Energy Focus November 2023

THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR ENERGY LEADERS

November 2023

www.energy-focus.net

Ethically Sourced Battery Raw Materials Exclusive interview with Christian Möbius, Southern Cross Britannia CEO ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:

Ethical Power / First Light Fusion / Enshore Subsea / LIAA

Latvia: An Innovation Hub

Driving the Transition to Green Energy

The 15 GW potential (1/6 of the 90 GW Baltic Sea region)

Latvia has defined five Research areas for wind park development

(Source: Study on Baltic offshore wind energy cooperation under BEMIP 2019)

Seabed has shallow and stable conditions

The legth of coastline is around 500 km (Favorable wind conditions in sea > 9 m/s)

Potential Offshore WindResearch Sites: areas for wind park development Helsinki

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EDITOR Joe Forshaw joe@energy-focus.net PROJECT MANAGER Tommy Atkinson tommy@energy-focus.net PROJECT MANAGER David Hill david@energy-focus.net PROJECT MANAGER Chris Bolderstone chris@energy-focus.net PROJECT MANAGER Ekwa Bikaka ekwa@energy-focus.net FINANCE MANAGER Isabel Murphy isabel@energy-focus.net LEAD DESIGNER Aaron Protheroe aaron@energy-focus.net

CONTRIBUTOR Manelesi Dumasi CONTRIBUTOR Karl Pietersen CONTRIBUTOR David Napier CONTRIBUTOR Timothy Reeder CONTRIBUTOR Benjamin Southwold CONTRIBUTOR William Denstone

EDITOR’S LETTER New energies once again take the focus in the last edition of 2023. We close out the year talking to First Light Fusion, the brilliant UK-based fusion energy business that is doing remarkable things to create energy from inertial confinement fusion (where tow or more nuclei combine to form a heavier one, releasing enormous amounts of energy. The company expects its pilot plant to be operational in the 2030s, on a UK site in Oxford, using a UK supply chain, but answering the global call for fresh solutions. COO Ryan Ramsey tells us more about the amazing science underway right now.

Ethical Power, the renewable energy business that started out as a solar installer in the UK’s southwest, is close to its vision of becoming an IPP, working on projects of significant scale across energy generation and storage.

CEO Tom Kneen tells Enterprise Africa that the industry is far from easy and expansion takes significant effort and collaboration. His current task is building the international business while ensuring quality throughout.

In the Baltics, a joint project between Latvia and Estonia is coming together.

The countries are hopeful of building a 1GW offshore wind park, ELWIND, in the Baltic Sea to generate local power and local skills, with the potential for export, while providing affordable and secure energy to build economies.

Laura Štrovalde, Deputy Director General at the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia (LIAA), is working hard to bring international cooperation and funding to the project, set for development over the next decade.

The cover story comes from Southern Cross Britannia and CEO Christian Möbius who has built a business that now owns significant licences for mining of precious minerals in Argentina. Lithium, copper, and other metals essential in the energy transition are found here in abundance and the team is using all of its expertise to secure the best spots as it grows its reputation.

Published by Chris Bolderstone – General Manager E. chris@cmb-multimedia.co.uk Fuel Studios, Kiln House, Pottergate, Norwich NR2 1DX ++44 (0)20 3097 1743 www.cmb-media.co.uk CMB Media Group does not accept responsibility for omissions or errors. The points of view expressed in articles by attributing writers and/or in advertisements included in this magazine do not necessarily represent those of the publisher. Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained within this magazine, no legal responsibility will be accepted by the publishers for loss arising from use of information published. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or stored in a retrievable system or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the publisher. © CMB Media Group Ltd 2023

Much investment and knowledge is being ploughed into renewable energy and fresh innovation, and this looks set to continue for the foreseeable. We want to hear from your company to understand what you’re doing to advance the energy mix in your area. Get in touch online – we’re on LinkedIn.

Joe Forshaw EDITOR

GET IN TOUCH +44 (0)20 3097 1743 joe@energy-focus.net www.energy-focus.net

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CONTENTS SOUTHERN CROSS BRITANNIA Sourced Battery Raw Materials 6 Ethically ETHICAL POWER Integrated, Maximum Performance 14 Vertically FIRST LIGHT FUSION Modern, Simple Approach to Fusion 22 The ENSHORE SUBSEA Expertise Helps to Build New Subsea Infrastructure Powerhouse 30 Deep JOHN LAWRIE TUBULARS Sustainability Strengthens JLT 36 Strategic HELICAL PILE SOLUTIONS Energy Transition 42 Securing

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LIAA - ELWIND 48 ELWIND Cooperation to Power Baltic Renewables LAMPRELL 54 Lamprell Reimagines with New Board and Management Team in Place HEATING & VENTILATION 62 50GLENYearsDIMPLEX and Still Growing at Glen Dimplex CLEEVELY ELECTRIC VEHICLES 68 Driving the EV Evolution with First Class Service VATTENFALL 74 Collaborative Projects Bring ‘Fossil Freedom’ Closer

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SOUTHERN CROSS BRITANNIA

Ethically Sourced Battery Raw Materials PRODUCTION: David Hill

Southern Cross Britannia is positioning itself at the crux of the green energy transition by unlocking the major potential of northern Argentina. Here, the company owns several mining licenses which are expected to become major lithium and copper assets. CEO Christian Möbius talks to Energy Focus about progress in Salta Province.

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© Southern Cross Britannia

INDUSTRY FOCUS: GEOLOGY

Christian Möbius, CEO

//

By 2030, global lithium demand will exceed 500,000 metric tons. 45 mines were operating last year, with 11 opened or expected to open in 2023, and seven in 2024. Industry experts are clear in their assessment – it’s not enough.

Insatiable demand from the burgeoning global electric vehicle (EV) sector – where lithium is the key material used in batteries – means that supply cannot meet demand. The pressure is on to ramp up quantities, and allow carmakers to transition from fossil fuel powered vehicles to those that generate no emissions as part of the worldwide commitment to control temperature increases.

However, it’s not a simple switch, and lithium (and other associated EV minerals) is not found on anyone’s doorstep.

The countries that have dominated lithium production include Australia, Chile, and China, with China the main processor and producer of lithium-ion batteries. But in these well-explored, drilled, and mined nations, there are not many untapped sources to find. Lithium is a finite resource.

New frontiers must be studied and fresh prospects must be found.

South America is a key market and has been under the spotlight for some time, with many geologists recognising the riches where Chile, Bolivia, and Argentina meet. Known as the ‘Lithium Triangle’ this region has been prolific for some but challenging for others.

First prospectors saw salt lakes and attractive geography and began testing theories as far back as 1962.

Christian Möbius, CEO of Southern Cross Britannia – a mineral exploration

company – is a geologist by training and has long been interested in the geological potential of Argentina.

UNDEREXPLORED JURISDICTION? In 2018, Möbius was listening to the chatter in markets about the energy transition, hearing more and more about the switch to EVs, and watching investment ploughed into the sector. He knew that Chile, Bolivia, and Argentina had significant lithium resources but Chile had been overrun with mining companies for many years looking for a piece of the pie. Bolivia’s business landscape remains challenging, but Argentina – where Möbius spent many of his childhood days – is relatively underexplored and holds huge promise.

“As an explorer, you ask yourself: Where can I go where there is still an untapped geological potential? Where the potential to make large, world class discoveries is still intact? You’re looking for underexplored jurisdiction with high geological potential, like Argentina.” he says. “Argentina stuck out like a sore thumb because it had not had much exploration dollars invested.”

With new lithium battery plants planned for various sites around the world, there was an obvious opportunity for those in the business of modern metal extraction. Apart from lithium, Argentia also boasts strong copper, nickel, and cobalt resources and Möbius sees what has been done in Chile as a roadmap for Argentina’s mineral industry.

“Chile and Peru are responsible for 45% of new copper discoveries from 1990 until 2020. So almost half of the world’s new copper was found in those two countries,” he says.

“Chile produces 30% of the world’s

// AS AN EXPLORER, YOU ASK YOURSELF: WHERE CAN I GO WHERE THERE IS STILL AN UNTAPPED GEOLOGICAL POTENTIAL. WHERE THE POTENTIAL TO MAKE LARGE, WORLD CLASS DISCOVERIES IS STILL INTACT. YOU’RE LOOKING FOR UNDEREXPLORED JURISDICTIONS WITH HIGH GEOLOGICAL POTENTIAL, LIKE ARGENTINA // 8 / www.energy-focus.net

SOUTHERN CROSS BRITANNIA

copper and 25% of the world’s lithium today. It’s an enormous mining industry – a real powerhouse. Right next door is Argentina, a country that shares 5300 km of border, with a mining industry that was only 5% of the size of Chile’s. But Geology doesn’t know of political borders.”

Previously, Argentina had been unappealing for foreign investment.

Several governments up until 2016 had made for a challenging environment when it comes to moving money into and out of the country. This is a hurdle, especially in mining, with its inherently lengthy investment cycles “The governments that were in power after the country defaulted on its debt in 2001 and did not gain the trust of the international investor community,” says Möbius. But in 2016, a business-friendly government was voted in, the mining laws were overhauled to increase the attractiveness of investments into the sector and some early movers seized the opportunity to capitalise on this new attractive frontier exploration area.

Möbius, who had worked in numerous roles, across the mining and petroleum exploration industries, in many countries across the world, built

a team and travelled to Argentina’s Salta Province in the northwest of the country to understand how much potential lay beneath the arid, rocky land in the wide plateau of the Andes.

“We built a database with a plethora of different data sources to generate conceptual exploration targets, i.e. ‘on paper’. We then reviewed and ranked them and selected a small subset and went out into the wild to explore the best of those targets,” he says.

A team of seven experts was deployed to bring a thorough understanding of the region. Local resources were examined, including previous geological surveys, satellite imagery, and other geological data.

After generation and review of 200 conceptual targets, Southern Cross Britannia applied for the mining titles in eight areas, covering 130,000 hectares. The group took thousands of rock samples and photographs. The minerals that the company expects to find in large volumes are copper, gold, silver, lead, and zinc, and also uranium.

But a large lithium brine prospect is tantalising for the company. “Our lithium project is strategically located in the

world famous Hombre Muerto Basin.

This basin stands out as the best-in-class in Argentina, with the highest lithium concentrations, best magnesium to lithium ration and overall low impurities.

This drives low opex. Unsurprisingly, this basin attracted the first projects in Argentina which are now in production.

It is very exciting. The excellent results of our latest exploration campaign have captured the attention of the market and we are currently in negotiation with several interested investors.

LITHIUM BRINE DEPOSIT In the volcanic caldera Cerro Galán, a salt lake sits surrounded by rocky peaks. The lake, says Möbius, was the first sign of lithium potential for even the untrained eye. But his team uses deep geological knowledge to underpin theory with scientific data.

“People didn’t get it,” he says.

“They knew about salt lakes but very few knew about how or why.”

In the Andes, occasional rain falls on the hills and percolates to the lowest point in a basin by gravity, permeating rock and collecting water soluble minerals from the rock it flows through.

A lake forms at the lowest point, but

© Southern Cross Britannia

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INDUSTRY FOCUS: GEOLOGY

© Southern Cross Britannia

because evaporation rates are higher than precipitation, the basin hosting the lake won’t overflow and form an exit river. The water evaporates and the water-soluble elements are left behind.

“We thought about the anatomy of a lithium brine deposit,” remembers Möbius. “You need two ingredients to make it. Firstly, a situation where you can plausibly explain ground water. Our valley is closed in three directions, so any water that falls there has nowhere to go. It’s 25km wide and 50km long with little inclination. The water flows very slowly underground through pores and cracks. Secondly, you need volcanic ash (geologists call it Ignimbrite). This is the original and primary source of lithium. There is a volcano on the western edge of our licenses – the Cerro Galán, a young volcano which has blown multiple times over the last six million years.

With every explosion, large clouds of volcanic ash were sent into the air, so much as 650 cubic kilometres, which then rain down and form an increasingly thick layer of volcanic ash which eventually solidified. That is what

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brings the lithium to the surface. Our project is entirely covered with volcanic ash so our situation is beautiful.”

Now the market is noticing successfully drilled lithium projects away from the traditional concept on salt lakes, as there have been several highly successful drilling campaigns.

“At our project, we expect lithium concentrations ranking in the upper quartile worldwide for brine projects,” declares Möbius. “Our geophysical exploration campaign that measured resistivity in the underground along 40 line Km and was completed in September shows, that there is brine.

“This project is large - 600 km2.

The projects around us rank upper quartile in comparison with lithium brine projects worldwide in terms of profitability. The unit cost is so much lower than anywhere else in the world. There are such high lithium concentrations and up there in the high Andes you have the unique advantage of having the option to produce by traditional evaporation method, so as not to be completely reliant on Direct Lithium Extraction Technology. This is

a technology which has received much attention and furore, given the large potential Li resources that may become commercially extractable reserves if the technology works, but so far it has not materialised the hopes of many who pursued projects that are completely reliant on it. Good if it works one day, but where we are we don’t depend on it. And if it works on low quality brines, it definitely works on Hombre Muerto Brines! It is the fillet mignon of lithium brine projects,” he smiles.

The coming months will see the team speaking with investors who can help to drive the drilling campaign and determine the declared asset, which can then be used to drive a valuation.

An independent company will be commissioned to produce an economic assessment before a car or battery manufacturer will be sought to partner.

BOOTS ON THE GROUND Southern Cross Britannia has a major advantage in Argentina, having capitalised on their early mover Continues on page 12

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Abundant Fresh Water: Our project benefits from an abundant supply of accessible freshwater resources.

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INDUSTRY FOCUS: GEOLOGY

Continued from page 10 advantage and holding licenses in areas of now-known high potential.

By getting into the market before others (even some of the world’s large mineral organisations), the company’s reputation is growing. The recently geophysical survey was completed to guide the next steps in the process.

“In layman’s terms, think of it as a tomography of the subsurface – it’s an indirect method of imaging the

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underground and it is used to detect ground water and brines, and serves as a planning basis for a drilling campaign.

It confirms what we already knew – that there are brines underneath our mining licenses,” Möbius states. “That is the pinnacle of our activity to date.”

This would not have been possible without early presence in Argentina.

And this would not have been possible without foresight into the EV transition and geological knowledge of the area.

Möbius is a former Commissioned

Officer with an Evac. Op. unit of the German paratroopers, geologist with a large Anglo American Mining company in South Africa, oil and gas engineer in Congo and Europe and lastly, geoscientist in London, where he was part of a small team responsible for the largest gas discoveries in the Dutch and German sector of the North Sea in the past 25 years: N05-A. He knows about questioning general beliefs, implementing think first principles, and going where others have not. That’s the spirit of an explorer. “What’s behind that hill?”

