Inside Energy August 2024

EIC Inside

Sector analysis Petrobras’ impact on Brazil’s supply chain

Brazil is one of the top 10 oil and gas producers in the world, being number one in South America, and by far the biggest market for FPSO (floating, production, storage and offloading) platforms because of the amount of deep and ultra-deepwater oil reserves. Most of those FPSOs are either operated or chartered by the national operator Petrobras, which announced in its latest Strategic Plan the implementation of 11 more FPSOs and the decommissioning of 23 platforms, 14 floating and 9 fixed, by the end 2028.

All those projects will require that the supply chain is ready to deliver goods and services, with Petrobras being seen as having a pivotal role in the strengthening of local manufacturers and shipyards, as it was during the 2000s. But the industry saw itself heavily affected by the anticorruption Operation Carwash, which froze Petrobras’ orders making several shipyards switch operations to maintenance and repair, with most of them reliant on the oil and gas giant going into judicial reorganisation with employment falling from 90,000 to the current 22,000.

A minimum threshold of local content in the oil and gas industry is required by law since 1997, when the concession regime was established, with percentages set by the government. With the re-election of Brazil’s President Lula to his third term, discussions about the increase of the historically controversial local content came back.

In December 2023, the Ministry of Mines and Energy, through the National Council for Energy Policy (CNPE, in Portuguese), increased local content on future offshore licensing bids from 18% in exploration and 25% in production to the current 30%, maintaining the onshore quota at 50%. Values have not changed since former President Temer’s administration in 2017, when they were decreased from the former 70% and 77% in onshore and 37% and 65% offshore exploration and production (E&P) set in 2007. In June 2024, during the discussion of a bill focused on the carbon impact of the automobile industry, known as the Green Mobility Program Bill, an attempt was made to enforce local content quotas through an amendment, but it ended up scrapped in its final draft after criticism from both the industry and the government, the latter seen as a loss of political influence.

Oil and gas associations point out that the local supply chain does not have the capacity to deliver all the equipment and services required, therefore the political increase in quotas would not increase capacity. Another point is the competition with overseas suppliers, mainly in Asia, that have lower costs of manufacturing and higher delivery speed. The industry defends changes in the way that local content is enforced, rewarding the ones who do it more instead of fining if the minimum set is not reached.

This difficulty regarding the supply chain can be seen in Petrobras’ chartering of FPSOs SEAP 1 and 2 to the Sergipe Basin, with local content in the contract going from the original 40% and 30% to 31% and 18.1% respectively.

Consequently, Petrobras repositioned itself as being responsible for the growth of the local supply chain with everything that will be needed for the upcoming projects, from construction to operation and maintenance. The company is contracting 38 offshore support vessels – 12 PSVs (platform supply vessel), 10 OSRVs (oil spill response vessel) and 16 RSVs (ROV support vessel), with the goal of contracting up to 200 by the end of the decade, a current investment of US$2.5bn and local content estimated to account for 40% to 70% of those vessels.

To further support shipyards, during the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) in Houston Petrobras reunited national and foreign shipyards to encourage partnerships and increase its portfolio. Moreover, the Ministry of Ports and Airports through the National Navy Fund has approved the investment of US$634.8m to projects of construction, modernisation and repair of ships. All the movement made is set to employ over 100,000 people directly and 500,000 indirectly.

Using EIC’s supply chain database, EICSupplyMap, out of the 1,250 companies mapped supplying goods and services to the energy industry, 63% are providing to offshore oil and gas throughout all the project steps, having a stronger presence in ancillary equipment (valves, pumps, etc) and general equipment inspection services. Brazil’s supply chain has a deficiency in delivery capacity, needing consistency and predictability in demand for suppliers to increase their production, as recently seen with the projects announced by Petrobras. Former Petrobras president, Jean Paul Prates, has stated that the company is ready to pay more for locally manufactured equipment, a strategy that has not changed with current president Magda Chambriard. The government also needs incentives, through either lines of credit or tax breaks.

The importance of Brazil’s oil and gas supply chain does not impact only national projects, but the Latin American market as a whole – Petrobras with an offshore E&P project in Colombia and the growing demands of Guyana and Suriname, making Brazil not only an important player in production, but also as a procurement hub for the region, highlighting opportunities for local manufacturers. Without the previously mentioned incentives, the country’s deindustrialisation would make future projects in new sources of energy, such as low-carbon hydrogen and offshore wind, more reliant on the international market and its fluctuations, both economic and political.

Kevin Pedrosa, Supply Chain Analyst kevin.pedrosa@the-eic.com

Inside this issue...

The eighth edition of the EIC Survive & Thrive Insight Report is now available. The report highlights the ongoing challenges faced by the global energy supply chain amidst geopolitical and policy uncertainties. For the eighth consecutive year, Survive & Thrive notes that the development of new exports to international regions remains the least used growth strategy, with only 7% of companies venturing into new markets. High costs and insufficient government support, such as lack of financial assistance and unfavourable tax environments, are major deterrents.

Meanwhile, developing client-facing services and solutions has emerged as the most popular growth strategy this year, with 82% of supply chain companies now working directly with operators, increasingly sidestepping the traditional model of contracting via tier 1 EPC contractors.

To read the full report, as well as previous editions, please visit www.the-eic.com/MediaCentre/Publications/SurviveandThrive

With the publication of Survive & Thrive VIII, we’re gearing up for another series of special events: this year’s EIC Awards. Participating companies in the report are nominated for different categories in our awards programme, founded in 2005.

This will be the third year that the awards are going global, spanning across our five offices worldwide, after gathering nearly 700 industry peers in London, Dubai, Kuala Lumpur, Houston and Rio de Janeiro in 2023.

If you’re interested in attending or want to know more about the EIC Awards, visit www.the-eic.com/Events/EICAwards2024

In this edition of Inside Energy, readers can find pieces on Petrobras’ involvement with the Brazilian supply chain, Gateway Group’s 10 years in Abu Dhabi, newly announced features of Siemens’ Catapult Formal Asset and much more.

EIC CEO

Stuart Broadley with the latest edition

& Thrive VIII

DataStream

BRAZIL

Paraná Basin CCS Project

Operator: Manaca CCS Value: US$100m

Manacá CCS, the first company created for geological sequestration in Brazil, has announced plans to develop a carbon capture facility with capacity to capture up to 2m tonnes of CO 2 per year in the Paraná Basin, São Paulo.

For information on these and more than 15,000 other current and future projects we are tracking please visit EICDataStream

IRAQ

Ratawi Field Development

Operator: Total Energies Value: US$2.8bn

Total Energies has awarded Wood a FEED contract for a period of three years for the first phase of the Associated Gas Upstream Project, part of the Gas Growth Integrated Project (GGIP) in Southern Iraq.

Global opportunities

CANADA

Exploits Valley Hydrogen and Ammonia Project

Operator: Abraxas Power Value: US$4bn

McDermott has been awarded an ECI agreement by Abraxas Power for the Exploits Valley Renewable Energy Corporation (EVREC) project. McDermott will provide FEED and EPC execution planning services.

GERMANY

Holborn Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil Complex

Operator: HOLBORN Europa Raffinerie GmbH Value: US$400m

KT – Kinetics Technology has been awarded an EPC contract for the construction of a new complex for the production of renewable diesel (HVO) and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in Hamburg.

TAIWAN

Offshore Wind Farm Taichung Fengmiao

Operator: Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners Value: US$3.6bn

SK Oceanplant has secured a KRW390bn (€260m) contract to supply jacket foundations for the wind farm.

TUNISIA

Tunisia to Italy Interconnector

Operator: Elmed Études Sàrl Value: US$934m

EBRD announced that it will provide a US$48.3m financing package to STEG to support the construction of a 600MW High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) submarine power cable that will connect the electricity transmission grids of Tunisia and Italy on the Tunisian side.

THE VOICE OF THE ENERGY SUPPLY CHAIN

DataStream

Are you up to date on the latest project developments in the energy market? The EIC’s leading market intelligence database – EICDataStream – contains information on energy projects and associated contracting activity from the inception stage all the way through to construction and commissioning.

• Access details on over 14,000 CAPEX projects across all energy sectors

• Identify business opportunities and inform your business development strategies

• Explore a truly global database, updated daily by an international team of analysts

• Stay up to date with project developments, including information on tenders and awards

• Get insights into what your existing clients are doing and identify potential new clients

• Have a direct interface with analysts for local knowledge and insights

• Access insight and country reports with in-depth data on specific sectors and markets

SupplyMap

EICSupplyMap maps the capabilities of supply chain companies that operate in the wider energy industry. These industries cover renewables, upstream, midstream, downstream, power, nuclear, energy storage and the potential and proven capabilities in carbon capture and hydrogen. After successfully mapping the UK market, EICSupplyMap now covers Germany, Saudi Arabia, Singapore and the US (Louisiana).

• Identify the supply chain local to your region, giving you the opportunity to engage with potential new clients.

• Find the supply chain capability in five regions, now covering the UK, UAE, Malaysia, Texas/US and Brazil.

• An in-depth look at profiles of more than 6,000 energy sector supply chain companies.

• Make smarter decisions by targeting your offering to international developers/operators and contractors matching your capability with international energy projects.

RIO DE JANEIRO

KUALA LUMPUR

Member’s news

Gateway Group celebrates 10 years of business setup success in Abu Dhabi

Gateway Group, a leading business setup consultancy in Abu Dhabi, proudly announces its 10-year anniversary.

Over the past decade, Gateway Group has distinguished itself as a premier partner for companies looking to establish their presence in the UAE, thanks to its unparalleled on-the-ground experience and expertise.

Founded by Jenny Hunt, Gateway Group has navigated the complexities of the ever-evolving business regulations on the UAE mainland and in it’s free zones. Jenny’s firsthand experience in overcoming challenges faced by companies setting up in the UAE laid the foundation for Gateway Group’s success.

To mark this significant milestone, Gateway Group recently hosted a reception for its clients, employees and key business partners in the company’s journey. The event celebrated the milestone and expressed gratitude to everyone involved, including some guests who were present at the original launch party in 2014.

One of Gateway Group’s greatest achievements is its exceptional employee retention. The company has never lost a member of staff, providing consistency and reliability to its clients. During the reception, the management recognised their longest-serving employee, Salah Al Khatib, the company’s PRO and Government Liaison Officer since 2016.

Another notable achievement during Gateway Group’s 10 years is being one of just three companies recommended by the Abu Dhabi Residents Office (ADRO) as their trusted partner in company formation.

In addition to celebrating its 10 th anniversary, Gateway Group is excited to announce the launch of two new companies: NumberNinjas.ae, an accounting and bookkeeping company in Abu Dhabi and Otoo Marketing, a cutting-edge digital avatar marketing agency in Abu Dhabi. These new ventures reflect Gateway Group’s commitment to innovation and expanding its service offerings to meet the evolving needs of businesses in the UAE. Key services offered by Gateway Group:

• Company Formation: organising and managing the formalities to swiftly obtain trade licenses, enabling businesses to commence operations without delay.

• Visa Processing: providing smooth and efficient visa processing services to get employees on the ground quickly.

• Regulatory Compliance: staying current with regulatory changes to ensure clients’ businesses remain compliant and competitive.

Navigating the various government departments myself and fully understanding the requirements and processes uniquely positioned me to confidently and competently talk clients through the processes and timescales of establishing a presence in Abu Dhabi, step-by-step. This hands-on approach allowed me to find creative solutions and provide exceptional service to our clients. Creating and developing a company that continues to uphold its values of honesty, trust and integrity is a source of immense pride for me. It is incredibly fulfilling to positively impact our employees’ lives and make their dreams come true, while also seeing the significant benefits we bring to our clients’ businesses.

Jenny Hunt, Founder, Gateway Group

Join Gateway Group in celebrating this milestone and discover how it can help your business thrive in the United Arab Emirates. To learn more visit www.GatewayToUAE.com

Photo © 2024 by Gateway Group

Spotlight on technology

SIEMENS BRINGS FORMAL METHODS TO HIGH-LEVEL VERIFICATION

Siemens Digital Industries Software has announced two breakthrough capabilities for high-level verification of C++ for hardware design: formal property checking and reachability coverage analysis. Designed to be used with Siemens’ Catapult™ software for high-level synthesis and verification, Catapult formal tools uniquely bring known and trusted formal verification methods from the RTL world to high-level design.

Catapult™ Formal Assert software delivers untimed C++ property checking to high-level verification. Designers can now use formal methods to prove that a high-level design representation conforms to a specification. Catapult Formal Assert proves whether a specific property, such as a value range, or specific signal values, can or cannot occur.

Catapult™ Formal CoverCheck is the formal complement to Catapult™ Coverage software, Siemens’ simulation-based solution for metrics-driven verification of C++ and SystemC HLS design source. Catapult Formal CoverCheck performs ‘reachability analysis’ on coverage holes and generates a waiver for those items formally proven to be unreachable. Together these two tools help users readily and efficiently achieve coverage closure on their HLS design source.

High-level design and synthesis are enjoying increasing adoption across a broad spectrum of applications and markets. Catapult™ HLS software, with its proven ability to deliver material improvements in design productivity and the 100x gain in verification throughput from C++ are leading more and more engineering teams to shift their methodologies.

There has been a corresponding desire to bring the known and trusted verification methods that have been refined in RTL design up to high-level design. RTL verification has evolved into a metrics-driven methodology where explicit coverage measures must be achieved using a combination of dynamic simulation and formal methods. C++ offers orders of magnitude improvement in simulation throughput, the infrastructure for metrics-driven High-Level Verification is not so well established.

Catapult Formal Assert and CoverCheck, along with Catapult Coverage, help to address this gap. Verification teams now have the same combination of formal methods and coverage analytics to ensure that the C++ representation of the design meets specific targets. Siemens’ Catapult Formal Assert and CoverCheck is available for early adopters now and will be available to all customers in late 2024.

New EIC members

NEW GLOBAL MEMBER AMPO S.Coop

Barrio Katea S/N 20213 Idiazabal Spain

Contact Jon Gorrotxategi, VP Sales

Telephone +34 943 805 343

Email jong@ampo.com

Web www.ampo.com

NEW PRIMARY MEMBER C2O Group

Americas Office 1155 Dairy Ashford Suite 650, Houston TX 77079 US

Contact Lisa Dooley, VP Contracts & Compliance, C2O Americas

Telephone +1 832 295 8596

Email ldooley@c2ogroup.com

Web https://c2ogroup.com/

AMPO provides a wide range of adhoc services and high added value valves in order to fulfil customer needs worldwide with the following key principles: reliability, safety, trust and efficiency.

