Inside Energy November 2021

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EIC Inside Monthly news for EIC members November 2021

Sector analysis Spotlight on technology

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UK and Europe news

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FGD has new innovative solutions in flame detection and analysis

Nigeria’s energy transition

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Sector analysis Nigeria’s energy transition

Global society is pushing for a more sustainable future, a transition away from oil and gas-based energy into net zero carbon. In 2015 upward of 190 countries signed the Paris Agreement, a landmark climate change process to limit their carbon emissions. Nigeria contributes about 0.3% of global emissions with about 2.5% of the global population which is very low when compared with more developed nations. The Paris Agreement allows countries to submit their plans for climate action known as Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). Nigeria also signed on to the Paris Agreement and has been working towards fulfilling its commitment, achieving universal access by 2030 and net zero targets by 2050. Nigeria submitted an interim update to its original NDC in which it updated the base year for GHG assessment from 2010 to 2018 and now covers 11 more pollutants. In the updated baseline projection, emissions for Nigeria in 2030 are estimated to be 453m tonnes CO2-eq emissions which is about half of what was predicted in 2015. It also reiterates Nigeria’s commitment to the unconditional and conditional target made in its first NDC of 20% and 45% below business-as-usual (BAU) respectively. Due to COVID, the world had a preview of what the future might hold for the oil and gas industry as demands fell to extreme lows in 2020. As one the largest oil exporters, the process of transition and expected reduction in oil revenue will have a huge effect on the nation’s economy as evidenced by 2020’s lost revenue of about US$2bn. The country is identified as one of the most vulnerable countries in the world due to its reliance on oil for revenue as represented by Carbon Tracker. Though the industry contributes less than 10% to the country’s gross domestic product, oil and gas makes about 90% of its foreign exchange income. The country like many other countries cannot fund energy transition and must therefore develop plans suiting its current situation. Nigeria plans to move away from an oil-based economy to a gas-based economy, using gas as a transition fuel, generating revenue to fund future transition. This makes sense as the country has about 6 trillion cubic metres in proven reserves of natural gas as at 2020 (3% of the world’s total), enough to supply its population and generate revenue for funding future transition plans. In addition, gas fired power plants are less carbon intensive than oil-based power plants. There are a few challenges to this plan as investment in new oil and gas projects is expected to drastically reduce in the coming years due to accelerating energy transition making new oil and gas projects less feasible.

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A look at the projects in Nigeria on EIC’s DataStream shows that the country is currently heavily invested in oil and gas. It has about 30 downstream projects worth US$61bn half of which are active, 12 midstream projects (9 active) worth about US$57bn, 12 power generation projects worth US$37bn,15 renewables worth about US$9bn, 4 transmission and distribution projects worth about US$1.4bn and 66 upstream projects worth about US$64bn. These make the country the most active in Africa. Almost all these projects are expected to start up by 2026 and it seems the country will be oil and gas focused all through the decade.

In the short term it will be difficult to secure energy needs by renewables alone. This is exacerbated further due to almost half of Nigeria’s 200m population living in energy poverty with an estimate of 25m homes with no access to electricity. The country is trying to improve energy accessibility domestically by improving gas availability and promoting solar home systems (SHSs) for underserved and under-connected rural communities. After about two decades, the country has finally passed the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) with the main objective of transforming the oil industry. It creates governing institutions for the industry, creates a fiscal framework that encourages investments, establishes profit-driven oil entities, optimises domestic gas supplies, clarifies roles of institutions, mandates environmental compliance, deregulates the downstream sector, and optimises government revenue but does not present any plan or strategy for energy transition. The bill was conceived decades ago and seem to solve old problems and not the current ones and judging by how long it has taken to pass, a new one is not coming soon enough. How the country will fare with transition is dependent on the policies its government make and how well it optimises its resources. Adeoye Ladele Research Intern (EICSupplyMap) adeoye.ladele@the-eic.com

Designed and published by Energy Industries Council 89 Albert Embankment, London SE1 7TP Tel +44 (0)20 7091 8600 Fax +44 (0)20 7091 8601 Email info@the-eic.com Web www.the-eic.com @TheEICEnergy EIC (Energy Industries Council)


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Inside this issue... COP26 has finally arrived! From Sunday 31 October, Glasgow will see world leaders arrive for crucial talks for the highly anticipated and groundbreaking climate summit.

Mark R

isley

If you’re lucky enough to be one of the tens of thousands of visitors or locals taking part in COP26, it is sure to be a one-of-a-kind experience. The EIC is hosting a range of events throughout the first week, starting with ‘In Conversation with Mott MacDonald & Partners’ on 2 November. Located at Mott MacDonald’s central Glasgow office, the event will kick-start our week at COP26 with discussions on the very latest technologies and developments in CCUS. On 3 November we talk ‘The Race to Net Zero’, co-hosted with KBR and moderated by EIC CEO Stuart Broadley. This session will focus on how the energy sector is evolving to play a leading role to a carbon-neutral future, providing solutions for our net zero ambitions and elevating existing energy systems to ones that are cleaner and more sustainable. We then look at ‘The North Sea: An Area in Transition’, co-hosted by Wood and moderated by EIC’s Director of Market Intelligence Neil Golding. Neil will look at the challenges faced, knowledge gained, and skill sets acquired over the past 50+ years and how that can set up the region to lead the way in energy transition both nationally and globally. All of our activities are supported by our two key partners, DNV and Wood, and we are excited to meet or reunite with our members from across the world in this exciting landmark occasion. In this month’s issue of Inside Energy, EIC’s EICSupplyMap Research Intern Adeoye Ladele looks at Nigeria’s energy transition, and what sectors can expect to see the majority of new project developments in the coming years. We also welcome EIC member Fire & Gas Detection Technologies Inc who discuss their innovative new solutions in flame detection analysis in Spotlight on technology on page 6. As always, don’t miss comment from our regional directors around the world on the latest developments in Europe, the Americas, South America, Asia Pacific and the MENA region. Mark Risley, Head of Marketing and Communications mark.risley@the-eic.com

SPEEDY NETWORKING EIC MEMBERS

Contents Sector analysis

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Inside this issue...

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EIC databases

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Spotlight on technology 6 New EIC members Member news

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Social media round up 17 Forthcoming events

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International trade

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UK and Europe news 21 Middle East news

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Asia Pacific news

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North America news

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South America news 25 Survive & Thrive V

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DataStream BRAZIL

Global opportunities CANADA

COTE D’IVOIRE

Minas do Sol Solar Complex

Edmonton Hydrogen Plant

Baleine Oil and Gas Discovery

Operator: Sowitec Value: US$120m The Minas do Sol complex has been announced as part of Sowitec’s US$900m-worth investments for renewable initiatives in the state of Minas Gerais. The project has already secured environmental approval and is set to commence operations in late 2024.

Operator: Mitsubishi Value: US$1.65bn Mitsubishi Corporation and Shell Canada Products have signed a MoU for the production of low-carbon hydrogen utilising carbon capture and storage. The project is expected to produce 165,000 tonnes of hydrogen per year.

Operator: Eni Value: US$1bn Significant offshore discovery announced by Eni. The well encountered high quality light oil. Preliminary estimates put potential reserves at between 1.5 and 2bn barrels of oil in place and between 1.8 and 2.4 Tcf of associated gas.

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For more information on these and the 10,000 other current and future projects we are tracking please visit EICDataStream INDIA

DENMARK

Project Bifrost Operator: DUC Value: US$500m Noreco is planning to develop CO2 transport and storage at the Harald field in the Danish North Sea with an expected start-up storage capacity of 3m tonnes of CO2 per year. Project Bifrost aims to reuse existing North Sea infrastructure while demonstrating CO2 storage in a depleted offshore gas field.

Dahej LNG Terminal Expansion Phase IV Operator: Petronet LNG Ltd Value: US$400m L&T has been awarded a contract for the expansion of the Dahej LNG terminal. The contract is for the engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning of two LNG storage tanks with a capacity of 170,000 cubic metres for phase 3B of the Dahej Expansion.

TAIWAN

Offshore Wind Farms Ju Dao, Guo Feng, Da Chung Bu Operator: Iberdola Value: US$9bn Iberdrola has announced three new offshore wind development projects with a combined potential capacity of 6,000MW. The water depths are appropriate for both fixed bottom and floating offshore wind technology.

SupplyMap The only database of UK supply chain companies across all energy sectors Need ayour demonstration of EICDataStream, EICAssetMap, EICSupplyMap? Get in touch Share news and views... Pleasenewsdesk@the-eic.com contact membership@the-eic.com Email • Phone +44 (0)20 7091 8600


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AssetMap

EICAssetMap

Europe Join us

Track all major OPEX assets and facilities in key global markets now including Europe and Caspian EICAssetMap, the EIC’s operations and maintenance (O&M) database, now maps all major facilities across all energy sectors in Africa, ASEAN, Australasia, Brazil, EMEA, Europe and CIS, GCC, Gulf of Mexico and UK. This fully interactive map database is updated daily with information about existing facilities and key contacts at these facilities so you can find out who to do business with and contact them. EICAssetMap is the only O&M database to map major energy assets across all sectors in key markets, both onshore and offshore.

key energy markets around the world in all energy sectors to find new O&M business opportunities Search for operational assets in

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Spotlight on technology

Fire & Gas Detection Technologies Inc (FGD) is addressing the daily problems that impact

productivity, safety, and the bottom line with new

innovative solutions in flame detection and analysis. The FGD focus is to provide equipment that will be used to create a safer working place in the face of

accidents and process safety failures by providing operators with the most important and reliable

information allowing optimum safety and incident response decision making.

To allow this, visual (video) monitoring capabilities are becoming an integral part of the basic safety design. FGD has developed, approved and made available to designers and operators, flame detectors that incorporate integrated explosion proof, high definition (HD) video that provides surveillance capability in hazardous areas to monitor, control, assess and address fire/explosion events. Currently, employed flame detectors are based on technology and know-how that has been available to experts for many years and has been used to specify the requirements for flame detectors. Today, with faster detection time, substantially increased immunity to false operation and integrated HD video, a new range of UV-IR and triple-IR (IR3) flame detectors are readily available for engineers, specifiers and users. The range of HD detectors includes triple frequency infrared models for hydrocarbons, and ‘invisible’ hydrogen fires, as well as UV-IR models. Today, the technological progress provides for faster (much faster) response time while maintaining and substantially enhancing false alarm immunity. The latest detectors were developed tested and approved and include different types of UV-IR and IR3 flame detectors, some with HD video, others incorporate data loggers, and all are much faster than detectors in current use. Flame detectors need to provide for the fastest possible response time and 100% positive detection of fire (no misses) in all weather conditions. While maintaining:

• Loss of productivity is perhaps the largest financial consequence of a false alarm. Whether it’s a temporary interruption to production or lost product, there is a high financial cost to false alarms. • Damage to plant and equipment by accidental activation of a fire-fighting system can cause millions of dollars in damage to property and machinery. If we take the example of an aircraft hangar, the cost incurred in returning an aircraft to service and clean-up is measured in $000s. • Reputational damage from any accidental deluge impacting the local environment. • Negative impact on employee confidence in the safety system can have catastrophic results in the case of a real accident. Accident reports regularly offer examples of operators not believing the instrumentation and either resetting or simply ignoring the alarm until it is too late to control the incident.

Unique solutions for fire detection in the energy transition sector Energy transition is a theme that is present on many operators’ tables today. With governments around the world targeting 50% reduction in CO2 emissions by 2030 or 2035 we all have a role to play in helping to achieve these targets. Since FGD was started the company has been working to support this initiative by providing safety equipment specifically targeted at hydrogen flame detection but ensuring the same devices are also suitable for detection of methane, syngas and ammonia fires. Whether you are generating green hydrogen from solar or wind energy or blue hydrogen from methane or are perhaps transitioning from the use of methane to hydrogen, FGD’s FlameSpec IR3 hydrogen flame detector has you covered. The advanced detector optical arrangement and algorithms have been independently validated by Factory Mutual, testing of methane, syngas and hydrogen gas fires. The results demonstrated excellent detection distances and speed of response.

• Reliability in all operating conditions with very high mean-time-between-failure (MTBF).

FGD uniquely offers the client the choice of either RGB or Near IR video cameras with every ‘HD’ equipped flame detector. Hydrogen fires burn with a blue flame visible at night but during daylight this flame is invisible. For this reason, FGD offers the Nr IR camera as standard on H2 devices allowing the operator to see the hydrogen flames in greyscale. Many other flames are also visible with the Nr IR camera in the same way.

False alarm reduction with advanced detection algorithms

Remote access: view any fire alarm in real-time in any location

False alarms are sometimes quoted as the number one problem source with safety systems. Whether it relates to faulty instruments, poor calibration, or false alarm sources, such as welding or hot exhausts, problems associated with false alarms are many and costly to operations:

Flame detectors are continuously monitoring critical industrial assets. In any industrial environment, people and machinery are continuously accessing these monitored areas. High speed internet availability with ever shrinking storage media allows for devices to become more available for real remote access and analysis.

• Very high immunity to false alarms in all background illuminations and weather conditions. • Fast and reliable detection of any type of fuel or gas ignition, outburst of fire, or vapour explosion.

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Spotlight on technology Fire & Gas Detection Technologies Inc

www.fg-detection.com

FGD HAS NEW INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS IN FLAME DETECTION AND ANALYSIS Today, it is possible to store events (flame or suspicious flame events) in non-volatile memory. The flame detector can store critical video and raw sensor recordings as well as diagnostic data that is now easily accessible and extractable. Direct TCP/IP access as well as RS485 allows you to extract the recorded data and supply security and support personnel with valuable data that can be accessed in real time or at a more convenient time for analysis and diagnostics. With a suitable interfacing system, live video can be streamed directly to the emergency and/or security services providing critical information prior to arriving at the scene of an incident. The video feed from the flame detector will be able to provide real time status of the incident and enable a more accurate and informed response. Furthermore, with internet access, a detector can be remotely and securely accessed by support personal for real-time analysis. Log files and video recordings can be downloaded, and immediate support given to resolve technical problems. In many cases there is no need to remove a detector and send back to a factory support centre.