“There is a large requirement for copper in EVs – four times the amount used in a typical combustion engine car,” he says of the company’s genesis.

“I saw the boom for lithium, copper, cobalt and others that are required for the move towards electric mobility.”

Copper is the other big focus for Southern Cross in Argentina. The company holds a license on a particular prospect – Copper One – on the Archibarca lineament, one of several

SOUTHERN CROSS BRITANNIA

© Southern Cross Britannia

northwest-southeast trending structural corridors that transect the Central Andes of northern Chile and Argentina.

“When you talk about copper and lithium and rare earth minerals, it goes hand in hand with a low-carbon future. If we, as a society, are serious about our endeavour to achieve the zero emission goals and going green with energy, we will need electricity, and that is transported by cables. Pure silver is the most conductive of all metals. Next best is copper and that is much cheaper. So, we need this to happen. There is scope to replace long distance power lines with aluminium but that is not nearly as efficient as copper, certainly when talking about putting in local infrastructure in cities.

With current mines in production, the climate goals will not be achieved.

We will need a lot more copper to electrify mobility in general and we will need more lithium to keep up with Battery EVs demand,” details Möbius.

For the business, the spoils could be just as positive as the impact on

the green transition. the prices for copper and lithium have been steadily increasing over the past five years, and with demand set to increase and supply still strained, there is an appealing market developing.

“Southern Cross was an early mover in this mining boom,” Möbius continues. “If you look at prices of lithium or copper in 2018, they were not anywhere near where they are now.

We started applying for licenses in 2019 when copper was under $6000 per ton. After 2020, it went up to around $11,000 per ton. That spurred more activity. When you go to Argentina now and you want to pick up licenses, everything is taken. You pay top dollar to acquire licenses from others.”

The same is true for lithium.

From 2019 to 2021, prices dropped from around $10,000 per ton down to around $7000 per ton, before moving up sharply from Q2 2021 to around $70,000 before decreasing again. “There are some ventures that have popped up and spent an enormous amount

of money acquiring licenses, but we were already there and we had those licenses, and that is our advantage as a first mover,” highlights Möbius.

His message to the industry is clear – now is the perfect time to get involved. Copper and Lithium, or White Gold, are the minerals of the future, and Southern Cross Britannia has one of the best areas in South America’s potent Lithium Triangle.

“There is not much left that is not already drilled so we are probably the last undrilled lithium brine project of material size – 600 Km2. The next project – our neighbour to the north, in the same geological situation – is 240 km2 with a net present value at 8% discount rate of 660 million after tax, assuming $18,000 per ton lithium carbon equivalent.

“Ours is twice as big,” he concludes.

SOUTHERNCROSSBRITANNIA.COM

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ETHICAL POWER

Vertically Integrated, Maximum Performance PRODUCTION: Tommy Atkinson

“We deliver unrivalled build quality and asset performance,” is the promise of Ethical Power, and the ongoing delivery of this mantra is key in the strategy of CEO Tom Kneen who tells Energy Focus that the result is the consistent and sustainable growth of the business.

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INDUSTRY FOCUS: RENEWABLES

//

Growing from a dream inside the head of CEO Tom Kneen, through small business to medium-sized entity, and onto large organisation with international presence, Ethical Power is achieving its mission of realising the global potential of clean energy and the vision of becoming an IPP (independent power producer).

Starting life as a rooftop solar PV installer, focused on the rural landscape of the UK’s southwest, Ethical Power took advantage of favourable conditions during a time when government feed-in tariffs (FIT) promoted the installation and use of renewable energies.

Kneen had a small team installing panels atop industrial buildings and schools. The market was saturated because of the generous government support for the industry and so the

Tom Kneen, CEO

16 / www.energy-focus.net

company had to differentiate itself from the competition. Ethical Power did this through an unwavering commitment to quality. Kneen was aggressive about every aspect of the business being the absolute best it could possibly be, and he built a reputation for excellence.

In a booming sector, Ethical Power gained lots of new business.

Organising everything, selling the concept, managing subcontractors, handling finances – the early days from 2010 to the 2013 were challenging.

After three years in business, Ethical Power had to grow, says Kneen.

“We decided that if we were going to scale, it had to be a business that would build utility-scale generation.”

In 2013, the company built its first ground mounted solar farm and aimed at a transition to an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor. “That was a way we could

grow very quickly. We set out our stall to be the highest quality EPC contractor that we could be,” Kneen remembers.

Over the next five years, the construction arm of the business grew quickly and this allowed other divisions to expand. Partnership with SUNfarming allowed Ethical Power, through a JV - Sunetik, to build a significant volume of solar installations.

Kneen, endlessly focused on quality delivery, wanted to control as much as possible across the value chain, and began to vertically integrate the business.

“When we see something we are not comfortable with, we want to take control of it. We try to bring things in-house as we want things to be perfect. We want to do everything from cutting grass and panel cleaning to asset management and negotiating PPAs. That way, we are completely in control of our destiny, start to finish.”

Merger and acquisition and financing teams were also built to acquire, optimise, and sell assets, and this set up the next stage of growth.

In 2021, an international developer Hive Energy invested in the Ethical Power Group. Kneen says that effective partnerships have been the cornerstone of the Ethical Power story.

“We’ve built our business around partnerships. Working with Hive Energy helped us achieve a step change in our business and scale our operations.

“Lynher Energy, where we are in a $300 million JV with Napier Park Capital, is another great example.

The JV allowed us to acquire multiple projects that we’re now constructing through our EPC arm.”

AMBITIOUS TARGETS By 2020 and the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, Ethical Power was well positioned, owning a strong place in the market with a lengthy pipeline.

The business began to grow in other geographical markets to add new revenue to the Group. Kneen wanted to bring the Ethical Power offering to

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new markets with a positive outlook for renewables. So far, the company has managed to grow in Spain, Italy, Greece, Poland, and New Zealand.

“It’s going well,” he smiles. “Spain is very exciting. New Zealand continues to deliver, and we are very excited about what we can achieve there. In Italy we have an amazing new country

// WE HAVE THE RIGHT PEOPLE IN PLACE, WE KNOW THE CHALLENGES, AND IT IS VERY EXCITING TO SEE THE INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS GROW //

manager who I think is going to be very successful. Our growth has been well aligned and supported by Hive Energy.

Hive had development teams in all the territories we are now in. A year ago, we created our own development business within the Ethical Power Group.

Complimenting that international expansion, that business is now developing in Poland, and is the driver behind our operations in New Zealand.”

He says that the growth in these new markets should, in theory, come quickly as Ethical Power now has more than a decade of experience of scaling operations in the UK and has fantastic local teams who understand how to do business in each of the new territories.

“It’s interesting moving into these new markets and each is subtly different. Our key values give us a huge competitive advantage especially

in emerging markets. We’d like to build similar businesses to what we have here in the UK in each of the territories. We can apply our skills and experience abroad – Spain is a great example. We have the right people in place, we know the challenges, it is very exciting to see the international business grow, and we now know what we need to do to succeed. We have set some very ambitious targets, but I think we will exceed those quite significantly,” he says, detailing targets of 200 MW per annum of new build capacity in every territory, while growing the wider business around those construction contracts.

David Martinez leads the team in Spain, Matt Rowe is Country Manager in New Zealand, and Francesca Cavallini was recently appointed Country Manager in Italy.

www.energy-focus.net / 17

INDUSTRY FOCUS: RENEWABLES

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“Every territory has its quirks,” says Kneen. “It is difficult, for sure.

If it was easy, everybody would be doing it. You need patience and hard work to understand the markets and how they work. Ultimately, you have to have a good local team - we have achieved that.”

UNDER CONSTRUCTION Big companies trust Ethical Power to deliver. The completed project portfolio the company boasts is impressive and includes more than just solar. Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) and even gas peaking plants are in the Ethical Power wheelhouse, and this comprehensive exposure to the wider energy industry makes for a growing business. “We are certainly BESS and solar now,” explains Kneen. “There are very few standalone solar projects that we are looking at. All will have some element of storage included.”

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However, with clean energy transition underway, the key to further growth is being able to connect to the grid when projects are complete.

“One of our big focusses is growing our high voltage team as grid is a high risk in this industry. We have just acquired the remaining 50% of the Ethical Power Connections business so that we can gain more control of that element of the delivery. That gives us huge competitive advantage as, ultimately, our vertical integration has been driven by risk mitigation.”

He says that the company is regularly looking at connection dates in the 2030s when planning future connections, and that this is the norm for the industry. Grid congestion and grid access have been highlighted as long-term threats to the country’s Net Zero ambitions, but it is important to continue building renewable energy capacity and that is where

Ethical Power is an industry leader.

“We are building the 45MW Larport Solar Farm for Conrad Energy in Herefordshire. Our Lynher Energy fund is constructing a portfolio of assets in Scotland which is nearly 100MW of solar and two 50MW batteries. Lynher Energy also purchased a project in Shropshire called Twitch Hill which is under construction by Ethical Power now,” says Kneen.

Earlier in the year, the company completed construction of a couple of brownfield project, sold two operational assets to Fuse Energy and announced a BESS partnership with Varco Energy to install the Native River project and the Sizing John project in the northwest.

“We have a number of other key relationships that we are busy building including long-term construction Continues on page 20

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Continued from page 18 and development agreements,” adds Kneen. “We are also working on a swathe of projects for our high voltage business which is all battery focussed.”

While Ethical Power has come a long way from its early days as a solar rooftop installer, Kneen believes there is an opportunity in that space. The UK government hopes to deliver 70GW of solar by 2035, but even if this is achieved, there will still be considerable

commercial and industrial roof space with room for generating equipment.

“We are aware of opportunities in behind-the-meter solar and that tends to come as a wider package with electric vehicle charging and storage.

We are quite well placed for it, and it is a strategy discussion we are having.

We will probably make an acquisition to get ourselves up the curve in that space. The commercial and industrial opportunity is huge and it’s a space where I think we could do well,” he says.

// WE WANT TO DO EVERYTHING FROM CUTTING GRASS AND PANEL CLEANING TO ASSET MANAGEMENT AND NEGOTIATING PPAS. THAT WAY, WE ARE COMPLETELY IN CONTROL OF OUR DESTINY, START TO FINISH //

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MAKING A STATEMENT In the New Year, Ethical Power will launch its new brand, and the purpose of this modernisation is to display to the market and to clients that the business is now well-established and has moved beyond being just an installer of solar panels.

“We want to make a statement that we are not a small rooftop business from Cornwall anymore – we are now a global vertically integrated IPP. I’m excited as it’s a moment in time where the business identity changes, and we start to look and feel more corporate. Previously, the business was managed very differently. Now, we have our own identity and vision, we have more than 200 market-leading people, and we produce innovation that is remarkable,” Kneen smiles.

His team is excited, not just

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because it can look back on 13 years of success, but because it can look forward to major opportunities. Achieving Net Zero requires a significant amount of renewable energy to be designed, built, and connected in a relatively short period of time and this aligns perfectly with the Ethical Power offering.

“There is a huge appetite from financiers for renewables. I don’t lay awake worried about whether we will run out of pipeline,” says Kneen. “If every project that everyone ever thought of got built then yes, you’d saturate the market, but the reality is that you’d have to be building gigawatts of renewables and we don’t have enough people that know what they’re doing or the grid infrastructure for that to happen.”

He is optimistic because not only is there enthusiasm for renewable energy, but because there is now the added

hunger for storage. “That wasn’t there in the past. As Ethical Power, we’re sitting in a very unique position with a huge competitive advantage. Still, it will take a long time to deliver the pipeline.

“The major risk is the same as it has always been, that a new technology comes and changes the world completely. It may be a technology that isn’t on the radar yet, and we are looking. We are considering a hydrogen strategy – we want to be at the front of the curve with whatever the next big thing is.”

Typically entrepreneurial, Kneen is not happy to stand still and is planning for rapid expansion as the brand continues to make waves.

“We are getting to the point where we can choose who we want to work with and that is exciting. It’s been an interesting journey and I think we’re

aurora-power.co.uk

only just starting. Next year we want to double our revenue and that is not something we’ve done before. It’s about having the best team and making as few mistakes as possible,” he says.

Ethical Power’s commitment to quality and its devotion to green power has been the driving force behind the significant growth achieved and this, concludes Kneen, will not change.

“Renewable energy is the key,” he says. “We created a company to generate and sell power. That was the mission of Ethical Power, and that hasn’t changed over the last 13 years.”

WWW.ETHICAL-POWER.COM

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FIRST LIGHT FUSION

The Modern, Simple

Approach to Fusion PRODUCTION: Tommy Atkinson

First Light Fusion is building the world’s largest pulsed power facility in preparation for construction of a power plant that will prove the ability to create clean energy through inertial confinement fusion. The goal for the business is to make it as easy and affordable as possible in a mission around simplicity. COO Ryan Ramsey talks to Energy Focus about progress on site in the UK. 22 / www.energy-focus.net

INDUSTRY FOCUS: NUCLEAR

Ryan Ramsey, COO

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“Climate change is real.

Renewables need to take prominence and we are one part of the renewable solution,” says Ryan Ramsey, Chief Operations Officer at First Light Fusion (FLF).

The Oxford-based fusion business is lighting the way to a cleaner world by using science and technology to do things that have not been done before.

The company was established in 2011 following research from Oxford PhD student Dr Nick Hawker, who found an idea in nature for achieving fusion – where two or more atomic nuclei combine to form a heavier one, releasing enormous energy.

Pistol shrimps snap their claws at unbelievable speed to create an air bubble that hurtles toward prey, stunning or killing it. The bursting bubble creates a sound louder than a gun, and the process had Hawker thinking about the physics.

“The three things you need for

24 / www.energy-focus.net

fusion is time, density, and energy, and this satisfied all of that. Concentrating on Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF), he developed the concept of firing a projectile at a target that has deuterium and tritium. The projectile itself doesn’t have the necessary velocity itself to create the conditions for future. You need to reach 60km/s which is very fast.

Using the unique amplifier technology we have developed over the last 12 years we can speed up the projectile and fire it even faster, collapsing the deuterium and tritium to fuse together.

We was achieved that for the first time in November 2021, proving our unique approach,” explains Ramsey.

What Hawker and team had found was a way to replicate the process that creates energy within the sun. Complex and often unknown, to achieve fusion in 2021 was a major milestone.

