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BYEM 2016: good ideas are rewarded

The BYEM are awards that recognise the good ideas of our employees. Ideas like those of José Luis Neva, from the Teruel thermal power plant that has managed to reduce SO2 emissions by 50% thanks to the use of organic acids. 
The winners of the latest edition of BYEM 2016
José Luis Neva is the Head of Operations at the Andorra thermal power station in Teruel. He manages, coordinates and ensures that the plant complies with regulations concerning the environment and risk prevention.


It is January 2016. The Innovation department has a challenge for him and his team: to reduce SO2 (sulphur dioxide) emissions using less fuel in doing so. The idea consisted in using organic acids in this power station. These would help retain more sulphur dioxide and improve the plant’s efficiency.

“The Innovation Department knew the what. And we knew the how”, explains José Luis. The power station’s Operations and Maintenance departments got to work. They changed some unused facilities which required a minimum investment and they began operating the plant with the instructions established in the tests. The result was a huge success. They reduced emissions by 50%. The power station’s operating hours increased. And they achieved savings of up to seven million euros per year. To give you an idea, this is equivalent to the 2016 municipal budget in this town of Teruel, with over 8,100 inhabitants. Impressive, isn’t it?

José Luis and his team at the Teruel thermal power station are this year’s winners of the BYEM award. The BYEM –Seek and Find Improvements- awards were created by Endesa and they recognise the good ideas of employees in the power generation company. They were designed to showcase improvements of all sorts in production processes and facilities, to promote a culture of innovation in all the plants and to do so continuously and permanently. And the Teruel plant’s idea can be used in other desulphurisation plants and all of them can benefit from this experience.

In addition to this special award, at Endesa we also recognise other great improvement ideas designed by our employees and which are grouped into categories such as the environment, operating efficiency, innovation in new generation technologies, business models or occupational health and safety. The latter is the category that includes Álvaro Pena’s project, the Head of Operations at As Pontes. “We designed a hydrogen leak detector belt. A belt that contains a pigment which, when it comes into contact with the gas, turns black in just 20 seconds, which is extremely useful when installed in areas that are at risk of hydrogen leaks” explains Álvaro. With his idea, people can detect a leak without having to use traditional methods that are slower and more dangerous.

“I decided to share my idea, a hydrogen leak detector belt, with the rest of my colleagues. I am sure that it will be useful as it will contribute towards their safety”

Álvaro Pena, Head of Operations at the Thermal Power Station of As Pontes (A Coruña)

Since we launched this plan three years ago, we have seen increased levels of participation, going from seven per cent in the last edition to 12 in the current one. “The BYEM initiative is a tool designed for us to share ideas and improvements that provide value for our centre and for the company" commented the Head of Operations at As Pontes.

Once all of these projects have been implemented, they will enable up to 11 million euros to be generated. And all thanks to our employees. In addition, thanks to them we are not only going to be more competitive, but we will achieve important objectives such as implementing improvements for the environment or occupational safety.

At Endesa we know that the creativity and good ideas of employees in the workplace can be extremely beneficial for any Company, which is why their ideas should be recognised.

“We all feel a mixture of satisfaction and pride when our work is recognised. This is an award for the hard work carried out over a long period of time to make our power station a more competitive power station.”

José Luis Neva, Head of Operations at the thermal power station of Andorra (Teruel).

These are the winners of the 2016 BYEM awards:



Award for the Best BYEM 2016 Proposal:
“Use of organic acids to reduce SO2” José Luis Neva Grau (Andorra Thermal Power Station, Teruel)  

Award for the Best Proposal in Hydroelectric Safety:
 “Improvements to the flood protection system in the water exit tunnel of the systems in the Tranco de Beas Hydroelectric Power Station” (Hidráulica Sur Production Unit).

Award for the Best Proposal in Coal Safety:
 “Change Management Model" Andreu Company Perelló (Alcuida Thermal Power Station)

Award for the Best Proposal in CCGT and O&G Safety:
“Installation of hydrogen leak detector belts” Álvaro Pena Soto (Thermal Production Unit of As Pontes, A Coruña)  

Award for the Best Proposal in Hydroelectric Environment:
“Portable oil extractor in wells” Sergi Medina Pérez (Ebro-Pyrenees Hydroelectric Production Unit)

Award for the Best Proposal in Coal Environment:

“Low-cost reforms to reduce Nox emissions” Pedro Gómez Yagüe (Thermal Power Station, Compostilla, León)

Award for the Best Proposal in CCGT and O&G Environment:
“Reuse of unused settling tank” Alfonso Borrego Bermúdez (Thermal Power Station of Ceuta)   

Award for the Proposal that best contributes towards Hydroelectric Operating Efficiency:
“Temperature Improvement in the alternator room of the Talam Hydroelectric power station, Joan Albert Casamajo Isanta (Ebro-Pyrenees Hydroelectric Production Unit)

Award for the Proposal that best contributes towards Coal Operating Efficiency:
“Reuse of sludge from the effluent treatment plant"
Daniel Cores Calvo (Puentes Thermal Power Station)

Award for the Proposal that best contributes towards the CCGT and O&G Operating Efficiency:
“Monitored guide for power outages” Juan Manuel Heras García (Ibiza Thermal Power Station)

Award for the most innovative HSEQ Proposal.
“Mobile application for identifying equipment and systems to improve safety in discharges” Antonio Seguí Aloy (Alcudia Thermal Power Station)  

Award for the most innovative Operating Efficiency Proposal:

“Use of oxidants to reduce NOx and SO2 emissions” Antonio Giménez Alonso (Iberia Innovation)

Award for the most innovative Proposal in terms of New Business Models and Technologies.
“Smart Factory” Faustino Lorenzo Ciércoles Eced (Teruel Thermal Power Station).

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