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2022 is drawn to a close, and this year has been somewhat different from the previous ones.
Denmark reopened after a long period of lockdown due to COVID-19. For us, this has meant, among other things, the joy of finally being able to participate in exhibitions again and meet customers and business partners physically.
At the same time, new crises have emerged, such as the war in Ukraine and the raging climate and energy crisis, which affects the whole world and not least our planet. It is not surprising that two of the big topics this year in our industry have been Power-to-X and the Green Transition, where gas detection plays a big role.
Exhibitions
The first exhibition of the year was Kloakmessen in Fredericia, Denmark, where we presented our portable gas detectors, which provide personal safety in the sewers. In June, we participated in Hydrogen & P2X in Copenhagen and for this we presented our gas detector GP-NOVA, which is suitable for Power-to-X. In the same month, we also participated in STF’s Annual Meeting at the Mariagerfjord Renseanlæg, where the focus was on gas detection in connection with wastewater plants.
In September, we went to Grønne Gasdage in Billund, Denmark to learn more about the green transition. Then off to Sweden in October to hear more about biogas at the Nordic Biogas Conference. We ended the year with two major exhibitions in Germany, respectively the Hydrogen Technology Expo, which focuses on hydrogen and fuel cells and Chillventa, which is one of the largest exhibitions in the refrigeration industry.
This resulted in seven different exciting trade fairs both at home and abroad, three of which focused purposefully on hydrogen as the green gas of the future. We have learned a lot about how to ensure a sustainable future and we have met many talented people from the industry with whom we have discussed the necessity of gas detection to achieve optimal safety.
And because hydrogen is an extremely explosive gas, there is no doubt that gas detection is an essential part of the green transition and the technology of the future, therefore we hope that with our participation at these important and exciting exhibitions we have been able to contribute with our experience and knowledge.
Sustainable future
Power-to-X has been one of the major discussions in 2022, as it is one of several decisive initiatives in the realization of world’s ambitions to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases. It is not entirely unproblematic to go from conventional fossil fuels to e.g. hydrogen and other explosive fuels or toxic gases such as methanol and ammonia. The challenge in case of leakage is that methanol and ammonia are highly toxic substances and flammable, whereas hydrogen is highly explosive. It is therefore important that companies protect their employees by installing gas detection in the areas where there is a potential risk.
This year we have focused on the necessity of safety equipment – also in a sustainable future. It has therefore been important for us to participate in exhibitions dealing with hydrogen and P2X, and we have written several blog posts on the subject, including this one: Power-to-X: The technology of the future – but is it safe?
Winner of this year’s Elektropris
A big highlight for Geopal was when our engineer Abdallah Al-Mass won this year’s Elektropris. Every year Elektroprisen is awarded by the Elektrofonden (The Danish Society of Engineers, IDA) for a promising effort within the electrotechnical field, and this year our very own Abdallah Al-Mass received Elektroprisen 2022 for his impressive engineering work with the development of highly specified SIL- and ATEX certified gas detectors, including the gas detector GP-NOVA. Read the whole article here (in Danish).
Photo: Henrik Frydkjær.
GP-NOVA was also in focus at this year’s EX Forum in Fredericia, Denmark, where Abdallah Al-Mass together with Christian Møller and Christian Middelbo shared their knowledge and experience within ATEX and Functional Safety. They presented the connection between the ATEX directive and functional safety standards, and how Geopal has integrated the requirements from both areas in our flagship, GP-NOVA.
New initiatives
In 2022, we also gave our customers the opportunity to rent and lease our stationary and portable detectors. If you and your company need equipment for a shorter period, it makes sense to rent our equipment, and if you need to use the equipment for a longer period, it can make sense to lease. For more information please contact us.
At the end of the year, we got a new ERP system, Business Central. The new system means that we have the possibility of automatic traceability, and this is important in relation to ATEX and SIL2.
Social cohesion
In addition to the professional aspect, we have also focused on spending time together. At the beginning of the year we went to go-kart racing, where Christian Middelbo was the fastest racer. Midsummer was celebrated with a barbecue and cold beers, and the calories quickly evaporated after a run in Fælledparken for this year’s DHL event.
We look forward to 2023 and we wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