Importantly, the work done by FLF is advancing knowledge of how to create energy using fusion, affordably, and safely in a way previously thought of as impossible. In the UK, where the energy mix is still largely reliant on oil and natural gas, modern ideas are required to innovate a system that hits Net Zero by 2050.

“We are not competing with wind, solar, tidal, or fission. To sort the problem across the world, we need a combination of all of these things and we see 500MW fusion plants around the world, using our technology to achieve success,” says Ramsey.

BUILDING Currently, the team at FLF is busy.

Amongst driving an ambitious funding round and recruiting the world’s brightest talent, there is a hopeful build programme advancing at pace. The next stage is speeding up the projectile

FIRST LIGHT FUSION

launch and then understanding the science around using the technology within a power plant setting.

“We are designing our prototype pilot plant which we expect to be

// WE ARE MAKING SURE THAT BY THE TIME WE GET TO THE POWER PLANT, WE HAVE DE-RISKED ALL OF THE TECHNOLOGY SO THAT WE CAN ACHIEVE WHAT IS REQUIRED, AND THE SCIENCE IS CORRECT //

operational in the 2030’s – it’s an aggressive timeline but that allows us to achieve great things. Before that, we are going to build the largest pulse power machine in the world called Machine 4. That will be on the UK Atomic Energy Authority’s campus and is very exciting,” explains Ramsey, a former Navy submarine Captain and energy industry leader.

Brought in to ensure timelines are met, Ramsey is enjoying the purposeled nature of the business and describes each day as thrilling, with the buzz of a start-up despite medium-sized status.

“Achieving fusion is one thing, but if you only get a few neutrons then that doesn’t turn into a power plant or solve the problems of clean energy for the world. So we have to be faster, and there is no gas gun or alternate technology available able

to achieve the speed,” he says.

So FLF is busy designing its own system – the world’s most powerful pulsed power facility – Machine 4. This technology accumulates large amounts of electromagnetic energy and releases it instantly, in a process similar to that used in high-powered military rail guns.

In 2018, FLF built a pulsed power machine named Machine 3, the largest of its kind in Europe. “But Machine 3 can only bring the projectile to 20km/s. The next challenge is going even faster, and that is why we need its successor, Machine 4,” says Ramsey.

“It will be 72 metres in diameter, 12 metres high, and should get us to 60 km/s which would allow us to achieve ‘Gain’. That is important as it de-risks the pilot plant. We are making sure that by the time we get to the power plant, we have de-risked all of the

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INDUSTRY FOCUS: NUCLEAR

technology so that we can achieve what is required, and the science is correct.”

This vital step in the process should be complete by the end of 2023 with detailed design scheduled for next year.

Using its own AI platform, developed in house at FLF, the company has been able to run hundreds of thousands of tests to predict outcomes and test theories. “That gives us confidence,” says Ramsey. “Right now, we are on the sixth iteration of the design of the machine to refine so that it achieves what it should.”

DRIVEN BY SIMPLICITY When the science and technology is refined, the concept of fusion is expected to provide clean energy in volumes not seen before. But doing so must be sustainable and this is why FLF concentrates on simplicity.

“Everybody is focused on the same mission, which is to solve the problem of fusion with the simplest machine possible – this is our power plant,” explains Ramsey. Machine 4, which is only the company’s Gain demonstrator,

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is being designed with low-cost, off the shelf components, and the power plant concept is intentionally simple.

“Solving fusion physics is not enough, the world needs a technology that can be built at scale,” he adds.

“We have solutions for each of the problems you have with managing fusion. A big problem is the price – it can be very expensive - but our proposal makes it relatively cheap.”

Long-term sustainability is also about the supply chain. Theoretically, the idea where small modular reactors power a city or a small town is much more suitable for FLF. But if the company was to expand aggressively and begin international rollout of its innovation, local supply chains would need to be able to deliver.

“Building a sustainable supply chain can be a challenge and the reason is education and educating people about fusion and what it is,” admits Ramsey.

Fusion as a concept goes back a long way in history with the first real research happening in the 1920s.

“It feels very new, not dissimilar to when electric vehicles started moving on the roads,” Ramsey suggests. “People didn’t know how to operate within that, and the supply chain needed to establish itself. This is the same for Fusion. If we suddenly scale to 100 power plants, we must know there are local supply chains able to support that.”

People in those business that make up the supply chain must also have the knowledge and ambition to participate at scale, on something new and different, while adhering to the strictest international quality standards.

“Generating people with physics capability – PhDs, Masters, graduates, post-docs – takes a lot of time,” details Ramsey. “Physics should be way more attractive than it is to young people.

The reason the way our world is the way it is, is because of physics. But our education system doesn’t support that – it doesn’t make physics exciting. We have a massive outreach programme underway now to reach into schools and to show learners the end point

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and how physics changes the world.”

He says that when people visit the site in Oxford, home to some of the brightest minds in the industry, there is a sense of excitement.

It’s busy, it’s fast moving, there’s a feeling of energy in the air.

“It has that start-up mentality and there are clever people, very focussed on achieving our mission. The next time a student goes into a physics lesson, the teacher can lever in a memory of a trip to First Light Fusion and make the subject relevant,” Ramsey hopes.

FLF is also keen to progress learners through the years to ensure curiosity continues. Follow up experiences are organised to ensure bright young minds can work in the business while they learn. As they progress through years, FLF supports with degree, Masters and PhD studies,

Fusion Materials Processing Automated Design Tools

and not only provides insight to fusion, but lays down challenges.

“Everything that is done is about coming up with great ideas,” states Ramsey. “We want young people contributing here, and most of the PhDs we have in the company have come here to complete their studies and they ultimately stay with us. We challenge them with real problems that we don’t know the answers to in order to ignite creativity.”

Partnering over the long-term with industry leaders has also been essential for the development of pathway for FLF. Whether in design, engineering, theoretical knowledge, safety, or many other areas, the company must lean on external expertise as the community comes together to drive achievement.

Ramsey highlights the relationship with neighbours Oxford

Sigma as a perfect example of deep partnerships that will yield results.

“Oxford Sigma has a really strong skillset in materials. We don’t have any materials people in our organisation but they are experts in that. Where we don’t have the capability, we outsource to trusted partners. Oxford Sigma worked with us previously and that was really positive. We have just partnered with them to look at lithium as part of the Fusion Industry Programme.

We partnered with them because we believe they have the expertise in areas that will help us and others, and therefore they should lead there rather than us - it’s a great relationship.”

VERY INVESTIBLE The key challenge for the business moving forward now is funding. The science is there, the desire for modern,

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INDUSTRY FOCUS: NUCLEAR

clean energy is constant, and the investment case of FLF is powerful. The senior leadership team must go out and attract investment to ensure the build of M4 and the pilot power plant (likely to be a 60MW, capex intensive project).

“The fundraise is going well, and it comes from a variety of different sources,” says Ramsey.

“We are privately funded, and that means we are moving fast. It’s amazing what private funding does to solve this

problem. If you look at government organisations that are doing similar things, we are moving so much quicker.

Funding from the private sector is key.”

Importantly, the business is transitioning from research organisation and Oxford spinoff, to revenue generating business with a realistic route to market. In July 2023, the company partnered with Spanish firm IDOM UK Nuclear Services to identify potential for

production of medical isotopes in the reactor. Research suggests that the temperatures in the reactor would be easily strong enough to produce radionuclides for pharmaceutical application in a market that is growing by 9% annually. Production of medical isotopes remains low in sparse around the world, but demand is high because of uses including detection and treatment of illnesses including cancer and heart disease.

ANSALDO NUCLEAR: FUELLED BY 40 YEARS OF FUSION EXPERIENCE Ansaldo Nuclear is an industry leader in the nuclear field, providing EPC services to companies at the cutting edge of science and technology, providing energy for decades to come.

Ansaldo Nuclear has been involved in the UK’s nuclear energy industry since the build of the first reactor at the now-decommissioned Dounreay Power Plant in 1955.

Over the past 68 years the company has grown alongside the country’s nuclear industry, providing a range of services including fuel route, remote handling, inspection equipment, encapsulation, and waste handling.

Today, Ansaldo Nuclear – part of Ansaldo Energia – is a leading light in the fusion space, building on its history in fission to develop solutions for bespoke projects.

“We have one of the longest standing experiences in the field of fusion,” says Key Account Manager, Charles Mendes.

“There will not be too many organisations that have as much experience as we do. We support various approaches around producing electricity through fusion. We are not bound by any technology, and we can support any project around nuclear.”

Currently, the company is busy with multiple projects on international relevance. In France, the ITER concept is described as one of the world’s most ambitious energy projects where international collaboration sees a tokamak magnetic fusion device, Ansaldo is busy on multiple high value contracts. “We are involved in the welding, rings, qualification of the divertor, and lots of remote handling work,” says Mendes.

At the same time, Ansaldo is busy with the DTT tokamak test project in Italy, the Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production (STEP) project in the UK, and the successor to the ITER project – the DEMOnstration power plant which is part of the EUROfusion Technology Programme across the EU. Applying extensive industry knowledge to nuclear projects, Ansaldo seeks to secure energy supply and innovate in power generation, smoothing the transition towards widespread renewable rollout.

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“Nuclear will play a clear role in the green transition,” Mendes states. “There is little CO2 in the whole process and it allows us to clean up our act with greenhouse gasses while offering strategic geopolitical advantages.

“As part of the baseload, nuclear energy is so useful to have. It works hand in hand with renewables. It’s evolving quickly and modular reactors are easier, faster, and less expensive to build. There is a realisation that when you look at the history of nuclear, it has provided clean energy for many years,” he says of the industry going forward.

And the industry is moving forward, with around 60 reactors under construction around the world and 440 in operation, providing approximately 10% of global electricity. With new ideas and innovation rife in the sector, Ansaldo is the perfect partner.

“We certainly want to pursue opportunities – we are effectively an EPC, we can provide design, engineering, manufacturing, and commissioning if needed,” says Mendes.

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“When we identified the potential not only to produce, but also harvest these much-needed medical isotopes which are having an increasing impact on the diagnosis and treatment of serious illnesses, it was incumbent on us to explore the opportunity.

Importantly this can be realised with no compromise to the reactor’s ability to produce electricity; it is a purely additive opportunity,” said Nick Hawker.

“It is very promising,” adds Ramsey.

“Investment is always a challenge, and particularly in the environment we are in at the moment. With the right programme and demonstrable achievements, we provide confidence to investors. The next raise will enable us to build the Machine 4. It will be the world’s largest pulsed power machine, based in the UK, and it will not only contribute to our journey,

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but to broader science nationally and internationally. This levers off a report from the Royal Society where many organisations have provided innovative ideas on how to use the machine more broadly.”

He adds that having an effective commercial model allows investors to see ROI. “As long as we can demonstrate progress and returns, it is very investable.”

FLF is solving the problem of fusion and the optimism and ambition within the company is one of the key catalysts.

“We fail fast, and when we fail we pivot and move in a different direction.

That is how we have got to where we are,” says Ramsey. “There is a lot going on around us and we could end up comparing ourselves to others, but that is not an effective way to focus.

We breed positivity and we recognise

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that we are going to fail. We learn lessons quickly and we use the code to change the target and move on.

We are definitely moving in the right direction, but the healthy tension is that we want to move faster. This is not an experiment - this is a solution to the problem of fusion, making sure it can be turned into power plants, and ensuring our children’s children can have a world that is worth inheriting.

“When we get this right, I will be very proud to say that I had a part in it, and that fulfils my need for purpose,” he concludes.

WWW.FIRSTLIGHTFUSION.COM

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ENSHORE SUBSEA

Deep Expertise Helps to Build New Subsea Infrastructure Powerhouse PRODUCTION: David Hill

In its relatively short life, Enshore Subsea has been making waves around the world, positioning itself as an industry leader in the subsea infrastructure sector. Brimming with talent, ferociously ambitious, and located at the global heart of the industry, Enshore has a bright future. Commercial Director William Stephenson tells Energy Focus about recent success.

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In 2020, as the Covid-19 pandemic swept around the world in a tsunami of negativity, companies were drowned quickly with contracts washing away and the future outlook hazy at best. Deep Ocean, a leading subsea contracting business, fell as its work dried up but its costs remained.

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Like so many others, this historic organisation was forced to close and with it went jobs and skills.

But for the management within the business, this was not an acceptable way to go down. Pierre Boyde, Wayne Pullen, and William Stephenson had driven major success at Deep Ocean, each with decades of

experience across different areas.

“The three of us noticed that there was a valid business model in a post Covid world given the huge amount of competence that was within the business,” William Stephenson, Commercial Director, tells Energy Focus.

“Deep Ocean was the largest offshore cable installation

© Enshore Subsea

INDUSTRY FOCUS: INFRASTRUCTURE

William Stephenson - Commercial Director

contractor in the UK and it was a tragedy to see so many people put out of work when it closed.”

Alongside Boyde and Pullen, Stephenson was keen on a management buyout to ensure the continuation of services for clients that needed cable-lay, trenching, and shallow water project capability.

The three secured the backing of AlGihaz Contracting, a Saudi infrastructure investment business, and

launched Enshore Subsea in April 2021.

With the pandemic still a problem, the entrepreneurs knew they entered the market at a challenging point, but they were confident in their own expertise.

“AlGihaz believed in what we could do and saw the potential of the team we could bring in,” remembers Stephenson. “We started on April 1 with just three people. We finished that day with 12. After nine months, we had delivered £15.5 million of

revenue and we continued to grow from there. The challenges have been frequent and large, but we now have a number of successful projects behind us and we are excited about moving onwards and upwards.”

Now, the company boasts more than 80 people, a global presence, and three core service lines: Cable installation, trenching subcontracting, and subsea detection of explosive devices.

“For a company that only started out two years ago, we have had serious expansion,” smiles Stephenson.

SENEGAL The company’s most recent contract is a flagship and one that Stephenson hopes will position Enshore among the premier players globally. In September 2023, the government of Senegal awarded a JV contract to Enshore Subsea, alongside Herbosch-Kiere, to work on the Senegal Power Compact, a project financed by the US-based Millennium Challenge Corporation

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ENSHORE SUBSEA

Images © Enshore Subsea

(MCC) in partnership with local government.

The $200 million engineering, procurement, construction, and installation (EPCI) contract sees Enshore engaged on and offshore.

“It is the first EPCI contract awarded to Enshore as the new entity, and that has taken us to the next level,” says Stephenson, adding that the contract involves two 17.5 km 220 kV links stretching from Bel Air in Dakar to Cap des Biches.

He is particularly excited about working alongside HerboschKiere, part of the Eiffage Group.