Summary Fire & Gas Detection Technologies FlameSpec

detectors have been designed and developed by the

original team of engineers that developed the IR3 and

UV-IR technologies. The new generation of FlameSpec detectors addresses the fire protection industry

challenge to have flame detection with improved

detection and speed of response, high reliability and higher immunity to false alarms. The FlameSpec

detectors are the newest approved addition to the

industry designed to fulfil this need. Add to this the integrated HD video, real time data logging, visual

confirmation on location of fire and secure remote access. The FlameSpec family provides industry

with an important leap forward in flame detection

technology and performance, for the traditional oil and gas and evolving energy transition industries. Iain Evans, Vice President, Sales Fire & Gas Detection Technologies Inc ievans@fg-detection.com

Any EIC members who wish to be profiled in this section please contact Mark Risley, Head of Marketing and Communications: mark.risley@the-eic.com Get in touch To be profiled in this section please contact Email mark.risley@the-eic.com

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New EIC members NEW GLOBAL EUROPEAN MEMBER

C. Steinweg Handelsveen BV Parmentierplein 1 3088 GN Rotterdam Netherlands Contact Mr Frank Mutsaers, Business Development Telephone +31 (10) 487 9555 Email f.mutsaers@nl.steinweg.com Web www.steinweg.com/en/ The Steinweg Group operates an international network of ocean terminals and warehouses. Many of those companies are specialists in the handling and guidance of project cargo, be that in a different way everywhere. The true value add in NWE, US and the Middle East is in the assets: the company owns and operates MP-terminals in NL, BE, DE, IT, OM and US, which are fully equipped. Steinweg’s staff is very experienced and skilled and all operations are certified, meeting todays’ industries’ highest standards. In other regions, Eastern Europe, the African continent and South America offer outside and inside storage, global forwarding, logistic consultancy, chartering and vessel agency as well as inland distribution by every possible means of transportation.

NEW GULF OF MEXICO MEMBER

NEW PRIMARY UK MEMBER

Edward Gunn LLP

Francis Brown Ltd

2401 Fountain View Houston Texas Edward Gunn LLC 77057

Hill Street East Stockton-on-Tees Cleveland TS18 2HL

Contact Mr Chris Cottam, President, North America

Contact Mr Duncan Warriner, Sales & Commercial Director

Telephone +1 (713) 437 2700

Telephone +44 (0)1642 806 000

Email chris.cottam@edwardgunn.com

Email duncan.warriner@ francisbrown.co.uk

Web www.edwardgunn.com

Web www.francisbrown.co.uk

Edward Gunn LLP is a panel selection firm. Its hiring panel, with leadership experience spanning more than 200 years and 42 countries is uniquely placed to research, evaluate and select the best talent for senior and strategic appointments.

Established in 1903, Francis Brown is a highly regarded and qualified specialist fabricator of bespoke equipment, pressure vessels, pipework and tanks, serving all areas of the energy sector.

Panel selection is a talent evaluation process that relies on industry and discipline experts to select candidates for senior positions. Unlike traditional recruitment or head-hunting, those charged with evaluating candidates are seasoned leaders within the clients’ industry and/or discipline of the vacant position.

VIRTUAL

EIC 2021 Get in touch Share your news and views...

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Francis Brown has a strong reputation for quality of workmanship and a partnership approach to project execution, supported by a broad portfolio of design, project management, welding & fabrication and machining excellence. Accredited to ISO 9001, 3834 and 1090 (execution class 3) Francis Brown consistently delivers high levels of safety, quality, integrity and compliance in the delivery of fabricated work scopes and solutions to its valued clients.

RECOGNISING C A PA B I L I T I E S S T R AT E G I E S AND RESILIENCE ACROSS THE ENERGY SECTOR

T H U R S D AY 2 D E C E M B E R 2 02 1


New EIC members

NEW GLOBAL EUROPEAN MEMBER

NEW GLOBAL MIDDLE EAST MEMBER

Hawke Transit System SL

HRH Geology

Polígono Industrial Tanos – Viérnoles Calle La Espina, 44 39300 Torrelavega Cantabria, Spain Contact Mr Rubén Pellón Martínez, Marketing Manager Telephone + 34 942 89 00 52 Email marketing4.0@hawke-hts.com Web www.hawke-hts.com Hawke Transit System is a company with more than 30 years of experience in the development of the Hawke sealing system, the design of the system itself and its supply and installation. Hawke MCT System products are designed for use in marine and civil environments and manufactured to withstand the stringent demands of onshore and offshore installations. Hawke’s system works as a fire barrier and maintains the integrity of a firewall through which cables and pipes pass. HTS products seal and exhibit resistance against: water, gas, smoke, vermin, radiation, chemicals, explosions, ultra violet light, electromagnetic interference and noise.

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19 Silverburn Place Bridge Of Don Industrial Estate Aberdeen AB23 8EG Contact Mr Andrew Lamb, Sales & Marketing Manager Telephone +44 (0)1224 347 070

Nord-Lock Ltd Kingsgate House Newbury Road Andover Hampshire SP10 4DU Contact Mr Richard Waddington, Product Sales Manager EMEA Telephone +44 (0)1264 355 557

Email andrew.lamb@hrhgeology.com Web www.hrhgeology.com

Email richard.waddington@ nord-lock.com Web www.nord-lock.com

HRH Geology is a leading provider of operations geology services and software solutions to the energy industry. Designed for the rig of the future, GravitasEDGETM software enables users to visualise wells, analyse well data and manage operations. Applications for well log interpretation, operational correlation, automated reporting and pore pressure monitoring enable real-time, data-driven workflows across drilling and subsurface disciplines. GravitasEDGE is a new generation of cloud-ready operations geology software that improves collaboration, productivity and drilling efficiency. HRH Geology has been providing technical services to the energy industry for over 30 years, including wellsite and operations geology, pore pressure monitoring, remote well logging, advanced subsurface gas analysis and geological training.

Visit www.the-eic.com/Forms/NewsletterSignup

NEW GLOBAL MEMBER

Nord-Lock Group is a global leader in bolted solutions. In 1982, the original Nord-Lock® wedge-locking technology that safely secures bolted joints was developed. Since then, the range of innovative bolting technologies and expertise has grown to be one of the most comprehensive on the market, incorporating Superbolt™ mechanical tensioners, Boltight™ hydraulic tensioners and Expander® System pivot pins. All solutions are developed and manufactured in-house, ensuring that they meet the highest standards in the industry. NordLock Group’s team of dedicated experts works closely with customers all over the world. Nord-Lock Group is owned by Investment AB Latour that is quoted on the Nasdaq OMX Stockholm.

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New EIC members

NEW RENEWABLES MEMBER

NEW PRIMARY UK MEMBER

NEW GLOBAL MEMBER

Optimus (Aberdeen) Ltd

ProTech Flow Solutions Ltd

Rivertrace Ltd

9 Queens Road Aberdeen AB15 4YL Contact Ms Kerri Knowles, Tendering and Marketing Co-ordinator Telephone +44 (0)1224 264 500

Unit P Kingsfield Business Centre Philanthropic Road Redhill RH1 4DP

Milton Hall Ely Road, Milton Cambridge CB24 6WZ Contact Ms Ali Faben, Sales Director

Contact Mr Graham North, Sales Director

Telephone +44 (0)1223 828 360

Email kerri.knowles@ optimusaberdeen.com

Email ali.faben@ protechflowsolutions.com

Web www.optimusaberdeen.com

Web www.protechflowsolutions.com

Combining engineering and consultancy services to deliver concept to decommissioning.

ProTech Flow Solutions Ltd is a privately owned, UK-based, global valve supplier/stockist of high specification products from the world’s leading valve manufacturers, with over 20 years experience across the oil, gas, petrochemical and utility industries.

Optimus is a well-established, highly experienced, specialist company combining decades of proven expertise and strategic insight to deliver simple, responsive and cost-effective solutions for the energy industry.

Telephone +44 (0)1737 775 500 Email gnorth@rivertrace.com Web www.rivertrace.com Rivertrace is a UK manufacturer based in Surrey, England. It designs, builds, commissions and services oil in water analysers for the marine, offshore and industrial sectors.

ProTech Flow Solutions serves the oil and gas, E&P, petrochemical, power, utility and industrial markets and can supply to any site/facility globally.

The company has been in operation since 1983 with over 30,000 systems built in that time. It has a distribution network covering 50+ countries with representation in all the key ports across the world.

The company works exclusively with clients meeting diverse end user specifications. Providing quick and reliable delivery of all aspects of valve supply, from quotation to final documentation.

Rivertrace has recently been through a digital transformation process with most of its range now becoming connected and data available via the company’s portal or through API’s.

9 January 2022

CONNECT

QATAR

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New EIC members

NEW GLOBAL EUROPEAN MEMBER

NEW GLOBAL MEMBER

Score Group Ltd

Spiecapag

Ian M Cheyne Building Wellbank, Peterhead Aberdeenshire AB42 3GL

165 Boulevard de Valmy 92700 Colombes Cedex France

Contact Ms Suzanne Steele, Group Head of Marketing and Communications

Contact Mr Bruno Pomare, Business Development Director

Telephone +44 (0)1779 480 000

Telephone +33 (1) 57 60 79 11

Email suzanne.steele@score-group.com

Email bruno.pomare@spiecapag.com

Web www.score-group.com Score Group is a specialist in precision manufacturing, valve supply, automation and management systems and provides complex engineering solutions to customers in multiple markets, including defence, nuclear, aerospace, utilities and energy. The company was founded in 1982 by the late Charles Ritchie as an engineering services provider for valve management and industrial gas turbines. Today, Score Group is the global market leader in valve management and associated services for the upstream oil and gas industry. The company is now owned by private equity firm SCF Partners.

Web www.spiecapag.com

NEW GLOBAL MEMBER

Whessoe Engineering Ltd Morton Alms Darlington County Durham DL1 4WB Contact Mrs Jane Tucker, Acquisition Director Telephone +44 (0)1325 390 000 Email jane.tucker@whessoe.co.uk Web www.whessoe.co.uk

Spiecapag is a leading onshore pipeline EPC contractor. From mining, water, to the energy sector, it is capable of building key pipeline transportation and associated facilities for the most demanding clients in the most challenging conditions which can only have been accomplished through the application of skill and care throughout its 100 years of dedicated pipeline experience. Key figures: 60,000km of pipelines built globally; 2,000 trenchless crossings installed. Industry specific expertise: highly skilled international workforce; in-house pipeline construction equipment fleet; financial capacity.

As a well-established, experienced and multidiscipline contractor, Whessoe combines proven technology, quality and safety with global capabilities in engineering to deliver comprehensive and valueengineered solutions to customers in the hydrocarbon, petrochemical and energy industries. Whessoe has an engineering and contracting pedigree dating back over 200 years. Over the last 60 years, the company has developed specialist expertise in the storage and handling of liquefied gases in cryogenic conditions. Whessoe executes the full range of services from concept design through to FEED, detail design and commissioning services. Whessoe is a subsidiary of Samsung C&T.

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2022

ENERGY EXPORTS CONFERENCE

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Member news New green partnership for Add Energy

Add Energy is channelling decades of technology, expertise and learning gained from delivering specialist safety and integrity management, drilling and well engineering and asset management solutions into advising and supporting companies in their quests to develop and deliver safe and efficient greener energy solutions. As part of that drive, Add Energy has announced the completion of a frame agreement with Rock Energy Group Ltd, a specialist Norwegian geothermal technology provider. This builds on a long-standing working relationship to repurpose experience and technology previously developed for oil wells to extract geothermal energy and provide sustainable heat sources. With an established track record in supporting companies design, develop and operate CCS projects, hydrogen energy, biomass power, solar and geothermal energy, the relationship with Rock Energy is one of a number of investments which Add Energy has undertaken to maximise value to clients seeking greener energy solutions. Rock Energy’s patented multilateral open hole well configuration connects the deep lateral wellbores together into a closed flow loop for circulation of water. The water heats up as it flows through the laterals and the heat is extracted on return to the surface by heat exchangers. This technique and well configuration boosts recoverable energy from the well which can be constructed in any hard rock country and placed near the consumers giving it huge international potential.

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For more information: https://addenergy.no/

Advanced Insulation Systems to Advanced Innergy Solutions (AIS) To simplify what it is called and to better reflect the changes in its solution and product offering, Advanced Insulation Systems has changed its name to Advanced Innergy Solutions and will be known simply as AIS. AIS has always provided advanced solutions for its customers and the addition of the word ‘Innergy’ captures the innovative nature of its products and solutions to the energy sector. It is also aligning company acquisitions by adding AIS to Covertherm, Manuplas and Bardot to further strengthen the ties and increase the combined efforts of the team.

As an organisation, it has developed services beyond insulation and wanted a name to reflect this. Through its brand it wants to stay close to its heritage but modernise how it is represented to its network of customers and suppliers in the energy and marine sectors. Bringing together all products and solutions under one corporate name, Advanced Innergy Solutions (AIS) will make it easier to showcase all solutions and products under one umbrella brand. In the last three years, AIS has significantly increased its market share in new energy markets – offshore wind and more recently automotive. The original name and logo helped the company establish itself as a leading fire protection and insulation provider for the oil and gas sector for over twenty years, the new name and branding simplifies and consolidates its offering and will enable the company to continue with its diversification plans.

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For more information: www.aisltd.com

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AEG Power Solutions and ARIEMA partnering on power supply solutions

AEG Power Solutions, a global provider of power supply systems and solutions for industrial, critical infrastructure and innovative power electronic applications and ARIEMA Energía y Medioambiente, a Spanish company offering solutions and services related to hydrogen and fuel cells technologies, have announced their partnership. The purpose is to cooperate in the development of power electronics and power supply solutions for electrolysis processes involved in the production of hydrogen.

Green hydrogen production and multi-purpose usage will contribute significantly to decarbonisation. Partnering with an advanced expert in the domain is a great opportunity for AEG PS. Javier Gomez, General Manager, AEG Power Solutions Iberica

AEG Power Solutions has leveraged its power supply expertise and developed first choice, reliable DC power supply systems. Heavy duty build quality, proven microprocessor-controlled thyristor/ IGBT technology and modular design are key characteristics of the Thyrobox DC 3 system which equips a significant number of H2 projects and has proven field records with different electrolyser technologies and grid code requirements.

