Global solutions provider Scana Industrier

GLOBAL SOLUTIONS PROVIDER

The Scandinavian company Scana Industrier ASA produces steel forgings and castings, gears and propulsion systems for ships, and components for the oil and gas industry. Combining long experience and the latest technology, Scana is active throughout the world.

The oldest company within Scana, Scana Steel Boforge, was founded in Sweden over 350 years ago. This company learned to adapt, and its core business today is producing arms for forklift trucks. Overall, Scana is a collection of many different companies operating in three main business areas: steel, marine and oil and gas.

The group is more than the sum of its parts and the different entities within it can support each other. For example, Scana Steel Stavanger produces special steel and high alloy steel for use in marine and oil and gas applications. Meanwhile, within the oil and gas business area, Scana Subsea, which supplies risers to the oil and gas industry, can draw on the technical capabilities of Scana’s various steel companies.

The headquarters of the group are in Stavanger, a city with a strong tradition of shipbuilding that has become the home port for Norway’s offshore oil and gas industry. The group’s marine and oil and gas business areas complement each other well and sometimes overlap. For example, within the oil and gas area, Scana Offshore Vestby assembles and installs unloading systems for FPSOs (floating production, storage and offloading vessels). Likewise, within the marine business area, Scana Skarpenord’s hydraulic valve control systems have been installed in oil rigs as well as in ships.

Scana may be a Nordic company, but its vision is global. With almost 1800 employees, the group is a major exporter to the Far East and Latin America. Beyond Scandinavia, it has production facilities in Poland, China and Korea.

Strong in marine

Scana’s marine business specialises in equipment for the shipbuilding industry. The business area supplies two kinds of products: propulsion technology, including propellers, gears and tunnel thrusters; and valve control systems. Scana Volda, located in western Norway, has been making propellers for fishing vessels for nearly a century, supporting the country’s important fishing industry. The company develops controllable pitch

propellers adapted to the requirements of the customer. Using data from model tests of the vessel, it can tailor the design of the propeller blades to the type of work for which the ship is intended. With its extensive knowledge of cargo ships and offshore vessels, Scana Volda builds propellers that deliver optimal fuel efficiency and ensure that the lowest possible level of noise and vibration.

Scana also manufactures propellers and gears in Poland, where it has a subsidiary, Scana Zamech. Located in Elblag, Scana Zemech has a maritime tradition going back to the 19th century and was acquired by the group in 2009.

Valve control systems

In the other part of the marine business area, Scana Skarpenord is a world-class supplier of valve remote control systems for the shipping industry. The main demand for Scana Skarpenord’s hydraulic valve systems comes from builders of larger ships such as cargo ships and tankers. Valve control systems are used to handle liquid and dry cargo, and so are needed in oil and chemical tankers. Scana Skarpenord produces valve control systems to suit the customer’s specifications. The valve control systems can be operated from the ship’s main automation system or from a computerised touch screen panel.

Hydraulic control systems fulfil a vital function on cargo ships, and in Scana’s view, the technology is likely to remain relevant for a long time to come. Scana Skarpenord has already delivered more than 2000 of these systems to customers, and the factory at Rjukan provides a high level of after-sales service. For the past 30 years or so, Scana Skarpenord has kept careful records of the installations it has carried out, and is therefore well prepared to assist with future upgrades.

Breaking new ground

Much of the world’s shipbuilding industry is now located in Asia. Indeed, China and Korea are Scana Skarpenord’s main markets. In

China, Scana Skarpenord has an office in Shanghai, while in South Korea, the group supplies valve control systems to the local shipbuilding industry through its joint venture, Scana Korea Hydraulic Ltd. Established in 1998, Scana Korea has managed to obtain a 25 per cent share of the Korean market for remote valve control systems. Scana Skarpenord makes the key components for Scana Korea back in Norway. The responsibilities of Scana Korea, which employs around 50 people, relate to engineering, assembly and testing. Scana Korea’s clients include the big names in the Korean shipbuilding industry, such as Hyundai, Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME) and Samsung. n