“That is a big milestone as, although we have AlGihaz to support us on these major tenders, to have a JV partner like that adds major strength. The project is installation of a submarine link between two onshore power stations to help balance the grid in Dakar.”

Managing Director, Pierre Boyde adds: “We are honoured to be selected as a key partner for the Senegal

Power Compact Program. This is a transformative initiative that aligns perfectly with our commitment to providing sustainable energy solutions.”

Demonstrating the company’s deep skillset and ambition for excellence will be a key priority for Stephenson and team on this project in West Africa. Showing to the rest of the global industry that Enshore Subsea delivers above and beyond is essential in flagship projects like this.

“That is what we’re excited about,” he smiles. “As a new company, you have no right to go in and ask for major EPCI contracts. Now that we have our first, we can show that we have the knowledge and capability, and we can go and find more projects where we can take full systems responsibility – we have more in tender just now.”

PLAYING GLOBALLY Based at the Port of Blyth, in what Stephenson describes as the heart of the global trenching industry, Enshore Subsea has a range of skills

at its disposal and can call on a supply chain loaded with proficiency to deliver on projects locally and globally. The larger, more complex projects is where Stephenson sees Enshore adding real value.

“We can play on the global field. We like to partner with local companies to deliver projects but our competency is project engineering, project execution, and project management. That is particularly around cable installation and shallow water applications.

We have completed projects in Bahrain, Senegal, the Mediterranean, Belgium, the Netherlands, France, the UK, Greece – we have a nice spread in our relatively short life.

“We want to push the company towards being an EPCI contractor in cable laying – that will be our main business unit,” he details. “We want to target interesting, challenging projects, particularly where there is a larger EPCI element. We can’t compete with larger businesses when it comes to standard installation projects where

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INDUSTRY FOCUS: INFRASTRUCTURE

cost is the only selective driver. We are looking for opportunities where the installation is more complicated, often involving onshore scopes, complex seabed conditions or shallow water environments. Enshore can come in as a true turnkey EPCI contractor, with or without partners, who can take full system responsibility and collaborate with onshore companies to deliver wider project scope.”

He says that the company is comfortable in standard cable laying operations and would be able to quickly and effectively delivery of projects for both energy interconnectors as well as Offshore Wind. In fact, the challenging seabed trenching for the Saint-Brieuc wind farm export cable was completed recently by Enshore in collaboration with a major cable manufacturer.

The business is also a subcontractor for trenching, utilising a robust equipment portfolio to deliver for cable manufacturers or other installation contractors. At the same time, the company is busy completing fibre optic installations around Europe, but large contracts for global partners is the goal.

“We add value in the niche, one-off projects.”

© Enshore Subsea

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PATENTED TECH An exciting development that will propel Enshore Subsea to the front of the industry is its newly patented technology capable of detecting seabed unexploded ordinance (UXO).

Critical in the offshore cable laying sector, this tech can protect people and equipment from serious harm.

“We have a patented seabed frame that sits on the ocean floor, performing identification by scanning and dredging in areas of high current. Where ROVs might have significant downtime, we have much more workability in harsh subsea environments. We want to get this into the UK, US and European offshore wind markets,” declares Stephenson.

Some reports suggest that there could be as much as 1.3 million tonnes of UXO laying just below the North Sea seabed as a result of several conflicts over the years. For those trenching and laying cables, this is a significant risk and appropriate action must be taken to mitigate.

Last year, in Bahrain on the Al Hawar project, Enshore Subsea was busy identifying and removing UXO from the cable corridor alongside a

team of partners. The area was safely and effectively cleared and the wider project was completed successfully.

Stephenson - a former product and sales manager across the subsea sector, and Commercial Director at a marine logistics firm – says that the company is able to offer such an extensive range of services because of its location in the North East of England. Here, he says, the supply chain is strong, innovation is rife, and Enshore is always looking to form lasting partnerships.

“Offshore, we need support from marine services for local projects – that’s local vessels for pull in, construction, and survey activities. They must be experienced and used to European delivery, but capable in remote regions around the world. Onshore, we have a supply chain where we support our trenchers from Blyth. We look for engineering and technical expertise to go to our regional sites for delivery. We are always looking for onshore civils, labour, electrical, equipment and other contractors.

“At the Port of Blyth, many of our global competition players are present – it is the subsea dredging capital of the world. We can take advantage

ENSHORE SUBSEA

of engineering, supply chain, and technical developments locally before going to operate on global projects.”

MAJOR SUCCESS To date, Stephenson is pleased with progress in the business. Three financial years have passed since Enshore Subsea was launched, and results were positive. The next stage in the ambitious growth plan is for the company to successfully deliver in Senegal and demonstrate the skills at its disposal.

“The fact that we have the team that is trusted to deliver a $200 million EPCI contract is a major success. This project is evidence that we have the right to play in that field and people should be talking to us about their complex project requirements,” says the Commercial Director.

“The main aim when we started

the business, after Deep Ocean closed with many employees here in the North East, was to create employment and keep a home here.

We want local capability and there is a massive subsea industry here.”

Ultimately, this is a business of people. The ideas, invention, engineering, and problem solving present within Enshore Subsea will allow for industrial development.

Communications, energy, technology, and much more will continue to grow but only if cables can provide reliable connections. This complex but critical sector requires deep knowledge to overcome big challenges.

Enshore has expertise that is often unmatched in the global market.

“I am proud that we can sit here today with a fresh, mixed team - some that are from the Deep Ocean days

who have been working on trenchers for decades, some that came in as offshore apprenticeships, those that have worked offshore but are now onshore ensuring quality execution, and those that have come from other industries and have really grown with us – we have an amazing team that is highly capable and able to deliver,” concludes Stephenson.

As more contracts are awarded, Enshore will bring on more people, nurturing the skills of the future. This will ensure the brand is the trusted partner now and for the foreseeable.

WWW.ENSHORESUBSEA.COM

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JOHN LAWRIE TUBULARS

Strategic Sustainability

Strengthens JLT PRODUCTION: David Hill

The experienced team at John Lawrie Tubulars is building an industry powerhouse through innovation and a commitment to sustainability. New investments into technology and capacity have helped the business to build its customer base, and MD Iain Laing tells Energy Focus he expects continued strong performance.

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INDUSTRY FOCUS: OIL AND GAS

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Decommissioning is the often-forgotten element of the oil and gas sector that has come to prominence especially in the last decade.

Sustainability is becoming a priority alongside the traditional goals of profit and performance in the Energy Industry. Where decommissioning activities are being conducted by Operators or contractors, there is an increased focus on processes that need to include environmental aspects as well as revenue opportunities.

For Montrose-based John

// WE HAVE THE STOCK, WE CAN DO EVERYTHING, START TO FINISH. NO ONE ELSE HAS THE CAPABILITIES THAT WE HAVE //

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Lawrie Tubulars (JLT), this is second nature. The company was built on pioneering the reuse of oil and gas tubulars used to extract product from oil and gas fields, for use in construction or other industries. For decades, the company has purchased tubulars as oil and gas projects have come to an end, before using them in foundation piling and other applications across global markets.

The steel tubulars are perfect for repurposing, but they require expert knowledge to ensure they are fit for repurposing.

“I started with the John Lawrie Group aged 18 as a labourer in the pipe yard,” smiles MD Iain Laing. “I then went offshore and ran completion projects before coming back onshore and taking on the running of the pipe yard in Montrose. Almost 30 years later and I have climbed the ladder.”

“We partner with the Energy Industry to enable them to fulfil their environmental aspirations

through the safe disposal of steel tubulars. We are a one stop shop for operators and contractors whether it be logistics, full material traceability or environmental reporting.”

CIRCULAR BY NATURE Oil and gas wells have to withstand significant force and are therefore require high grade steel. The steel must withstand high pressures internally and externally, and must meet strict international standards. For use in piling and construction activities, this is a perfect material. Recycled, robust, cheaper than new, and emissions saving, when you buy from John Lawrie Tubulars, you will get a product that is managed and delivered by JLT. “We buy steel tubulars from all over the world,” says Laing. “These may be used (pulled from production or decommissioning activities) or surplus to operations that has no use in the energy industry anymore. We can find a use for it and repurpose it for the

JOHN LAWRIE TUBULARS

construction market where it more than meets all requirements for the industry.

“We focus on top driven piling and, since 2020, we have invested significantly in a purpose-built machine shop. We have CNCs, saws, friction welders, heat treatment and cleaning machines. The business now manufactures a range of equipment in-house to support various aspects of the construction, ground investigation and geotechnical foundation/ engineering sectors - this includes friction welded drill rods,” he adds.

For the top driven piling market, JLT keeps stock from 73mm up to 914mm diameter with a range of wall thickness and lengths. Importantly, all manufacturing is done inhouse and this allows for complete control over quality, something which Laing is keen to promote.

“Everything is done inhouse,” he says, highlighting that the company was awarded ‘Made in Britain’ accreditation this year and has been shortlisted by Made in Britain for the Green Growth Manufacturer of the year award.

“We have conducted a Lifecycle Analysis (LCA) of our business – which calculates JLT’s CO2 emissions from cradle to grave. Therefore JLT can demonstrate to our suppliers and customers the CO2 savings by using JLT steel versus buying new steel.

Highlighting the company’s ability, in 2022 John Lawrie Tubulars was awarded the Queen’s Award for Enterprise: Sustainable Development.

One of just 226 organisations to be recognised, the company was lauded for its focus on saving carbon dioxide equivalent. Thanks to the LCA, JLT can detail CO2 savings for every tonne of repurposed steel tubulars. “This analysis has been of huge benefit for our customers and suppliers to monitor their CO2 savings” adds Laing.

“We have been strategically focused on evolving our business offering to meet the demands of not only the industry we serve, but the global environment within which we work.

ARR Craib Transport, part of the Gregory Group, is committed to the group’s ethos - Delivering Winners. For us, this means always providing our customers with the highest quality service – handling, storing and distributing products in the most efficient, effective and safe manner.

ARR Craib is proud of its long relationship with John Lawrie Tubulars in supporting their logistics requirements throughout the UK.

01224 771122 • info@arr-craib.co.uk

www.arr-craib.co.uk

“All of this is because of the team’s hard work. We are a team oriented business and everyone works together.

People multitask and help each other – we’re lucky to have a great team.”

GROWING PRESENCE Today, JLT has a base in Montrose, UK, Houston, USA, Scunthorpe, UK, and a recently opened new yard on the border between the Netherlands and Germany.

Laing is keen on expansion in new markets and sees European growth in exciting new sectors.

“All of our material goes to the construction industry, rail industry and land drilling but also in renewables with the supply of material for geothermal work,” he says. “We are looking at the geothermal market as an opportunity – we believe that will grow in the UK and Europe. Our sales

team are focussed on learning more about that market and growing our presence. They can buy repurposed, surplus pipe from us and that gives it a new use, ticking all the boxes for the client. We have over 20,000 tonnes of stock ready to ship to customers.”

The geothermal sector has been growing steadily at around 3.5% since 2000, and is expected to continue to boom as a key renewable source of energy for heating and cooling applications. Extensive pipework is required to complete an effective geothermal system, and this gives JLT an opportunity.

WORKING DIRECT Just as important as strong relationships with clients, JLT highlights it involvement in the supply chain as fundamental in its success. The material

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INDUSTRY FOCUS: OIL AND GAS

that goes into its end product must meet certain standards and must be managed effectively. Not simply a buy and sell operation, JLT has to ensure its supply chain is sustainable.

“We buy from everyone. There’s no company we won’t deal with,”

40 / www.energy-focus.net

declares Laing. “We will buy all available material from the supply chain and use our robust processes to establish what material can be repurposed with the rest going for recycling. This maximises revenues for operators and contractors and ensures they are not

left with unwanted material. It also gives operators a complete audit trail of where their material is going from a duty of care point of view,” he adds.

By investing in added value capabilities, the company increases the markets it can sell to and has helped the company to differentiate, says Laing.

To add further capability, JLT recently invested in a new shredding machine from UNTHA. This state-ofthe-art piece of equipment allows the company to shred tubular byproducts that cannot be reused or repurposed inhouse. The RS40 is capable of shredding plastic screw caps at a rate of half a tonne per hour. The system is then able to separate metals and plastics in the post-shred conveyor which can be sent for local recycling and reuse.

Closing the loop in this way feeds

JOHN LAWRIE TUBULARS

into the company’s circular mantra.

“We had heard that UNTHA shredders are valued for their longevity and reliability, which is something we value as a company,” said JLT UK Purchasing Manager, Iain Bell.

“We therefore arranged a trial with a small sample of material, to see if the technology could tackle our input material. Impressed from the outset, we then arranged a second ‘shred test’ to see how the machine performed with a full load. We were really pleased with the output quality.”

JLT’s 40 people are using all of these tools to build a meaningful business that contributes to the sustainability of the oil and gas industry, and the construction and piling industry. Importantly, where others fall short, JLT can back up all claims

around sustainability with detailed data certified by a third party.

“We communicate the amount of CO2 versus using a new product thanks to our LCA to both customers and suppliers,” confirms Laing. “There is a 97.2% saving buying from us instead of going to a steel mill. We really dug deep into everything that goes into our product from how much diesel we use, to how much gas we use, to how many gloves we use. We are the only one in the market to have an LCA to back up what we say. We actually save 2.136 tonnes of CO2 from every tonne of steel you buy from us. If someone asks for proof of the saving, we can deliver that.”

This, alongside the introduction of the machine shop, says Laing, makes for a unique offering that is unavailable elsewhere. “From where we started

to where we are today makes me very proud. We have built and changed the business into a completely different entity. We have more employees, we have the LCA, we have a machine shop, we hold stock, we can shred, we have a fabrication facility, we have the Queen’s Award for Enterprise: Sustainable Development – it’s remarkable.”

And it feels like this forty-year-old business is still just getting started. As more stock becomes available with decommissioning increasing, and with world-class capability in house in the UK to fuel booming demand, JLT sits in a perfect position to thrive.

JOHNLAWRIETUBULARS.COM

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HELICAL PILE SOLUTIONS

Securing Energy Transition PRODUCTION: David Hill

Helical Pile Solutions is securing the energy transition by fixing renewable infrastructure to the ground with specially designed helical pile foundations. Strong, affordable, and fast to roll out, this is an application with so many positives for engineering firms. Founder and Operations Director Peter Farr talks to Energy Focus about building the business based on service quality.

