Meet the MET Team

CAW operate and maintain a number of Uisce Éireann treatment plants across Ireland, including Ireland’s largest wastewater treatment plant at Ringsend in Dublin. In this article, we celebrate how our Mobile Engineering Team (MET Team for short) are making a difference in sustainability.

We cover:

• Meet the team
• The role of the MET team
• Recent projects
• Upcoming projects

Meet the MET Team

They are a team of 13 engineers including expert pipe fitters, mechanical fitters, welders and general operatives, each highly skilled in their own area, with over 100 years of experience between them. They are a mobile team responsible for mechanical works and maintenance at the sites we manage.

This team ensure that the plant consistently performs efficiently and compliantly and plays an important role in the sustainability of the plants we manage as their work directly contributes to lowering energy consumption and maximising renewable energy production.

The role of the MET team

Our Mobile Engineering team manage the ongoing general and proactive maintenance on the site to ensure every process works as efficiently as possible, and that effluent quality and energy production are maximised. In addition to this, the team support the delivery of projects and upgrades to further enhance plant performance.

On a large site like Ringsend, where there has been and continues to be significant investment in improving capacity and sustainability, their work is crucial to ensure optimum performance and to achieve ambitious environmental goals.

Stephen Byrne, who manages the team commented:  “Needless to say, the team are kept extremely busy and enjoy a varied workload. It can be a challenge to manage planned work alongside general maintenance, but through their extensive experience, the team are adept at prioritising, collaborating and responding creatively to these challenges so that they can consistently deliver all work to an extremely high standard.”

In addition to day-to-day proactive maintenance and repairs, we highlight some of the recent and upcoming projects:

Recent projects

Installation of the new CHP Engine – September 2022

After receiving the delivery of a new CHP engine to site, our expert team had the task of safely unloading CHP engines and positioning them in their acoustic enclosures inside the CHP Building. Once positioned, new pipe work was then fabricated and installed along with a new cooling pump system. Various other pipe modifications followed to allow connections to existing ancillaries. Each CHP Engine has the capacity to generate 1067KWH which is 25,608KWH per day.

This has enabled more energy to be recovered and electricity and heat to be reused on-site.

Removing redundant pipework – August 2022

Whilst this may not seem like a ground breaking change, maintenance tasks such as these are important to the safe and efficient operation of the plant and require specialist skills to work on rigging and working at height. The redundant aeration pipework was removed to allow the installation of new aeration pipework to be installed as part of the Block 2 Retrofit Contract.

Installing new control covers on screw pumps – May 2023

These covers are important to improve odour control on-site, with the added benefit of improving the aesthetic of the overall inlet works.

Installing HT and LT blast coolers for the 4 CHP engines – August 2023

This project used diverse skills from across the team, to fit, test and commission the black coolers. This cooling process ensures efficiency is maintained and prevents overheating, so the CHP system operates effectively.

Installation of New Flare Stack – December 2023

The installation of the new Flare Stack is one of our most recent Projects undertaken by the MET on the Ringsend site. The Flare stack can process up to 2500m3 of biogas at a temperature 1000°C.

Lamella repairs and upgrade works – ongoing

This is one of the toughest, yet most important, jobs on site so whilst this work is ongoing, it deserves a special mention. Effective lamella management ensures the plant runs smoothly and effectively by preventing blockages and damage further downstream in the treatment process. At one of the largest treatment plants in Europe maintaining and repairing the lamellas, and sludge removal, is a full-time job for five members of the team. The team is also currently working on a project to upgrade the Zickert scraper units in all 12 Lamella tanks.

The work is highly skilled, involving confined space work being undertaken to the highest safety and operational standards in an environment that many of us would prefer to avoid.

Upcoming projects

Running a wastewater treatment plant for a large and growing population means that the team is kept busy to ensure the long-term sustainability of the plant, up and coming projects include:

• Drum refurbishment for drying plants to improve thermal efficiency and overall efficiency of Dryers.
• Replacing old steam generators at the end of their lifespan, with highly efficient steam generators that will increase capacity and incorporate a 5th CHP engine.
• Installation of a fifth CHP engine to increase the production of renewable energy used to power the Ringsend treatment plant.
• Installation of new Gas Compressor units and pipe work.
• Dryer Water injection module replacements.

Join us, and make a difference

As you can see, this skilled work is in high demand. If you are interested in a career in the MET team, or in water and wastewater management, check out our careers page to view our current vacancies.