Project Postcards - Brazil

Otto Simon • November 9, 2023

In the first of our 'Project Postcards' series, Otto Simon's E&I Engineer, Dennis McGlynn, recounts his recent visit to NSG’s C4 Glass Furnace in Brazil to provide site-based E&I services:

With a series of quick transfers from Manchester, to Frankfurt, to Sao Paulo—including being driven across the runways in Frankfurt in what appeared to be a brand-new Porsche 4x4 in order to make the connection—I knew my luggage wasn't going to follow me to Navegantes. Unfortunately, that meant my PPE didn’t follow me either. 


No matter, when I arrived on site the following day, the client was kind enough to loan me a some hi-vis and a pair of boots, that were just a size too small (which wasn’t a problem until around 2pm when my feet started to feel the pinch). 

After the normal site inductions took place, I was free to survey the site and assess what was appropriate for the Bath and Lehr Heating system that had been serving the C4 plant for some 15 years. My first impression was that the site was tremendously clean in spite of the mass of construction work; a credit to those working at the site. 


It became clear that a total cable and equipment disassembly was required to check, test, and judge how much of the existing cabling, transformers and secondary cabling could be re-used. It was a task for more than just one man and the client’s team helped with the disassembly—even still, I was aching the next day from using muscles I never knew I had!

At one point, I thought someone must have switched the furnace on, it was so hot—but on the contrary, it was just a normal day in Barra Velha! 

The team at the C4 site are just great. Despite the language barrier they oozed friendliness and good humour. What impressed me the most was the immediate shaking of hands each morning, even though we had only chatted the evening before, and again after lunch there was the normal show of this friendliness. It took me by surprise for the first few days, before I pleasantly accepted it as the norm. It’s the most outward show of friendliness I’ve experienced between the different places I’ve worked, and it will never be forgotten.

 

Back to Blog

Recent Blog Posts

Otto Simon Attends HEA Conference in Westminster

By Clees • June 11, 2025
Otto Simon recently attended the Hydrogen Energy Association (HEA) annual conference in Westminster, London, a key event for the hydrogen industry. The conference featured a keynote speech by Sarah Jones, UK Government Minister of State for Industry and Net Zero , highlighting the government's commitment to this crucial sector. Our team had the invaluable opportunity to hear directly from industry-leading hydrogen experts , gaining first-hand insights into the latest policies and government funding initiatives. This direct access to information is vital for staying at the forefront of hydrogen advancements. Congratulations to Clive Mansfield and Clare Dunkerley from our team, who actively participated in the networking sessions, engaging in discussions about hydrogen and safety —a critical aspect of our work. They also gathered useful information that will directly benefit our ongoing hydrogen projects.

Keeping Our Expertise Sharp: Machinery Regulations

By Clees • June 3, 2025
 Here at Otto Simon, we're committed to staying at the forefront of safety and compliance in Process Plant projects. That's why two of our seasoned principal engineers, Mike Wray and Mike Westerman, recently attended a crucial refresher course on machinery regulations at the HSE Science and Research Centre. In the world of Process Plant projects, it's common to encounter machinery assemblies where vendors don't provide a declaration of conformity. With the recent publication of the new EU Machinery Regulation 2023/1230/EU, it's more important than ever to be on top of the latest guidelines. This ensures we can continue to offer our UK-based clients the best advice on their responsibilities and how to apply conformity assessments when machinery risks are present. This applies to both new equipment and the repurposing of existing machinery. Considering there are over 800 standards related to machinery design, our approach is meticulous. We utilise a thorough hazard identification process to carefully evaluate risks and implement best practice safety mitigations in all our designs. This proactive approach helps us ensure the highest level of safety for your projects. Please get in touch for assistance.

Prime Minister, Kier Starmer visits St Helens, Merseyside today as he paid a visit to the Glass Futures facility!

By Clees • May 29, 2025
Prime Minister, Kier Starmer visits St Helens, Merseyside today as he paid a visit to the Glass Futures facility! The Prime Minister spoke to workers at the facility this morning, Thursday, May 29 during a visit. “Can I just start by thanking those that work here for showing me this morning what you do, showing me the skills that you have, telling me a bit about what goes on here and the incredible history. “If I’ve understood what you’ve told me glass has been made on this very site for the best part of 250 years." “I think Pilkington may have been running the business before, and we can actually just see Pilkington out there so for you to be continuing with Glass Futures, very apt name, working here is fantastic and I can see how proud you are of what you do, each of you contributing with your different skills to what is happening here." The Labour politician added: “As I’ve said many, many, times you can read a briefing in London or you can come and see the workforce and come and see the people with the real skills and understand what they’re doing and thank you for allowing me to do the second of those as I’ve got a really good sense of what you’re doing here, how you’re doing it and the incredible way you’re doing it, each of you contributing in your own way and I can see that pride.” The £54m innovative research and technology facility was opened in Peasley Cross in 2023, at the former United Glass site. The mission is to help decarbonise the global glass industry by pioneering ways of making carbon-neutral glass.
Show More