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INDUSTRY FOCUS: ENGINEERING

//

The strength of any structure is the foundations. In the energy industry - where companies are under extreme pressure to produce more energy, cleaner, cheaper, faster, and greener – there is an infrastructure challenge looming with significant engineering required to ensure the physical platforms exist for turbines to spin, solar panels to

Peter Farr, Founder and Operations Director

44 / www.energy-focus.net

stand, substations to switch volts, and pylons to carry electricity.

Around the world, weak planning and outdated thinking see energy projects pinned to the ground, destined to fail. Some wind turbines can face wind speeds of up to 90km/h and the towers need to hold the turbines as it generates vital green power. Solar panel support frames must cope with average weights of around 25kg per panel – with some of the world’s largest installations home to more than five million panels.

Solar carports that cover just one car can require 10 panels as well as significant steel structure. Electricity pylons can weigh at least 700kg. Anchoring these assets to the ground is critical in support of the long-term energy transition.

In the energy sector, there is a solution that is often cheaper, faster, and less intrusive. Helical piling, also known as Screw piling, uses steel tubular shafts that are rotated into the ground without the need for concrete, creating long lasting foundations that are stable and resistance to corrosion.

“We worked on a project for a major energy engineering firm installing helical piles to support transmission towers,” explains Peter Farr, Operations Director at Helical Pile Solutions Ltd (HPS), a UK industry leader in the field.

“Generally, this type of project would use concrete foundations, however this requires huge excavations and large amounts of materials being removed from site. It takes a long time to put towers up, and that costs more money.”

Peter Farr has been in the industry for more than two decades and is a leading mind when it comes to foundations for industrial applications.

// WE ARE HERE TO BUILD LASTING RELATIONSHIPS WITH CLIENTS THAT WILL ENDURE WELL INTO THE FUTURE //

HELICAL PILE SOLUTIONS

He was part of the team that introduced helical piling to the UK, and co-founded Helical Piling Solutions back in 2021.

“The President of the engineering company visited site to watch us put up a tower that would, in concrete, take six weeks. We had the foundations down in five hours and the tower up in two days. He asked the team on site: ‘Is that it?’ They measured it and checked all tolerances had been achieved and found everything to be perfect. He was amazed at what he had witnessed and advised that they would certainly be looking at helical piles as a replacement to concrete.”

CHANGING METHODS Large and heavy steel shafts with screw-like flanges are mechanically twisted deep into the ground and can be installed very quickly. Sometimes, no pre-drilling is required, and the piles can go into various soil conditions.

Installation is cheaper than traditional foundations and durability is high.

Use of helical piles is widespread and can be used in various construction

projects, however HPS is targeting energy infrastructure because of the need for robust solutions and wide-open market for innovation.

Recent success was demonstrated in Milton Keynes where a leading international car manufacturer began a process of installing solar carports on site to generate renewable energy while protecting cars from the elements. The construction firm approached Helical Pile Solutions to secure the heavy structures to the ground, and they delivered.

“I know the industry and it is all about getting people to rethink the way they build future projects,” Farr says.

“It is a showcase for their site and as the industry gains momentum, more and more clients will see the benefits with the market growing quickly in the coming years to well in excess of £20 million per year, just in the UK.” The carport has EV charging capability built in, and uses cantilevered canopies to ensure maximum power generation. Already proven across more than 500 car parking spaces in

the UK, this solar carport concept, and the industry itself, is set to grow exponentially as the EV transition continues. “It is one of the larger solar projects in the UK. This phase was only 1MW and a small portion of the client’s current car park.

There is plenty of opportunity to scale up further there,” says Farr.

EXPANDING TEAM The ambitious entrepreneur and industry veteran partnered with Managing Director Nic Brooker to build HPS. Brooker an expert in steel manufacturing and Farr one of the voices of helical piling in the country, the pair have lofty aspirations.

“In Europe and especially in America, it’s a completely different ball game,” smiles Farr. “We know that there is a big push in France where more than 300 sites are being explored.

We’re looking to push into Europe and when that happens, we will expand the management team accordingly.

We have fabrication covered in the UK having invested nearly £1m in the

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INDUSTRY FOCUS: ENGINEERING

state-of-the-art machinery to deliver all of the manufacturing process in house. Installation-wise, we have two teams that we can expand as and when required. Our overheads are low, and that allows us to build in competitive costs for our contractors.”

Currently, the business is headquartered out of Cambridgeshire and can service clients nationwide.

The piles themselves are carefully crafted depending on client spec and can be delivered nationally against tight deadlines.

“We can deliver everything required for a helical piling application.

We do lean on external consultants during our design process, but we do all the design calculations in house and then have these checked and signed off by those consultants,” declares Farr.

“We offer bespoke design, manufacture, supply, and installation of helical pile foundation solutions.

Depending on the client requirements, we can tailor this to be supply only, design and supply only, supply

46 / www.energy-focus.net

and installation only, or whatever they need. We can be very flexible around their requirements.”

He is keen to underpin the company’s commitment to quality – both product and service. While others in the helical pile industry can produce these products, few can match the knowledge, quality and service excellence of HPS. Still relatively young as a business, HPS must separate itself by more than just good products.

“We are here to build lasting relationships with clients that will endure well into the future,” details Farr.

“Repeat business and recommendation is what keeps a company going and we are receiving positive feedback repeatedly upon completion of each project. We offer the complete support required and that has been our focal point since we started the business. We provide quality products, quality service, and after sales support that the client can rely on.

“Our installation contractors are key and they all have 20+ years

experience. The execution of the work is the key link in the chain. Without the experience that I have access to, we would never get projects over the line. I work with the best installers in the UK for this product, and that gives us a great platform.”

He reminds that the manufacturing arm of HPS is agile and nimble and very reactive to client needs. “They shift and move quickly to make things work, and that is a benefit that we can offer to clients. Most of the time, these projects are planned well in advance, but there are instances where we have emergency jobs that need to be turned around in very short periods and we can always deliver what we say we will.”

‘WE HAVE BOOMED’ Because of the success built within HPS to date, Farr is happy to report that his initial expectations have been exceeded year on year. “I thought we would start off slow working purely on smaller civils projects, but we have boomed and I have to thank

HELICAL PILE SOLUTIONS

those around me for that,” he says.

“We have far exceeded our initial expectations in year one and two. We are expanding into industries that I didn’t think we’d get into so early,” he adds, citing rail and highways as new areas where HPS is seeing an uptick as the company works towards ISO 9001 accreditation.

“The amount of exposure and the work we have done in just two years is unthinkable. I could not have imagined growing the business to the size that it is in the current climate.

We are now a recognised brand in the UK for helical piling and many tier one contractors are approaching us as their preferred subcontractor due to the services we provide.”

In the future, this quickly growing business has major potential because of the knowledge, expertise, and unwavering commitment to excellence.

Already proven on and in the ground, helical piling is perfect for energy industry applications and its preferential cost will assist in the transition as more

pylons and carports are required.

“Energy projects are where we are really focussed giving the infrastructure demand the country needs to transition to Net Zero and this includes transmission, substations, solar carports, solar arrays, and turbines,” says Farr.

“Many continue to use traditional concrete methods – this is what engineers use as standard foundations, but they need to diversify to speed up their programmes. We are demonstrating how our innovative product can be a benefit to them.”

Able to deliver foundation piles as well as torque drive units for hire or sale, the company can deliver a turnkey solution.

“We are confident in what we can achieve however people are always sceptical. We deliver projects within budget, programme and to the highest quality that our clients expect and these clients are always delighted upon completion knowing we deliver what we promise, finished

to the highest of standards.” highlights Farr. “The feedback we receive is that we give people the confidence that their projects will be delivered successfully – that is what we thrive on.”

In August 2023, a UK council unveiled a solar carport project on its site, claiming that it would save £150,000 p/a on energy costs. At the same time, new T-shaped pylons are being erected to carry modern green power from a growing number of offshore wind farms around the country. Substations and battery parks are going up, or slated, at sites all over the UK, and the largest onshore wind farm is in development. Now is the time to fix infrastructure down for a future of green, low carbon electricity.

“We are small business but we deliver for big projects,” concludes Farr.

HELICALPILESOLUTIONS.CO.UK

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LIAA - ELWIND

ELWIND Cooperation to Power

Baltic Renewables PRODUCTION: Tommy Atkinson

A joint venture between Latvia and Estonia will see a major offshore wind project built in the Baltic Sea from 2030. Generating clean, secure, sustainable power, the ELWIND project will provide long-term opportunity for the region with new value chains and investment prospects created over the next 25 years.

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INDUSTRY FOCUS: WIND

//

In Latvia and surrounding Baltic states, the intentions of driving an energy transition are solid. Hydro, biofuels and waste, wind and solar renewables, and natural gas are up and coming in the region’s energy mix. But coal and oil continue to be burned in large volumes to meet demand with electricity supply. Latvia’s energy mix sustains mostly from hydropower and natural gas, the aim is to decrease the dependence on natural gas and increase the amount of green energy.

Latvia knows the potential for renewables. It has seen the success in the UK, the Netherlands, and other European nations. The economic impact alongside the energy generation benefits are well-documented. But, more recently, the need for energy security has become increasingly apparent, and in 2020 the country

50 / www.energy-focus.net

began exploring a tangible rollout for offshore wind in the Baltic Sea, signing a MOU to research possibilities.

ELWIND is the result, a joint venture between the states of Latvia and Estonia. The project aims to produce green energy locally, at scale while improving interstate connectivity. The vision of at least 1GW of clean, offshore wind energy production, across the Baltic Sea is ambitious and require collaboration.

BIG IMPACT To help build the investment case for this major project, the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia (LIAA) has been engaged. When operational, the ELWIND project could achieve delivery of one fifth of total electricity consumption in the two countries, saving around three million tonnes of CO2 equivalent

annually, and so raising funds quickly and sustainably is essential.

“Offshore wind parks provide an opportunity to harness the power of the sea to produce safe, environmentally friendly, and affordable energy for the prosperity of the society,” LIAA states. “The development of offshore wind parks will create new business and learning opportunities as well as new jobs for the coastal regions.”

Laura Štrovalde, Deputy Director in charge of investment and energy at the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia, tells Energy Focus that the eventual rollout of the project will bring benefits far beyond just clean energy generation.

“This project is developing infrastructure too,” she says, “and that is very important for the Latvian economy. Our main ports will be involved in the value chain and they

LIAA - ELWIND

have their own strategies around how they grow. The economic elements that this will bring will be a big boost for the Latvian economy.”

A NEED FOR NEW VENTURES The Latvian economy has grown at 3.1% on average over the past decade (2012 – 2022) and while the region holds strong potential for economic development, the recent stats suggest a slowdown could be on the cards.

Rating agency Fitch expects Latvia to grow at 1.4% in 2023, Estonia to contract by 1.5%, and Lithuania to hit just 1.1%. strong fundamentals make the region appealing, but larger notable projects are required to provide international investors with a real flavour of the ambition.

“There is a need for new ventures, for example with wind generator parts.

Latvia has the possibility to create a home for some manufacturers, especially at the ports. That will be a big bonus as the funding would come from foreign investors. The auctions will be open , and we hope to attract international developers that will be able to construct ELWIND wind park and deliver electricity.”

She explains that there are already two companies operating locally, undertaking training and development of employees destined for the cold Baltic Sea. To date, at least 2700 people have been upskilled and the next step is to broaden horizons beyond wind.

“We have the workforce, and we can prepare them here,” states Štrovalde.

“Hydrogen projects are taking off and the Freeport of Ventspils has

// LATVIA HAS THE POSSIBILITY TO CREATE A HOME FOR SOME MANUFACTURERS, ESPECIALLY AT THE PORTS //

specific plans to attract investment.

They already have ammonia storage facilities and are looking to begin green ammonia production.”

“Regarding the electricity market,” Štrovalde adds, “As we look to the future, there are big plans for electrification in Latvia and that means there will be extra need for electricity which will partly be covered by ELWIND.” Štrovalde explains: “When it comes to the electricity market, if ELWIND’s total capacity exceeds 1000MW, it will cover not only local consumption, but partly could be exported as well. Looking ahead, there are significant electrification plans in Latvia and Baltics, which will result in an increased demand for electricity of domestic market still ensure the energy export possibilities.”

She highlights the fact that Germany (50Hertz) has already signed memorandum regarding a

connector project that will see various wind parks in the region brought together and linked into Germany.

“If we look at hydrogen strategies and projects, ELWIND plays a key role there when creating available infrastructure for hydrogen. We don’t yet know how all of these things will play out but there are many connections that are being made. Everything is still in the planning stage at this point.”

The spin off benefits from a project like ELWIND are major. Money moving through multiple industry sectors and several regions mean that new skills are developed and new value chains emerge to serve a long-term, sustainable market that will drive capital expenditure as well as energy security. In Estonia, the benefits are being promoted by the Environmental Investment Centre (KIK) where Project Manager Tõnn Tuvikene is excited about the possibility for the wider Baltic

Laura Štrovalde, Deputy Director in Charge of Investment and Energy at LIAA

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INDUSTRY FOCUS: WIND

region, highlighting the project as one with potential to be a role model for collaboration going forward.

“The goal is to introduce another concept to the market, helping to derisk the area by organising nessecary studies. Therefore, we raise the value of the sea area, help to achieve 100% renewable energy target and energy independence in a cost-effective way for society.

“Offshore wind is much needed to achieve Estonia’s renewable energy targets and contribute towards stabilisation of the energy prices in the region. To achieve this two aspects must be hilighted. We need more domestic renewable production and we need more and better transnational electricity connections. ELWIND project is aiming to solve both of these aspects.

“This whole industry would give a boost to Estonian economy,” he adds. “Potential excess energy

52 / www.energy-focus.net

energy would attract enegry intensive industry, and Estonia would have good potential of moving from energy net importer to net exporter.”

OBVIOUS INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES The energy within the investment agencies is high. Typically, in the Baltic region, these government-backed organisations have been utilised to promote private investment inflows through industries including tourism and technology startups. Recognised as one of the most startup-friendly countries in the world, Latvia provides a number of routes to market, including accelerators and incubator hubs.

Estonia is also highly appealing to start ups because of its tax environment and e-residency program.

“As an agency, we have many different projects for investment running and our main target is to attract

it – especially foreign investment.

Regarding energy, ELWIND is the main energy project for us and the country right now,” says Štrovalde.

“In energy, this is the first project that the agency has been involved in. We work under the Ministry of Economics and they have delegated us the task of attracting investment around this energy project so that is something new for LIAA,” she adds.