C2O Group supports global energy and infrastructure projects. The company provides electrical, communications and mechanical services and it supports its clients from construction through to operations via numerous delivery streams, including specialised resourcing, turnkey projects and operations and maintenance. All of this is underpinned by C20 Group’s highly skilled completions and commissioning teams across each stream.

NEW PRIMARY MEMBER

Haven Fire & Safety LLC

4th Street, Al Quoz Industrial Area 3 Warehouse 8 (behind Hyundai Showroom) Dubai United Arab Emirates

Contact Jason Mather MIFireE, Commercial Manager

Telephone +9714 347 1999

Email jason@havenfire.ae

Web www.havenfire.com

Since its inception in 1997, Haven Fire & Safety has grown to be one of the leading fire and safety solution providers in the United Arab Emirates.

With two large, specialist factories in Dubai (Al Quoz) and Abu Dhabi (Mussafah) and quality, trusted and approved products within its portfolio, Haven Fire & Safety offers a complete range of fire and safety systems and services throughout the commercial, industrial and

NEW PRIMARY MEMBER

ReflowX

HD41B First Floor, Al Sufouh, Dubai Internet City Dubai United Arab Emirates

Contact Jamie Poole, CEO

Telephone +9715 5763 4099

Email jamie.poole@reflowx.com

Web www.reflowx.com

ReflowX is an innovative online marketplace dedicated to the energy sector, specialising in the procurement of materials and equipment. Its platform connects suppliers and buyers, promoting the sale of both new and surplus items to drive sustainability and efficiency.

By streamlining the procurement process, ReflowX enables companies to easily list their products and reach a broader audience, reducing waste and enhancing operational efficiency.

NEW RENEWABLES MEMBER

Remote

Medical International UK Ltd (RMI)

4500 Parkway

Solent Business Park

Whiteley Fareham PO15 7AZ

UK

Contact Dave Thompson, Director of UK Sales

Telephone +44 (0)20 3141 2100

Email

dthompson@rmiglobalsolutions.com

Web https://rmiglobalsolutions.com/

RMI is a bespoke solutions partner managing risk through medical, security and HSE services in complex environments around the world.

NEW GLOBAL MEMBER

William Hackett

Oak Drive, Lionheart Enterprise Park Alnwick

Northumberland NE66 2EU

UK

Contact

Ben Burgess, Business Development Director

Telephone +44 (0)1665 604 200

Email

benb@williamhackett.co.uk

Web www.williamhackett.co.uk

Since 1892, William Hackett has been manufacturing and distributing chain and chain related products across the world.

The company operates in many sectors and specialises in the manufacture of lifting solutions for onshore, offshore and subsea, supporting the activities in oil, gas and the renewable industries.

The company’s commitment to sustainability and seamless transactions makes ReflowX the go-to marketplace for energy sector needs, fostering a community that values environmental responsibility and innovative solutions.

William Hackett is renowned for its ethos of integrity and dependability, which has been built on a worldclass service in design, manufacture, assembly, certification, compliance and distribution capabilities.

William Hackett is a triple badged quality assured company to ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001. Holding DNV accreditation within these standards of system control.

23 October 2024 • Houston

HOSTED BY ROB BRYDON MBE

EIC Inside

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NOMINATE YOUR COMPANY’S RISING STAR FOR A FULL MBA SCHOLARSHIP

NOMINATE YOUR RISING STAR AND SHOW YOUR COMMITMENT TO THEIR GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. FOR MORE DETAILS VISIT RISING STAR MBA | EIC AWARDS 2024 (THE-EIC.COM)

EMPOWER GROWTH AND SUPPORT DEVELOPMENT

Are you ready to invest in the future leaders of your company?

The EIC is excited to announce the launch of the 2024 EIC/RGU Rising Star MBA Award in partnership with Robert Gordon University (RGU) Aberdeen.

This prestigious award offers an incredible opportunity for your talented employees to gain world-class business education and advance their careers.

WHY EIC MEMBER COMPANIES WILL BENEFIT FROM NOMINATING THEIR RISING STARS?

 100% Full Scholarship: one deserving winner will receive full funding worth £19,820 towards their chosen MBA course.

 2nd Place: 50% funding for their chosen MBA course.

 3rd Place: 25% funding for their chosen MBA course.

 All Nominees: £1,000 funding towards their chosen course.

I am extremely grateful to have completed an MBA at RGU thanks to the generous scholarship. This programme has provided access to experienced lecturers, extensive resources, academic support and a diverse cohort of students, all of which contributed to an outstanding learning experience.

Harley Ogg, Rising Star Winner 2021

EXCLUSIVE ONLINE MBA PROGRAMMES

Winners choose from three cutting-edge programmes:

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Nomination Deadline: 23 August 2024

Award Announcement: 10 October 2024

JOIN US IN EMPOWERING THE FUTURE LEADERS OF THE INDUSTRY. YOUR NOMINEE COULD BE THE NEXT RISING STAR.

Winning the EIC RGU MBA Award has been a transformative experience. The 100% full scholarship to the prestigious MBA programme opened doors to a world of learning. Guided by exceptional professors, I gained insights that have shaped my business acumen and enriched my perspective on life.

Naveen Chandra KV, Rising Star Winner 2022

Member news

ABB’s integrated technology will stabilise the power grid as Spanish islands transition to green energy

Red Eléctrica, the Redeia company responsible for the transmission and operation of the Spanish electricity system (TSO), has awarded ABB four orders for synchronous condensers (also known as synchronous compensators or SC) to strengthen the electricity grid, increase the quality of supply and boost the energy transition of the Canary and Balearic Islands. The integrated solution, which also includes electrical and automation equipment, will play a vital role in maintaining the stability, reliability and continuity of island grids as they integrate increasing levels of renewable energy to meet Spain’s energy transition goals. The order was booked in the first quarter of 2024.

The project is part of the Network Development Plan 2021-2026, the execution of which will allow the integration of 67% of renewable energy into the generation mix, advancing the objectives of Spain’s 2021-2030 Integrated National Energy and Climate Plan (Spanish PNIEC). The PNIEC aims for a 32% reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions compared to 1990 and an 81% penetration of renewable energy resources in the electricity system. According to data from Red Eléctrica, renewable energies exceeded 50% of the Spanish generation mix in 2023.

The advance of the energy transition in both archipelagos poses a challenge for the system operator which makes it necessary to reinforce the grid to maintain its balance and ensure reliable and resilient operations. ABB is collaborating with Red Eléctrica to deploy a flexible, reliable and integrated solution through synchronous condensers.

These are rotating electrical machines that mimic the operation of large generators to help stabilise the grid when loads and renewable energy production fluctuate. Services provided by SCs include inertia, shortcircuit current and reactive power for voltage regulation.

Three of the synchronous condenser’s orders will be deployed in the Canary Islands, where Red Eléctrica is also executing important projects to continue advancing in the energy transition, such as the Salto de Chira, or the Tenerife-La Gomera interconnection. In the Balearic Islands, where all the islands are connected to each other and to the mainland grid from Mallorca, another SC will be installed.

ABB will provide a complete and integrated solution, ranging from initial system studies to detailed engineering of the electrical and automation equipment, installation of the synchronous condensers solution integrated with flywheel, project management and training. The ABB Ability™ System 800xA® distributed control system will also be part of the scope, as well as longterm service support. The solutions will help ensure the availability and stability of energy supplied from renewable sources.

Amarinth secures pump order for FPSO Agogo, Angola

Amarinth, a world-leading, net zero designer and manufacturer of low lifecycle cost centrifugal pumps and associated equipment, primarily for the offshore and onshore oil and gas industries, nuclear and renewable energy generation, defence, desalination, process and industrial markets, has announced an order for the FPSO Agogo.

The customer, a Norwegian company specialising in energy recovery and water treatment solutions for the offshore oil and gas sector, has placed an order with Amarinth for the FPSO Agogo, currently under construction by Yinson Production in Malaysia. This marks the company’s second order with Amarinth following the successful delivery of previous pumps and underscores Amarinth’s reputation as a trusted partner in highly challenging offshore environments.

The FPSO Agogo is scheduled to commence operations in the fourth quarter of 2025 as part of the Agogo integrated west hub development project off Angola. With a field development plan encompassing 36 wells, including both production and injection wells, the project demands high-quality solutions to ensure reliable operations.

Amarinth’s bespoke pump design, tailored for low NPSH duties to accommodate the confined headroom aboard FPSO vessels, highlights the company’s agility and expertise in addressing complex challenges.

Compliant with the rigorous standards of NORSOK M-630, which dictate material specifications for petrochemical applications, particularly in offshore environments, these pumps deliver the necessary performance and reliability demanded by the project.

In addition, recognising the unique environmental conditions of the African continent, Amarinth designed bespoke sunshades to go over the motors, safeguarding them against the sun. This approach to product design reflects Amarinth’s commitment to ensuring the long-term operational efficiency of its pumps.

The customer’s insistence on an aggressive 26-week delivery schedule to align with Yinson’s build timeline reinforces the industry’s recognition of Amarinth’s ability to deliver under pressure. Leveraging its extensive experience in supplying pumps to FPSO vessels worldwide, Amarinth has once again affirmed its status as a preferred partner in critical offshore projects. i For

Fracht Group partners with HCC to unveil the International Freight Forwarding Apprenticeship Program

Fracht Group, a pioneering force in logistics, has announced its partnership with Houston Community College (HCC) in Texas, US, to unveil the revolutionary International Freight Forwarding Apprenticeship Program. This innovative collaboration marks a historic milestone as Fracht Group becomes the first freight forwarder to establish a registered apprenticeship program in conjunction with the Department of Labor.

The International Freight Forwarding Apprenticeship Program represents a fusion of academic excellence and practical experience, providing aspiring professionals with a comprehensive pathway to success in global logistics. This initiative underscores Fracht Group’s leadership in the industry and its dedication to empowering the next generation of logistics leaders.

Through the collaboration with Houston Community College, Fracht Group aims to equip apprentices with the skills, knowledge and practical experience necessary to navigate complex supply chains and international regulations effectively. By combining theoretical education with hands-on training, the programme prepares participants to excel in the dynamic field of freight forwarding.

At Fracht Group, we are dedicated to nurturing talent and advancing progress within the logistics industry. Our partnership with Houston Community College exemplifies our commitment to shaping the future of freight forwarding.

Yanet Joosten, VP of Human Resources, Fracht Group

Fracht Group is a Swiss-born, family-owned organisation that serves clients worldwide with comprehensive logistics and supply chain solutions. Fracht’s vast global network of 150 offices and an unyielding focus on excellence, industry expertise and cutting-edge technologies, Fracht Group delivers dependable and efficient services around the world. With an altruistic foundation, Fracht Group prides itself in its focus on corporate social responsibility and sustainability.

i For more information: www.frachtgroup.com

Fulkrum awarded

frame agreement to support Woodside’s new energy projects

Leading provider of inspection, expediting, auditing and technical staffing services, Fulkrum, has been awarded a frame agreement for the provision of third-party inspection services to Woodside’s new energy projects in the US, including its proposed liquid hydrogen project, H2OK, located in Ardmore, Oklahoma.

Amarinth pump nearing the end of assembly

With this agreement, Fulkrum further establishes its reputation as a leading provider of inspection services for innovative energy projects worldwide. The company is committed to delivering exceptional results, maintaining strong partnerships and contributing to the advancement and diversification of the global energy matrix.

H2OK, which is expected to produce 60 tonnes per day of liquid hydrogen through electrolysis and liquefaction, is Woodside Energy’s first proposed hydrogen project in the US. Fulkrum’s selection as one of the inspection agencies for this project highlights the company’s unmatched expertise and proven track record in delivering top-tier inspection services across all sectors of the energy industry.

Under the three-year agreement, Fulkrum will provide comprehensive inspection services for current and future new energy projects in Woodside’s US portfolio. Fulkrum’s scope of work commenced in March 2024.

Fulkrum’s inspection services are renowned for their quality and reliability. The company’s team of highly skilled technical personnel conducts thorough inspections, providing clients with valuable insights during the manufacturing, fabrication, installation and commissioning of procured equipment packages. With a meticulous approach and adherence to international standards and client specifications, Fulkrum offers its clients precise, data driven and detailed inspection results, critical for the compliant, safe and timely delivery of projects.

Fulkrum provides comprehensive expertise in the provision of inspection, expediting, auditing and technical staffing services across the upstream, midstream and downstream oil and gas and renewables markets.

Established in 2011, Fulkrum operates in four key regions – the Americas, Europe and Africa, Asia Pacific and the Middle East and has a proven track record working with some of the world’s leading operators, EPC contractors and service providers.

Glacier Energy continues growth plans and moves into new corporate office in Aberdeen’s West End

Glacier Energy, a specialist provider of products, services and engineered solutions for renewable and conventional energy markets has opened a new corporate office in the West End of Aberdeen.

The new office, located at 8 Queens Terrace, will see Glacier Energy’s corporate team move out of its temporary office space in Energy Transition Zone’s W-Zero 1 building, where it has been based since January, and move into the new city centre location, occupying two floors.

The move follows the recruitment of several new team members at Glacier Energy’s existing Peterseat Drive facility due to recent growth. The team’s expansion sparked plans for a new dedicated facility for the Aberdeen-based senior leadership, human resources, sales and marketing teams.

With this new city centre location, the office becomes Glacier Energy’s eighth location in the UK.

Glacier Energy has grown both organically and through strategic acquisitions to become a leading international provider of specialist products, services and engineered solutions for the renewable and conventional energy markets.

The company’s strong history and heritage allows it to develop and deploy innovative solutions that support the transition towards clean energy. Additionally, its wide-ranging expertise and deep-rooted knowledge means that it is equally capable of optimising existing assets to maximise the performance of conventional energy operations.

Woodside’s proposed liquid hydrogen project, H2OK, located in Ardmore, Oklahoma

JMSL relocates to new facility within the Cromarty Firth Green Freeport zone

Due to ongoing expansion of UK and overseas operations, JMSL is delighted to have relocated to a new facility. Located within the Cromarty Firth Green Freeport zone, this new facility provides increased office capacity, plus workshop and external storage areas.

Currently undergoing a programme of upgrades, to include installation of fabrication, welding and overhead lifting capacity, the new workshop will serve to support ongoing operations and enhance the range of services on offer, to include the following: welder and weld procedure qualification, training and trade tests, structural and piping fabrication, project mobilisation hub and site based project services delivery.

