisor. Being in this field of engineering for nearly 9 years allowed me to build extensive knowledge of both on-site and workshop-based engineering solutions before moving to Urbaser.

Last year, with the support of Urbaser and my colleagues, I completed an MSc in Engineering Management. This enhanced my academic knowledge to go alongside my experience working in the industry.

What are your day-to-day tasks?

On a typical day, I engage in both corrective and planned maintenance tasks. Each morning, along with other Mechanical Technicians, I meet with the operations department to review the Facility's performance over the previous 24 hours. Any issues are assessed and logged, then together we prioritise tasks for the day.

In addition to the prioritised jobs, I also deliver a programme of daily planned maintenance tasks. These tasks are established from original equipment manufacturer recommendations, industry standards, and the experience that we have gained from being the operator and maintainer of the Facility. They generally involve inspecting and maintaining equipment to ensure it remains in optimal working condition. They are scheduled at specific intervals, typically ranging from weekly to monthly.

By optimising equipment performance, we can help enhance the Facility's availability to treat incoming waste, enabling us to divert over 90% of Gloucestershire’s household residual waste from landfill.

How is the machinery and equipment maintained?

In addition to the day-to-day maintenance, the Facility undergoes two annual outages. Initially, we have a 'mini' outage, lasting up to 7 days, typically scheduled in the second quarter of the year. This is followed by a 'major' outage lasting 14 days, usually in September.

The mini outage allows us to perform minor tasks and inspect the condition of various pieces of equipment that we are unable to access when the Facility is operational. This helps us to complete proactive planning for major outage works and gives insight into any potential issues we may need to prioritise.

The major outage allows for the completion of statutory inspections covered by legislation. It also provides a chance to do more in-depth maintenance on assets within the plant, such as the boiler and turbine that are not usually accessible whilst operational.

Planning for the outage periods is a continuous process and ensures that we inspect all critical equipment thoroughly. The aim is to allow for the uninterrupted operation of the Facility 24/7, so outage planning is an imperative task for the maintenance department.    

What is something that most people would not know about the Facility?

During our major outage in 2023, there was an increase in maintenance activities of approximately 550%, when compared to a normal working week. To ensure the tasks are completed in the planned period, the Facility has approximately 200 additional sub-contractors on site.

We set up and provide a temporary village which consists of various cabins, including offices, mess rooms, toilets, and shower blocks. Additionally, we erect a marquee for all inductions and daily briefings. These may be noticeable when driving past the Facility, if so, we are either in the midst of, or just coming up to, our yearly outage!