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For more information: www.aegps.com/en/


Aggreko: can hiring equipment bridge a skills gap?

© Aggreko 2021

Member news

In a recent survey, 99% of industrial workers said it is either very difficult or somewhat difficult to hire staff with the skills required to operate or fix a steam boiler because of the impact of COVID-19.

The survey of over 200 respondents was commissioned by Aggreko as the business looks for more ways to identify and alleviate industry pain points. It included those working in maintenance, production, energy and facilities roles across manufacturing, petrochemical, hospitals and governmental organisations. The industrial skills gap was further highlighted in March when 20 MPs signed an Early Day Motion calling for manufacturing skills to be included in the national curriculum. The group noted that closing the skills gap in manufacturing will require 186,000 skilled individuals to be hired every year until 2024. According to Aggreko, it is actively looking at ways in which its hire proposition can negate the need for businesses to source specialist skills in-house. Options include companies supplementing equipment during periods of maintenance and high demand, or moving over to decentralised solutions. Within its same survey, over half (59%) of respondents stated the lack of skilled labour as a reason for COVID-19 having a negative impact on the business recently. By considering a hired approach to equipment for industrial applications, such as steam boilers, CHP, dehumidifiers and cooling, businesses can also benefit from the specialist expertise that comes alongside it, as well as having access to the latest technology.

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For more information: www.aggreko.com/en-gb

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Airswift makes strategic senior appointment

Airswift, global workforce services partner of choice for clients, contractors and candidates in the global energy, process, infrastructure, mining and technology sectors, has announced a senior strategic appointment as it diversifies into the IT and technology sectors. Albert Kahlow, formally Regional Director Canada & Global Head of Sustainability, has been promoted to Global Sales Director, IT and Technology. Kahlow will lead Airswift’s new IT and technology division to meet the growing demand for advanced technology skills in specific areas such as AI and automation across a range of sectors. Based in Dubai, Kahlow will have access to key tech hubs in Canada, North America, Australasia and Europe, while being central to the Middle East’s burgeoning tech scene. As well as supporting existing clients with sourcing the best IT and tech talent, Airswift will be expanding its workforce solutions into areas such as Fintech, Medtech, cloud and infrastructure, IoT, robotics, and software engineering.

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For more information: www.airswift.com

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Ashtead Technology appoints CTO to support growth International subsea equipment rental and solutions specialist Ashtead Technology has appointed Graham Clark to the newly created position of Chief Technology Officer (CTO) to accelerate its technology and digitalisation strategy.

Graham brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the role combining board-level experience in senior IT and digital transformation positions, with a track record in implementing technology-enabled solutions for global businesses. Prior to joining Ashtead Technology, Graham was Group IT & Business Performance Director at Regenersis Plc, where he led a digital transformation programme for thousands of users across multiple sites. Most recently, he was Founder and Managing Director of an IT consultancy. Graham is a member of the Technical Advisory Community to Endava Plc, providing industry and technology consulting services to private equity companies and businesses with a particular focus on digital evolution and agile transformation.

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For more information: www.ashtead-technology.com

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Member news

AsstrA ships oversized cargo to Hungary

In April and May this year, AsstrA specialists arranged shipment of two pieces of crude oil and processing equipment from Greece to a Hungarian refinery. Due to road infrastructure limitations and the equipment’s size, a multimodal transport scheme was used to execute the project, which was run jointly by teams in AsstrA’s offices in Poznań, Poland and Budapest, Hungary.

The refinery had to partially suspend some production processes in order to receive the equipment. That meant we could not afford the slightest error in implementation. But thanks to excellent coordination and preparation, we were successful. Botond Kovacs-Mate, Hungary Branch & Country Manager, AsstrA

Thanks to favourable weather conditions and the efficient efforts of all supply chain participants, the reloading in the port was carried out in a record time of under three hours. After completing port operations, the ship continued its journey across the Dardanelles and the Bosphorus and reached the Romanian port of Constanta within six days. It was then met by a team of AsstrA specialists who oversaw the equipment’s loading onto a special barge with a crane. After receiving a series of permissions and undergoing multiple COVID checks, the cargo arrived on time at the port of Százhalombatta. In accordance with the previously agreed schedule, AsstrA specialists immediately began preparing for unloading with the recipient.

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For more information: https://asstra.com/

EnerMech appoints first Asia director to drive business expansion

EnerMech has appointed James Phu Nguyen to the newly created role of Asia Director to lead the company’s expanding operations in the region. Based in Malaysia, Mr Nguyen brings more than 15 years’ oil and gas experience to EnerMech and joins the business from Baker Hughes PPS where he held the position of Area Manager for the Far East. Prior to this, he held several high-level technical sales and operations roles at a number of oil and gas service companies across Asia and Australia. In his new position, he will be responsible for leading EnerMech’s personnel in Asia with a key focus on driving business growth in existing markets while extending the company’s current activities across Brunei, Indonesia, India, the Philippines and Sakhalin Island. With a proven track record in operations management, business development and technical leadership, Mr Nguyen will play a central role in expanding EnerMech’s process, pipelines and umbilicals (PPU), cranes, hydraulics and industrial services in the region.

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For more information: https://enermech.com/

Howden provides green hydrogen compression for climate neutral methanol plant

Howden, a leading global provider of mission critical air and gas handling products has been selected to deliver a hydrogen compression solution to Johnson Matthey, to supply leading-edge technologies, equipment and advisory services

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to the world’s first methanol plant to harness energy from wind, in Patagonia, Chile. The Haru Oni project will enable production of e-fuels to supply Europe and other regions. This initiative is set to contribute to the achievement of the Green Deal commitment taken by the European Commission by raising the EU’s climate target for 2030 that would lead to Europe being the first climate-neutral continent in 2050. This new production unit will deliver around 900,000 litres per year of e-methanol as early as 2022, with future full-scale production units ready by 2026 delivering 550m litres of e-fuels per year, sufficient for about 220,000 gasoline vehicles at 50 litres use per week. Together, the transport and industry sectors are responsible for 45% of the world’s CO2 emissions. However, in these sectors, renewable energy sources have reduced emissions by less than 8%. The excellent wind conditions in southern Chile mean producing carbon-neutral fuel using wind power is a new and a realistic opportunity. Final products will be e-methanol and e-gasoline, produced from methanol via a methanol-to-gasoline process and exported in the form of liquid fuel. So far, methanol has been produced primarily from natural gas by means of steam methane reforming (SMR), a mature, highly integrated and costeffective process. But, when derived from fossil sources, the production of this conventional ‘grey’ methanol involves high CO2 emissions. The synthesis of methanol from H2 and CO2 requires the development of a syngas compression unit at the methanol plant. Howden’s hydrogen compression solution delivers process performance excellence through reliability, efficiency and safety to the syngas unit, which is dependent on temperature, pressure and catalyst features.

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For more information: www.howdenprocesscompressors.com


MDS Brazil: how to protect your company against industry risk

© 2021 Proserv UK Ltd

Member news

In the last few years, the Brazilian energy industry, particularly the oil and gas market, has been facing a dual-sided situation: while setting production records, such as in 2019 when it surpassed for the first time the 1bn barrels milestone, it is also facing a rapid deceleration in consumption due to the pandemic limiting people’s circulation. “The transport industry, which corresponds to almost half the demand for oil-based products, is suffering a heavy impact with the coronavirus. For this reason, the oil and gas sector needs to adapt to transformations and short and long term demands,” advises Olímpio Guedes Amorim, Superintendent of Corporate Risk at MDS Brazil.

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For more information: www.mdsgroup.com/pt/

© Howden Group 2021

Amorim also reiterates that the newest challenges for oil and gas are highly complex and require huge technical and executive efforts which does not tolerate faults. “In addition to operational protocols ranging from risk analysis to digital data protection, the oil and gas businesses need to take a step further in controlling losses and minimising financial risks,” he said.

In order to support the sector for these challenges, MDS Brazil has been closely monitoring the possible extreme issues and the rapid advancements in the industry. Aiming at adding even more value to the sector, the company became a member of the EIC, whose mission is to help companies to identify business opportunities globally. Thus, MDS Brazil strengthens its job of mapping future challenges and creation of innovative solutions to companies in this market, becoming a heavyweight ally.

Proserv lands key manufacturing order from BOC for Majnoon oil field

Global controls technology company Proserv Controls has secured a significant contract to manufacture and deliver 22 wellhead control panels (WHCP) to the Basra Oil Company (BOC) for use on the Majnoon oil field in southern Iraq. The deal has been arranged through KBR, the Houston based engineering, procurement and construction management (EPCM) company, which is the EPCM lead on BOC’s plans to significantly ramp up production capabilities at the field. The 22 WHCPs each has the capability of controlling up to four wells and they have been earmarked for use on 70 new wells which are currently in the development phase. At present, Majnoon has a capacity of just over 200,000 barrels per day (bpd) of production, but BOC’s strategy is to more than double this to above 400,000 bpd in the next two years. Proserv will deliver the WHCPs in three lots, with the first due towards the end of Q3 2021, with the second scheduled for Q4 and the final tranche set to arrive in March 2022.

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Howden has been selected to deliver a hydrogen compression solution to Johnson Matthey

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For more information: www.proserv.com

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Member news

In the coming years, the coexistence of conventional and emerging energy sources will be critical as the world drives toward net-zero. Natural gas can serve as a viable bridge fuel to a future where renewables and e-fuels contribute to the energy landscape. However, the industry must take aggressive steps to reduce the carbon footprint associated with delivering gas to destination markets. Siemens Energy is committed to helping midstream operators achieve this goal by leveraging the latest advancements in rotating equipment and digitalisation to reduce emissions and operating costs from pipeline compression stations. This was recently illustrated with the start-up of the Grapeland compressor station in Texas. In February 2020, Midcoast Energy LLC selected Siemens Energy to supply two SGT400 mechanically driven RFBB20 compression packages for the station. This is the first application of the SGT-400 15MW (20,000 horsepower) turbine variant in mechanical drive service in North America. Siemens Energy signed an eight year long-term programme (LTP) with Midcoast Energy. The agreement will cover preventative maintenance for the gas turbine units and the pipeline compressors. Specific services offered include service exchange, 24/7 technical support, and labour for Level II inspections/activities, such as dry gas seal and bearing changeouts. Additionally, Siemens Energy will provide digitally enabled solutions, including remote diagnostic services through the MyHealth app, to meet aggressive availability guarantees for both trains – ensuring maximum uptime and ROI for Midcoast Energy.

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For more information: https://new.siemens.com/uk/en.html

Kawasaki Heavy Industries’ (KHI) SPICE AUV will use tracking, communications and navigation technology from Son on its long-endurance missions

Sonardyne navigation for Kawasaki’s SPICE AUV

Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI) has chosen a suite of subsea navigation, positioning and communications technologies from marine energy, defence and science company Sonardyne to navigate, track and control its first commercial SPICE autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs). The SPICE (Subsea Precise Inspector with Close Eyes) AUV, complete with a submerged docking system and unique robotic arm for non-destructive testing, has been designed and built by KHI for intelligent and lowlogistic pipeline and subsea asset inspection operations down to 3,000m water depth. To support accurate and longduration navigation on its missions, while minimising complexity and payload space consumption, the vehicle is fitted with Sonardyne’s industry leading hybrid navigator SPRINT-Nav. For underwater positioning and communications, the SPICE AUV is using Sonardyne’s AvTrak 6 – a combined transponder, modem and emergency relocator beacon all in one. KHI has also been using Sonardyne’s Mini-Ranger 2 UltraShort Baseline (USBL) system with a robotics pack to support tracking and communications during development and testing.

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SPRINT-Nav combines Sonardyne’s SPRINT INS sensor, Syrinx 600 kHz DVL and a high accuracy intelligent pressure sensor into a single housing, making it one of the smallest combined inertial navigation instruments on the market. SPRINT-Nav’s tight integration of raw sensor data at a low level provides unprecedented navigational performance and precision for subsea vehicles, consistently outperforming competing systems in customer trials. The SPRINT-Nav 700, selected by KHI, is equipped with the highest performance available sensors, including Honeywell ring laser gyros and accelerometers.

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For more information: www.sonardyne.com WTS Energy © 2021

Siemens Energy signs long-term service programme with Midcoast Energy

© 2021 Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd

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nardyne

New EIC members Social media round up Member news

WTS Energy and Hiber announce strategic joint venture

Industrial IoT as-a-service company Hiber is partnering with WTS Energy to roll out its well integrity monitoring solution globally. In a strategic joint venture with the leading solution supplier in the international oil and gas industry, Hiber has developed HiberHilo, an end-to-end IoT solution that makes well monitoring more data-driven and safe. Using satellite technology, HiberHilo allows oil and gas companies to measure real-time well temperature and pressure for up to 250 wellheads in a radius of 10km in remote and offshore locations. WTS Energy will help Hiber address the oil and gas market. With offices and 1,250 consultants in 18 countries across the world, WTS supports its oil and gas customers in their digital transformation. WTS aims to deliver the latest technological solutions to its customers, and partnered with Hiber to provide HiberHilo across the industry.

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For more information: www.wtsenergy.com

Social media round up We want to use every opportunity to connect with our members, so please follow us on Twitter (@TheEICEnergy) and connect with us on LinkedIn – EIC (Energy Industries Council) Below you’ll find a selection of some of the exciting EIC activities and useful industry information we’ve shared through our social media channels.

The EIC @TheEICEnergy

COP26 http://bit.ly/3DeoNY9 2 November In Conversation with Mott MacDonald 3 November The Race to Net Zero 4 November The North Sea: An Area in Transition

The EIC @TheEICEnergy

Last chance to join the UK pavilion and trade mission and win business at Wind Expo Japan 2022. Learn more here: http://bit.ly/3AKFxVX

EIC (Energy Industries Council) We are excited to announce the finalists for the highly anticipated #EICAwards. We look forward to celebrating your achievements on Thursday 2 December 2021.