The new facility was operational in July 2024 with operational readiness coinciding with implementation of the ISO 9001, 14001, 45001 accredited management system, ensuring customer confidence and solidifying the company’s commitment to quality, safety and environmental performance.

With 20+ years successfully supplying skilled manpower services to the energy industry, the new range of services are a natural progression for the business. JMSL will offer full fabrication capability, specialising in shop fabrication of process pipework and associated structural items to offshore and onshore customers.

Also offering enhanced site-based project delivery support – preparing and deploying personnel and equipment resources from the new facility, to support clients at worksites throughout the UK and overseas.

JMSL’s experienced management team possesses 100+ years of combined industry experience delivering high quality, high specification oil and gas and construction projects, consistently exceeding customer expectations.

Kent secures FEED contract for Hejre project in North Sea

Kent, a global leader in engineering, has been awarded a key front-end engineering design (FEED) contract for the INEOS Hejre project. This prestigious award was won in a competitive bid and highlights Kent’s extensive expertise and capabilities in the subsea and offshore sectors.

The Hejre project, an offshore high pressure high temperature (HPHT) development, is located in the Danish sector of the North Sea. It is planned as a tie-back to the South Arne field, utilising the existing Hejre jacket structure.

Kent’s responsibilities under this contract include the complete FEED design for the pipeline, tie-in spools, retrofit risers and subsea power and fibre optics cable.

Kent is also engaged in study work for the Greensands carbon capture and storage (CCS) project, further solidifying its position as a critical partner in INEOS’s operations in Denmark.

This contract not only reinforces Kent’s commitment to supporting INEOS Energy Denmark but also underscores the strength and depth of its engineering expertise in handling complex offshore projects in the North Sea region.

Kent is a privately-owned international integrated energy services partner backed by Nesma & Partners. Founded in 1919 as a small family business in Ireland, Kent is a 13,000 people strong, client-centric team and US$1.4bndollar revenue global business.

It delivers sustainable and innovative engineering services and project delivery solutions for the oil and gas, industrial, renewables and lowcarbon industries.

Kent has a roster of blue-chip clients, including international energy companies, national oil companies, renewable energy companies and global petrochemical companies.

i For more information: https://kentplc.com/

Having successfully completed the pre-FEED for the full project scope, this new phase allows us to further demonstrate our robust FEED capabilities and deep understanding of the unique challenges in subsea and offshore engineering, particularly in the North Sea.

Usman Darr, Engineering and Consulting Managing Director for the UK, Kent

Photo Copyright © 2024 Jamieson Management

JMSL’s new facility provides increased office capacity plus workshop and external storage areas

Mott MacDonald strengthens energy offering with acquisition of Merz Consulting

Mott MacDonald, the AUD$3bn global engineering, management and development consultancy has acquired Merz Consulting, an Australian engineering and energy consultancy business specialising in power distribution, transmission and generation design and project delivery.

Merz Consulting has established a strong reputation amongst policy makers, regulators, network utilities, EPC contractors and clients in the mining and industrial sectors as a strategic advisor in the delivery of energy transition projects.

The acquisition of Merz Consulting brings specialised capabilities and trusted client relationships in the Australian energy sector to our business. Combining this with our own project delivery capabilities ensures that we are ideally placed to meet the increasing demands in energy transition projects.

Frances Badelow, Managing Director for Australia, Mott MacDonald

Geoff Glazier, Merz Consulting’s managing director, and his team of experienced engineers, project managers and strategic advisors will compliment and strengthen Mott MacDonald’s energy capabilities to better serve clients throughout Australia, New Zealand, the Asia Pacific region and globally.

Merz Consulting specialises in detailed electrical engineering design of substations, switchyards, transmission lines and grid connections in addition to supporting clients with power system modelling, policy advice and strategic planning services.

NRL secures Armed Forces silver employer recognition award

Technical engineering business the NRL Group is celebrating securing the Armed Forces Covenant Employer Recognition Scheme silver award.

The specialist recruitment and contracting organisation previously held the bronze award for several years, before putting forward an application for the judging panel to evaluate its progress in the silver category.

Through the Armed Forces Covenant, businesses make a long-term commitment to support the armed forces community – ensuring that those who serve and their families are treated fairly and are well supported. The Employer Recognition Scheme provides an opportunity to demonstrate this commitment in action, including ensuring recruitment opportunities are available to the armed forces community through the identification of transferable skills.

During the recent review panel, 47 organisations from across the north west of England were awarded Silver under the Ministry of Defence Employer Recognition Scheme for their support to defence and the wider armed forces community, including the NRL Group.

In recent years, NRL has increased its support by attending monthly employment fairs for service leavers, as well as joining Forces Families Jobs, to advertise open vacancies to join the business.

Safety seal manufacturer Roxtec strengthens Power and Process team

Leading cable and pipe seal manufacturer Roxtec has strengthened its Power and Process division team in the UK with two new appointments as it continues on its growth journey.

Eston Dalby has joined Greater Manchester-based Roxtec UK as External Sales Manager, covering the south of England, while Wilfred Ballo has taken up an Internal Technical Sales role.

They join the division as Roxtec seeks further growth in power and process industries markets, which are key to the company’s long-term strategy.

We’re delighted to welcome Eston and Wilfred to Roxtec as we further strengthen the team. As these latest appointments highlight, we continue to invest in our people in response to the increasing needs of our customers and to help them meet the challenges they face.

Clive Sharp, Managing Director, Roxtec

That includes increased involvement in energy transition, working on renewable hybrid projects as well as energy storage, including battery technology and the balancing of transmission and distribution grids.

The company is active in wind, solar and nuclear power and is working with several leading technology providers in the green hydrogen sector, providing its unique solutions for cable and pipe sealing.

Roxtec’s cable and pipe seals are also found in a range of process industries, including mining and metals, the onshore oil, gas and petrochemical sectors as well as pulp and paper plants.

STATS

Group makes senior sales and BD appointments ahead of international expansion

STATS Group (STATS) has appointed Andy Norrie as Head of Sales and Business Development for Europe as the pipeline technology specialist expands its sales team capacity in preparation for growth throughout the continent.

Since joining UK-based STATS in 2011, Andy has accumulated a comprehensive expertise across the company’s technology portfolio in various digital marketing, technical and business development positions, playing a pivotal role in securing offshore, onshore and subsea projects in the UK, Europe and Caspian regions.

He also led the expansion of STATS presence in North America where he was Regional Business Development Manager for Canada, which is now one of the company’s largest international markets.

Based in Kintore near Aberdeen, STATS employs more than 400 staff in the UK, North America, the Middle East and Australasia and is a market leader in the supply of pressurised pipeline isolation, hot tapping and plugging services to the energy industry.

A number of promotions designed to position STATS for significant regional expansion and revenue growth have also been announced, including Neil Mackay’s appointment as Senior Business Development Manager.

The promotion recognises Chartered Engineer Neil’s sales experience and successes in expanding STATS presence in the UK onshore gas transmission and distribution market, which included the first use of STATS Remote Tecno Plug technology in the isolation of a 48” pipeline on the National Transmission System.

Joanna Mountford has moved from Key Account Manager of the Process Plant Solutions (PPS) division to Business Development Manager and will be responsible for promoting the company’s isolation, intervention and PPS products and services in the UK and across Europe.

Nick McKay has moved from the company’s projects team to join the sales team as Business Development Manager, having previously completed isolation, intervention and repair projects in the UK, North America, Middle East and APAC.

Chartered Engineer Paul Davies, who joined STATS in 2010, has been appointed Technical Sales Engineer and will liaise with design and STATS regional leaders to ensure new and existing product developments meets market needs. He will also provide technical support to the sales process and workscope feasibility assessments, by identifying scope methodologies and asset requirements.

STATS has gained a reputation for providing a responsive, client-centred approach combined with expertise and innovative products which enhance safety and environmental performance, reduce system or plant downtime, improve asset performance and support decommissioning and abandonment.

TÜV SÜD: Mushhood Haider announced as GFMW keynote speaker

The Global Flow Measurement Workshop (GFMW) has announced that Mushhood Haider, MBA, Energy Transition and Renewables Head – UK Government Scotland, will be this year’s keynote speaker.

In his role, Mushhood is responsible for leading trade and investment initiatives within Scotland’s energy ecosystem. His efforts have been instrumental in driving billions of pounds in economic growth, leading numerous businesses, consortiums and projects to seize opportunities which are available in over 100 markets. Additionally, Mushhood and his team have played a pivotal role in the establishment of freeports in Scotland, further enhancing the region’s economic and trade prospects.

Mushhood has a particular interest in energy transition, climate change mitigation and adaptation. He works closely with senior stakeholders to position UK companies for growth, accelerating products and services in both established and emerging markets across the energy spectrum and its respective value chains. His leadership and strategic vision have consistently delivered successful outcomes in energy transition investments and business development opportunities worldwide making him an ideal speaker for this year’s event.

The GFMW, set to take place in Aberdeen in October, will bring together individuals from the flow measurement supply chain – operators, service companies, manufacturers, consultants, regulators, researchers and standards bodies – to discuss industry issues and explore solutions. Mushhood’s keynote address is anticipated to be a highlight of the event, offering valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities within the energy transition.

WIKA Group presents first ESG report and emphasises sustainable commitment

WIKA shared its first Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) report at the Hannover Messe recently – two years before required by law. This confirms the company’s commitment to sustainability and transparent reporting.

The ESG report documents the company’s objectives and previous activities in the three core areas of sustainability: ecology, economy and social.

The focus is particularly on climate protection measures, workplace attractiveness, employee development and retention and the company’s ability to innovate. In preparing the sustainability report, WIKA was guided by the internationally recognised Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) standard. The company has already taken extensive measures to increase the efficiency of its processes and integrate more renewable energies. The aim is not only to minimise WIKA’s environmental impact, but also to support customers on their path towards greater sustainability. i

Mushhood Haider (left) and Muir Porter, Senior Manager, TÜV SÜD, at the National Engineering Laboratory facility in East Kilbride

Photo Copyright © 2024

Wood completes first phase of world’s largest carbon capture and sequestration hub in Saudi Arabia

Wood, a global leader in consulting and engineering, has completed the front-end engineering and design (FEED) scope for the first phase of Aramco’s Accelerated Carbon Capture and Sequestration (ACCS) project in Saudi Arabia, expected to be the world’s largest carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) hub on completion.

With an ambition to further reduce carbon emissions from its upstream operations, the first phase of the ACCS project intends to capture carbon emissions from Aramco gas plant facilities near Jubail, as well as from third-party emitters.

We are proud to be at the forefront of designing the future of energy by leveraging our 20 years of experience in carbon capture engineering to bring the ACCS project to life, supporting Aramco as our long-term client on its energy security and transition ambitions.

Craig Shanaghey, Executive President of Projects, Wood

Wood designed the greenfield dehydration and compression facilities and the large pipeline network, including a 200+km dense-phase CO2 pipeline for the ACCS project, which aims to transport 9m tonnes per annum (MTPA) of emissions and sequester it within onshore geological storage by 2027. Aramco plans to store up to 14m tonnes per annum (MTPA) of CO2 equivalent by 2035 – contributing towards the Kingdom reaching its CCUS goal of 44 MTPA by 2035.

For more information: www.woodplc.com

Social media round up

AEG Power Solutions introduces IGBT industrial UPS system Protect 8 PLUS

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.

AEG Power Solutions (AEG PS), global provider of power systems and solutions for all types of critical and sustainable applications, has introduced a new range of uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems, which feature a full IGBT architecture and industrial-grade build quality to provide a safe power backup to protect refining and petrochemical industries, transportation infrastructures, manufacturing and other critical businesses against all power disturbances.

Advertise in Inside Energy and reach the leaders in the energy sector! Advertising available in the online and printed editions. Check out our Media Pack https://bit.ly/3XW0goh

Protect 8 PLUS supports a standard three-phase input and is available as single-phase or three-phase output from 10 to 40 kVA, with 216 Vdc or 384 Vdc battery voltage. By the end of the year, it will also support 60 to 120 kVA in both configurations.

EIC (Energy Industries Council)

EIC has just released its eighth annual Survive & Thrive report, revealing how geopolitical and policy uncertainties are taking business away from the supply chain https://lnkd.in/d4xxrmjQ

Thanks to its IGBT rectifier, the system offers a high input power factor of up to 0,99 and very low harmonic current rejection on the input side (THDi) which makes it a perfect fit in situations where the UPS is supplied by a generator set or to avoid harmonic perturbations of loads connected to the upstream busbar.

EIC (Energy Industries Council)

Join us at EIC Connect Energy USA 2024 on 23 October at the Ion District in Houston! Register now to network with industry leaders https://lnkd.in/d72zyUa5

This results in substantial savings on the sizing of the upstream network. The bi-directional rectifier also enables several battery capacity tests feeding back into the grid without using the bypass line, requiring additional load banks or affecting the load.

With the Protect 8 PLUS, AEG Power

Events calendar LIVE events

Offshore Northern Seas (ONS) 2024

EIC KSA Open Day

Zahid Group Head Office, KSA

Opportunities with Technip Energies

Crowne Plaza Hotel Muscat OCEC

Hydrogen: Scotland’s Energy Future

ETZ Hydrogen, Marcliffe Hotel and Spa, Aberdeen

Fundamentals of FPSOs

Offshore E&P Opportunities in Guyana

EIC Technology Showcase 2024

Radisson Blu Hotel, Abu Dhabi Corniche

Global Events and Campaigns

Global events update

As the UK election result brings attention to critical national issues, the need for sustainable development and investment in the energy sector remains a key focus. The Global Events and Campaigns team is committed to addressing these needs and is pleased to bring two large scale events to the EIC’s growing 2025 calendar.

Our ever-popular Energy Exports Conference (EEC) will return to P&J Live, Aberdeen, on 3-4 June 2025. The team is busy making some final preparations before bookings open for exhibition and partnership opportunities in the coming weeks. Whether you have previously partnered with the event, or are planning to participate for the first time, the team will be happy to talk through all available opportunities and unveil some of our key sessions and invited speakers for next year’s event, now in its seventh year.

With a variety of key global markets being explored over two days, EEC is the perfect platform to gain insights, while making new connections and discovering actionable project opportunities to expand your export capabilities. Mark the space in your calendars for June 2025 now.

Next month will also see the launch of registrations for our brand new major event, Bankable Energies, alongside a range of exhibition and partnership opportunities. Join us for the two-day event, taking place in central London on 26-27 February 2025, where we will unite the global investment community, key project developers and policymakers to deliberate on the necessary global shifts to attract investments and propel energy projects forward.