Ultimately, the goal is to complete the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) by 2026, before being auctioned out, with commissioning to occur in 2030. At the same time, legislation and infrastructure can be developed while skills and new business opportunities are nurtured locally. When operational, ELWIND will support Latvia and Estonia with clean energy and also export opportunities. From there, hydrogen strategies can be developed to build further sustainability in the region.

LIAA - ELWIND

One of most important aspects for developers of offshore wind parks will be ensuring a grid connection for the ELWIND project. In such a way developers participating in the tender of ELWIND wind farm area will receive

// OVERALL, WIND ENERGY HAS HUGE UNTAPPED POTENTIAL IN THE CONTEXT OF THE GREEN TRANSITION, MORE REASONABLE ENERGY PRICES AND OUR ENERGY SECURITY //

guarantees about the grid connection and reserved capacity. All studies of environmental impact assessment and seabed investigation will be publicly available ensuring open data principle.

“We are now running the EIA and it will take two years for us to get these studies complete. After this process, we will prepare for the auction but after that we will know many of the strategies and how they will play out,” declares Štrovalde.

“In the value chain, we have started communication with many companies and they are looking at the offshore wind industry. Many want to become greener themselves to become more attractive to foreign investors – this is always key motivation.”

Of course, the entire maritime space will be boosted by the beginning of ELWIND’s construction

phase, and many are eager to continue with development at pace so that material benefits can begin to be realised across all areas.

“Overall, wind energy has huge untapped potential in the context of the green transition, more reasonable energy prices and our energy security.

It would be wise to take advantage of it. The momentum is now!” is the clear message from Laura Štrovalde, Deputy Director in charge of investment and energy at LIAA to investors seeking safe returns for the future. Baltic renewable energy is an untapped market, and first movers stand to benefit from a raft of opportunities.

WWW.LIAA.GOV.LV

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LAMPRELL

Lamprell Reimagines with New Board and Management Team in Place PRODUCTION: Tommy Atkinson

Lamprell’s purpose has long been to provide best-in-class project services and solutions for the energy industry, and a recent reorganisation has resulted in an increased focus on the group’s strategy and part in renewables and the energy transition while it continues to support its core oil & gas business segment. The result is that Lamprell is doing its bit to best align with customer needs and enable optimum access to opportunities in its core markets.

54 / www.energy-focus.net

INDUSTRY FOCUS: INFRASTRUCTURE

Ian Prescott, CEO

//

Lamprell enjoys more than 45 years’ experience in delivering world-class projects to the international energy industry, since its establishment in 1976. A leading provider of EPCI contracting services, the company drives strategy and growth through its renewables and oil and gas business units.

Underpinned by almost half a century of expertise, and staffed by more than 5,000 people through its primary facilities in Hamriyah, in the UAE, and those in Saudi Arabia, Lamprell has tirelessly established its reputation for delivering projects safely, to the highest standards of quality, on time, and to budget.

Lamprell has set about transforming its business to thrive in the energy transition, offering foundation fabrication and other services for the offshore wind sector alongside activities

56 / www.energy-focus.net

in its traditional oil & gas segment including the delivery of modules, platforms and rig construction and refurbishment projects. “Over the years, we have gained a foothold in energy markets with significant barriers to entry,” explains CEO Ian Prescott, “and we continue to evolve the business to deliver more sustainable and differentiated solutions.” “The world around us is changing, and the way that we think about energy is changing, too.”

NEW DIRECTION For a very long-established player in the Middle East, this represented a significant change in direction, Prescott underlines. “As with many other EPCI contractors, the company has been through some hard times in recent years,” he admits. “Lamprell failed to win sufficient business and ended up becoming financially distressed. Our

major Saudi Arabian shareholders started acquiring Lamprell’s shares on the open market, which were listed on the London Stock Exchange. They took a controlling interest in late August and then decided to delist with the process being completed in October last year.”

“Lamprell is now a private company, the shareholders have put in place a

// LAMPRELL CONTINUES TO ACTIVELY TARGET THE GROWING RENEWABLES INDUSTRY IN ITS TRADITIONAL MARKETS AS WELL AS NEW GEOGRAPHIES //

LAMPRELL

new Board of Directors, to reflect the new ownership structure, and the Board has in turn refreshed the management team with highly experienced individuals from the industry.”

“These are hugely exciting times, and we can all see the potential in the company; we are in fact starting to realise some of that potential already. We are under new ownership with new direction, have a new Board as well as new and energized management team, and we want to share that news far and wide.”

Extensive renewables experience has already allowed Lamprell to build several multi-purpose jackup vessels and hundreds of wind turbine substructures including jackets, suction buckets and piles, with a multi-billion dollar bid pipeline of renewables projects in the offing. The company is also currently

delivering 62 transition pieces through its renewables production line. “A major part of the company’s new direction was to invest in what we have called our ‘growing line’, a production line to cater for the serial fabrication of monopiles and transition pieces for the offshore wind sector,” Prescott adds. “Things like this are what make us, quite frankly, the best-kept secret in the Middle East, and certainly in the renewables sector.

We have this capability, and we now want to share it with the Industry.

“We have revitalised the business development area of the Group,” Prescott emphasises, “and our pipeline is looking incredibly healthy. I doubt that there is a renewables project where we do not have some involvement in our addressable markets.”

In Lamprell’s oil & gas business, recent business development efforts

have paved the way for the likes of the award in August by the National Petroleum Construction Company (NPCC), for the fabrication, painting, and load-out of five offshore jackets and boat landings with an optional scope, including the supply and fabrication of grillage and seafastening of the structures.”

“With an overall fabrication weight of almost 14,000 tonnes, we are approaching this project with the same passion and determination that have fuelled our achievements in the past to ensure we deliver an outstanding project safely,” Prescott reiterates. “This is an important project award which serves as another indication of the progress Lamprell is making through its key strategic Continues on page 60

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FORGING THE FUTURE

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INDUSTRY FOCUS: INFRASTRUCTURE

Continued from page 57 partnerships in the Middle East region.”

This is an interesting situation for Lamprell, Prescott stresses, in partnership with a competitor, but when the call came from NPCC, Lamprell was only too happy to assist.

“We had the capacity, and were delighted to support this significant project. We are well underway with the engineering and have already done the first steel cut on the jackets; progress has been quite positive.”

POSITIVE FOOTING Lamprell has in fact been a pioneer company in the renewables arena since the award in 2007 to build its first self-propelled multi-purpose vessel. By 2021, a total of 138 wind farm jackets, 90 suction buckets and 180 piles had

been delivered for the East Anglia ONE, Moray East and Seagreen wind farms, while Lamprell also received the Middle East’s first green trade finance facility for the Seagreen project in 2021.

The group’s new state-of-theart renewables production line was called into service in 2022, this time in connection with Moray West offshore wind farm, to deliver 62 transition pieces, which Lamprell is currently executing.

“This project is proceeding really well,” Prescott confirms, “and we are actually on the cusp of delivering the first batch of transition pieces as expected, on budget and with an outstanding health and safety record. We are also on track to meet the various forthcoming deliveries over the remainder of the year, ahead of the final batches within Q1 of next year.”

“Lamprell continues to actively target the growing renewables industry

Lamprell’s renewables production line, located in its Hamriyah facility in the UAE

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in its traditional European and UK markets as well as new geographies, including the USA, which continues to gain traction,” Prescott continues.

“What sets us apart in particular is the knowledge transfer that has taken place as we have redefined the business; everybody working on our renewables project and the production line today is a long-term Lamprell employee, employing the precision engineering which has always been our business and growing the knowledge share within the company.”

This deep well of knowledge and experience is part of what truly sets Lamprell apart, Prescott adds. “I have been hugely impressed by the people who we have within our business,” he beams. “This is the number one asset in any company like ours, and we have some incredible people. Over 1,000 of

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our total staff have been with Lamprell in excess of 15 years, a massive figure and a dedication which allows us to retain a lot of relevant, valuable experience to allow us to execute these types of projects.”

A lot has been underway at Lamprell of late, and Prescott as CEO, in post since April this year, has hit the ground running. “I wanted to establish the new strategy for the company going forward,” he says. “We gathered together a broad-base spectrum of 15 employees for a strategy session which took place over two days, and the outcome of that was our key business pillars and fresh strategy to present to the Board. Each business pillar owner has presented a business case for expansion. Targets and goals have been discussed at length and presented. We are in the process of finalising this exercise, which has been the product of many long hours

30/10/2023 5:39:57 PM

of work by our dedicated team, and getting the green light from the Board to proceed with the selected plans.”

Lamprell’s refreshed and reimagined direction coincides with the tremendous global growth in offshore wind, with an additional 200GW to be brought on stream by 2030 and a further 128GW by 2035. The positivity abounding at Lamprell has been mirrored in the evaluation of its work to date in this burgeoning field, Prescott shares. “The refreshing thing when we meet prospective renewables clients, who are a close knit group, is that when they talk to people who we are currently working with – such as Moray West’s owners, Ocean Winds, for example - the feedback is highly complementary.

Now, increasingly, companies in Europe, and in the USA, where we have a number of opportunities, are

looking at us to see what we can deliver,” Prescott reveals, and Lamprell is unequivocally positioned to do so.

“We know that we are commercially competitive, and we have built a farreaching confidence around both the price and the quality of our product, all held together by an outstanding health and safety record - this is borne out of the oil & gas sector and improving day on day through the work with our renewables clients.” Prescott concludes. “We believe we can deliver a compelling offer and we are well placed to benefit from the many new prospects offered by the energy transition.”

WWW.LAMPRELL.COM

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GLEN DIMPLEX HEATING & VENTILATION

50 Years and Still Growing at Glen Dimplex PRODUCTION: David Hill

The curious minds at Glen Dimplex continue to invent and innovate to bring more green, environmentally friendly product solutions to consumers around the world. By investing in new ideas and enhancing connections in the supply chain, the group is expecting further progress in its mission around sustainability. CTO Dr Elaine Lancaster talks to Energy Focus about ambition in the business.

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© Glen Dimplex

INDUSTRY FOCUS: TECHNOLOGY

Dr Elaine Lancaster, CTO

//

Business is booming for innovative engineering firm, Glen Dimplex. Founded by Martin Naughton in 1973, the company has grown to become an international major in the design and manufacture of energy saving equipment used in various domestic and commercial appliances. A recent spate of acquisitive activity has helped to push profits to €42.8 million for the year to 30 September 2022 for Glen Dimplex European Holdings, which makes up 60% of total group operations.

A key driver of the improvement was the heating and ventilation division

PROUD TO BE SUPPORTING

Glen Dimplex Heating & Ventilation

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which was buoyed by demand for new products as a result of energy efficiency policy within business and government across Europe.

Dr Elaine Lancaster is Chief Technical Officer for Glen Dimplex Heating and Ventilation and she explains that research and development into new products is helping the business to offer clients what others cannot – genuine, easily accessible solutions to climate change problems.

“Our mission is to lead into a sustainable world for all of our customers,” she says. “We do that across heating, ventilation and

cooling, flame, precision cooling, and consumer appliances. Heating and ventilation is one of our biggest segments and we handle all electric solutions for a sustainable and decarbonised future world. We have a mixture of both electric heating, heat pumps and ventilation products.

We are able to offer the right low carbon heating and cooling solutions depending on building architecture.”

A metallurgist and materials scientist of the University of Oxford, with experience across the steel industry and multiple executive positions in the heating industry, Lancaster is confident with the Glen Dimplex strategy and tells Energy Focus that few others can offer a similar range of products and services.

“We have been making heat pumps for decades and where other companies in Europe are coming into heat pumps, we already have longevity.

In our markets, we are well ahead in the manufacturer of a wide range of heat pumps, including propane which we started first in France in 2009,” she says.

“Our electric portfolio has a strong presence in the electric resistance heating market. Combining that with being able to offer full solutions for electric heating is where we are stronger than others in terms of the breadth of our portfolio. Our electric home, where we offer electric heating with heat pump hot water heating and ventilation heat recovery, is a standout area compared to our competition.”

REALLY STRONG PACKAGES The genesis of the company came with now-Chairman Martin Naughton manufacturing oil-filled radiators.

01744 818 767 sales@hitechsteels.co.uk

GLEN DIMPLEX HEATING & VENTILATION

Today, Glen Dimplex owns a number of international brands across various sectors, but energy efficiency is at the heart of everything it does.

Recent acquisitions of companies including Hyfra Process Cooling, Adax, the outstanding 30% share in the Muller Group, now Intuis Group, and a minority stake in Wener Finlay are helping Glen Dimplex to build a comprehensive powerhouse, capable of servicing clients across the globe.

Lancaster highlights supporting connected products as outstanding and an area of obvious growth for the business as consumers search for convenience, efficiency, and reliability.

“We are working strongly on IoT solutions and, compared to others, we have some really strong packages and solutions in energy management and demand side response,” explains Lancaster. “We are looking to expand further, particularly with our thermal battery heating technology. We are keen to make sure we get the full benefits of those storage products

within flexible, grid-balancing models.

“We’re really looking to ensure that we continue to lead in electric heating products, and we have some exciting new product coming in the next 18-months, focused further on flexible heating.”

According to the European Environment Agency, heating and cooling still accounts for half of all energy usage in the EU. Decarbonisation in this sector is now taking the spotlight for both the private and public sector, with fresh legislation and innovation rife across the industry. For Glen Dimplex, the removal of fossil fuels and harmful gases is essential in decarbonising.

The bans on use of ozone harming fluorinated gas in products has encouraged change across the industry and using electric technology, fuelled by renewable energy where possible, is essential in future rollout.

“We are working with partners to improve the opportunities for home energy management with our heating products within larger IoT eco-systems,”

confirms Lancaster. “We are getting ready for the F-gas bans, transitioning to make sure our customers are ready for that regulation when it comes in. We are looking to bring online a demandside management response system with our utility partner – British Gas – this year.” Glen Dimplex’s Quantum heat batteries will be available to customers to access favourable time tariffs following the virtual power plant system two-year trial that sought to understand how this type of heat energy storage product can help to minimise fuel bills, drive efficiency, and balance grids. That project followed on from a partnership with EDF and Kaluza in 2020 where Glen Dimplex provided digitallyconnected heat batteries, supported by an intelligent energy software, to test cost reduction strategies and demonstrate technical capability.

Key customers - wholesalers, installers, OEMs and more – are excited about the pioneering spirit at Glen Dimplex and are already setting up trials and tests for various new digital

© Glen Dimplex

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INDUSTRY FOCUS: TECHNOLOGY

solutions alongside physical products.

Lancaster, who has been working with solar thermal technology and heat pumps since 2003, explains that everything the company does falls under its wider ambition of driving positive environmental change across the industry.