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Visit www.the-eic.com/Forms/NewsletterSignup

@TheEICEnergy

VIRTUAL

EIC T H U R S D AY 2 D E C E M B E R 2021

EIC (Energy Industries Council)

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November 2021

Forthcoming events and 2 November COP26

In Conversation with Mott MacDonald St Vincent Plaza, Glasgow

3 November COP26

The Race to Net Zero with KBR Wood Group, Glasgow

3 November Management Course

EICDataStream/AssetMap training Online

4 November COP26

The North Sea: An Area in Transition Wood Group, Glasgow

4 November Business Presentation

Regional Market Update: GoM Webinar

4 November Business Presentation

Meet the Buyer with SBM in Brazil Online

4 November Business Presentation

South America EICDataStream Online

5 November LIVE e-vents

EIC Members – Speedy Networking Webinar

5 November Corporate Entertainment

EIC & RGU Rising Star Networking Wood Group, Glasgow

5 November Business Presentation

Meet the Buyer with SBM in Brazil Online

Get in touch Share your news and views...

Email newsdesk@the-eic.com • Phone +44 (0)20 7091 8600

LIVE e-vents The EIC’s new webinars

9 November Business Presentation

EIC Open Day with Cargostore Webinar

12 November LIVE e-vents

EIC Members – Speedy Networking Webinar

15 November Overseas Exhibition

ADIPEC 2021

Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre

17 November Management Course

EICDataStream/AssetMap training Online

19 November LIVE e-vents

EIC Members – Speedy Networking Webinar

23 November LIVE e-vents

Celebrating 50 years of the UAE Webinar

23 November Overseas Exhibition

WindEurope Electric City 2021 Copenhagen, Denmark

25 November COP26

COP26: Outcomes from COP26 GoToWebinar

25 November Business Presentation

South America EICDataStream Online

30 November Overseas Exhibition

World Nuclear Exhibition 2021 Paris Nord Villepinte

For more information and to book visit www.the-eic.com


Forthcoming events

VIRTUAL

EIC

December – February 2021/2

2021

RECOGNISING C A PA B I L I T I E S S T R AT E G I E S AND RESILIENCE ACROSS THE ENERGY SECTOR

T H U R S D AY 2 D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 1

1 December Management Course

6 January Business Presentation

EICDataStream/AssetMap training Online

2 December Corporate Entertainment

Online

9 January EIC Connect

EIC Awards 2021

EIC Connect Qatar

Webinar

Webinar

7 December LIVE e-vents

19 January Business Presentation

GCC Energy Market & Project Update Webinar

15 December Management Course

South America EICDataStream Online

1 February Overseas Exhibition

EICDataStream/AssetMap training Online

South America EICDataStream

Offshore Europe 2022 P&J Live, Aberdeen

16 December Business Presentation

14 February Overseas Exhibition

South America EICDataStream

Egypt Petroleum Show 2022

Online

New Cairo Exhibition Centre

9 January 2022

CONNECT

QATAR

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@TheEICEnergy

EIC (Energy Industries Council)

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LOUNGE SPONSOR

NETWORKING RECEPTION SPONSOR Formally Agility Logistics

International trade

EIC returns to ADIPEC to host the UK national pavilion on 15-18 November 2021 The Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition & Conference (ADIPEC), hosted by the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), will provide the energy industry with a return to large scale business events after 18 long months. The EIC also returns to ADIPEC to host the UK national pavilion. Having taken part in ADIPEC for over 20 years now, the EIC and the UK pavilion have been part of the event as it has gone from strength-to-strength, emerging into one of the world’s most important and influential energy events. This year, the event is more vital than ever as we return to face-to-face business and focus on shaping the future of the industry. Despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, there are still over 580 energy projects under implementation across the region from 20212026 worth over US$907bn; ensuring that the Middle East continues to be a key area of focus for our members as we seek to maintain the UK supply chain’s position as a trusted and proven partner in the Gulf region.

The UAE alone has 91 project opportunities worth US$159bn, Camilla making ADIPEC a Tew lucrative platform for UK companies to showcase their new technologies and cost efficiencies to operators and contractors. The national pavilion provides an unparalleled demonstration of the UK’s energy supply chain capabilities. Over 40 companies from across all the energy sectors will showcase the innovative products and services renowned worldwide for adding real value to projects and the local supply chain. Learn more about our exhibiting companies by visiting: https://www.the-eic.com/ Events/Exhibitions/ADIPEC2021 The EIC invites you to visit the UK national pavilion in Hall 8 as we look forward to getting back to face-to-face business and meeting again at ADIPEC 2021. Photos © Energy Industries Council 2021

UK PAVILION EXHIBITORS

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Email internationaltrade@the-eic.com • Phone +44 (0)20 7091 8600


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PRINCIPLE SUPPORTER

UK and Europe news

The North Sea Decarbonisation Conference 11-12 May 2021 This month is all about The North Sea Decarbonisation Conference, on Tuesday 11 and Wednesday 12 May. The EIC and international supporting partners Agoria, IRO, Danish Export Association, World Forum Offshore Wind along with principal supporter DNV, are all working together on the two day virtual e-vent exploring the North Sea’s journey to net zero. As the UK government announces its commitment to the North Sea Transition Deal, join this important industry conference as we come together to explore how the North Sea basin is in pole position to play a leading role in the transition to a low carbon energy future. This virtual conference will also present an opportunity to further connect the UK and neighbouring European markets. Each session will hear from a diverse mix of industry speakers discussing the latest projects, opportunities and their own energy transformation. 11 MAY: OFFSHORE WIND Co-host BMT. Offshore wind energy is paving the way to achieving energy policy commitments in the global power sector, supporting countries to reach their net zero targets and continue their energy system transformation. The offshore wind project pipeline has shown no signs of slowing down and is now a truly global opportunity. Join speakers Vattenfall, BMT, RWE and WFO. 11 MAY: THE HYDROGEN ECONOMY Session One. We have two sessions here exploring the hydrogen economy, from production, to storage, to end users, while also discussing what critical investments are needed if we are to meet the targets set out in the Paris Agreement. Join speakers Hydrogen Pro, ITM Power, BP and Ørsted. 11 MAY: OCEAN ENERGY Co-host Mocean Energy. In this session we will look at current projects and the various technologies being used to harness power from our oceans. Join speakers Mocean Energy, Ocean Energy Europe, Minesto, Orbital Marine Power, ORE Catapult and EMEC.

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Emailwww.the-eic.com/Forms/NewsletterSignup eventsuk@the-eic.com • Phone +44 (0)20 7091 8600 Visit

11 MAY: CCUS Co-host Emerson. In this session we Jo Cam will be exploring pbell the opportunities the Northern Lights Project gives rise to. Followed by a high-level panel discussion exploring the CCS value chain and how future developments are needed if we are to achieve its carbon neutrality targets. Join speakers Equinor, Emerson, Drax, BP and Global CCS Institute. 12 MAY: THE HYDROGEN ECONOMY Session Two. Co-host DNV. Following on from Session One, join speakers Shell, DNV, Neptune Energy, EFC, Gasunie and Nel Hydrogen. 12 MAY: OFFSHORE ELECTRIFICATION & POWER NETWORKS Co-host Worley. The first session will focus on oil and gas asset electrification, which is of vital importance in decreasing oil and gas sector emissions to meet net zero targets, as well safeguarding the sector’s social licence to operate. The second panel will discuss power supply from wind farms through offshore grid systems, with a focus on the concepts and opportunities. Join speakers TenneT, Equinor, Worley, Siemens Energy, Oil & Gas Authority, CNOOC, Wood and ABB. 12 MAY: FINANCING TECHNOLOGY TO NET ZERO If the North Sea nations are to effectively achieve net zero targets and wider climate goals, there is a significant requirement for the expansion of net zero investment to further accelerate innovation and affordable technologies. Join speakers Wood, Strategic Growth Services, Siemens Energy, Xodus, Energy Knect, Green Backers Investment Capital and OGTC. 12 MAY: ENERGY TO X With companies from the oil and gas and power industries also looking to diversify into the sector, this dedicated panel will observe the opportunities and future outlook of waste management. Join speakers Air Liquide, Storengy and Honeywell. FREE to EIC members BOOK NOW www.the-eic.com/Events/ TheNorthSeaDecarbonisationConference

@TheEICEnergy

EIC (Energy Industries Council)


22

Middle East news Regional update

It is hard to believe that we are into the final two months of 2021, perhaps due to the plethora of physical events taking place. There are significant signs of the Ryan M cPhers on market picking up with several project awards announced, travel restrictions being eased and as mentioned a return to physical events while still retaining the flexibility of the virtual events which have now become part of our working life. Gastech and SPE ATCE held in Dubai were a stark reminder of how much we have missed physical events where it was great to see faces old and new, particularly the large number of you who had travelled out from the UK. If this is anything to go by, we expect ADIPEC (15-18 November 2021) to be exceptional. We are delighted to have secured several key tier 1 contractors to provide ‘business opportunity’ presentations throughout the course of the week alongside some one-to-one meetings for those who had planned to exhibit on the UK pavilion. Please stop past and see us in Hall 8, we’ll be the stand under the big UK banner. Our Business Opportunities with Kent provided a tremendous insight into the recently rebranded ‘Kent’ (formally Kentech) following its recent landmark acquisition of the majority of SNC-Lavalin’s oil and gas division. The webinar provided valuable content into key contacts, procurement strategy and projects that the organisation is currently working on. Please reach out to me if you were unable to attend and would like a copy of the presentation. Our inaugural Qatar Connect event was an outstanding success, where the content will be available to all EIC members for a further three months. Please visit our website where you will find all the pre-records which is a must for anyone looking to enter or develop business within the Qatari market. New members continue to join us from the region where we recently welcomed Falcon Robotics, Pipeline Cleaning Solutions and HRH Geology. We are delighted to welcome you all into the EIC family and look forward to working together in the months ahead. I once again want to remind our members of the wealth of market intelligence tools that we have on offer to help you stay on top of your business. Anyone requiring either initial training or a refresher is welcome to get in touch and we will arrange for this to be delivered. In the interim please continue to stay safe and I look forward to catching up with as many of you as I can in person before the year is out. Ryan McPherson Regional Director, Middle East, Africa, Russia & CIS ryan.mcpherson@the-eic.com Get in touch Share your news and views...

Email newsdesk@the-eic.com • Phone +44 (0)20 7091 8600

Regional news

Angolan oil giant Sonangol reports net loss in 2020

Angolan state oil giant Sonangol registered a US$4.1bn net loss in 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic hollowed out sales and the company struggled to lighten its large debt with asset sales. The company is the engine of Angola’s economy and central to a state drive to lift its people out of poverty and alleviate the country’s vast debts to China and other lenders. Sonangol’s total liabilities stood at US$26.8bn at the end of 2020, using the official average exchange rate for the year, while debt repayments alone cost it US$2bn. The company said the disappointing performance in 2020 was ‘a result of the drastic reduction in revenues from sales of crude oil’ due to the pandemic, despite Angolan annual oil output being slightly higher than in 2019.

UK and UAE to build on £1bn life sciences pact

The UK and UAE governments plan to build on their £1bn partnership to invest in the UK’s life sciences sector announced earlier this year by boosting investments in clean energy, as well as advanced manufacturing, technology and infrastructure, as they aim to be at the forefront of the green revolution. Lord Gerry Grimstone, UK Minister for Investment at the Department for International Trade, stated that ‘exciting opportunities’ in the renewables sector are being examined by both nations. Under the Sovereign Investment Partnership, signed by the two countries in March, Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala Investment Company pledged to plough £800m into the life sciences sector over the next five years while £200m will come from the UK’s Life Sciences Investment Programme.

Forthcoming events

Please go to page 18 to see upcoming events in your region


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Asia Pacific news Regional update

Seven of the top ten countries in the world where COVID-19 deaths have doubled the fastest recently are in Asia Pacific, with Vietnam, Fiji Azman and Myanmar all in the top Nasir five. A growing number of countries in south east Asia, however, are making plans to shift from ‘zero-COVID’ strategies to a policy of living with the disease, even as the highly contagious Delta variant is propelling new waves of infections across the region. Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam are all reorienting their strategies from pandemic to endemic, taking cues from Singapore and others in Europe and the US after months of quasilockdowns have failed to quell COVID-19 transmission. Malaysia has outlined the need for long-term plans to manage COVID-19, which would involve regular testing, an extended mask mandate, and home quarantine for those infected. The country is expected to move into an endemic phase by the end of October, when 80% of its population has been vaccinated. Thailand began reopening some sectors of the economy, resumed domestic flights, and allowed gatherings of up to 25 people in Bangkok and other high-risk provinces as the nation adapts to ‘coexist safely’ with the virus. Thailand has vaccinated 33% of its total population, although the share of fully vaccinated people remains low at 11%. Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City is also considering a reopening of economic activity after the government announced that the country cannot rely on lockdown and quarantines indefinitely. In October, EIC APAC organised the inaugural EIC APAC Energy Conversations with the theme of ‘What’s ahead for APAC Energy?’ A total of 30 speakers and 400 delegates attended this virtual conference which was held from 26-27 October 2021. Among the speaking companies were International Energy Asia, General Electric Power Asia, National Energy Resources of Australia, Jacobs Asia, Siemens Energy, Wärtsilä, ACME India, Xodus UK, Sapura Taiwan, JWD Japan, Aqualis Braemar, Delta Offshore Energy, Super Energy, Sembcorp Marine and others. The virtual conference was jointly organised by EIC APAC and its partners, DIT India IEA and SDI Asia. There were six panel sessions with discussions on the latest trends and thinking with regards to the energy transition, how it affects the energy supply chain and the lessons learnt from several oil and gas companies who have recently switched to renewables. Azman Nasir, Head of Asia Pacific azman.nasir@the-eic.com Sign up for the EICOnline newsletter

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Regional news

UK to invest in green energy projects in India

An investment package of US$1.2bn to boost India’s green growth was announced during the 11th Economic and Financial Dialogue between the UK and India. The investments will support India’s target of 450GW renewable energy by 2030. The dialogue meeting also saw the launch of the Climate Finance Leadership Initiative (CFLI) India partnership. The investment package includes a US$1bn investment from CDC in climate-related projects in India in the 2022-2026 period and a new US$200m private and multilateral commitment to the joint Green Growth Equity Fund which invests in India’s renewable energy sector. The financing package also includes joint UK and Indian investments up to US$31.7m in venture capital funds to support green tech start-ups.