The event will offer a comprehensive platform to discuss policy and regulatory frameworks essential for accelerating new energy initiatives. Furthermore, attendees will gain valuable insights into managing risks associated with future projects, in the pursuit of a robust and secure energy investment landscape.

Bankable Energies is more than just an event; it is a critical forum for shaping the future of global energy investments. Whether you are an investor, energy major, supply chain company, or policymaker, this event offers invaluable opportunities to connect, collaborate and contribute to the energy sector’s dynamic evolution. Be part of the conversation that will drive the next generation of energy projects forward, by joining us at the event next February.

Jo Campbell

The team supported an insightful thought leadership event with Mott MacDonald last month in Milan, Thermal Energy Transition – How Long in Transition? This event discussed requirements for scaling up technology and infrastructure to reach net zero targets. If you would like assistance from EIC’s events specialists to plan and deliver any future events, we would welcome the chance to discuss your specific needs and explore opportunities further.

To learn more about our upcoming events, or to discuss exhibition opportunities, event partnerships, or other bespoke event services please contact the team at global.events@the-eic.com

Jo Campbell

Director of Global Events and Campaigns jo.campbell@the-eic.com

INTERNATIONAL TRADE

OFFSHORE NORTHERN SEAS 2024

This month sees the return of Offshore Northern Seas (ONS) 2024 in Stavanger, Norway on 26-29 August.

This is a big date in the EIC calendar, as it’s the first time the EIC returns to ONS since 2018 to host the UK pavilion. We are delighted to go to Norway and bring back the UK pavilion after a number of years following the pandemic – and what a year to return as ONS celebrates its 50 th anniversary in 2024.

ONS is the leading meeting place for everyone interested in energy. As the foremost conference and exhibition connecting the broader energy industry, it has grown into a global energy meeting place connecting international suppliers and operating companies. With over 61,000 visitors and 1,000+ exhibitors from over 100 nations, there is no doubt that ONS has secured itself as one of the world’s largest meeting places and the reference point for energy transition to new cleaner renewable solutions.

One of the highlights of ONS is the ONS+ festival where Stavanger harbour is transformed into a small urban village offering attendees the opportunity to unwind after a long day at the exhibition. Pavilions placed alongside the harbour offer food, drinks and music as well as being the hosts for debates, discussions and presentations.

Norway is a significant player in the global oil and gas industry. Norway’s upstream sector holds the highest CAPEX in the European region and ranks sixth globally. Norway recognises the critical role of oil and gas in the energy transition and the country looks to lay the groundwork for future technological advancements in oil and gas that will be critical for the developments of other industries such as carbon capture and storage, hydrogen and offshore wind.

The UK and EIC member companies are leading the way offering innovative products and services renowned worldwide for adding real value to projects and the local supply chain.

The EIC invites you to visit the UK pavilion in Hall 5, stand 5120, to explore how the supply chain’s innovations and new technologies can benefit your company.

UK pavilion exhibiting companies include Advanced Sensors by PAC, BS&B Safety Systems (UK) Ltd, Cutting & Wear, LoneStar Fasteners, Hydrobolt Ltd, Flexitallic and UK pavilion partner TÜV SÜD.

The EIC will be hosting the EIC pavilion at Offshore Europe in Aberdeen on 2-5 September 2025. The EIC is again delivering the largest pavilion, showcasing the supply chain’s capabilities across all energy sectors. The EIC pavilion has the prime location in Hall 1, encompassing the full entrance of the hall, ensuring all stands get the maximum footfall. Bookings are now open.

Camilla Tew, Director, International Trade camilla.tew@the-eic.com

UK news

UK events update

For a number of months, the UK events team has been working hard to curate a new event series to showcase women working in the energy sector and recently we launched PoweHERing ahead in the Energy Sector: Women Breaking Boundaries, in Aberdeen. Our fantastic speakers presented their career journeys to the audience, sharing highs and lows, challenges and opportunities and insights from their working lives.

We discussed how we can attract more women into energy, specifically technical roles; how we need to appeal to young girls at an earlier stage; the importance of mentoring and coaching no matter what stage in your career you are at; why having a community/tribe/network is so valuable; how curiosity, resilience and saying ‘yes’ to opportunities is key and how if we have received support on our own career path how we can ‘pay it forward’ to others.

What a fantastic afternoon – my thanks again to our speakers (pictures above) for sharing their journey and insights: Abidah Ilyas and Susan D’Arcy (DNV) Eloise Knights (Bechtel), Nadine Cheung (Baker Hughes) and Tony Brady (Sodexo).

The event, fuelled by a delicious afternoon tea, we hope helped to build a community of support for women across the energy sector. We want to inspire women in our industry, provide a platform to discuss the challenges many face juggling work and other commitments and in turn discuss solutions together in an informal setting.

Following the success of this event, our team is taking this on the road with our next stop being on Tuesday 15 October in London.

The event is open to men and women in the sector, and we encourage members to consider taking along those who perhaps are starting out in their career, or perhaps who are new to our industry. The event is sure to be another thought provoking session and we will hear from speakers from organisations including Powerful Women, Bureau Veritas, TRS Workforce Solutions, RSM, ASCO and Matthews Daniel, where we will be looking at skills of the future. Book your place www.the-eic.com/EventDetail?dateid=4295

Kim Stephen

UK Regional Committees

Following the relaunch of our UK regional committees, we’re pleased to say that in early July we held our first briefing session with over 45 members in attendance. It’s fantastic to see the appetite from different companies across the UK to work even closer with EIC to discuss regional topics. With the next plan to meet face to face in each region across dates in September and October – coinciding with some of our key events during this time – we look forward to meeting with our new committees, in person. If you’re interested in finding out more about how you could be involved in the future, please reach out to me or your membership manager.

Kim Stephen Regional Director, UK kim.stephen@the-eic.com

Middle East news

Regional update

I hope this update finds you enjoying the summer and a well-deserved break after a bustling first half of the year. Reflecting on our recent Roundtables, it’s clear we’ve all had a record start to 2024, with an abundance of projects coming online, a trend that’s mirrored in our data and expected to continue with more projects on the horizon.

Tuesday 24 September 2024

CONNECT

I’m thrilled to announce the launch of our inaugural EIC Connect Kazakhstan, scheduled for 24 September in Almaty, just before the Kazakhstan International Oil & Gas Exhibition and Conference (KIOGE). You can find more details on our website. We’re eager to see many of you there for what promises to be a landmark event. Additionally, our next CIS Market & Project Update webinar on 13 August will focus on Kazakhstan, offering insights into upcoming opportunities.

Next month we will host our first-ever EIC Technology Showcase on 3 September, featuring 22 presenting companies. This event is an excellent opportunity for direct engagement between technology developers and the operator and service company community. Attendance is free, facilitating an ideal environment for meaningful interactions and collaboration.

I’m also excited to share that the finalists for our Regional Awards, scheduled for 17 October on the illustrious QE2 in Dubai, have been announced. Following our Survive & Thrive report, we look forward to celebrating these incredible success stories from the energy supply chain.

Looking ahead, ADIPEC is set for 4-7 November 2024, where EIC will once again be host to the UK pavilion. Join us for a welcome breakfast on Monday 4 November to kickstart a productive week at the world’s largest energy show.

Lastly, it was a pleasure hosting a breakfast with our newly appointed EIC global ambassadors. I am excited about developing their innovative ideas to enhance EIC’s offerings across the region – stay tuned for more updates.

Please continue to enjoy your summer, and do not hesitate to reach out if you need any assistance from our team.

Ryan McPherson

Regional Director, Middle East, Africa, Russia & CIS ryan.mcpherson@the-eic.com

Regional news

Iraq launches gas processing project, advancing towards energy self-sufficiency

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani recently inaugurated the gas processing project at the Halfaya oilfield, marking a significant step towards reducing natural gas flaring and achieving energy self-sufficiency. The project, developed by a PetroChina-led consortium in Maysan province, will process 300m standard cubic feet per day (scfpd) of associated gas, which is commonly flared due to infrastructural deficiencies. This initiative will supply dry gas for power generation, producing over 1,200MW, alongside 1,100 tonnes of liquefied gas initially, with potential expansion. Additionally, the project will yield 20,000 barrels per day of gas condensates and sulphur by-products, supporting Iraq’s broader economic reforms and environmental goals.

ADNOC grants contract for LNG facility in Ruwais

ADNOC has greenlit a US$5.5bn low-carbon liquefied natural gas (LNG) project in Al Ruwais Industrial City, Abu Dhabi, marking the first LNG export complex in the MENA region powered by clean energy. The project was approved under the chairmanship of Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and involves a joint venture including Technip Energies, JGC Corporation and NMDC Energy. Featuring two LNG liquefaction trains with a combined capacity of 9.6m tonnes per annum, it will more than double ADNOC’s current LNG production to approximately 15mtpa. The initiative aims to boost the local economy, with 55% of the EPC contract value reinvested domestically, enhancing Al Ruwais Industrial City’s industrial ecosystem and creating jobs.

Forthcoming

Ryan McPherson

Asia Pacific news

Regional update

EIC’s exciting line-up for August 2024 includes EIC Members Day, Meet the Energy Players in Thailand and Networking at Forum Fasilitas Produksi Migas 2024.

In the coming month, EIC APAC will be hosting the EIC Members Day with Rev Energy. This highly anticipated event, set to take place on 10 August 2024, will be held at the Sunway Lagoon Theme Park and will feature the second annual Sports Day. The event promises a journey filled with exhilarating team challenges, opportunities to uncover hidden talents and the chance to forge lasting connections with fellow members. With more than 100 attendees expected from various energy industries in Kuala Lumpur, this occasion will bring together member companies and industry friends to showcase their athletic abilities and camaraderie.

Following this, EIC APAC will be organising the Meet the Energy Players in Thailand event, in conjunction with the Sustainable Energy Technology Asia (SETA) conference. This will mark our first event of the year in Thailand, where we are eager to connect with fellow energy professionals. The event aims to gather a powerhouse of influential leaders in the energy industry, including top executives, government officials and renowned experts. They will share their latest advancements and best practices in creating a greener future. Exhibitors will have the unique opportunity to make valuable connections with key stakeholders and explore new opportunities in this rapidly evolving field. It promises to be an invaluable experience for everyone involved and a testament to the exciting innovations driving the future of energy.

To conclude the month of August, EIC APAC will be involved in the Forum Fasilitas Produksi Migas 2024, located in Surabaya, Indonesia. This significant event will address the need for immediate strategic collaboration to tackle resource allocation and project costs in the country. It will bring together key players from Indonesia’s energy industry to share insights, network and discuss future trends and opportunities. The three-day event will feature a range of presentations, panel discussions and networking opportunities. Attendees will have the chance to hear from industry experts and learn about the latest technologies and innovations in Indonesia’s energy sector. Additionally, there will be opportunities to connect with exhibitors from across the region and explore the latest products and services on offer.

Azman Nasir Head of Asia Pacific azman.nasir@the-eic.com

Australia announces fourth offshore wind zone in NSW

The Australian government has officially declared an area off the Illawarra coast in New South Wales as the country’s fourth offshore wind energy development zone. The zone covers 1,022 sq km (394.6 sq m), reduced from the initially planned 1,461 sq km to address community feedback. The area was adjusted following a 94-day public consultation with environment and community groups, First Nation groups, local government, industry and businesses. Despite the size reduction, the zone can support around 2.9GW of offshore wind turbines. The zone is now open for feasibility licence applications, with proposals accepted from 17 June 2024 to 15 August 2024. Australia has previously declared three other offshore wind zones: in the Bass Strait off Victoria’s Gippsland coast, in the Pacific Ocean off New South Wales’ Hunter region and in the Southern Ocean off Victoria.

CIF allocates US$500m for Philippines’ transition

The Climate Investment Fund (CIF) will provide US$500m in loans and grants to the Philippines to support the retirement of coal plants and the addition of 1,500MW of renewable energy. This is part of the US$2.2bn Accelerating Coal Transition (ACT) programme aiding middle-income countries to move from coal to clean energy. CIF’s contribution includes US$475m in loans and US$25m in grants, with total co-financing expected to exceed US$2.3bn from sources like the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank Group. The funding will help develop renewable energy projects such as battery energy storage, offshore wind, floating solar and pumped hydro by 2030.

Azman Nasir

North and Central America news

Regional update

During June colleagues and attendees from all over the globe had the opportunity to convene at the muchanticipated Energy Exports Conference (EEC) in Aberdeen, Scotland.

During 11-12 June, the North and Central America region brought a delegation of speakers to participate in two panels addressing opportunities in the US: Opportunities in US Offshore Wind and Opportunities in US Energy Transition. The wind session homed in on US offshore wind opportunities, the need for collaboration across the project value chain and continued political support. The energy transition session provided EEC’s audience with a market update across hydrogen, CCS and biofuels, an overview of the benefits available from the tax incentives provided by the Inflation Reduction Act and the importance of project life around materials. Special thanks to our panel speakers, Lisias Abreu, Head of Offshore Wind Integration, Ørsted; Lara Jurgens, Head of Industry Development, Xodus Group; Nishadi Davis, Head of Carbon Advisory Americas; Alan Thomas, Chief Executive Officer, AMPP and EIC’s very own, Pietro Ferreira, Market Intelligence Manager CAPEX, Americas.

I would also like to take this opportunity to invite our community of EIC members and non-members to attend EIC Connect Energy USA 2024. This is an annual event that provides a platform for energy players to connect with potential suppliers and potential clients through a variety of briefing sessions, one-to-one meet the buyer meetings and panels. This conference serves as a fantastic opportunity to network and identify new business across the oil and gas, CCS and hydrogen sectors. To book your place at EIC Connect Energy USA 2024 or to learn about the available sponsorship opportunities, please visit www.the-eic.com/Events/EICConnect/EnergyUSA

Amanda Duhon

VP & Regional Director, North & Central America amanda.duhon@the-eic.com

Upcoming events

EIC Night with the Houston Dynamo 2024 Wednesday 18 September 2024

EIC CONNECT Energy USA 2024 Wednesday 23 October 2024

North & Central America Business Briefing Series: Petrofac Tuesday 12 November 2024

North & Central America 9th Annual Clay Tournament Wednesday 19 February 2025

New Jersey accelerates fifth offshore wind auction by a year

The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) has announced that it is expediting the state’s fifth offshore wind solicitation, moving it up by over a year from the third quarter of 2026 to the second quarter of 2025, a year ahead of the original timeline.

By the time of the announcement, at the end of May, the state had already held three auctions for offshore wind projects. In April, a month previously, it had released the fourth round, receiving proposals until July and targeting from 1.2GW to 4GW capacity.

