22 | Plant & Works Engineering www.pwemag.co.uk February/March 2026 Process, Controls & Plant Focus on: Compressed Air marginal gains add up across large sites, so there’s real opportunity in simply reassessing how systems are configured and controlled. PWE: Sustainability is often framed around carbon footprint reduction, but are there other ways the sector is improving its environmental performance? CH: Yes - circular thinking is becoming more prominent. Sustainability isn’t just about emissions; it’s about designing equipment that uses less energy, lasts longer, and can be maintained efficiently. We’re also seeing a shift in how customers view downtime. Reducing unplanned production stoppages not only saves energy but prevents the need for high-power backup systems to compensate. Everything from materials and service intervals to digital connectivity contributes to lowering environmental impact. Sustainability is becoming an operational mindset rather than a separate initiative. 4. Skills, collaboration, and innovation PWE: From your perspective, what new skills or knowledge areas are becoming essential for engineers working with complex air and gas systems? CH: The engineering workforce has aged, and we’ve felt the impact of fewer apprentices coming through. But the rise of new technologies like hydrogen and carbon capture is reinvigorating interest. These are exciting, complex systems - hydrogen compressors operating up to 1,000 bar, for example, are worlds apart from traditional 10-bar compressors. That level of technical challenge attracts a new generation of engineers. Air and gas applications are broad - one day you might be working on a wastewater site, the next on a defence project - and that diversity is appealing. I think this division can play a key role in developing and inspiring the next wave of engineering talent. PWE: Do you think collaboration between OEMs, integrators, and end users is changing – and how does that influence innovation? CH: Absolutely. The days of OEMs simply supplying hardware are fading. The industry is moving towards solution-based partnerships, where OEMs, engineering firms, and end users collaborate much more closely. For innovation, that’s a huge advantage. Shared data and joint development speed up progress. At Atlas Copco, we’re working with universities and technical institutes, and we’re extending our collaboration into digital areas such as AI-driven analytics. Combining industrial expertise with new digital capabilities is where the next leap forward will come from. PWE: The UK manufacturing base is diverse. How can smaller or regional firms benefit from the same technology advances seen in largescale industrial projects? CH: The UK has a strong engineering heritage and a high-quality supply chain, particularly in sectors like aerospace, automotive, and energy. Smaller firms can really benefit from that ecosystem if they have the right support. Government and industry programmes need to make sure SMEs can invest in new technologies and workforce skills. Regional development funding and apprenticeship schemes are critical. Collaboration between small and large companies will also help - smaller firms can adopt proven technologies faster when they’re part of larger supply networks. It’s about ensuring innovation filters down through the entire industrial base, not just the top tier. 5. The role of AGA and future outlook PWE: The Air and Gas Applications division covers a broad range of technologies. What do you think makes it such a dynamic and fastevolving area of engineering? CH: What makes AGA so dynamic is its diversity. We operate across all sectors from food and beverage, semiconductors, pharmaceuticals, carbon capture to hydrogen - each with its own pace of change. These are sectors driven by innovation and regulation, which means constant adaptation. Because we serve multiple sectors and pressures - high, low, and industrial gases - we’re well positioned to capture opportunities as they arise. The variety keeps the division evolving, and that adaptability is key to staying ahead. PWE: Looking ahead, which technological or market developments excite you most over the next five years? CH: Hydrogen and biogas stand out. Biogas is already mature in the UK, but upgrading and efficiency improvements will continue. Hydrogen, meanwhile, is still at the early stage, but it represents one of the biggest steps towards decarbonisation. We’ve already seen days where the UK grid runs on 100% renewable energy - and that’s just the beginning. Hydrogen will be central to the power transition, working alongside solar, wind, and biogas. It’s exciting to think that the work we do today could help shape that next phase of energy independence. PWE: Finally, what message would you share with plant engineers or maintenance professionals preparing for the next generation of air and gas applications? CH: Reliability will always come first. Engineers are measured on uptime, output, and avoiding stoppages, so that’s where our focus lies - keeping plants running efficiently. But it’s about partnership too. We don’t just supply machines; we provide support to help optimise performance and reduce energy use. My message to engineers is to stay open to new ideas and new ways of working. Air and gas technologies are evolving quickly, and collaboration is the key to progress. If we can work together - OEMs, integrators, and end users - we’ll accelerate innovation and build a more sustainable, resilient industrial future.
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