CIP and PT Akuo Energy to develop renewable energy projects in Indonesia

Danish fund manager, Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) has through Copenhagen Infrastructure New Markets Fund I (CI NMF), entered into a joint venture with PT Akuo Energy Indonesia, a subsidiary of French renewable power producer and developer Akuo. Both parties will jointly develop an initial portfolio exceeding 400MW of onshore wind, solar and run of river hydro projects in Indonesia, with a potential for future expansion. According to the announcement, this represents some 4.5% of the additional capacity needed for Indonesia to achieve its goal of 23% renewable energy by 2025. This transaction marks CI NMF’s first investment in the Indonesian renewable energy market.

EIC Newsbriefs membership@the-eic.com Keeping you up to date with energy news from around the world

@TheEICEnergy

EIC (Energy Industries Council)


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North and Central America news Regional update

On 31 August we had the pleasure of hosting EIC’s very own Senior Regional Analyst, Americas, Pietro Ferriera for a North and Central America Regional Market Update: Amand a Duho n US GoM. During this webinar, we welcomed members and non-members to learn about the robust pipeline of opportunities across the entire energy spectrum in the Gulf of Mexico region. Opportunities covered included recent project and contract activity, insights on major players, and upcoming FIDs. To see our upcoming events, please visit https://www.the-eic. com/Events/Calendar, or contact Adriana Romo, Office & Events Co-ordinator, North & Central America adriana.romo@the-eic.com

Regional news

US lease sale to go ahead

The US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has issued a record of decision (ROD) stating that it will carry out a lease sale for areas in the Gulf of Mexico during the fall season. The decision follows an injunction granted by a Louisiana federal court, which challenged the moratorium imposed by the Biden administration on oil and gas lease sales in federal waters.

Shell to divest Permian Basin operations to ConocoPhillips

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Royal Dutch Shell has agreed to divest its Permian Basin operations in the US to ConocoPhillips for US$9.5bn in an all-cash deal. The assets involved in the deal are contained in the Delaware Basin. They are all located in Texas. Their production for 2022 is estimated to be around 200Mboed, of which nearly half is operated.

SMRs proposed for Puerto Rico

Although our North and Central America events continue to be largely online, I would like to stress the importance of having ‘boots on the ground’. Our EIC LaunchPad service provides both virtual and serviced-office offerings to provide our members with a low risk, low-cost opportunity to establish a presence in a key region of the energy industry, all while simultaneously having hot-desks, meeting and conference facilities in our global network of offices at their fingertips. For more information on our LaunchPad services, please email adriana.romo@the-eic.com Amanda Duhon Regional Director, North & Central America amanda.duhon@the-eic.com Get in touch Share your news and views...

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The Nuclear Alternative Project (NAP), an organisation focused on advancing the development of nuclear power reactors in Puerto Rico, has said the development of small modular reactors (SMRs) on the island is feasible after conducting an initial DOE-funded assessment. NAP has identified two potential sites: the first lies on the island’s north coast and the second is located at the former Roosevelt Roads Naval Station. The NAP assessment will now look at site requirements for the potential facilities. Nuclear power is regarded as an ideal complement to Puerto Rico’s renewable sources, providing zero-emission baseload capacity.

Forthcoming events

Please go to page 18 to see upcoming events in your region


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South America news Regional update

On 15 September we had the pleasure of hosting the Understanding Procurement in Petrobras webinar. Marcio Antonio Pereira Junior, General Manager of Contracts Clariss e Roch a Strategy and Suppliers Relationship and Matheus Allgaier, Junior Production Engineer, both from Petrobras, gave an overview of the main opportunities with the company and explained how suppliers can have access to these opportunities and do business with Petrobras. In addition, they explained how suppliers can make the most out of the Petrobras Petronect portal and the relevance of the certificate of registration for bid invitations. During the Q&A session we were joined by Micaela Pinheiro, Sector Manager of Service and Systems for Registration of Suppliers and Leticia Linhares, Administrative Technician. Petrobras highlighted that all opportunities are public and all the data is displayed on Petronect, where companies can access this information without being registered. Nonetheless, they still highly recommend all companies register in order to facilitate and streamline the process.

Earlier in the year, Gabriella Fernandes, above left, EIC’s Business Development Co-ordinator in Rio, won the EIC Worthy Award for going above and beyond with EIC Inform and membership engagement projects. We are very proud of the work delivered by Gabriella. Due to COVID, it was only possible to deliver the award last month. If you need any assistance or advice in the region or for more information about upcoming events, please contact rio@the-eic.com Clarisse Rocha, Head of Americas clarisse.rocha@the-eic.com

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EIC members with a focus in South America can find support from members that provide services in the region Regional news

Brazilian distributed generation hits 7GW

The installed capacity of distributed generation (DG) systems in Brazil totalled 7GW in September, amounting to 599,920 individual systems across the country. The segment is dominated by solar power, which contributes with 6.8GW of capacity nationwide. DG systems in Brazil are widespread in the residential sector, which accounts for 454,347 systems with a capacity of 2.85GW.

Brazil creates power holding

The Bolsonaro administration has taken steps to create ENBpar, a public entity that will concentrate the nuclear power generation segment (run by its subsidiary Eletronuclear) as well as the operation of the 14GW Itaipu hydro power plant on the border with Paraguay (managed by Itaipu Binacional). These two companies are legally required to remain under state control, which led to the creation of the new state-run holding.

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Survive and Thrive V

RESILIENCE HAS BEEN THE NAME OF THE GAME

COVID-19, oil crises, Brexi and more, have all hit the e often thrived, proving the r

LEARNING THE LESSONS FROM THE 2014/15 OIL CRISIS Hard lessons were learned during the oil price crisis, forcing companies to become leaner and respond quicker to turbulent market conditions.

AGILITY, FLEXIBILITY AND SITUATION SENSING Being able to respond quickly and intelligently to rapidly changing circumstances has become a pillar of strength for energy supply chain companies.

SPREADING BETS (BY DIVERSIFYING) Companies that spread their portfolios across multiple sectors put them in stronger positions compared to their competitors in a single sector.

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SERVICE AN SOLUTIONS Transitioning CAPEX oppo to the operati maintenance market gives stability and revenue stre


RESILIENCE Success stories

it, disruptive technologies, global trade tensions, the anti-oil lobby energy sector over the last five years, but businesses have survived, resilience and tenacity of the energy supply chain.

ND S MINDSET g from ortunities ations and e OPEX s financial alternative eams.

PLANNING FOR UNCERTAINTY Previous crises forced companies to plan for the worst and improved preparedness for the difficulties of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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TRAVEL AND OFFICE SAVINGS COULD STAY A complete halt of local and international travel, as well as the need for physical office space, could change business practices for the long run.

@TheEICEnergy

SENSE OF URGENCY AS CATALYST Businesses faced a sense of urgency that had never been seen before, prompting business leaders to make bold, tough decisions in a high-risk environment.

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Survive and Thrive V Success stories

KBR From conversation to commercial transformation How is KBR thriving? Following a somewhat chance discussion with a key customer, KBR Project Solutions has taken on a wholly new dimension in the form of automated engineering solutions for electric vehicle charging sites. Part of a transition to develop smart solutions for a sustainable future, the risk taken by Project Solutions to invest in this innovative application of capabilities is already looking like a sound one.

The challenge KBR is a well-known global giant in the professinal services and technologies sphere, serving clients in the government, technology and energy sectors. The Houston-based group turned over $5.56 billion in 2019, around 20% of this deriving from clients operating in the energy space. KBR Project Solutions, although a very small divison of the company with 2019 revenue of $13 million, is helping the energy side of the KBR business to shift into renewable and energy transition markets. Having started out as a small start-up with minimal funding in 2017, today it represents a creative engineering environment where the use of innovative solutions help to deliver results for clients. Last year, naturally, presented serious challenges caused by the coronavirus pandemic, with headcount having to be cut and revenues reduced due to project cancellations. Against these difficult circumstances, KBR Project Solutions was determined to continue developing its brand and build upon its track record.

The solution A major focus for the division has been

expanding its automated engineering solutions into new markets, developing new innovations to solve the pressing issues of the day in the energy sector – all geared towards the transition to a greener industry. Leveraging its competencies already successfully deployed in the oil and gas sphere, KBR Project Solutions has turned to the likes of offshore wind and electric vehicle charging to diversify its activities, creating what it calls a connected capability triangle to optimise assets, streamline processes, create efficiencies and cut costs for clients. Indeed, the company recognised that early adopters of digital technology are also early adopters of decarbonisation technology. The latter of these newly targeted subsectors – electric vehicle charging – surfaced almost by chance. KBR Project Solutions were already

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using their algorithm tool for automating design in its oil and gas business, and when questioned by a client to develop a “North Star” proposal, an ideal world solution of what the electric vehicle charging market could look like it was a gamechanging question. Project Solutions founder and Director, Dave Cole, took a risk investing internal funds. The pitch was helped by the existing customer relationship, the rate at which the EV market is growing internationally and that the computer programmers were already in place and ready to investigate the question put in front of them. Moreover, the Projects Solutions team operated with the kind of SME mentality and authority within KBR to be trusted to move fast and handle risks. Likewise, Cole realised the potential for this to be the foundation of much larger opportunity should it be pulled off.


Success Success stories stories

The early signs are extremely promising, a £500,000 contract in place and the opportunity to scale up in 2022. The project involves using laser scanning of a proposed site for electric vehicle charging and applying modelling tools to create optimised site layouts, with safety and compliance fundamental to the automated design process. Construction cost calculations are also provided with the design for each site, with KBR Project Solutions aiming to cut design expenses by as much as 50% per site. Scale this up for the proposed growth in EV across Europe, and the automated solution has the potential to save millions as well as making government targets for 2030 achievable.

The bigger picture also looks bright. Having demonstrated the value of its automated engineering solutions outside of the oil and gas arena, there could well be other sectors beyond the electric vehicle charging market that KBR Project Solutions can apply its everevolving expertise to. And as more and more use cases are demonstrated, the company will strengthen its brand as a go-to for smart, sustainable solutions.

KBR Project Solutions has core

competencies which span engineering, computer science, and energy transition as well as creative, forward thinkers, who collaborate and challenge the expected to deliver disruption and create a new normal at KBR. Started as a small start-up with no funding in 2017, KBR Project Solutions is a creative engineering environment where the use of innovative solutions to deliver results for clients is encouraged. This has included ideas such as; Mulit-Objective Design Analysis (MODA) Solution, OPTI-VENTUS, BarBox ©, mobile app development, VR capability for training and process simulation, and automated engineering solutions amongst others.

Story type

Key findings

Government support?

#digital (main category) #energytransition (main category) #innovation (main category)

For industry

The company has benefited from the Apprenticeship Levy and R&D tax credits.

This serves as a highly effective case study for KBR Project Solutions to put in front of other prospective clients internationally within the EV charging market.

#diversification, #serviceandsolutions, #technology

Benefits • £500,000 contract award related to EV charging • Potential for multi-million pound in client savings • Delivers the required EV infrastructure to meet the 2030 goals

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About KBR KBR is a global provider of differentiated professional services and technologies. The company employs approximately 28,000 people worldwide, with customers in more than 80 countries, and operations in 40 countries. Operating across the asset and programme lifecycle, KBR operates in the two synergistic global businesses of: Government Solutions and Technology Solutions.

• A good grounding is needed in digital and technology, as well as engineering • Build a team that understands the fast pace of changing technology • The synergies between competencies demanded by old and new energies should not be underestimated • Never stop learning For government • Carbon taxation is needed • 2030 EV goals can only be achieved if the infrastructure is supported and in place • Silos between energy, transport, mobility, and protecting our environment need to be broken down if true “smart cities” and “smart grids” are to be realised

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KBR at a glance: Key products and services: government technology solutions business Main industries served: • Oil and gas – 15% • Nuclear – 4% • Renewables – 1% • Others (government, IT, etc) – 80% Headquarters: Houston, USA Year established: 1998 (KBR Group) Number of employees: 28,000 Revenue: US$5.6bn Revenue from exports: 80%

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Survive and Thrive V Success stories

McMenon Engineering Services

Finding purpose in export-led proactivity How is McMenon Engineering Services thriving? In the space of just three years, McMenon Engineering Services has transformed the ABB product manufacturing facility that it acquired into an independent global leader in the supply of flow meters and temperature measurement products. Thanks to an unwavering commitment to exportled growth and a proactive approach, the newly-formed subsidiary has successfully secured its future in the face of pandemic related challenges.

The challenge While it doesn’t necessarily apply in absolute sense, proactive companies are often better equipped to deal with challenges and cut above the noise than their reactive counterparts. Those taking the initiative are typically the backbone of innovation in any industry, not only excelling themselves but driving positive change more generally. McMenon Engineering Services acquired ABB’s product manufacturing facility in Workington, in North-West England in 2018. While previously the facility had been an internal ABB feeder factory for DP flow meters and temperature measurement products, McMenon planned to leverage the company’s in-house expertise to build a business based on external sales. Postacquisition, attention turned towards a proactive export-focused growth strategy, signifying the shift from being a product manufacturing unit to a proactive global manufacturing business and brand.

It was by no means an easy task. It was nothing less than a cultural and operational overhaul, with every aspect of the organisation’s operations and expansion plans reviewed meticulously to ensure growth was both maximised and indeed sustainable. Which markets offered the most potential? Would the company need to develop local bases in key regions? How would it compete in markets more price competitive than that of the UK? Throw Brexit & COVID-19 into the mix come 2020, and these ambitions became fraught with obstacles.