This acceleration reflects New Jersey’s commitment to achieving 11GW of offshore wind by 2040 and supporting the federal target of 30GW of offshore wind by 2030.

Regional news Forthcoming

Amanda Duhon

Amanda Duhon and Pietro Ferreira (left) discussing US energy transition

South America news

Regional update

The Breakfast in Rio on 15 August is Decommissioning with Petrobras and Ecovix as speakers. They will detail their plans to dismantle a total of 63 platforms over the next few years. In August we will also host our second edition of the successful Women of Energy Lunch with speakers from BW Offshore and Constellation. If you’re coming to Rio during ROG.e in September, bring your clients to Rio Samba & Gas held at Rio Scenario for a great evening of networking.

In May, the Breakfast series was focused on Renewables and Offshore Wind. Fernanda Guedes, New Energies Specialist from ABEEólica (Wind Power Association) opened the event highlighting Brazil’s position in South America with the largest onshore capacity and the importance of offshore energy to reach net zero by 2050. Wagner Setti, Government Relations Specialist from WEG, presented solar plants that are established and growing in Brazil, and the opportunities in the market for reusable car batteries, such as BESS. Offshore wind developer from Neoenergia, Flavio Salvador discussed the capacity and pipeline of wind and solar plant projects, bringing attention to Brazil’s accumulated potential of 5.1GW.

Regional news

Brazil’s Senate approves low-carbon H2 bill

The Brazilian Senate plenary has approved, with amendments, the low-carbon H2 draft bill PL 2.308/2023, which establishes a regulatory framework for the production of low-carbon hydrogen and proposes fiscal and financial incentives for the sector in the country. The bill creates the national low-carbon emission hydrogen programme; the Brazilian hydrogen certificate system; and the special incentive regime (Rehidro). Rehidro’s fiscal and financial incentives will apply for a period of five years, in which fiscal taxes imposed on the import of low-carbon hydrogen related products will be suspended. Additionally, approximately US$3.4bn of financial subsidies are expected to be granted on the buying and selling operations of lowcarbon hydrogen and its derivatives in the country in five years. After the votes are finalised in the senate, the bill will return to the lower house of the Brazilian congress to be revised.

Alain Sandansamy, EDF Renewables’ Technical Support Director, highlighted their 10GW of offshore wind projects, two of which are located in Brazil, particularly in Rio Grande do Norte and Porto do Açu.

On 6 June Breakfast in Rio arranged Opportunities in Upstream. Speakers included Gran Services’ Accounts Manager, Luiz Savio Bueno Felix. The company is operating more than 50 platforms. DOME Serviços Integrados had as a speaker Francesco Santoro. Among its six business areas, it has clients such as Equinor, Shell, Trident and 3R Petroleum. Rafael Justo, Purchasing Manager at 3R Petroleum, talked about how the company now operates from exploration to commercialisation, including oil exploration and production in four basins, five states, with 25 platforms.

Clarisse Rocha, Director – Americas clarisse.rocha@the-eic.com

Petrobras to explore new areas in the Campos Basin starting in 2025

Petrobras has announced plans to start drilling work at the Forno prospect, Água Marinha and Norte de Brava blocks – all located in the Campos Basin – in the first half of 2025. The Forno prospect is situated south of the Albacora field, which Petrobras operates with full ownership. Two new FPSOs will arrive in the Campos Basin, with the capacity to produce 20% more, in addition to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 55%. These exploration efforts are part of a broader plan to nearly double the region’s oil production by 2028, with an estimated CAPEX of US$73bn, of which US$48bn will be focused solely on the pre-salt region.

Clarisse Rocha

Breakfast in Rio: Renewables and Offshore Wind Project Opportunities with EDF Renewables, Neoenergia and WEG

AAL Shipping (AAL)

Unlocking tomorrow’s energy sector opportunities with six revolutionary new vessels

John Pittalis Head of Global Marketing & Communications

How is AAL Shipping thriving?

AAL Shipping (AAL) is on the cusp of welcoming six new and revolutionary multipurpose 32,000 deadweight and 700 tonne max lift heavy lift Super B-class vessels into its fleet, designed to meet today and tomorrow’s energy industry needs.

With 5,000 square metres of clear-deck space already, its unique, extendable “AAL eco-deck” technology to optimise wind turbine component transport capacity, and a total cargo intake of 42,630 cubic metres, AAL Shipping is looking ahead to successfully cutting sailings and emissions, reducing client costs and opening up new market opportunities.

The challenge - AAL Shipping is renowned as a multi-award-winning premium project heavy lift, multipurpose carrier that has delivered competitive solutions for some of the world’s most dynamic sectors, including oil & gas, mining, energy, construction and agriculture since 1995.

With 12 office locations spanning four continents, the organisation offers an ‘around the world’ service connecting Europe, Middle East, India, Asia and Oceania, and is established as one of the multipurpose shipping sector’s top five carriers by total fleet deadweight tonnage (DWT).

Emerging from what has been a tough decade for the carriers’ market, AAL Shipping made the decision to reinvest profits from a strong 2021-22 financial performance into the future of the company and the sector. Strategically, many of these funds were earmarked to help establish the organisation as the go-to carrier for wind energy.

In order to achieve this, the firm set about working to enhance its fleet, with the aim of adding next-generation heavy lift vessels that could accommodate today’s and tomorrow’s demands from the project sector – especially the wind energy sector - an exercise that would be both complex and costly.

The solution - Ultimately, AAL saw a gap in the market and went for it. The result was the revolutionary ‘Super B-Class’ heavy lift fleet. With a single shareholder providing roughly US$300 million in funds, the company set about building six new revolutionary vessels,

consulting its energy clients and working closely with sister company Columbia Ship Management and CSSC, HuangPu WenChong Shipbuilding CO. LTD in China to ensure its relevancy to the energy sector.

During this process, AAL’s in-house engineers worked to ensure the incorporation of two critical changes on these vessels versus traditional ships.

First, the accommodation black has been placed at the fore of vessel, improving visibility when carrying wind blades that are tiered. This means the ships can safely carry and stack more blades and taller cargoes.

Secondly, the vessels feature unique proprietary technology called the ‘AAL eco-deck’, a retractable weather deck extension system allowing ships to boost their clear deck space to 5,630 square metres.

Diversifying and enhancing in such a manner was a logical approach for AAL to take, these heavy lift vessels becoming a natural extension of its existing multipurpose fleet. Not only have they been purpose-built to deal with larger wind energy components, but the company’s engineers have already garnered significant experience working with these components, having already had to deal with blades up to 120 metres in length.

Of course, this transition hasn’t all been plain sailing. The company has faced several challenges, impacted by the geopolitical landscape, cross-jurisdictional challenges, and the hurdles associated with regular third-party dealings. However, after years of effective planning, focussing on its core strengths and markets, and executing a sustainable growth strategy, the firm is now on the brink of welcoming its new Super B-Class fleet.

From May 2024, AAL will start to take delivery of the six new, revolutionary, multi-purpose heavy lift vessels – a delivery schedule that is anticipated to span over the course of the following 18 months.

With each vessel set to provide a heavy lift capability of up to 700 tonnes and a cargo intake of up to 42,000 cubic metres, the benefits they will bring to the company and economies of scale to its clients will be significant. With the vessels designed to be both safer and more efficient, they will be able to deliver

Story type

#service & solutions (main category)

#collaboration, #innovation

Benefits

▸ Safer, cost effective and more efficient projects with fewer sailings and carbon emissions.

▸ Expected revenue growth.

Key findings

For industry

▸ Stay flexible – don’t pigeon yourself into one area of the energy sector. Broaden your experience first and then decide to specialise.

For government

▸ Be tougher on companies and supply chains that breach sustainability and ethical business practices within their operations and partner selections.

AAL Shipping at a glance:

Key products and services: maritime transport.

Main industries served: ▸ Onshore renewable energy – 30% ▸ Conventional power – 10% ▸ Oil and gas – 10% ▸ Offshore renewable energy – 10%

▸ Others (non-energy) – 40%

Headquarters: Singapore

Year established: 1995

Number of employees: 115

Revenue: £316m

Revenue from exports: N/A

components for greater economy and lower carbon emissions. Indeed, it’s estimated that a project which previously could have taken six sailings will now take just four with these new vessels, with clients expected to enjoy cost savings of approximately 15% as a result.

Further, with more fluid cargo lifting and handling capabilities, safety is tantamount. And for AAL, this fleet of more efficient vessels is tailor-made for a growing industry that is expected to drive 25% revenue growth over the next five years. As the company looks set to accommodate a more diverse portfolio of project cargo sizes, it can also look ahead to working with an expanded client and revenue base.

ABB

Driving the disruption needed for a successful energy transition

How is ABB thriving?

Gino Hernandez Head of Global Digital Business

Leveraging digital technologies as the cornerstone of the global energy transition, ABB is at the forefront of catalysing operational and digital revolutions across diverse energy sector stakeholders as it continues to champion a greener, cleaner future.

By simultaneously enhancing operational efficiencies and meeting emission reductions objectives throughout extensive and complex interconnected value chains, the company is reshaping the business landscape for its clients, driving advancements that benefit profitability, societal well-being, and environmental stewardship.

The challenge - As one of the world’s pioneering technology leaders in the automation, electrification and digitalisation of industrial operations, ABB is at the very forefront of progress in the global energy transition. With its 20,000 employees, leading technology and service expertise, the company is playing a vital role in shaping a more sustainable and resource-efficient future.

Today, ABB confronts pivotal industry challenges head-on, striving to empower clients through digital transformation, nurture the next generation of skilled workers, and navigate the delicate balance between hydrocarbon production and environmental stewardship. In this multifaceted endeavour, ABB addresses a spectrum of challenges.

Given that energy constitutes over three-quarters of global greenhouse gas emissions, mitigating supply chain emissions is paramount across all sectors. However, many asset-intensive industries grapple with reconciling sustainability with productivity and profitability. Moreover, managing intricate global supply chains poses a formidable challenge, requiring adept data management for timely decision-making.

Simultaneously, the imperative to integrate renewable energy sources, achieve scale, and drive down costs for clean energy and decarbonisation technologies looms large. Amidst these complexities, ABB also confronts the pressing issues of a widening skills gap and an aging workforce.

These challenges represent just a fraction of the complexities ABB collaboratively tack-

les with its clients, leveraging expertise and innovation to pave the way toward a more sustainable and resilient future.

The solution - Fortunately, ABB embraces challenges as opportunities for innovation to flourish, dedicating itself to tackling industry-specific hurdles and supporting customers in navigating today’s critical obstacles. From optimising asset management to enhancing materials efficiency, managing energy consumption, and reducing carbon footprints, the company’s focus spans a broad spectrum of initiatives.

These overarching themes translate into a myriad of ABB innovations and solutions across several key areas. Operationally, ABB prioritises delivering solutions that streamline processes, enhance outputs and quality, all while curbing CO2 emissions, energy usage, and resource consumption. Moreover, as these solutions often underpin critical infrastructure, making their security and resilience against cyber threats paramount.

Indeed, it’s an area in which integrated technologies are playing a key role.

Take carbon capture and storage (CCS) as an example—an instrumental solution in the energy transition. While its potential is vast, current operations are highly complex, costly, and laden with risks. Here, ABB is in the early phase of tapping the potential of CCS through its new digital twin track and trace technology that provides surface and subsurface modelling and simulations at every stage of CCS operations.

Not only does this offer a 360-degree view of operations, enabling users to visualise and optimise carbon from point of source to point of injection, but it also saves risks and costs by allowing operators to test options in a virtual setting before rollout.

At the same time, ABB is also applying energy management optimisation software to reduce the amount of energy and chemicals being used in wastewater treatment plants. By deploying Optimax, ABB’s scalable energy management solution for industrial and commercial customers, the firm’s clients can reduce their emissions and maximise profitability by leveraging a versatile asset mix, revolutionising business practices.

It’s not just technologies that are enabling

Story type

#digital (main category)

#environmental sustainability, #innovation

Benefits

▸ ABB’s Optimax is enabling customers to reduce their emissions and maximise profitability by leveraging a versatile asset mix.

▸ ABB’s turnover is expected to grow to US$29m in 2024.

Key findings

For industry

▸ Digital solutions not only optimize production and minimize downtime but are now a key weapon in helping industry reduce greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption.

ABB at a glance:

Key products and services: robotics and discreet automation, electrification, motion and process automation.

Headquarters: Zurich, Switzerland

Year established: 1998

Number of employees: +105,000

Revenue: £24.4bn

ABB to drive transformation agendas forward, however. Equally, the firm is collaborating with a variety of key experts to develop an industry leading ecosystem. This includes Hydrogen Optimized, IBM and Worley in green hydrogen, Pace CCS and Computer Modelling Group in CCS, and DHI Group in Wastewater management. Moreover, ABB’s commitment to addressing skill shortages is evident in its decade-long partnership with Imperial College London, equipping the next generation with the expertise to propel industrial processes towards net-zero goals. With its eyes firmly on aiding a greener, more sustainable future, ABB is excelling through its multi-faceted efforts. Notably, turnover from its sustainability business totalled £22m in 2023, with this expected to grow to US$29m in 2024.

Having already brought together 19 disparate applications under one framework, and more than doubled the number of staff it has dedicated to sustainable industrial solutions, ABB is poised to sustain its momentum throughout this year and beyond.

ABL Group (APAC)

Countering COVID-19 with a solutions-based exporting strategy

Donny

Ng

Regional Business Development Manager

How is ABL APAC thriving?

Established through a merger and rebranding exercise in 2020, ABL APAC has achieved much in the space of four short years. Working to manage a major restructuring process, the firm has prioritised employee retention, skills development, client relationships and energy transition. Resultantly, and with a focus on futureproofing, the company has successfully consolidated and is now set to triple its renewables revenue by 2025.

The challenge - With roots dating back to 1856, ABL Group is a global, independent energy, marine and engineering consultant working to de-risk and drive sustainability across projects and assets in renewables, maritime and oil and gas. Of the company’s 1,800 employees, 500 reside in the Asia Pacific region that is strategically significant for its overall success.

At the core of the company’s survive and thrive story is the acquisition of LOC (London Offshore Consultants) by AB (AqualisBraemer), the result of which formed ABL in 2020. Indeed, any merger or acquisition will present challenges. In the case of ABL, however, working to combine two large marine consultancy companies that had been competitors created a scenario of significant uncertainty.