“I am strongly passionate about the climate change challenge and I want to make sure we can deliver the right products. We are here as a company to deliver a full breadth of net zero, low carbon electrical heating and cooling and ventilation products, for a sustainable world, to meet the challenges of net zero.”

VALUABLE SUPPLY CHAIN With 8000 people across €1 billion revenue global operations , the Glen Dimplex umbrella is vast. Key territorial markets for the heating and ventilation business are the UK, DACH markets,

and the Nordics. Group activities are also prevalent in Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, and the name is also established in Australia, New Zealand, and America. “In precision cooling, we have interests in China, America, and Europe. We have a dedicated sales organisation for Ireland and Northern Ireland, and our division Intuis Group in the French and export market,” adds Lancaster. “We are truly global, and we are well connected in all key markets. We work very closely together on all innovations around heating and ventilation and cooling.”

But externally, the company relies on a large supply chain to progress at pace. Lancaster describes the immense spread of knowledge required across the supply chain, from niche products through to digital solutions, and she is clear that value creation is key as all partners are heavily vetted for quality purposes. Currently, a push

// WE KNOW THE DIRECTION OF TRAVEL AND WE WILL CONTINUE MAKING PRODUCTS BETTER AND BETTER TO GIVE MARKETS WHAT THEY NEED //

© Glen Dimplex

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to bring suppliers closer together, creating unique expertise bases, and driving efficiency is underway.

“We are bringing our R&D, technology, engineering and purchasing teams closer and we are busy developing five and 10 year strategies right now,” says Lancaster.

“We are doing a lot of investment in working a lot closer with our suppliers, building strong relationships and exploring ways to add value together.

We want to improve our supplier collaborations, so we are not only thinking about current supply but also about strategic development, bringing our suppliers closer to the ideation in our roadmap so that they can be a part of the innovation that we can deliver. We want them involved with our challenges and our customer’s challenges.

“Develop further in areas like data monitoring, is where we can create real benefit for our customers, and using feedback to help inform product development and service delivery are essential,” she adds.

Glen Dimplex is set to take a deliberate approach to supply chain management to protect the

GLEN DIMPLEX HEATING & VENTILATION

local regions where it is strong, while benefitting from globalisation that has provided flexibility.

“We need resilience and we are doing a lot of work to sure up supply areas, like electronics. From a sustainability point of view, we have F-Gas and per- and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) substance regulations to consider, around the refrigerant and chemicals contained in some of the products. Pivoting heat pumps to low global warming potential refrigerants in the proposed timeframe is a challenge for us and our suppliers and so close collaboration is key.”

INNOVATIVE & AGILE The fast-paced market, and the everchanging demand from consumers, is an exciting and energetic space for business. Glen Dimplex has always

looked to retain an entrepreneurial reputation, taking responsible chances to achieve goals.

“The group comes from many smaller, more autonomous companies, and we don’t want to lose that agility,” says Lancaster. “We want to be agile and empower with fast decision making, but at the same time we want leverage for innovation, investment, and collaboration where it is necessary.

“We, like any company, have challenges around keeping up with regulation – it’s a fast moving, dynamic geopolitical environment and we know it’s hard to give certainty, but we know the direction of travel and we will continue making products better and better to give markets what they need.”

When she joined the company in April 2022, the innovative nature of the business was a key draw. Impressed

with the ambition on show, and excited to put her knowledge to use, especially in the heat pump market, the fit for Dr Lancaster has been perfect.

On the back of great financial performance and with an unwavering commitment to sustainability, Glen Dimplex is on track to achieve its mission. “We have a great opportunity,” she concludes.

A constant desire to find a better way sees the company, after 50 years, stronger and better balanced than ever before.

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CLEEVELY ELECTRIC VEHICLES

Driving the EV Evolution with First Class Service PRODUCTION: David Hill

The Cleevely group of companies is growing to become a centre of excellence in the UK automotive sector. Historically recognised as a leading player for traditional services, the last few years have seen the company embrace electric vehicles, bringing a no-nonsense approach the market that you cannot find elsewhere. Owner Matt Cleevely tells Energy Focus more about challenges in the EV sector, beyond the showroom.

//

With almost one million electric vehicles cruising quietly and efficiently along UK roads, the transition from internal combustion engine (ICE) to battery power is well and truly underway. The government aims to decarbonise the transport sector –

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currently the largest emitting sector, responsible for 25% of greenhouse gas emissions (52% from cars) – as part of its net-zero by 2050 strategy.

To date, fantastic progress has been made with manufacturers producing innovative cars that are popular with drivers. EVs now account for around

24% of the auto market, up from around 17% last year. And the space is growing with the appealing lure of carbon emission-free driving and falling costs tempting many into new cars.

But beyond getting electric cars on the road, significant challenges remain if this part of the energy and

INDUSTRY FOCUS: EV

environmental transition is to be successful, says Matt Cleevely, Owner of Cleevely Motors and Cleevely EV. The Cheltenham, UK-based auto business has been active for more than six decades and three generations.

John Cleevely founded the business in 1962, starting out by working on cars of friends and family, but his focus on quality and customer service saw the business boom. The next generation took over and accelerated faster.

Today, the focus on quality remains, and the company accepts work

// I WANTED TO CREATE SOMEWHERE THAT EV OWNERS COULD GO AND GAIN INFO AND HAVE THEIR CARS MAINTAINED, IN A TRUSTWORTHY MANNER //

70 / www.energy-focus.net

from all over the country. When Matt Cleevely took the wheel, he was keen to expand and grow. He immediately saw a gap in the market for EV advice, servicing, repair, and even sales.

“I joined 24 years ago as a freshly qualified technician and I grew in the business, changing with the automotive industry,” he remembers.

“We’ve always been quite progressive, moving from points and plugs in older cars to electronic ignition and fuel injection, I made sure the company was kept up to speed with the latest diagnostic equipment and training.

It remained a small company and so we began looking at what could be the next step for the industry.

“I wanted to create somewhere that EV owners could go and gain info and have their cars maintained, in a trustworthy manner.”

NOT WILLING He had previously walked into a main brand dealership to buy an EV but been met with resistance and lacking knowledge. After several visits

to the same showroom, Cleevely left disappointed and surprised.

“It frustrated me as it was what we wanted - emission free driving - but how could anyone buy one if the main dealers were not willing to sell them?”

Already active in the renewable energy industry, Cleevely had installed solar panels at his home and was keen to use the power to fuel his car. “The local dealers that we visited did not want to sell one.

They had no idea how to operate it and they did not care,” he says.

Cleevely Motors was busy with a full range of auto services, from MOT testing and puncture repairs to complex electrical diagnostics and commercial vehicle repairs. The team was well-positioned, and the brand was in pole position in the local market.

So Cleevely decided to embrace the positivity and start Cleevely EV, a division entirely focussed on the EV market but complemented by the history of the wider Cleevely business.

“We realised there needed to be an EV promotional business,” Cleevely

CLEEVELY ELECTRIC VEHICLES

says. “I could do it from a repair and maintenance point of view but there are more facets required including education, car sales, and more. A bigger business grew from that.”

The timing made sense as the industry was booming and Cleevely Motors needed more space and a new MOT bay so the business moved to a new premises, close to its original site, with the capacity for both businesses to thrive. Now, a car business, run by car people, with ICE and EV capability was involved across the entire spectrum of activity. For drivers, it was refreshing.

“We’ve attended a lot of trade and green energy shows, and we are inevitably the only garage there saying ‘not only do we run these things and understand them, but we can fix them, sell them, and educate people about them’. It has gone from strength to strength in the past five years,” explains Cleevely.

MYTH BUSTING There are two key ingredients in the growth mix for Cleevely EV going forward: Continued uptake of EVs by the public and ongoing development of infrastructure and supply chains to ensure the countrywide fleet of cars can be effectively maintained.

Cleevely is keen to bust myths by fuelling drivers with proven facts about the industry, encouraging those on the fence to make the switch.

“The fallacy that everyone must charge every time they stop is just a myth that has somehow grown with the industry. The uneducated believe electric cars must be charged every day, and that is just not the case,” he confirms. “A lot of modern EVs have a range of more than 200 miles and that will suffice most car owners for a couple of weeks’ worth of driving. That need to reach charging infrastructure daily does not exist but if there was more charging infrastructure in places where people do spend hours – supermarkets, workplace car parks; even low-rate stuff like 3 or 7kw – there would be no

need for banks of high-current charging everywhere you go. You should really only need that for 10-15 mins to get you to your destination anyway.”

By 2030, estimate suggest that there could be nine million EVs on Britain’s roads, and 300,000 public EV chargers. Currently, few rely on charging at home only, and the investment into convenient charging will be a game changer that will take time.

“If there was an immediate switch then there would not be enough infrastructure and grid capacity to cope. But the take up of EVs is pretty steep right now, as is the curve of installation of infrastructure to maintain those vehicles,” says Cleevely.

LEAP OF FAITH Importantly, if the industry is to grow as most expect, there must be capacity in the aftermarket sector to keep cars moving. Without investment and forward-thinking from slow-moving main dealers, Cleevely and others will be able to carve out a strong position.

“The automotive industry has a lot of ageing technicians and garage

owners who are just not interested in growing in this sector, or even wanting to understand it,” claims Cleevely. “They focus on engines and that will see their careers out. That leaves an opportunity for garages like us who are proactive and want to grow in this sector.

“We are servicing, repairing, and maintaining the cars of an EV industry, not necessarily the high voltage systems. We do high voltage work, and we have a lot of tasks with that right now, but day-to-day we are servicing the car part – steering, suspension, tyres, brakes, MOT etc. So, the leap isn’t too big but it’s a leap that not much of the industry is prepared to take. All of our techs are level four qualified and are very capable.”

And the benefits are clear and obvious. Better for the environment, lower running costs, reduced noise pollution, strong resale value, and supported by various grants and schemes, there is much to be excited about.

“Cost of ownership is lower. There are less moving parts, there is less cost to service – maintenance and

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INDUSTRY FOCUS: EV

// WE KNOW IT’S A BIG JUMP - WE’VE DONE IT. IT’S EASY WHEN YOU’VE DONE IT, AND THE MAJORITY DON’T GO BACK // repair is definitely cheaper,” confirms Cleevely. “They tend to be heavier and so have slightly higher tyre use but, ultimately, running costs are significantly reduced when compared to a petrol or diesel engine.”

CLEEVELY EV MOBILE Because of the nature of growing business in a growing industry,

customers from far and wide have asked Cleevely to expand. People drive from all corners of the UK to reach the garage because of the consistent delivery of quality service. But instead of opening new sites, introducing a risk to that quality service, Cleevely is going on the road, solving the most common EV problems on site.

“Cleevely EV Mobile is technicians out delivering repairs and servicing at people’s homes and workplaces.”

Typically cleaner, easier, and quicker – often without the need for oil changing – servicing in this way keeps more EVs moving without the need for driving into Cheltenham.

“That business is the one we want to grow in the next few years. It’s already national, it could be franchised, we could have a Cleevely mobile technician

in every county - it’s whatever we want it to be at this stage,” says Cleevely.

One element of the EV industry that will need to be enhanced is the supply of parts to the industry. While the Cleevely EV Mobile fleet has a range of common parts onboard, and the Cleevely site has a stockroom that few others could match, the supply chains remain focussed on ICE and must begin to balance their holding as EV ownership grows.

“The reason we have to hold so much stock is simply because you can’t buy it elsewhere,” details Cleevely. “Bigger components and high-end electronics – like an air conditioning compressor for a Renault Zoe (a very common EV) – you cannot buy in the aftermarket; you have to go genuine. Genuine suppliers

GSF CAR PARTS: CHARGING UP THE AFTERMARKET The Government pushed back its ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars, but a transition away from internal combustion engines (ICE) remains a clear focus for the automotive industry. With electric vehicle (EV) ownership rising, so too is the need for mechanics able to safely service and maintain EVs. And as the cost of living drives consumer behaviour, a trusted and affordable option for EV repair is essential. This is where the independent aftermarket comes in.

GSF Car Parts supplies independent garages with parts, tools, garage equipment and specialist training through its nationwide network of 180 branches. It holds a comprehensive stock pack that covers parts for most of the UK car parc, including EVs. Through GSF’s Servicesure garage programme and its EVSure scheme, GSF are helping independent garages to adapt and capitalise on the growing market for EV servicing and maintenance.

The most commonly replaced parts in EVs are similar to their ICE counterparts, with braking and suspension suffering similar levels of wear. However, exclusively electric motors bring different problems and require alternate skillsets and knowledge to be safely diagnosed and repaired.

GSF Car Parts Head of Servicesure Paul Dineen said: “It’s vital to equip aftermarket technicians with the skillsets and qualifications they need to work on EVs, which is why we work closely with leading industry bodies and manufacturers to facilitate and provide this professional development.”

Specialised equipment is also required for EV servicing. GSF’s Garage Equipment team work closely with independent garage owners to find the right solution for their business, equipping their workshops with everything they need to accommodate EVs, many of which are heavier than traditional ICE vehicles due to battery weight.

“It’s a privilege to work with some of the UK’s leading independent garages. Our Servicesure member garages are progressive and eager to adapt not just to succeed, but to ensure they continue supporting their local communities,” said Paul.

“Matt Cleevely is a prime example and the fact he was crowned our EVSure Garage of 2023 is testament to the work he and his team do at Cleevely EV. A drive towards sustainable fuel sources and the transition to EVs is changing the landscape of the independent aftermarket, so at GSF it’s our job to ensure the garages we work with can thrive by giving them everything they need, from hard parts to soft skills.”

72 / www.energy-focus.net

CLEEVELY ELECTRIC VEHICLES

READY FOR THE

ELECTRIC EVOLUTION

We’re providing the parts, training, equipment and marketing for garages to prosper in an electric future.

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don’t carry enough stock in the UK to support to EV industry, and that is a constant battle that we face.”

To continue growing, specifically in the EV space, Cleevely is keen to drive knowledge in the sector, dispelling the myths taking giving customers through the full journey from discussion to sale to maintenance and ongoing technical support.

“There is a lack of education and knowledge, and a lack of places where you can go for real information,” Cleevely bemoans. “We have a Tesla Model S that we rent out to anyone that wants to experience living with an EV. There is a lack of places where you can dip your toe. We know it’s a big jump - we’ve done it. It’s easy when you’ve done it, and the majority don’t go back.”