The solution To succeed, the company paved its path using two key points of reference from 2018 onwards. First, the goal was to increase its overall market share, and this was to be achieved through its export-centric strategy. Second, the business’ key selling point was one of quality and engineering solutions, the foundation of its success having been built on an esteemed reputation as a UK product manufacturing unit run by a global automation leader. Arrowing in on these all-important

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factors, the company was successfully able to establish presence in a number of new markets. One such example comes from its efforts in Damman, Saudi Arabia, where McMenon Engineering Services established a local joint venture with Gulftek Arabia. It was by no means a straightforward task. While ABB’s Workington plant had previous ties with Saudi Aramco, the facility’s rebrand under the McMenon umbrella meant that the enterprise had to be recertified – a long diligent process. As a result, McMenon opted to establish an in-country presence to comply with Saudi Arabia’s inKingdom Total Value Add Program (IKTVA) requirements that advocated greater localisation. Indeed, COVID-19 has slowed the process here, and McMenon continues to await Aramco accreditation, yet despite these setbacks, McMenon in 2020 formally launched the first British manufacturing facility of flow and temperature instrumentation in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Following this success in 2020, the facility manufactured the first ISO Wedge flowmeter in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The venture


Success Success stories stories

represents a key milestone in the firm’s global growth strategy of investing in supporting capabilities locally in selected countries with the Workington, UK facility serving as the mothership. McMenon, which exports to over 60 countries, recently landed a contract win in China to supply wedgemeter and other flow instruments. Valued at nearly $1 million and beginning in 2021, it is not the company’s first China-based contract, yet it is the most significant. Not only is the primary client a Tier 1 multinational, but the end client is among Asia’s largest energy companies. Indeed, this success speaks volumes about the extensive efforts that went into ensuring McMenon, from its UK manufacturing facility, would be able to export competitively, securing the signature ahead of rival firms in Asia and Europe.

capability to engineer solutions. The order was won because we sat with the client to engineer the solution giving them the confidence that we were an extension of the client’s team. The wedge instrument assemblies will provide flow measurement in one of the most challenging operations in refining with operating temperatures greater than 500° C and in the presence of elements that are detrimental to flow instruments. Through these proactive endeavours and brilliant support of its team which mostly comprise of people who transferred as part of the acquisition process, McMenon Engineering Services has helped to secure its own future. And the export statistics speak volumes with export-led revenue driving 85-90% of sales each year.

And the export success has been across the pond too. McMenon engineered, manufactured and delivered Delayed Coker Wedge Flow instruments for a major energy client in the USA. This contract valued around $500,000 is a testament to McMenon’s

To this end, not only has the company succeeded in its ambitions for achieving export-led growth, it has equally demonstrated sound resilience during a period of extreme hardship – a solid base from which it can thrive in the future.

Story type

Key findings

#export (main category)

For industry

#resilience

● It is more challenging to win business in the UK than overseas

Benefits ● Contract awards exceeding US$1mn

Key products and services: manufacturer of flow and temperature measurement instrumentation Main industries served: • Energy – 80% • Water – 15% • Others –5%

For government ● Promote and help SME manufacturers

McMenon Engineering Services has received an Analysis for Innovators (A4I) grant for product development. The company has also benefited from R&D tax credits.

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McMenon Engineering Services is a premium manufacturer and global distributor of differential pressure (DP) flow meters and temperature measurement products as well as a trusted partner for complete contract engineering and manufacturing services. The company’s main sector is energy with increasing supply into other sectors including water, food and beverage, nuclear and renewables. McMenon’s Workington site has a 74-year track record of manufacturing industrial instrumentation. Starting out as a greenfield site owned by Fischer & Porter, the location was later transformed by ABB into a world-class facility for the design and manufacture of flow and temperature measurement products supplying products globally. The product manufacturing facility was acquired by McMenon Engineering Services in February 2018 from ABB.

McMenon Engineering Services at a glance:

Government support?

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About McMenon Engineering Services

Headquarters: Workington, UK Year established: 2017 Number of employees: 70 Revenue from exports: 90%

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Survive and Thrive V Success stories

NRL Group Delivering NDT Expertise to Nuclear New Build

How is NRL Group thriving? Thanks to its start-up mentality and continual strive for disrupting the norm, NRL Group has successfully diversified its nuclear non-destructive testing (NDT) away from reliance on radiography – a move which has secured significant project awards and, ultimately, helped to futureproof the business.

The challenge Nuclear represents a third of NRL Group’s business. The North Westbased firm has been a stalwart in providing specialist NDT, recruitment, workforce management, and rail contracting services since setting up in 1983, its 118-strong team deployed all around the UK and Ireland. At Sellafield nuclear facility, on the Cumbrian coast, NRL has been providing managed service radiography for many years as part of the site’s construction, reprocessing and decommissioning activities.

However, with UK nuclear new builds making their way back onto the agenda and the safety and disruption risks linked to radiography being closely scrutinised, equivalent and safer options are being used more extensively. With the sustainability of its longstanding nuclear capability potentailly under threat, NRL needed to show it is keeping ahead of the curve. Succeed here, and the prospect of participating in the UK’s first new nuclear project for decades (Hinkley Point C) could turn into a reality.

testing is seen as a potential viable alternative.

The solution

NRL was back in start-up mode. It had to prove its new Inspection Qualification and Technical Justification capabilities merited critical nuclear assessment in the most heavily regulated sector. And the diversification into the ultrasonics space is already paying dividends.

Aware of the requirement to broaden the scope of services, NRL’s leadership team began exploring other volumetric testing methods five years ago. At the start of the previous decade, radiography was the predominant volumetric testing method in the sector, but it is predicted to account for a much lower proportion of nuclear NDT activity in the future. The need for safer, less disruptive testing methods was clear, and phased array ultrasonic

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A formal strategy to establish Inspection Qualification and Technical Justification capability within the ultrasonics arena began in 2018. The first step involved sourcing and onboarding the expertise required, with NRL looking for specialists with previous civil nuclear experience. Thanks to its formidable network, the company found a match who was eventually recruited to develop this new offering for the market.

In early 2020, NRL Group secured a breakthrough contract at EDF’s Hinkley Point C that amounted to a significant 2-year project. This involves conducting the inspection qualification


Success Success stories stories

for ultrasonics inspection techniques, training procedures, and the scanners and associated equipment that will ultimately be applied on the HPC site to inspect the welds on the critical main steam pipeline. Like many large-scale projects, EDF have a desire to engage with the SME market throughout the supply chain. The agile approach of the new NDT offering from the NRL Group supported these SME goals. The contract is part of a raft of activities at NRL as it looks to build on this project, and scale its new nuclear NDT offering. The team is now five-strong and growing, while an investment of £500,000 has been made in a brand-new ultrasonic NDT facility at Portishead, Bristol.

But Hinkley Point C is not the only new project on the horizon for NRL’s nuclear business. The company has also taken on new clients since the breakthrough contract was signed – among them is a British multinational aerospace, defence and automotive manufacturer who is a principal stakeholder in the emerging SMR sector. NRL group is also looking further afield in what would be another diversification drive away from reliance on UK-based clients. Indeed, the wider NRL Group has already grown its export business from 1% of revenue to 10% in the space of 5 years, a trend it wants to continue pushing in the future. Given its success in deploying nuclear NDT services, the international nuclear market could be a lucrative avenue for the firm to explore in the coming years.

About NRL Group A technical services company with 38 years of experience, NRL Group’s vision is to be the most trusted, collaborative and innovative service provider in the technical sector. The company provides technical recruitment, workforce management solutions, rail maintenance, training and non-destructive testing (NDT) services in the UK and around the globe.

The ultrasonic story has reinforced some of the key mantras which has helped NRL to navigate its near 40year journey to date – chiefly, to be constantly on the move and looking for the next innovative breakthrough.

The NRL Group’s strategic focus is on several core sectors where they demonstrate a considerable pedigree. These sectors include nuclear, renewables, advanced facilities, built environment, infrastructure (including its Rail contracting division), conventional power, oil, gas and petrochemical and finally transmission and distribution.

Story type

Key findings

NRL Group at a glance:

#diversification

For industry

Benefits

• Avoid complacency. Challenge norms and strive to improve continuously.

Key products and services: recruitment, workforce management solutions, rail contracting and NDT services

Hinkley Point C represents the future of UK nuclear power. It will be the first nuclear power station to be commissioned in the UK since 1995 and promises to be a new-breed site built on state-of-the-art technologies and techniques. Once completed, it will deliver 3,260 MW of capacity.

• Significant Inspection Qualification contracts secured at HPC • Expanded client list • New facility with bespoke, fully automated phased array ultrasonics equipment • Larger team with new capabilities

For government • UK content rules would address the lack of competitiveness in the supply chain • COP26 should pave the way for a large pipeline of utility-scale projects rather than pilot developments

Government support? NRL Group has utilised the Apprenticeship Levy as well as R&D tax credits.

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Main industries served: • Nuclear – 33% • Renewables – 20% • Infrastructure – 20% • Oil and gas / petrochemicals – 10% • Rail – 10% Headquarters: Wigan, UK Year established: 1983 Number of employees: 118 Revenue: £155m (2020) Revenue from exports: 10%

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Survive and Thrive V Success stories

Online Electronics A story of streamlining to counter competition How is Online Electronics thriving? Having held sway in supplying solutions to pipeline pigging activities for the best part of two decades, Online Electronics faced something of a perfect storm with the 2014 oil sector crisis and entry of competition into its previously unchallenged market space. By streamlining its operations and focussing efforts on new markets and products, the company is now presenting a wider, more relevant and cost-effective offering to new and existing customers alike.

The challenge In the pipeline transportation world, pigging is something of a specialist art. Defined as the practice of using pipeline inspection gauges – devices generally referred to as pigs or scrapers – to perform various maintenance operations like cleaning and inspections, it is conducted without stopping the flow of the product in the pipeline. For more than 25 years, Aberdeenbased Online Electronics has been designing and manufacturing pipeline pig locating and detection equipment to enable such activities, chiefly pipeline testing, data logging and remote communication solutions. The company had cornered a niche and operated as a legacy business with little to no competition – it set the market rates and was the go-to for customers, reacting to their needs as and when they arose. This comfortable existence, unfortunately, was prone to two major occurances that could derail it, and both events arrived in the middle of the 2010s.

First, the emergence of competitors began to disrupt the market, in some cases offering similar products and services at costs 30-35% lower than Online Electronics’s going rate. Second, the oil market crisis triggered in 2014 drastically shrank the pool of customers and projects on offer. If Online Electronics was to emerge from this perfect storm intact, it had to streamline and offer higher volumes at lower prices to compete. Furthermore, new geographies and product categories had to be explored with greater vigour.

The solution A key turning point arrived at the end of 2015 when now-Managing Director Andy Marwood arrived as General Manager following the acquisition of Online Electronics by IK Group. Marwood is a self-proclaimed data enthusiast with LEAN manufacturing experience and OEM background, and immediately set about strategising how to optimise several facets of the business, including identifying pig signallers as a product with growth

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potential. The decision was made to lower prices and target new customers, even before enhancements had been made to claw back margins. This meant taking control of its own destiny and shifting focus directly to main contractors and end users as opposed to working for OEMs. It was a process that involved a substantial amount of pre-qualification work, but Marwood and the Online Electronics leadership knew this would be a worthwhile exercise. Another key stakeholder emerged in 2017 in the form of the Scottish Manufacturing Advisory Service (SMAS). The organisation works to help manufacturers plot a course to take advantage of new opportunities to increase productivity and boost competitiveness, and this is exactly what the ensuing years have involved at Online Electronics. The company moved to a larger facility with greater workshop and store space, leading to almost immediate efficiencies and a broader scope of in-house capabilities – it now stands as a one-stop shop beyond specialising in


Success Success stories stories

pig tracking and signalling devices, for example. New product versions to suit new markets are also being developed, such as signallers certified for the American market. The implementation of these changes has, naturally, required a marked shift in culture and ethos for the people within the organisation, and that transition had to be managed carefully. It took perseverance, with Marwood determined to entrench these positive new working behaviours. The results so far have been impressive. The involvement of SMAS has already been calculated to have delivered £1.27 million in improvements, with production times reduced from a typical eight to nine hours to just three hours, with material costs cut by 25%.

market by a factor of 10, with EPCs and operators turning to the company in greater numbers. In a few short years, Online Electronics has reinvented itself as a LEAN, agile competitor able to challenge at levels it previously would have seen as impossible. Overall revenues rose from a low point of £3.17 million seen in 2017 to £5.03 million in 2020, largely thanks to great success in this diversification shift. Indeed, revenue derived from pig signalling expanded from £606,000 in 2016 to £2.92 million in 2020.

About Online Electronics

Volumes have thus increased, and pig signalling has now taken over from legacy pig tracking as Online Electronics’ major money spinner. Meanwhile, the onshore market has superseded the traditional offshore

Online Electronics (OEL) was formed in 1996 and was acquired by the IK-Group in 2015. Its head office is based in Aberdeen, UK, supported by international offices in Dubai, Singapore and Houston. OEL’s range of products utilise a wide range of technologies to provide an

Story type

Key findings

#optimisation (main category)

For industry

#diversification, #export

• Do not believe what you are told – make your own judgement • Never give up • Elevator pitches don’t work

Benefits • Export revenues grew from £1.9m in 2016 to £3.8m in 2020 • Pig signalling business expanded from £606,000 in 2016 to £2.92 million in 2020

innovative and flexible approach to pig locating, monitoring and signalling including ATEX certified options through all of the stages of a pipeline. In addition, the company provides products and services to support clients from the energy industry with pipeline pre-commissioning activities including pressure & temperature data logging, smart gauging systems and automated pipeline discharge analysis. Online Electronics benefits from an in-house Research and Development team with an average of 17 years’ experience and a team of Field Technicians with an average of 16 years’ experience. This allows the company to have the capability to undertake custom projects incorporating custom designs and have the flexibility to modify and change equipment to suit client specific requirements.

Online Electronics at a glance:

For government • Clear direction is needed on climate change so that the supply chain can take better informed decisions on which technologies to specialise

Key products and services: Design and manufacture of pipeline pig locating and detection equipment Main industries served: • Oil and gas – 100% Headquarters: Aberdeen, UK Year established: 1996 Number of employees: 46 Revenue: £5m Revenue from exports: 77%

Government support? The company has benefitted from R&D tax credits, grants and DIT trade missions.

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Survive and Thrive V Success stories

Petrofac Meeting changing global energy needs

How is Petrofac thriving? Long-established in the design, build, management and maintenance of infrastructure for the oil and gas sector, Petrofac began translating it’s services in the offshore sector a decade ago. Building on its early mover advantage, the company has continued to channel tremendous resources and efforts into diversifying its offering to serve the energy transition. By embracing new expertise, upskilling its existing workforce and establishing a dedicated new energy services team, the company is making promising inroads in CCUS, hydrogen and waste to energy.