Indeed, while both management teams worked hard to achieve the optimal arrangements, conditions and outcomes from which the business could move forward, it was unavoidable that some staff would be apprehensive, resistance or unhappy with the required changes. As a result, with the two companies undergoing major restructuring and merger integration efforts between 2021 and 2022, several good employees were lost in the process.

Critically, this drop in headcount risked impacting ABL’s resources and service offering, and its ability to meet client expectations. However, at the same time, the merger brought significant organic growth – particularly within the APAC region – with ABL also acquiring Add Energy, AGR and Delta Wind Partners to further complicate matters.

To navigate this situation, ABL APAC needed to strategise on how to move forward with effective personnel utilisation for the region.

The solution - The strategy spanned several different fronts, with employees being a major focus.

To ensure it could retain key staff and continue to operate effectively amidst business growth, the firm prioritised the equipping of its consultants with the necessary skills and knowledge to carry out onshore and offshore inspections safely and successfully, with feedback gathered through “HELP Cards” for continuous improvement.

These efforts were then underpinned by the development of a structured human resources function to take care of all employee issues and needs. The department is also responsible for ensuring that a proper staff acquisition process is in place and carried out, with initiatives regarding staff retention and progression and succession now inplace. Meanwhile, ABL hired a Group People’s Director for the first time, responsible for monitoring and implementing policies and activities to ensure good employee health in the company.

In addition, a similar approach has been taken regarding the firm’s clients.

Here, it has put energy and resources into reiterating key company messaging around how ABL always does the best it can while ensuring transparency, integrity and responsibility – characteristics that marry with its “Seek the Truth” motto. Equally, the company has worked hard to align more closely with client expectations.

The latter has been particularly challenging given the need to take into account local market requirements and expectations, with the merger having expanded the company’s footprint from 30 offices to 60. However, ABL has worked tirelessly to do this, listening to clients as well as working closely with its technical board to ensure that final deliverables meet customers’ unique standards.

While this will be vital in ensuring the company is able to retain key clients, it has also futureproofed in other ways, not least through committing to secure 50% of its revenue from renewables or clean energy projects by 2025. Through these efforts, not only has ABL

Story type

#collaboration (main category)

#environmental sustainability

Benefits

▸ Internal restructuration with the development of the human resources department, to assist with staff retention, career progression and more.

▸ ABL is committed to secure 50% of its revenue from renewables or clean energy by 2050.

Key findings

For industry

▸ Plan the business and have strong strategies too follow. Don’t take failure with a negative perspective.

▸ Be inspiring and innovative as the energy industry needs to have a sustainable drive to help continue to grow.

For government

▸ Simply legislations so external organisations can invest and develop/grow the energy sector.

ABL (APAC) at a glance:

Key products and services: energy consultancy in all energy and maritime/ shipping sectors.

Main industries served: ▸ Oil and gas – 35% ▸ Offshore renewable energy – 30%

Onshore renewable energy – 5% ▸ Hydrogen – 5%

▸ Carbon capture – 5% ▸ Energy storage – 5%

▸ Others (non-energy): 15%

Headquarters: London, UK

Year established: 2020 (merger)

Number of employees: 500 (APAC)

Revenue: £32.8m (APAC)

Revenue from exports: N/A

successfully navigated the turbulence of its merger, but the firm is now also on track to treble its revenue derived from renewables and energy transition, consolidating the business for years to come.

ABL Group (Malaysia)

Proving that cost isn’t always king

Mohd Saifuddin Md Salleh Country Manager

How is ABL Malaysia thriving?

In the wake of challenging market conditions post-pandemic – where competitors became engaged in a price war to secure contracts – ABL Malaysia chose a different path, emphasising the superior value it could provide as a premier specialist in marine and energy solutions, offering comprehensive services under one roof.

Through strategic diversification of its offerings, elevation of technical standards, and leveraging the collective experience of the broader group, the company has witnessed a remarkable surge in revenues from 2019 to 2023.

The challenge - ABL, a premier independent global energy and marine consultancy, boasts a workforce of 1,800 professionals spread across 62 offices in 38 countries. Its comprehensive range of services includes technical advisory, consultancy, and software solutions, all geared towards enhancing safety and sustainability across project and asset lifecycles.

Within this global network, ABL Malaysia stands out as a vital regional division.

Despite the inherent challenges posed by the pandemic, ABL Malaysia encountered a fresh set of obstacles as the industry emerged into the post-COVID era. In early 2021, the regional division confronted intensified competition as rival firms slashed rates by up to 40%, signalling a more aggressive market landscape. As businesses scrambled to secure contracts and ramp up operations, ABL Malaysia found itself losing ground in tender bids – particularly among local operators. Simultaneously, the regulatory landscape in certain Malaysian states underwent revisions, introducing additional complexities and elongating bureaucratic processes.

The solution - Rather than watching its market share dwindle, ABL Malaysia acted quickly, strategically repositioning itself in the eyes of its clientele while leveraging its expertise and resources to outshine competitors.

Recognising that mirroring competitors’ cost-cutting measures was neither sensible nor sustainable in the long term, the firm embarked on a journey to showcase and augment the value it could deliver to its customers.

Here, it proactively engaged with clients faceto-face, highlighting the comprehensive offering of ABL Malaysia within the broader global framework. This included emphasising the integrated nature of its services and its ability to provide customers with holistic support. Indeed, ABL Malaysia prides itself on being a comprehensive one-stop destination for energy and marine solutions, with particular expertise in de-risking customer operations. In this respect, being part of the wider ABL Group continues to pay dividends, with ABL Malaysia able to leverage lessons learned from various countries and capitalise on its high global technical standards to deliver market-leading results. Further, it has also been able to diversify its offering, bringing additional value to the table for its customers with a major emphasis on enhancing its expertise in key renewables markets.

Through these efforts, ABL Malaysia has proven to its customers that cost isn’t always king. Through a testing period, it has demonstrated the heightened value that it can bring to the table through its extensive expertise and one-stop shop offering, and positioned itself as part of a highly renowned, reputable global group.

Indeed, not only has the firm avoided lowering its prices to unsustainable levels during a time of significant challenge, but it has also seen a dramatic increase in output compared with even the pre- COVID era.

Having recorded revenues of US$1.2m in 2019 and US$1.4m in 2020, it then consecutively secured revenue exceeding US$2.9m between 2021 and 2023 – a sharp rise that is testament to the firm’s strategic repositioning. With ABL Malaysia now set to focus attention on the evolving marine, sustainability and energy transition markets such as hydrogen, battery energy storage systems and floating solar during 2024, the regional division will only continue to heighten its reputation and improve its offering for customers moving forward, further consolidating its reputation as a best-in-class marine and energy consultancy.

Story type

#service & solutions (main category)

#transformation, #people & competency

Benefits

▸ ABL’s successful diversification strategy is bringing additional value to its customers.

▸ Malaysia’s division is breaking revenue records.

Key findings

For industry

▸ Step out of your comfort zone.

For government

▸ Tax incentives and lower service tax for local companies.

▸ Invest in energy roadmap.

ABL Malaysia at a glance:

Key products and services: energy consultancy in all energy and maritime/ shipping sectors.

Main industries served:

▸ Oil and gas – 50%

▸ Others (energy: project cargo) –15%

▸ Others (non-energy: loss prevention, risk management, maritime sector) – 35%

Headquarters: London, UK

Year established: 1985

Number of employees: 1800 (Group)

Revenue: £104m (Group)

Revenue from exports: N/A

ABL Group (UK)

Driving the sustainability of energy and oceans

Reuben Segal CEO

How is ABL Group thriving?

ABL Group continues to diversify from its reliance on oil and gas with a mission to provide sustainable solutions to both the energy and shipping/marine industries. Such has been the momentum being gathered, almost a quarter of all revenue came from the renewables segment in 2023, with plans to double this part of the business in three-year cycles.

The challenge - Up until 2012 – a year in which ABL Group acquired a specialist offshore wind consultancy business OWC – the company had almost exclusively conducted its business of providing independent consulting services within the traditional oil and gas and maritime sectors.

That acquisition marked an important turning point. Since then, the company has rapidly diversifi ed its service offering with the evolution of the energy market to tackle the heightened threats to energy security and the impact of climate change. Indeed, it became clear that its clients needed services beyond traditional oil and gas or maritime projects – the time had come for ABL to pivot and grow this new line of business.

The solution - During the decade or so since, ABL has turbocharged its diversified offering.

OWC, acquired with a team of just three people, is now a global renewable energy consultancy supporting onshore and offshore renewable development, its expertise spanning offshore wind, onshore wind, battery storage, solar, and green hydrogen. The division has worked on several energy transition projects – these include offshore wind powering an oil and gas platform, green hydrogen production, and tracking carbon emissions of renewable projects. In 2023 alone, OWC grew organically by 40%.

ABL has also made several other notable acquisitions to add to its roster of onshore and offshore renewables capabilities, including Innosea in 2017, East Point Geo in 2021 and Delta Wind Partners in 2023.

In recent years, much of the company’s growth has been driven at the C-Suite level. When it formally became known as ABL Group in 2020, a role for a Chief Energy Transition Officer was immediately created and occupied

by Dr RV Ahilan. This role is focused on consolidating and growing the firm’s group-wide energy transition portfolio, which continues to go from strength to strength on the back of both organic growth and strategic mergers and acquisitions.

Structurally, ABL Group’s energy transition portfolio is split into six pillars – emissions, hydrogen and Power to X, energy storage, electrification, climate change assessment risk and resilience, and carbon capture utilisation and storage (CCUS). Through these focus areas, the company operates firmly in the belief that renewables will outgrow its traditional oil and gas revenue streams in the longer term, an ambition underpinned by its newly defined purpose for 2024 onwards: Driving the Sustainability of Energy and Oceans.

Sustainability-driven projects continue to be added to the pipeline. For instance, earlier this year ABL’s engineering and ship design expert, Longitude Engineering, was selected to support a consortium led by vessel owner and operator Bibby Marine for the design of the world’s first zero-emission electric Service Operation Vessel (eSOV). Specifi cally, the company is responsible for developing the design to Approval in Principle level for verifi cation of the energy storage system and methanol system philosophy, as well as providing design development and support for shipyard pricing.

The eSOV is based on Longitude Engineering’s OSD-IMT9605 design. It will be powered by a hybrid 20MWh battery system and dual-fuel methanol generators for back-up and offshore charging capability, enabling the vessel to provide ultra-low emission support to offshore construction, operations, and maintenance activities for the offshore renewables sector in the UK and elsewhere in Europe.

Pioneering projects such as these will go a long way to fulfilling ABL Group’s new purpose. Looking at the figures, the direction of travel is already promising, with 23% of company revenue being derived from renewables work in 2023. The aim now, is to double this income base every three years. Attracting and retaining staff will be key to this, and here ABL is also well-placed to thrive after recording 95% retention last year.

Story type

#energy transition (main category) #diversification

Benefits

▸ ABL Group achieved a recording 95% staff retention in 2023.

▸ Increase in revenues from renewables.

Key findings

For industry

▸ It is the perfect time to work in the energy sector. There are so many opportunities right now.

▸ Be adaptable. The oil and gas sector is a great route into renewables.

For government

▸ Keep pushing net zero ambitions, don’t fail to follow through.

ABL Group at a glance:

Key products and services: energy consultancy in all energy and maritime/ shipping sectors.

Main industries served: ▸ Oil and gas – 63%

▸ Offshore renewable energy – 19% ▸ Onshore renewable energy – 2% ▸ Carbon capture – 1,25%

▸ Hydrogen – 1,25%

▸ Energy storage – 0,5%

▸ Others (non-energy: maritime) – 13%

Headquarters: London, UK

Year established: 2012

Number of employees: 1,800

Revenue: £200m

Revenue from exports: 80%

Airpac Rentals

Investing in optimisation and people in readiness for the pandemic recovery

Haydn Davies Managing Director

How is Airpac Rentals thriving?

Airpac Rentals, rather than cut back when market conditions were extremely challenging, decided to use the pandemic period as an opportunity to develop means of operating with maximum impact for clients. Alongside optimising how it fulfils client demands, the company has also invested heavily in its next generation of talent.

The challenge - In operation for nearly 50 years, Airpac Rentals has made its name through the provision of an expansive range of air compressors, steam generators, steam heat exchangers, nitrogen production units, sand filters, coflexip hoses and air treatment ancillaries. Operating out of bases in Aberdeen and Great Yarmouth in the UK, the company also has an international footprint with setups in Singapore and Perth, Australia.

The COVID pandemic presented Airpac Rentals with many challenges. Exporting, supplying people and doing business across borders wasn’t possible. Revenues suffered, but rather than choose to downsize or consolidate, Airpac and its parent company stood firm by coming up with a plan to bounce back stronger when the industry picked up.

The solution - The company’s leadership were confident that the market would recover, and numerous actions were taken in preparation.

An analysis of fleet utilisation was one such initiative, with a focus on how to best optimise its assets across different regions. Recognising that it can’t physically be everywhere, Airpac’s leadership has had to think strategically and pick hot spots from which it can be fluid in the allocation of its equipment and therefore better serve clients. To this end, the company is considering opening more global offices to add to its bases in Australia and Singapore which have served it well for over 17 years.

Collaboration and communication with customers will be crucial, not just for optimising where it locates its rental fleet, but also in terms of staying one step ahead of their demands. This is especially the case when it comes to ESG priorities, with many clients on ambitious sustainability roadmaps which will see them seek to use more environmentally friendly solutions. In response, Airpac Rentals has increased its fleet of electric com-

pressors and continues to venture along its own roadmap to net zero by 2050.

Investing in cutting-edge equipment will be central to fulfilling these ESG ambitions. Likewise, investing in people who are able to maintain, service and sell these assets will be equally important to Airpac’s success.

Here, the company also realises the need to futureproof itself through the onboarding of younger generations of talent, not only to fill labour gaps when older employees retire but also to bring fresh and new ideas to the table.

To make the industry more attractive to them, Airpac Rentals offers a comprehensive four-year Workshop Technician – Mechanical Level 3 Apprenticeship scheme, combining practical experience with theoretical education.

In the first year, apprentices learn foundational skills under experienced mentors, undertaking basic tasks while pursuing a Performing Engineering Operations Level 2 qualification at college. The second year focuses on diagnosing faults, repairs, and servicing, complemented by a Level 5 National Certificate. The third year marks a significant progression, with apprentices taking on more responsibility, advising on repairs, diagnosing complex faults, and executing repairs independently. They continue their education, aiming to complete National Certificate Level 5/6 while engaging in work-based projects. In the final year, apprentices consolidate their skills, entrusted with job cards and preparing assets for hire, ensuring maintenance tasks meet exacting standards. A key feature of year four is the emphasis on autonomy and proficiency, a major goal being to prepare apprentices for their transition into fully-fledged Workshop Technicians.