However, despite his optimism for the industry and his own business,

Cleevely warns that the momentum must not be allowed to slow as the easy choice remains to avoid EVs. Until there is visible charging everywhere you go and until main dealers embrace the industry, he says, it won’t appear in enough people’s mindset while household budgets remain under pressure.

In the short term, Matt Cleevely will control what he can – the quality and excellence that has grown Cleevely to where it is today. That, he says, is non-negotiable. “It continues today from when my grandfather started the business. We are focussed on old fashioned customer values and customer service – it’s the most important thing for us. People come here and get treated as a human and not a number, and that keeps people coming back. Main dealers

are constantly criticised for lacking service and poor communication, so we like to be the opposite to that alongside the whole of the independent aftermarket sector.”

With each day Cleevely Motors and Cleevely EV picks up new clients, and each year those clients come back. Building a sustainable business, in a sustainable industry, contributing to emissions reductions, and doing so with service excellence as the driver makes Cleevely smile.

“That is what we have achieved, and that is something I am proud of,” he concludes.

WWW.CLEEVELYEV.CO.UK

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VATTENFALL

Collaborative Projects Bring

‘Fossil Freedom’ Closer PRODUCTION: David Hill

By 2040, Vattenfall – leading global energy business – hopes to achieve total production without fossil fuels. It also wants to make upstream and downstream chains fossil fuel free as it embraces a future of collaboration and partnership with others who share a passion for fossil freedom and sustainability.

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© Vattenfall

INDUSTRY FOCUS: RENEWABLES

//

Around 20,000 people, across five main markets (Sweden, Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, the UK), deliver electricity and heat to households and businesses, powering possibility, and promising to end reliance on fossil fuels – this is Vattenfall, one of the world’s most exciting energy businesses, steeped in renewables.

For more than a century Vattenfall has been inventing and innovating to provide power in a more effective and efficient way –

// THESE PROJECTS ARE MILESTONES ON THE PATH TO ENABLE FOSSIL FREEDOM //

© Vattenfall

76 / www.energy-focus.net

the yellow and blue of Vattenfall is recognised as a symbol of progress.

This progress has been notable over the past two decades. The company – owned by the Swedish state – has been transitioning from a base of fossil fuel generating assets to become more sustainable for moral, mandate, and monetary reasons. Today, wind energy is where Vattenfall is celebrated as a clean, green, reliable provider. The company generates and sells 4.4 GW of wind energy from 1200 wind turbines across its key markets. This, says the company, will grow as the sustainable acceleration of progress continues.

“It is Vattenfall’s ambition to remain a leader in the energy transition by developing, constructing, and operating on and offshore wind farms, large-scale solar PV, onshore wind farms and co-located battery

storage. At year-end 2022, Vattenfall had 2.2 GW of renewable capacity under construction and 5.3 GW in mature-stage development. We aim to further strengthen our project pipeline by greenfield development and by bidding on, or acquiring attractive projects across all our renewable energy technologies.”

GERMANY In September 2023, Vattenfall was awarded the right to develop a wind power project in the German North Sea. The area labelled N-6.6 is alongside a site already owned by Vattenfall, N-7.2, and when complete the two projects are expected to generate enough fossil free electricity for more than 1.7 million German households.

85 km off the northeast coast of the German island of Borkum, close to the

VATTENFALL

© Vattenfall

Dutch border, the positioning of N-6.6 and N-7.2 is perfect for a modern wind farm project and the pair will achieve an expected 1.610 GW. Vattenfall acquired the project in 2017 when it was known as ‘Atlantis I’ but re-entered the project in 2022 labelling N-7.2 as Nordlicht I and N-6.6 as Nordlicht II. Already present in Germany through the DanTysk and Sandbank windfarms, the involvement of Vattenfall will come as welcome news of German consumers who are keen on increased renewable generating capacity for their market which remains dominated by coal, oil, and natural gas. Coal is set to be phased out by 2038 and 20 GW is hoped to come from offshore wind by 2030.

“These projects are milestones on the path to enable fossil freedom,” says Head of BA Wind at Vattenfall, Helene Biström.

“They will lead to a permanent reduction in Germany’s dependence on fossil fuels. In addition, offshore wind energy can make an important contribution to the conversion to a

more climate-friendly production in some key industries. Within the framework of partnerships, we want to support that conversion.”

Nordlicht I is set for commissioning

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INDUSTRY FOCUS: RENEWABLES

ORDTEK: YOUR PROJECT. OUR MISSION. Ordtek Limited, a Venterra Group member company, is a leading global provider for Unexploded Ordnance (UXO), Munitions and Explosives of Concern (MEC) and Chemical Warfare Agents (CWA) risk management to the global energy market, for both onshore and offshore projects.

Ordtek achieves this by applying our unique approach to combining risk management and geoscience techniques, innovatively applied to effectively assess and reduce risks, whilst saving time, and development costs.

Over the past 12 years, Ordtek’s experience delivering projects globally across Europe, Asia Pacific and the US has resulted in an exceptional archive of data consisting of thousands of primary sources from World War mine maps, ships logs and air raid reports to UXO desktop studies. This wealth of knowledge and expert in-house interpretation provides Ordtek with invaluable insight into the likelihood of you encountering UXO or CWA, before even conducting the initial Hazard Assessment.

By partnering with clients at critical stages in their development project lifecycle, Ordtek’s Eight Phase Framework provides bespoke support from the initial planning phase up until completion of the development.

In particular, our portfolio of global renewable energy developments is testament to our first-in-class approach to UXO risk management, and the team continues to grow and innovate to ensure standards are consistently raised to make sites safer for the environment, project progression, and client personnel.

Recent projects include assisting the Vattenfal Vesterhav Nord and Syd development in the North Sea, providing efficient and cost effective UXO consultancy. This offshore wind project has since been fully installed and has a capacity of 344MWs. Ordtek has also provided services for several other Vattenfall offshore wind projects, including Nordlivht I, and the Norfolk Boreas, which upon completion are expected to have impressive capacities of 980 MWs, and 1.8GWs respectively.

“Ultimately our mission is to ensure that the UXO risk is robustly managed, to reduce time, money, and resources, and to make sure the core values which founded Ordtek over a decade ago remain at the heart of everything we do.” says Lee Gooderham, Managing Director.

If you require expertise on UXO, MEC or CWA risk management solutions, then please get in touch. enquiries@ordtek.com +44 (0)1379 644 400

// WE ARE PROUD AND HAPPY TO BE ABLE TO START THE CONSTRUCTION OF ANOTHER WIND FARM IN SOUTHERN SWEDEN // in 2027 with Nordlicht II the following year. Faced with a raft of challenges including unexploded ordinance, animal and plant welfare, noise pollution, and common hurdles around weather and environment, Vattenfall is busy building a supply chain of the very best to mitigate risks and deliver the best projects possible.

VELINGA In its home market, Vattenfall is moving forward aggressively as Sweden looks to advance its ambition of cutting

78 / www.energy-focus.net

greenhouse gas emissions by 59% by 2030. The government target of a netzero economy by 2045 is within reach in Sweden, and Vattenfall is a key player.

In 2026, the company will commission its latest onshore windfarm in the town of Tidaholm in the country’s south. Velinga was officially announced in October and will be home to 12 turbines with output of 67 MW and annual production of 173 GWh. This is the third in a series of projects in the area for Vattenfall after construction at the 140 MW Bruzaholm

windfarm was started and the 67.2 MW Grönhult windfarm was inaugurated.

Two battery storage system projects are also under construction at windfarm sites Höge väg and Hjuleberg, both of which generate around 36 MW annually.

“We are proud and happy to be able to start the construction of another wind farm in southern Sweden,” says head of onshore wind development Sweden at Vattenfall, Daniel Gustafsson.

“We would like to thank landowners, municipalities, suppliers and other partners for good cooperation.”

Construction is set to begin before the close of the year with AF Gruppen subsidiary Kanonaden Entreprenad contracted to build the windfarm.

Continues on page 80

Ordtek are the trusted authority for Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) and Chemical Warfare Agents (CWA) Risk Management.

Your Project.

Our Mission.

Delivering robust and independent advice to both offshore and onshore projects, with consultancy and certification provided for: Over 10,000 geotechnical sample locations Over 3500 WTG installations Over 30,000KM of cable installation

With global experience across 28 different countries

A Venterra Group Plc Member Company

Email: enquiries@ordtek.com Tel: +44 (0)1379 644400 linkedin.com/company/ordtek

INDUSTRY FOCUS: RENEWABLES

Continued from page 78 ICONIC PARTNERSHIPS Known through the energy industry as a pioneer, Vattenfall’s status is matched in the automotive industry by compatriot Volvo. The Swedish

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automaker is equally regarded for its ambition and innovation, and the pair together make quite the advertisement for forward-thinking Sweden.

Volvo has developed sciencebased targets to achieve net-zero by 2040. The company aims for 35%

of total sales to be electric by the end of the decade, a net-zero value chain by 2040, and customers with zero emission fleets by 2050. “The transition to fossil-free and sustainable transport, mobility and infrastructure solutions is at the heart of everything we do at Volvo Group. This is where we can make the greatest impact as a company,” the company says.

In May 2023, Vattenfall and Volvo announced a partnership that would see Volvo take 50% of the electricity produced at the Bruzaholm wind farm for a 10-year period. Expected to be commissioned in the third quarter of 2025, the agreement with Volvo will come into immediate effect, and both companies are excited about the prospect.

“This partnership marks an additional step in continuously reducing the environmental impact

VATTENFALL

© Vattenfall

from our own industrial activities,” said, President and CEO of Volvo Group, Martin Lundstedt. “The agreement signals our commitment to prioritize low-carbon investments, source renewable energy, and take climate

// THE INDUSTRY’S ENERGY TRANSITION IS TAKING PLACE HERE AND NOW – THE KEY TO SUCCESS IS COLLABORATION, NO ONE CAN TACKLE THE CHALLENGE COMPLETELY ON THEIR OWN //

action across everything we do.”

Anna Borg, President and CEO at Vattenfall, added: “The industry’s energy transition is taking place here and now – the key to success is collaboration, no one can tackle the challenge completely on their own.

Today’s agreement is an example of how Volvo Group has chosen to be at the forefront of its electrification and climate work. We are pleased to be able to support them on their journey.

“By expanding fossil-free energy sources, collaborating to electrify processes that are currently based on fossil fuels, using our fossil-free electricity and developing charging infrastructure, we can contribute to the phasing out of fossil fuels in the entire transport sector.”

21 turbines will stand 240 meters tall and cover 13 km2. 140 MW output and 460 GWh annual production will

contribute to a standout Swedish partnership that will hopefully pave the way for others in the future.

For Vattenfall, there is not a secondary goal or ambition. Changing the energy mix, globally, for the better is the priority. And doing so with big partners who can further the message is only a positive thing.

Excitement builds as the company edges closer to ambitious targets with each completed project.

“We are striving towards making our upstream and downstream production chains fossil free, so all Vattenfall’s customers (whether electricity or heat) can use fossil free energy.”

GROUP.VATTENFALL.COM

www.energy-focus.net / 81

EXHIBITION CALENDAR

KEY UPCOMING EVENTS ACROSS THE INDUSTRY IMPORTANT EVENTS AND EXHIBITIONS TAKING PLACE ACROSS THE ENERGY SECTOR, GIVING BRANDS A PLATFORM TO TELL THEIR STORY.

DEC

7

DEC

12

FEB

20

OFF-GRID EXPO + CONFERENCE AUGSBURG DEC 7-8 | AUGSBURG, GERMANY

The OEC – Off-Grid Expo + Conference is an important industry gathering for off-grid solar, wind and hydropower systems as well as self-sufficient power supply. This is where internationally active exhibitors from the areas of self-sufficient regenerative generation of energy and power supply present their products and services. The day before the start of the fair the TechDay takes place especially for conference participants.

In the individual sessions the participants will become acquainted with innovations, services and current projects of the exhibitors. The twoday conference offers current knowledge and international exchange between manufacturers, planners and project managers as well as NGOs in front of an international audience. The education mile enables training and further education centres in the industry to present their courses.

EV SUMMIT DEC 12-13 | OXFORD, UK

The two-day summit, known as the ‘Davos for emobility’ brings together business leaders and key players working on electric vehicles, energy, information technology and charging infrastructure, to explore how we advance full, battery electric, emobility. The summit is a high level business forum based on the dual themes of business engagement and thought leadership from the most senior, influential and informed people in the sector. The EV SUMMIT has established itself as the leading, high level, global emobility event, delivering actionable insights from thought leaders to delegates and partners alike.

Previous speakers include a plethora of CEO’s and the UK’s Secretary of State for Transport, Grant Shapps - marking the summit’s status.

E-WORLD ENERGY & WATER ESSEN FEB 20-22 | ESSEN, GERMANY

The E-world energy & water is a leading European trade fair for the energy and water industries, held annually at Messe Essen, one of the most modern exhibition centers in Germany. Founded in 2001, it is organized by E-world energy & water GmbH, a company specializing in the organization of events in key sectors of the energy industry. The fair focuses on core topics such as energy generation, efficiency, trade, transport, storage, and green technologies. A particular emphasis is placed on the Smart Energy sector, highlighting innovative solutions for the energy transition and efficient energy production and usage.

In addition, products and technologies for the production and storage of renewable energies are presented. E-world energy & water is known for its broad spectrum of products and services, and is considered a significant industry meeting point in Europe. The highlight of the fair is the E-world Congress, offering over 20 conferences on current topics, and knowledge shared by internationally renowned experts.

In summary, E-world is a unique platform for discussions on the future of European energy supply and the energy transition.

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NOV

WORLD NUCLEAR EXHIBITION

28 (WNE) PARIS

PARIS, FRANCE | NOV 28-30

DEC

7

OFF-GRID EXPO + CONFERENCE AUGSBURG AUGSBURG, GERMANY | DEC 7-8

DEC

EV SUMMIT

JAN

SOLARENERGY

12 OXFORD, UK | DEC 12-13 16 EXPO NADARZYN

WARSAW, POLAND | JAN 16-18

FEB

6

GENERA MADRID MADRID, SPAIN | FEB 6-8

FEB

E-WORLD ENERGY

20 & WATER ESSEN

ESSEN, GERMANY | FEB 20-22

WE’RE BY YOUR SIDE At Bureau Veritas, each and every one of us is by your side to help you navigate your decarbonization journey.

Supporting you with practical advice, tools and technology for you to make the right decisions for your business.

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Shaping a better maritime world.

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Embrace the power of the future Adoption of the EV is accelerating across the UK and TSG Charge is at the forefront of EV infrastructure growth, embracing the next step to a more sustainable world.

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a TSG UK K company