The challenge With more than 10,000 employees spread around the globe who help to generate $5.5 billion in annual turnover, Petrofac is understandly categorised as an industry heavyweight. For four decades the firm has provided

leading deisgn, building, management and maintenance services for clients’ infrastructure, most of them operating in the oil and gas sector with key markets including the UAE, UK, Algeria, Oman, India and Thailand. But the world is changing, and so too are attitudes towards fossil fuels. The energy transition is gathering momentum all around the world, and companies which rely too heavily on traditional energy markets risk being left behind. For Petrofac, the need to diversify was clear. Indeed, it has already built up a strong offshore wind portfolio.. The landmark 1,075MW Seagreen Offshore Wind Farm project located 27 kilometres off the coast of Angus in the North Sea firth (Scotland, UK), is one such example. A US$300 million contract secured in December 2019 involves the full EPC works for the HVDC and HVAC substations which will provide power to more than a million homes.

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Yet, while growing its European wind portfolio, company leadership realised potential in the sunrise industries. All of which require the same best practice engineering, project management and operations experience as the upstream, downstream and established renewables markets.

The solution The past year has seen a marked ramping up of activity aimed at utilising Petrofac’s abundant FEED capabilities and applying it to the new energy space. A new purpose was launched – to enable clients to meet the world’s evolving energy needs. John Pearson has been put in charge of maximising these transferable skills, taking on the role of Chief Operating Officer, for its New Energy Services division and establishing a brand-new dedicated team to uncover and exploit new opportunities. Starting in the early part of 2020, much of the initial work involved gathering


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data, examining the competition, engaging taskforces and testing ideas with external stakeholders. Alongside this knowledge gathering exercise was an internal upskilling effort, built on Petrofac’s centre of engineering excellence in Woking, UK. Here, the company has reassigned and recruited subject matter experts in new energy categories. Elsewhere, resources have been scaled up and repositioned in order to respond to new opportunities, with the business development team conducting the early client conversations which have helped generate FEED work on numerous projects which, if successfully concluded, could land Petrofac deeper involvement in these developments. One such project is the Acorn carbon capture and storage in Scotland, coordinated by Pale Blue Dot. In June 2020, Petrofac was selected to provide ongoing engineering and project management office support for the development. In March 2021, on announcement of Scotland’s Net Zero infrastructure (SNZI) programme,

Petrofac secured a contract to drive the offshore pipeline and subsea activities to develop the project. It is the perfect vindication of the company’s new approach and strategy, the firm hopeful of converting more front-end involvement into full cycle work in the near future. For example, in Australia it has been conducting the FEED work for Infinite Blue Energy’s green hydrogen project named Arrowsmith since summer 2020. Post-FEED involvement has already been secured by Petrofac’s Perth team, with UK engineering personnel to be assigned the project execution. Another project, this time in the waste to energy space, was also secured. Here, Petrofac has provided FEED input to a scheme which will recycle waste tyres and cooking oil into fuel at a former refinery site in London, UK. It promises to be the largest facility of its kind, with Petrofac once again securing post-FEED involvement.

from its traditional core oil and gas activities, Petrofac continues to secure its future by providing valuable input to new energy projects, its early commitment to these already paying dividends and building up its pipeline. And with the internal upskilling exercise gathering pace, early successes in these markets will only continue to multiply.

About Petrofac Petrofac is an international service provider to the energy industry. It has been supporting the industry for over three decades.

By leveraging its transferable expertise

It provides a range of operations, maintenance, engineering and training services to the oil and gas sector. It has been supporting the SNS area from its hub in Great Yarmouth for more than 10 years, providing manpower support services as well as O&M, Engineering, Duty Holder and, more recently, Service Operator services.

Story type

Key findings

Petrofac at a glance:

#energytransition (main category)

For industry

#diversification, #transformation

• Break out from the conventional way of operating – adopt an independent focus • Clients are different – keep this in mind when diversifying

Key products and services: The company designs, builds, manages and maintains infrastructure for the energy industries.

Benefits • US$300 million contract award associated with offshore wind

For government • Align with other nations and deliver a consistent approach to energy transition

Government support? In addition to the Apprenticeship Levy and R&D tax credits, the company has received export financing.

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Main industries served: • Upstream oil and gas • New and renewable energy• Refining and petrochemicals Headquarters: London, UK Year established: 1981 Number of employees: 10,400 Revenue: US$4bn Revenue from exports: 90%

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Survive and Thrive V Success stories

PetrolValves Group Embracing new experience and new expertise

How is PetrolValves thriving? In 2018 PetrolValves turned a corner. A new leadership team with fresh ideas embarked on a cultural journey which has seen the Italian manufacturer embrace new methods and bring a game-changing new product to market.

The challenge For many family businesses, it is hard to let go of tradition and embrace innovation shaking off old habits. In the town of Castellanza in Lombardy, Italy, PetrolValves has been operating

since 1956, building a formidable reputation and brand through its tried and tested technology over generations. The company is a manufacturer of valves and actuators for the oil and gas industry, engaging in the design, production and service of both its own and third party products. It has offices and customers all over the world, selling into all the major oil and gas markets. After TBG Holdings’ becoming a shareholder in 2016, PetrolValves embarked on an innovation drive in a bid to push the boundaries of technology and boost customer service. New plants have been built and pioneering technologies have

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been invested in, but more recent challenges have highlighted the need to go further. In response to the 2014-2016 oil price crash, customers are increasingly looking to cut their costs and focus on local supply chains. Meanwhile, the gathering momentum of energy transition programmes has created new needs in the form of technological innovation and sustainability.

The solution In 2018, a new leadership team was formed, headed by CEO Cristiano Tortelli and bolstered by a team of top-level managers with extensive


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experience in the oil and gas and energy industries but also bringing expertise from other cross sectors. First on the agenda – company culture and embracing a changing market environment. In order to drive any meaningful practical change, internal culture had to be realigned, and with this arrived a new ERP system, structure, processes, people and attitudes in regards to customer service, innovation, continuous improvement and collaboration. The message was clear – all employees can and should be motivated by creating value to customers. The new strategy and mindset also brought new ideas on product development, adding to the already formidable pool of industry-leading engineers, not least because they designed the first ever valves to be used in HPHT applications. PetrolValves quickly jumped on the opportunity to cross-pollinate ideas between existing engineers and new recruits from the rotating equipment industry. The status quo was challenged, with trailblazing machining capabilities invested in, and new ideas began to emerge.

on the idea that a valve could be effective without bolts, the project was quickly initiated with subsea and surface prototypes developed in almost total secrecy at the company’s Varese plant. In place of bolting is a compressor seal joint, a swap which reduces valve weight by 25%, cuts costs by 20% and reduces assembly time by 30%. PetrolValves was a sure-fire winner, although it was not all plain sailing from this point. Convincing customers so used to the industry standard model, especially given how visibly different the boltless BRAVA appears, required perseverance and multiple demonstrations. Meanwhile, design fine tuning was needed to ensure compliance with API 6D standards, an important step as this removed the ‘new design’ tag. The COVID-19 pandemic also led to testing delays, although the work did continue in secure conditions to alleviate any health and safety concerns.

solutions. This technology aims to drive new benefits without compromising valve performance. Suitable for upgrading existing assets as well as making for sound CAPEX investment, BRAVA can save up to US$1m up front on a typical API 6D ball valve spend for one FPSO or platform. Further cost efficiencies can also be made, as associated pipework and lifting will also cost less due to BRAVA’s properties. The important progress made by simplifying the design, makes the valve installation and maintenance faster and easier, minimising the execution risks. As a result, the finished product ticks three key boxes: high valve reliability and service; lower lifecycle cost of ownership; and a more sustainable solution.

The most significant is BRAVA. Based

The valve functionality stays the same, as well as material selection or sealing

By producing cost-effective, sustainable alternatives to previously unchallenged industry-standard products, PetrolValves is helping to not only secure its own future, but also ensure oil and gas operations continue to deliver value and work more sustainably.

Story type

Key findings

PetrolValves at a glance:

#technology (main category)

For industry

#innovation, #energytransition

• Dedicate to solving real problems, providing tangible industry benefits

Key products and services: flow control solutions

Benefits • 20% cost reduction for client (approximately US$1m for a typical FPSO project)

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Fast-forward to July 2020, and BRAVA has been launched and is being marketed as a cost-effective, lowerweight and sustainable alternative to traditional API 6D ball valves.

Government support? In Italy, PetrolValves has benefitted from initiatives such as apprenticeship levy, export financing, R&D credits as well as government grants.

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Main industries served: • Oil and gas – 80% • Conventional power – 20% Headquarters: Castellanza, Italy Year established: 1956 Number of employees: 600 Revenue: €200m Revenue from exports: 97%

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Survive and Thrive V Success stories

Proserv Repositioning to add greater value to clients

How is Proserv thriving? Taking stock of its challenges and pain points, Proserv has successfully positioned itself as a leading contractor in Abu Dhabi, collaborating with local partners to offer full-scope topside life extension and asset optimisation solutions that put the requirements of its clients above all else.

The challenge The overall dynamic in the oil and gas market has changed in recent decades. Between downturns in the 1990s through to more recent price crashes such as in 2014 and 2020, the mindsets of many industry players had gradually moved from one of buoyancy to caution. For Proserv, a company then supporting oil and gas companies with drilling, production and decommissioning through the use of

its market-leading control technologies, this shift was quickly becoming one sharp side of a double-edged sword. Typically operating as a supplier to engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractors, the company also faced the challenge of increasing market saturation. Quality had become secondary to cost, while the supply of possible solutions had outgrown demand as more and more companies competed for contracts. Add in the stop-start nature of projects which exacerbated issues around supply chain, planning, and cashflow to this challenging cocktail, and Proserv took the decision to go back to the drawing board.

The solution The decision was taken in 2014, with Proserv employing a team to see how

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it could approach the market in a new way. Extensive resource was dedicated to lobbying and listening to national oil companies (NOCs) in order to identify their issues, targets and where Proserv might be able to add value. It was an intense yet fruitful learning experience. Proserv realised it could position itself as a holistic partner – one that would work to supply appropriate solutions to meet the end client’s needs, at their convenience, for both the present and the future. Through this collaborative approach came more comprehensive dialogue with a major regional operator. While Proserv Controls (one of the company’s two primary divisions) had already been providing services to this client for control and instrumentation upgrades, the plan was to expand this scope to deliver a full turnkey package


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based on the customer’s specific requirements. In 2019, Proserv was mandated to provide the full topside hook up of this leading Middle Eastern producer’s new wells. Instead of scrapping and replacing its 45-year-old systems – a process that would have cost hundreds of millions of dollars – the operator opted to employ Proserv to upgrade and extend their life instead. This was significant. While Proserv had traditionally worked as a partner in assisting EPCs, here it became the EPC itself and began working with its own partner companies which could support the requirements of the contract. These partners were selected based on their in-country value (ICV) score, with Proserv having made a clear and firm commitment to support the local supply chain in the UAE.

mechanical hook up from the bulkhead to the Christmas tree, and the second delivered the necessary electrical works. The results? While 14 days of downtime had initially been anticipated, Proserv and its valued partners were able to complete the works with just one hour of downtime, resulting in drastic cost savings for the client. For Proserv, the benefits have been equally monumental. Its service contracts have increased significantly. Ultimately leading to a 40% rise in revenue for Proserv Controls Abu Dhabi in 2020.

incredibly bright for Proserv moving forwards.

About Proserv Proserv is a controls technology company incorporating two divisions: Proserv Controls, which encompasses innovative subsea controls solutions, alongside topside, IWOCS, sampling, measurement and offshore wind diagnostics offerings, right across the energy sector; and Gilmore, a Proserv Company, known for its globally renowned control valves.

It was this collaboration that was the key to unlocking success for all project stakeholders.

Proserv was resultantly able to open a new flagship facility in Abu Dhabi and invest a seven-figure sum into state-of-the-art equipment that would support its newly expanded capabilities. Its headcount on the ground there has also grown, up from 43 at the beginning of 2020 to over 100 today, despite the headwinds of the pandemic.

Leveraging its internal expertise, Proserv initially delivered on the controls upgrades and flowlines to the bulkhead, before acting as the architect on the full topside scope. Meanwhile, its first selected partner performed the

Indeed, with greater presence in Abu Dhabi, a growing relationship with this major local client, and proven capabilities in taking on more significant projects and leveraging local supply chains for support, 2021 looks

Proserv has an extensive brand heritage spanning nearly 60 years. Headquartered in Aberdeen, the company has a global footprint with offices in 14 locations across the US, Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

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Key findings

Proserv at a glance:

#collaboration (main category) #serviceandsolutions (main category)

For industry

Key products and services: subsea and topside controls; field and design services; measurement; IWOCS; sampling and offshore wind diagnostics

#culture, #resilience, #scaleup

Benefits • 40% revenue increase for Proserv’s Abu Dhabi operation between 20192020 • OPEX savings of approximately US$4.5m in Abu Dhabi

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• Listen to your clients and work with them • Patience is key – success does not happen overnight

Government support? The company has not received any type of government support.

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Proserv’s technology and industry experience improve reliability, maximise production and enhance asset integrity. By combining technical ingenuity with design, engineering, manufacturing and field service expertise, Proserv creates state-of-the-art solutions that can be applied to standardised systems.

Main industries served: • Oil and gas – 85% • Renewables – 15% Headquarters: Aberdeen, UK Year established: 1963 Number of employees: 800 Revenue: Well over US$100m Revenue from exports: 80%

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Survive and Thrive V Success stories

Quanta Remaining resolute in times of crisis

How is Quanta thriving? Having transitioned to a full EPC services provider in 2016, Quanta felt the full force of COVID-19 and its resultant shutdown in oil and gas activity. However, thanks to an agile can-do culture and determination to stick to its five-year Balanced Roadmap, the company is starting to harvest the benefits of its newly streamlined processes and diversified offering.