In addition, Airpac Rentals has also worked hard to foster a positive work culture underpinned by a thirst for innovation, knowledge sharing and respect for others. The business adopts a personal approach with its colleagues, emphasising the development of softer behavioural skills as well as the transactional skills needed to do the job. This appears to be working, with the average length of employee stay increasing in recent years.

Besides that, Airpac Rentals has also been able to recover revenue performance since

Story type

#people & competency (main category)

#optimisation, #service & solutions

Benefits

▸ Increase in average length of employee stay.

▸ Revenue performance recovered to pre-pandemic levels. Growth back on track.

Key findings

For industry

▸ Trust the people you employ and listen to them.

▸ Don’t be afraid to challenge the way things have been done: fail to prepare and prepare to fail.

For government

▸ Engage and communicate with the industry more.

Airpac Rentals at a glance:

Key products and services: compressed air and steam generation solutions.

Main industries served:

▸ Oil and gas – 85%

▸ Onshore renewable energy – 5%

▸ Others (non-energy): construction –10%

Headquarters: Aberdeen, UK

Year established: 1975

Number of employees: 80

Revenue from exports: 70%

the pandemic. Now entering a growth phase once again, the company’s decision to stay the course through the difficult years was a bold but justified one.

Airswift

Operating as a harmonious entity primed for rapid growth

How is Airswift thriving?

Janette Marx CEO

After consolidating as Airswift in 2016, what could have been a disparate group of siloed teams came together to form a global company with a unified vision and purpose. More acquisitions have followed since due to the integration process being seamless thanks to the foundations which were laid by the firm’s new executive leadership team. Today, Airswift is on an upward trajectory as it passes the US$1.5b revenue milestone.

The challenge - Workforce solutions provider Airswift has spent much of the last decade in a state of transformative change. Forming out of a merger of Air and Swift in 2016, the company was eager to build a platform for even more rapid growth to tap into opportunities emanating out of the energy sector on a truly global and sizable scale.

However, such growth needed to be sustainable. As more countries were added to its roster, Airswift was in danger of becoming too fragmented and decentralised and, therefore, not drawing on the strength of the broader organisation.

The soluti on - To address this challenge, a new C-suite team came together during the merger process to lead the integration of the two entities.

This has unfolded in numerous stages over the ensuing years, with the major focus being to build a winning culture from the outset. Here, the company brought its top performers together with the executive leadership to become ambassadors of the newly merged team.

After key systems in HR, finance and IT were aligned in 2017, attention turned to how the merged entity could drive growth. This led to the establishment of three delivery centre hubs across key regions (UK, Brazil and Malaysia) –operating as market-facing groups. The idea is that recruiters can work locally and internationally as part of one transparent, global system.

This laid the groundwork for acquisition-based growth. In 2021, Airswift acquired Compe-

tentia and integrated it into the business in the space of just six months. Two years later, in 2023, the company acquired Energy Resourcing to further build out its capabilities and reach.

Another crucial development has been the creation of the Global Leadership Team (GLT). Formed in 2020 and rotating in personnel annually, its aim is to harness the collective expertise of the senior leaders across the business to innovate, collaborate and drive positive change throughout the organisation. One of GLT’s most significant impacts came in its first year of existence. During a highly volatile period for the oil market, the #DV8 initiative emerged – a concentrated effort to diversify Airswift’s STEM and non-oil and gas portfolios. This led to the formation of a dedicated STEM division, its remit being to strategically focus on critical skill sets in sectors such as process, infrastructure, and technology. Such has been its impact, it now commands a quarter of the company’s overall gross profit.

Airswift also recognised the importance of achieving employee buy-in from the very outset of the change process.

To this end, the company conducts regular employee engagement surveys, including pulse checks bi-annually, in addition to a comprehensive survey annually. In 2023, 93% of its colleagues said they felt valued within the business, which seeks to increase this to 94% by the end of 2024. Meanwhile, learning and development satisfaction was rated an impressive 4.72 out of five in 2023, the aim being to boost this to 4.8 by year-end.

Over time, Airswift has become a much more cohesive entity. Its workforce is unified and engaged, and that is feeding into a promising financial performance which has seen the business achieve its 2025 targets two years early. Now, as a US$1.5b enterprise, the sky is the limit for Airswift and its highly ambitious team.

Story type

#transformation (main category)

#culture, #scale up

Benefits

▸ Staff engagement highlights that 93% of Airswift’s employees feel valued by their organisation.

▸ Airswift’s promising financial performance achieved its 2025 targets two years early.

Key findings

For industry

▸ Be open and adaptable. When things happen in a company, accept it, understand it, be part of the change, own it and lead from the front with your actions.

▸ Build a culture of innovation: hear the great ideas from all in your organisation and foster the ability to have real conversations across organisation.

For government

▸ Work with both sides of the aisle, to help us have better outcomes. We need all types of energy, now and in the future.

Airswift at a glance:

Key products and services: recruiting, service provider.

Main industries served:

▸ Energy - 75%

▸ Infrastructure, process, technology accounting - 25%

▸ Others (non-energy) - loss prevention, risk management, maritime sector - 35%

Headquarters: Houston, US

Year established: 1979

Number of employees: +1,000

Revenue: £1.2bn

Revenue from exports: N/A

AIS (UAE)

Taking on a new challenge in the South China Sea

How is AIS thriving?

Nitin Abdul Gafoor General Manager

Never one to duck a challenge, AIS took on arguably its most complex project to date in the form of a client’s gas platform off the coast of Malaysia. Facing issues around scale, access, traceability and time, the company drew on all its experience and ingenuity to deliver on time and within budget.

The challenge - Since 2007, passive fire protection specialist AIS has grown from a company of fewer than 10 people working out of a single site to a truly global organisation with a team of 650 employees operating across many regions of the world.

The company is built on an innovation- and collaboration-driven approach to solving customers’ bespoke problems, its can-do attitude winning over many energy sector clients with assets that require complex and challenging fire protection needs.

That approach, as well as its formidable base of expertise, would be put to the test when it tendered for and won a contract to provide a solution for a client operating in the Kasawari Field Development Project, 200km off the coast of Malaysia in the South China Sea.

The solution - AIS’ brief was to supply passive fire protection for AGRU skids which had been installed by another supplier onto its drilling and processing platforms that produce 900 million standard cubic feet of gas per day.

The scale was immense, and the client was seeking a solution that was also simple to remove and install so it could carry out frequent inspections of equipment. AIS was faced with several complex nuances, including a lack of space around the existing insulation on the AGRU skids, leaving its team with very few design options. Harsh marine weather conditions also had to be accounted for in the design in a way that did not add any further structural members. Meanwhile, the sheer scale of the project required more than 3,000 pieces of AIS’ product, creating logistical, manufacturing and traceability issues, with a project timeline of just four months post design approval adding to the list of challenges.

Faced with a heady mix of potential problems, AIS knew it would have to think outside of the box. Despite the formidable challenge it faced, it is these very situations in which the

company thrives. Thanks to meticulous planning, attention to detail and an innovative hybrid approach to the design that made use of state-of-the-art 3D scanning technology, the company managed to complete the project on time, meeting the delivery and installation commitments with the client.

Key to its success was nailing down the detail early on. AIS worked on three different designs which were evaluated internally with project, design, manufacturing, logistics and installation teams to decide the most feasible option. Crucially, the design fulfilled the aforementioned weather proofing requirements without the use of any additional structural members. To achieve this, the design incorporated PFP panels to facilitate water run off on the top panels, as well as additional weather skins which would ensure no water logging between PFP joints.

Installation was also factored in at the design stage, with AIS coming up with specific tools which would allow for improved access to constrained areas of the equipment. To overcome the traceability challenge, an identification and traceability matrix was established and communicated with internal and external stakeholders during the design phase. This helped to streamline communication and ensure traceability during quality inspections and site installation.

After further fine-tuning of the design with the client, a mock setup of the equipment with actual clearances was carried out at AIS’ manufacturing facility to trial the design concept and prepare the installation sequence, giving the client confidence in the installation process and the likelihood of success. Such confidence was well-placed. As well as ticking all the boxes for the client, this approach to working has uncovered numerous productivity gains for AIS. The company was able to improve its production efficiency by 20%, while raw material resizing reduced wastage by 9%, which in turn contributed to an overall cost saving of 18%.

With such a complex project successfully added to its portfolio, AIS is now better placed than ever to support clients with the most bespoke and challenging passive fire protection needs.

Story type

#innovation (main category)

#resilience

Benefits

▸ Overall cost savings of 18%.

Key findings

For industry

▸ Embrace challenges as learning opportunities.

▸ Having a talented team sharing your vision, values and most importantly passion will go a long way. Empower your team members and foster open communication.

For government

▸ It would be ideal to have frameworks and an action plan in place to prioritise the award of major projects to in-country manufacturing business.

AIS (UAE) at a glance:

Key products and services: products that protect people and high-value assets from mechanical breakage, heat, fire, explosion and heat loss.

Main industries served:

▸ Oil and gas – 70%

▸ Conventional power – 20%

▸ Others (non-energy) – 10%

Headquarters: Gloucester, UK

Year established: 1993

Number of employees: 650 (Group), 32 (UAE)

Revenue: £111m (Group), £4.4m (UAE)

Revenue from exports: 71%

AIS (UK)

How one acquisition has driven multi-million-pound sales, streamlined processed and cost efficiencies

Story type

#optimisation, #transformation (main categories)

#scale up

Benefits

▸ Integration allowed £3.4m in savings and £6.5m in cross-selling sales.

Andrew Bennion

How is AIS UK thriving?

Through the transformative acquisition of CRP Subsea in November 2022, AIS has successfully forged significant synergies, efficiencies and cross-selling benefits, enabling the firm to double its revenues while optimising its product portfolios, facilities, supply chains and sales approaches.

With all these benefits and two significant contracts awarded in Australia and Brazil, the firm has excelled in the past 12 months.

The challenge - It’s no secret that the financial market has a negative perception of oil & gas companies. With sustainability and ESG increasingly a driving factor behind key business decisions, a private equity investor in AIS has laid out ambitions for the company to exit in the not-too-distant future.

In response, AIS has been working hard to diversify away from its overreliance on oil & gas – not only to meet these demands, but also to become more resilient and capitalise on a more diverse array of market opportunities.

As part of these efforts, the firm sought to acquire CRP Subsea – a process that concluded in November 2022. With AIS already investing in buoyancy, and CRP established as a market leader in buoyancy and offshore wind cable protection systems, it was a logical fit.

However, the challenge for 2023 was laid bare. AIS had to optimise the acquisition of CRP Subsea, finding cost savings and cross-selling opportunities, all while integrating cultures and locations to enhance the performance of the business as a whole.

The solution - Discovering that the technologies between the two companies were significantly different, AIS set about merging various solutions as well as the engineering and manufacturing teams into one facility in Skelmsdale that was established as a centre of excellence.

In addition, all back-office functions were combined, while a new integrated sales structure was also established, with group sales now being centrally managed.

Much of the merger was driven by four different teams – technology, equipment, sales and purchasing, with project teams set up for each stream. Technical experts from both businesses worked together to optimise and

Rob Barrow Managing Director Marketing Manager

design new approaches, while at the same time helping to blend the cultures between the two organisations.

Different suppliers were also analysed to search for savings, with several low-hanging fruits resulting in significant overall gains.

Owing to significant technology transfer and vendor consolidation efforts, the combined entity was able to realise savings totalling £3.4m in year one. At the same time, cross-selling opportunities were abundant, the combination of AIS’ consolidated global footprint and CRP’s UK-centric market presence generating £6.5m in sales.

Through an earn-out strategy structured around synergy savings, motivation has remained high, with only one of the onboarded individuals leaving to retire, while the rest stayed on.

As is to be expected, AIS has encountered several challenges during the merger. What it describes as ‘not invented here’ syndrome had to be overcome through a series of meetings and events, while the safety programme of CRP had to be brought in line with AIS’ expectations.

Having overcome these, however, the merits have otherwise been significant.

Alongside the £3.4m in savings and £6.5m in cross-selling sales that the integration has helped to bring to fruition, internal analysis shows that due to the synergies of the two companies, the EBITDA percentage has doubled, marking an £8.2m uptick.

The firm also has fewer open vacancies following the acquisition, dropping from a peak of 100 in 2023 to around 30 at present, largely driven by scaling up efforts in various departments. Additionally, AIS also won several contracts that it otherwise would have struggled to secure pre-acquisition. In Australia, for example, the company secured a major deal for a field against local competition worth approximately £5m. The firm’s new synergies have made it more competitive, ensuring it secured the job.

Elsewhere, in Brazil, the integration of CRP Subsea has broadened its product portfolio and contributed significantly to an increase in regional exports – up 85.6% in 2023, with the country now accounting for 17% of total group revenue.

▸ Major new contracts secured in Australia and Brazil, with the latter now accounting for 17% of AIS’ total revenue.

Key findings

For industry

▸ Keep an eye on your overall target and stay resilient.

▸ Support smaller companies in developing technology and work with the supply chain.

For government

▸ Align the energy transition message with actual policies and support businesses.

AIS (UK) at a glance:

Key products and services: products that protect people and high-value assets from mechanical breakage, heat, fire, explosion and heat loss.

Main industries served:

▸ Oil and gas – 73%

▸ Offshore renewable energy – 15%

▸ Others (non-energy): marine, ports and harbours, industrial – 12%

Headquarters: Gloucester, UK

Year established: 1993

Number of employees: 652

Revenue: £111m

Revenue from exports: 83.7%

Having also secured a first order with Petrobras in addition to orders from NPCC and NOV, the future looks brighter than ever for a newly reinforced, integrated AIS. Today, the firm’s market position stands strong in several key areas – third in global cable protection, first for bend protection, first for subsea insulation on structures, and second for buoyancy for flexible umbilicals.

Following a highly successful year in 2023, 2024 will very much be a case of watch this space for AIS as it seeks to build on this progress.

Alderley

Putting metering on the energy transition map

Shepherd Group Business Development Director

How is Alderley thriving?

Alderley’s mission is to make metering a central component of energy transition strategies at a macro level. The company provides bespoke solutions and develops partnership collaborations with its clients with an emphasis on developing best-in-class digital asset management packages.