The challenge Quanta had, for the best part of 30 years, operated as a highly specialised engineering deisgn house serving the upstream oil and gas market. Based in Newcastle and Aberdeen and headed up by CEO Nick Oates, the company took the opportunity in 2016 to broaden its horizons and move into full EPC services – aimed at agile and lean Tier 2 clients. The move, it seemed, was paying off with

oil and gas prices recovering and the sector still harbouring a critical role in the UK energy mix despite loudening conversations around green industrial strategies and energy transitions. When 2020 and the coronavirus pandemic arrived, the situation changed markedly. Revenue growth forecasts quickly changed from +1015% to a reduction of 20-25% due to the economic standstill caused by varous shutdowns of activity, and the inevitable oil price plunge. Oates and the company reached an important juncture – how would they respond to the COVID-19 crises and what would this mean for its recentlyformulated five-year plan?

The solution Thankfully, Quanta was already well-positioned to deal with the practical disruptions brought about by the pandemic. Home working was adopted relatively seamlessly,

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with employees already tuned into a culture that embraced change because of its niche in working for Tier 2 clients, who themselves operate agile, fast-moving business models. The opportunity was also taken to invest in new in-house digital systems, with the firm achieving ISO14001 accreditation alongside its carbon footprint reduction. Critically, despite the revenue slump, Quanta maintained a strong cash positive position and strong Balance Sheet throughout the course of 2020. But this is to tell only half of the story. Oates was determined to implement his Balanced Roadmap and use it as a means to navigate out of the pandemic challenge and into a brighter longterm future. He realised the strategy had to be suited to a small business and not be bogged down in corporate processes and bureaucratic layers – the SME-style can-do dynamism had to remain.


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The resultant strategy therefore focused on four core areas. First, and perhaps most significantly, the company expanded its remit beyond EPC to also cover asset management and advanced consulting services. Alongside this, Quanta moved away from near total reliance on oil and gas upstream work to target the midstream and downstream segments. Thirdly, Oates initiated a restructure in order to optimise sales and engineering processes within the company – newly appointed directors assumed fresh responsibilities and brought with them valuable skills and focus. Steven Brett was appointed Commercial Director and has helped transform sales processes and identify more opportunities to drive growth. Louise Amerigo took up the position of Engineering Director, responsible for streamlining EPC delivery via a faster, leaner process underpinned by empowered decision making at team level.

pegged back by COVID-19, it was to be used to navigate through the crisis and assess the impact the pandemic has had on the business. Indeed, the early signs are extremely promising. As well as securing two new major midstream contracts at the start of 2021, Quanta has also been taking on more asset management and advanced consulting services work, and has experienced a significant increase in the number of inquiries being received by prospective customers. Indeed, the start of 2021 has seen more inquiries into Quanta services than the preceding two and a half years. These inquiries are now easily analysed via an upgraded dashboard series which has shed a light on other successes – bid ratios have improved, while the value of inquiries has increased alongside the larger volumes.

have been laid for a significant scale-up in the years ahead.

About Quanta Quanta delivers end-to-end engineering, procurement and construction services to the energy industry, covering the full life cycle of clients’ assets from concept to decommissioning. The company’s capabilities include brownfield modifications, flowlines and tiebacks, life extension and decommissioning and underground gas storage, among other areas.

Finally, the plan was made irreversible. Rather than get bogged down or even

It is thanks to its agile and adaptable culture, and determination to execute its Balanced Roadmap undeterred by the COVID-19 pandemic, that Quanta looks set to thrive – the foundations

Quanta traces its origins from 1988, when it was known as Techmac Barton. The company was acquired by Fabricom in 1999, which was then acquired by GDF Suez (currently Engie). After a time operating as Fabricom Offshore Services, the company was rebranded as Quanta following a management buyout in 2018.

Story type

Key findings

Government support?

#innovation (main category)

For industry

#diversification, #optimisation, #resilience

• Turn your risks into opportunities. Business is about risk, and how you manage and respond to it. • Build the best team around you

Quanta has benefitted from the apprenticeship levy.

Benefits • Two major midstream contract awards • Additional asset management and advanced consulting services work

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For government • The supply chain needs a realistic and pragmatic approach to energy transition, with a roadmap that is smart and achievable.

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Quanta at a glance: Key products and services: engineering, procurement and construction services Main industries served: • Oil and gas – 100% Headquarters: Cramlington, UK Year established: 1988 (as Techmac Barton) Number of employees: 100 Revenue: £15m (2018) Revenue from exports: 5%

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Survive and Thrive V Success stories

Re-Gen Robotics A safety-first approach to tank cleaning

How is Re-Gen Robotics thriving? After witnessing first-hand the dangers involved in cleaning industrial tanks with confined space crews, Fintan Duffy decided to do something about it. His new company Re-Gen Robotics has developed a one-stop robotic tank cleaning solution, a system which is rapidly winning over clients and building a track record which soon nobody will be able to ignore.

The challenge Robots have, undeniably, had a profound impact on the way we work. From the laboratory to factory floor and many workplaces in between, these automated machine assistants have cut the time spent on manual, repetitive tasks and reshaped the makeup of the labour force.

New use cases are being discovered all the time, especially where robotics can enhance the health and safety of industrial activities. For Fintan Duffy, working in engineering and construction settings running confined space crews had exposed many industrial accidents waiting to happen. Cleaning chemical tanks, for example, involved personnel relying on controls and personal protective equipment to keep them safe, and were always at risk of human error leading to accidents. With 200 people in Europe losing their life in these sorts of confined spaces every year, there had to be a better way, and so Duffy took the plunge and decided to set up Re-Gen Robotics.

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The solution Duffy had started looking into the concept of a robotic tank cleaning solution some 10 years ago, but was unable to find anything capable of ‘zone 0’ – explosion proof and intrinsically safe inside a fuel tank. He explored the idea again five years later, identifying manufacturers in Slovakia and Italy who between them had the potential to develop a suitable solution – indeed, Duffy was determined to prove it could be done having been told numerous times that his ambitions were impossible to achieve. A year-long R&D process with Italian partner Gerotto kicked off in February 2018. Gerotto had the setup needed to design key robotic system elements such as the chassis and jetting compliant with zone 0 conditions.


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With a 100% zero-man entry system developed, it was down to Re-Gen and Gerotto to find and work with key suppliers to produce the components required to build the tank-cleaning robots – Volvo is responsible for the ADR-specification chassis, Valley Tankers UK supplies water and vacuums, and Fassi Cranes Italy provides equipment for lift and install. There were bumps along the way, not least in getting the system operational and road legal, a stumbling block which prompted many changes to be made to the initial design. The challenge, however, was met. Re-Gen, with its completed system, is now its exclusive user and is taking the solution to market, armed with formidable numbers to put in front of prospective clients.

robot. In manhours terms, it has cut the requirement from 280 manhours of confined space man entry to zero hours, carrying with it an enormous safety benefit. This has proven particularly attractive to clients during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has enforced numerous additional safety measures to be taken by organisations undertaking industrial activities. Social distancing rules make it difficult for a team of eight to operate in harmony, making the option of using a two-person and robot team much more viable. Further still, the reduced time taken also cuts the amount of water used as well as emissions.

Its robotic system on average completes a job 40-80% faster than a manned crew. For example, a white oil tank which would ordinarily take eight days to clean with an eight-person team can now be cleaned in 2.5 days with just two people operating the

Re-Gen is currently fulfilling its largest contract to date for Philipps 66 at the Humber Refinery on the northeast coast of England. The £1.1 million project involves cleaning three heavy duty oil tanks, each with 50-metre diameters and containing 300-500 tonnes of sludge that requires removal. A landmark contract win, the work will help Re-Gen towards a forecasted revenue of £2 million for 2021, building on the £1.1 million made last year.

Story type

Key findings

#innovation (main category)

For industry

#collaboration, #serviceandsolutions, #technology

• Do not bring innovation in search of a problem. Bring a problem and use innovation to solve it • All solutions need to provide value for money at the end of the day

Benefits • £1.1m contract award • Improved safety • Reduced carbon footprint and water usage

And the future looks even brighter if the intentions of multinational giants are anything to go by. Shell has committed to end manned tank cleaning across its operations by the end of 2022, with other majors looking at 2025. Duffy’s instinct, it appears, has been proven correct.

About Re-Gen Robotics Re-Gen Robotics is the first and only Zone 0 EX certified, remote controlled, ‘No Man Entry’ robotic tank cleaning company, in the UK and Ireland. The company places a high premium on workplace safety and with bespoke, state of the art equipment, workers are not exposed to the dangers posed by operations carried out in hazardous confined space environments, including refineries, pharmaceutical plants, industrial and agricultural sectors.

Re-Gen Robotics at a glance:

For government • A better EU agreement is necessary to remove barriers for SMEs wanting to export services

Key products and services: robotic tank cleaning solutions Main industries served: • Oil and gas – 100% Headquarters: Newry, UK Year established: 2019 Number of employees: 11 Revenue: £1m Revenue from exports: 10%

Government support? Re-Gen Robotics has received R&D tax credits.

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Survive and Thrive V Success stories

Rotork Energised by ESG How is Rotork thriving? Faced with a cohort of clients rapidly turning attentions towards energy transition projects under growing ESG-related pressures, Rotork has methodically adapted in order to thrive. By identifying the potential in repackaging its existing products for deployment in new sustainable markets, the firm has successfully installed thousands of its electric actuators and instruments across hydrogen, CCUS and methane emission reduction projects.

The challenge Arguably no word has been more influential in the past decade than sustainability. These six syllables have risen to the top of the agenda in corporate, governmental and social spheres as company and consumer awareness of the long term impact of certain actions and choices continues to grow. Enter environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) – the key criteria used to measure the size and shape of footprints being left by organisations on the world around them. In the energy industry, ESG has become a defining standard. Shareholders and investors today demand ethical operations, a reality that leading missioncritical flow control and instrumentation solutions provider Rotork has become to witness firsthand. An enteprise that continues to innovate in response to the roadmaps and challenges of its clients, Rotork has seen ESG rise to the fore and become a central pillar of many of its customers’ strategies. In this face of this changing dynamic

and in order to support the ambitions of its clients, Rotork has had to follow suit and adapt its own offering, repurposing its technologies for a growing swathe of energy transition projects. Indeed, failure to do so would almost certainly result in declining revenues.

Through its unwavering curiosity and extensive evaluation, the firm identified a set of key focus areas upon which its energy transition strategy could be built: hydrogen, carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) and methane emission reduction.

The solution

In these three segments its existing product portfolio could make immediate contributions – its electric actuators, for example, could improve methane-emitting skid conversion processes versus pneumatic or hydraulic alternatives.

To better understand this shift in sentiment and the resultant changes in the market, Rotork commissioned a study on energy transition last year, the core purpose of which was to discover how energy transition may impact the firm moving forwards. Starting from this base, the firm initially needed to answer some key questions. What would be the long-term implications? Where did the company need to consider adapting? Were there areas in which Rotork could expand its offering in order to participate? And others where its existing portfolio might be well placed to offer an immediate contribution?

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The key challenge was delivering this shift in a balanced manner. While many of the company’s clients were looking towards energy transition projects, many were small scale, pilot operations that provided limited revenue opportunities. A methodical approach was therefore taken among internal departments to prevent distraction from core operations. A handful of sales staff and a small portion of the marketing team were tasked with identifying


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pilot projects either under technology assessment or pursuing the conversion of existing methane-emitting assets. Meanwhile, an initial value proposition focusing on the pre-FEED and FEED stages was developed. Indeed, the firm has succeeded in securing a number of new contracts as a result. Many of its electric actuators are now being used in hydrogen, CCUS and methane emission reduction applications, the company having replaced thousands of choke valve actuators with innovative, solar-powered alternatives.

actuators which are mounted on globe valves and regulate the pressure and level of the water that is at the heart of the process. In order for the process to be completed successfully, very precise control is needed. Here, its CVL-500 actuators have paid dividends. Not only were they chosen for their high movement frequency and their quick reactivity, but the fail-safe functionality of the actuators is equally important in preventing potential disaster on loss of power. Additionally, their ATEX IIC certification was a further requirement – essential in an environment where hydrogen is present. The robust design of CVL actuators also ensures that they will have a long lifetime in this application, helping to mitigate the cost by reducing the need for replacements.

Combine these efforts with a potential decline in COVID as vaccination programmes gather momentum, and the future for Rotork looks increasingly bright.

About Rotork

Rotork has equipped each of its electrolysis skids with multiple electric

Indeed, this is just one example of many that stand the company in good stead to accelerate its diversification and energy transition efforts moving forward. For 2021, further innovation is already underway, the company looking to digitalise its water applications, grow its position in the chemicals market, and expand presence in high growth emerging markets.

Rotork is a market-leading global provider of mission-critical flow control and instrumentation solutions for the industrial actuation and flow control markets. These include oil and gas, water and wastewater, power, chemical process and industrial applications. The company operates across three different divisions: Oil & Gas, Water & Power, and Chemical, Process & Industrial (CPI). Rotork’s headquarters are located in Bath, England, and the company is present in 39 countries across Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas. Rotork has won the “2009 Flow Control Innovation Award”, as well as the “2006 Innovation and Design Excellence Award”, “Britain’s Most Admired Companies Award” and others.

Story type

Key findings

Rotork at a glance:

#energytransition (main category)

For industry

#diversification

• Drive culture of focusing on the customer’s requirements • Do not be afraid to experiment

Key products and services: Leader in mission critical flow control applications

Indeed, its major contract win with AREVA H2Gen is a prime example. AREVA H2Gen has a unique method of producing carbon-free hydrogen through water electrolysis, which involves the use of proton exchange membrane (PEM) technology. It is the first French manufacturer to make hydrogen generators using this method.

Benefits • Contract win rates increased • Larger installed fleet of electric actuators powered by clean energy

For government • Governments must consider energy equality when proposing and committing to energy transition goals

Government support? The company has benefitted from the Apprenticeship Levy as well as R&D tax credits.

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Main industries served: • Oil and gas – 48% • Chemical, process and industrial – 26% • Water – 17% • Conventional power –7% • Renewables – 2% Headquarters: Bath, UK Year established: 1957 Number of employees: 3,400 Revenue: £605m Revenue from exports: 90%

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