The challenge - Energy trilemma has been around for decades but remains unsolved. Alderley as a metering specialist, believe that tailored metering and measurement solutions are central to driving efficiencies across different energy industries by accurately measuring the flow of energy in either liquid or gaseous form. Only by doing this, is it possible to determine the quantity, quality, and impact of the energy in a particular system. For this reason, Alderley promises to ‘maximise the performance of your energy assets’.

However, in reality, relatively little attention has been paid to metering. This is something Alderley is seeking to change. Much of the company’s work over the past five years has been focused on overcoming this challenge. How can the company increase awareness and knowledge around the impact that accurate metering processes can have on decarbonisation efforts?

The solution - Alderley has been engineering high-performance flow measurement solutions that are essential to maximising the performance of energy assets for 60 years.

Alderley’s value proposition is clear. High-performance flow measurement systems should be used to determine the quantity, quality, and impact of energy; characterise current performance and gaps; inform mechanisms for improvement; enable progress tracking against targets; and ensure that the energy produced, distributed and consumed is at the optimum value and efficiency. Digitalisation of the metering outputs is crucial to the modern world.

Central to this, and key to Alderley’s strategy, is shifting the industry’s mindset so it views flow measurement as an integrated system rather than simply a tool flow that ensures compliance. This goes equally for traditional hydrocarbon systems or emerging technologies such as hydrogen and CCUS.

The company has engaged with its clients on

how they can properly address the issue of measurement, identifying knowledge gaps around metering gases and liquids, by developing bespoke metering and digital solutions to answer this need.

Alongside this, Alderley has designed an industry-leading digital package (Smart Asset Management), which enables users to extract the most value out of their flow measurement data.

The wider educational piece has also been important. Here, the company has conducted multiple thought leadership campaigns and technical seminars to promote consultancy studies and emphasise the importance of metering in the emerging low-carbon energy sector. Some of this work has been carried out in partnership with clients, this consultative and collaborative approach being another hallmark of its strategy.

Much of this has been made possible by several internal developments, not least around personnel. As well as a strategic restructuring, significant investments have been made to bolster the company’s expertise in metering as well as enhance its digital offering. In fact, over the last 18 months the digital team has now expanded to 17 employees globally. A major priority is to continue attracting skilled technicians and software developers into the business.

This will enable Alderley to continue building momentum in the area of metering and digital consultancy for the modern world. Already, the company has enhanced its client relationships and is now a go-to solutions provider with IOCs and NOCs, in particular in the North Sea and Middle East, which are turning to it for metering and digital solutions. From a thought leadership perspective, Alderley has been invited to contribute to multiple technical events, while it has also been awarded a £80,000 grant to boost its R&D programme. In terms of financial performance, the trajectory is promising. Alderley has already delivered £600,000 in consultancy work in the metering and low-carbon space and grown its pipeline for CCUS and Hydrogen to £150m over the last two years. Overall revenue, meanwhile, reached £85m in 2023, well up on its pre-pandemic income levels. Such figures show great potential – potential that the company hopes to further realise through 2024 and beyond.

Story type

#digital (main category)

#energy transition

Benefits

▸ Revenue growth from its consultancy and digital work.

▸ Awarded a £80,000 grant to continue successful work in R&D.

Key findings

For industry

▸ Have a purpose. Don’t settle, push boundaries and you can make positive change.

▸ To remain significant in the energy market, UK companies need government investment in order to secure and export its expertise to the global market.

For government

▸ Government investment. A clear industrial and energy strategy for the long-term.

Alderley at a glance:

Key products and services: metering, advanced digital, mechanical, hydraulic, electrical, process, consultancy, control systems, training and aftermarket services.

Main industries served:

▸ Hydrocarbons – 90%

▸ Hydrogen – 3%

▸ Carbon capture – 7%

Headquarters: Wickwar, UK

Year established: 1989

Number of employees: 400

Revenue: £85m

Revenue from exports: 90%

Mike

AMAL

Turning a crisis into an opportunity

Lin Kok Kiat Managing Director & CEO

How is AMAL thriving?

With Malaysia’s LNG sector having faced the devasting prospect of shutting down in the face of those restrictions caused by the COVID -19 pandemic, AMAL stepped up to the mark in a big way. Refusing to be beaten, the company devised a series of practical solutions to keep critical assets operational, working tirelessly with government authorities and clients in the process. Today, it is clear that this persistence has paid off, with remarkable revenue growth coming off the back of its pandemic initiatives.

The challenge - 2024 marks an important year for Amalgamated Plant Engineering Sdn Bhd (AMAL) as it celebrates 30 years in operation. During this time, the company has emerged as a trusted partner in maintaining the onshore facilities of some of the biggest oil corporations in the East Malaysia region, including the likes of Petronas and Shell, among others.

Hurdles have arisen on this journey, with none more formidable than the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020, which ushered in disruptions of an unprecedented scale for the company.

During the initial phases of the MCO (Movement Control Order) imposed by the Malaysian government, AMAL , much like many others, confronted a series of formidable challenges that profoundly affected both its operations and its team members on a personal level. Among these challenges, a significant scarcity of labour emerged as a chief hurdle, making it arduous to adequately staff projects. Additionally, operating costs surged, and certain contractual obligations had to be frozen due to financial and operational constraints imposed by movement restrictions.

Nevertheless, instead of succumbing to the adversity, AMAL was determined to explore every possible avenue for adaptation in a bid to overcome these obstacles and futureproof itself against volatility in the future.

The solution - As the repercussions of COVID -19 became increasingly evident, AMAL engaged in multiple rounds of discussions with various stakeholder groups, including clients, partners, and regulatory bodies. Through these dialogues, the company swiftly recognised the pressing need to devise solutions to sustain its operations.

The company drew on the confidence of its leadership and teamwork-driven culture, as well as taking inspiration from the NBA in the US, which organised a bubble-style system to ensure the season could continue.

Setting out to achieve something similar, AMAL adopted many unprecedented strategies to ensure the health and safety of its employees while maintaining effi cient operational continuity.

Specific measures included the use of chartered airplanes and buses to move key personnel around, as well as the provision of ‘green bubble’ accommodation such as hotels and rental properties to minimise the risk of exposure to the virus. For those colleagues who were impacted by COVID -19, AMAL supplied food and drink, while also covering their medical treatment costs.

This all had to happen at speed. As early as March 2020, when the virus was starting to take hold in most parts of the world, the company was busy implementing these strategies. This involved approaching government agencies to request chartered flights when there were no public flights available during the MCO, and meticulously planning shift work to accommodate new procedures.

The Sarawakian government understood the urgency of the issue – as an incredibly important socioeconomic pillar, the country’s LNG sector had to continue functioning.

AMAL stood up to the task, ensuring the safe continuity of service during the most difficult of times. Indeed, such has been the satisfaction with its work, their clients are now a strong advocate for Amal’s services, entrusting the company with more projects in the time since. From a revenue perspective, the past few years have also been incredibly successful. Between 2021 and 2023, company income has more than trebled from around RM64m to RM205m, providing a clear statement of client confidence in Amal’s ability to deliver positive outcomes. Indeed, this experience has illustrated that within every challenge lies the potential for innovation and growth, and that AMAL can turn obstacles into opportunities to generate success.

Story type

#resilience (main category)

Benefits

▸ Revenue growth amid crisis, proving a successful outcome.

Key findings

For industry

▸ Be resourceful, there is always a solution. You just need to look for it.

▸ Be committed to fulfilling contractual obligations.

For government

▸ Make the process for performing work easier and more efficient. Companies have been struggling due to increased operational costs and inflation.

AMAL at a glance:

Key products and services: mechanical and civil-related project management, turnaround and maintenance services.

Main industries served:

▸ Oil and gas – 95%

▸ Conventional power – 5%

Headquarters: Sarawak, Malaysia

Year established: 1994

Number of employees: 191

Revenue: £34m

Revenue from exports: 100%

APO

Taking on the operating of a new asset to become Tunisia’s largest upstream producer

How is APO thriving?

Story type

#transformation (main category)

#culture Benefits

▸ Successful transfer of the asset to APO.

▸ Improvements to operational efficiencies and profit margins currently ongoing.

Rafik Mbarek

Joe Harrison General Manager Deputy General Manager

After taking on the operatorship of the Miskar Conventional Gas Field concession from Shell in 2022, Amilcar Petroleum Operations (APO) has risen to the challenge and now stands tall as Tunisia’s largest upstream producer of gas. The transition has been seamless despite the complexity involved, with much of the work having to be completed within a tight sixmonth timeframe.

The challenge - This year marks a significant milestone for Tunisia’s APO. Celebrating a decade since it was formed in its current capacity, the company continues to operate and maintain offshore platforms (Miskar and Hasrubal), subsea pipelines, and highly complex onshore gas plants, as well as an LPG terminal.

Recent years have not been without challenges. Firstly, APO is operating with mature assets and increasing obsolescence against a backdrop where its coholders expect ever improving safety and production performance, while simultaneously generating lower greenhouse gas emissions at ever lower unit operating costs. Alongside this, the sector is rapidly evolving on many fronts, with the COVID pandemic prompting a wave of disruption and market volatility.

Meanwhile, in 2022, APO took on a new operating agreement from ETAP (NOC) in the form of the Miskar Conventional Gas Field concession, previously operated by Shell – a move which propelled the company into its position today as the country’s leading upstream producer. Not only has production increased dramatically, but its complexity profile expanded by a factor of 10 as a result. The soluti on - The transfer of Miskar needed to be completed within six months – no mean feat given the size and complexity of the concession.

This required a great deal of work on many fronts. Important actions included the creation of a high-level steering committee with concession holders and the granting authority, as well as the formation of no fewer than 17 different task forces. This was a particularly signifi cant endeavour, with each taskforce being designed to split the transition by

activity and containing representatives from the previous operator, new operator and concession holder.

Not surprisingly, there were a few hurdles to overcome. One of them surrounded the regulatory landscape and ensuring full compliance on all fronts.

Miskar, having been operated by a foreign business entity (Shell) is now a domestic entity, a status which carries some restrictions on the use of foreign exchange. This means APO cannot simply operate the asset in the same way Shell did, which created some initial complexity for suppliers – particularly regarding payment terms.

There were also some gaps to fill from a human resources perspective. One of the most critical elements of the transition has been ensuring APO has the appropriate expertise in all areas of the operation. With some staff wishing to remain with Shell post-acquisition, APO had to move quickly to ensure it wasn’t left short.

To help with the move, APO struck an agreement with Shell to postpone the demobilisation of people, ensuring business continuity through the early days.

Fast-forward two years, and APO can be proud of how the transfer of the asset has played out to date. It was an extremely significant transaction for the business, not least because this was the first addition to its asset portfolio since it was formed.

The company is pleased to report that it has been successful in taking on the additional complexity and scale associated with the Miskar concession, with no serious HSE events or harm to people occurring in the process. It is also improving operational efficiencies and profit margins for the concession holders of both fields and has suffered no interruption in the supply of gas.

As times goes on, APO will only continue to extract greater value out of the assets and thus contribute even more to Tunisia’s oil and gas sector.

Key findings

For industry

▸ Empower all innovative roles and foster an inclusive environment –to grow human capital.

▸ Adapt to change and strive to become a credible leader in your field.

For government

▸ Support research initiatives in a way that private companies cannot and stimulate innovation.

APO at a glance:

Key products and services: Tunisia’s leading upstream producer.

Main industries served:

▸ Oil and gas – 100%

Headquarters: Tunis, Tunisia

Year established: 2014

Number of employees: 400

Revenue from exports: N/A

Applica

Strategic transformation underpinned by energy transition

How is Applica thriving?

Matthew Halle CEO

CEO Matthew Halle and his leadership team at Applica, a UK-based global resourcing specialist with offices in North America and Scandinavia, have taken significant strides in the early stages of a significant strategic overhaul.

Now focused on working with major energy companies to create more accurate and cost-effective workforce planning for their energy transition projects, the firm is enabling clients to accurately forecast, attract and retain the technical manpower they need to deliver projects on time and under budget. This new solutions business line is providing significant scale up potential which could reach unprecedented heights in 2024.

The challenge - While Applica is a company with a proud history in traditional energy markets, the company has remained conscious of the growing need for industry players to embrace energy transition in recent times.

In 2022, that consciousness materialised into more active planning. Internally, Applica recognised that many of its younger employees were passionate environmentalists, galvanising the firm to accelerate its diversification strategy away from fossil fuels.

Tapping into the EIC database to identify and research energy transition projects, the company saw several opportunities, such as the ability to leverage its major oil and gas project know-how to help design the right development team approach for hydrogen pipelines. Off the back of this market research, Applica took the decision to launch a new consultative offering for energy transition clients, helping them to design organisational charts and plan for how to build the necessary teams, how long this will take, the cost involved, and more. With the plans for this strategic shift laid out, all that was left to do was execute.

The soluti on - Kickstarting it’s transformation in September 2022, Applica hired Louisa Batten – an individual with extensive experience working in a consultative capacity – as its new Group Commercial Director to lead the campaign.

Two months later in December, the firm began

a discovery process with clients, deep diving into the needs and drivers via a series of meetings and workshops. During this process, the Applica team learned that its potential prospects were missing the necessary market intelligence and support needed to effectively outline their resourcing needs early on. For them, the ability to lean on relationships with partners like Applica would pay dividends.

Come January 2023, and Applica secured a consultancy scope with the Grain LNG. Specifically, the organisation wanted to benchmark its LNG terminal against five others across the country to understand if it was competitive, well run, and how it could improve. Having delivered the research report, Applica in turn secured additional consulting work with Grain LNG, helping it to implement the lessons learned from the benchmarking exercise.

Elsewhere, early 2023 also provided Applica with the opportunity to work with Mitsubishi Chemical Group in a more consultative capacity. Already in a client relationship for two years, Applica’s deep dive with Mitsubishi Chemical Group UK found that the firm was lacking internal knowledge of the technical manpower and mobility challenges associated with delivering a major international project, with Applica subsequently becoming its exclusive recruitment partner.

For all the milestones, there have equally been roadblocks to overcome along the way. Indeed, Applica has found in some instances that clients simply aren’t open to embracing its new consultative approach. However, in cases such as the projects for Grain LNG and Mitsubishi Chemicals, the focus on supporting energy transition aspirations in this reimagined way is already proving to be a decision well made.

Having also secured major projects from Alderley and Nacero, the firm’s four new major outsourced projects have provided an additional £5m of revenue. Further, while the initial value of the Mitsubishi Chemical project is sizeable, this could expand significantly if a final investment decision (FID) is reached – a project that could serve to double the size of Applica.

With this FID expected to materialise in early 2024, the coming year could prove to be the most significant in the company’s history.

Story type

#service & solutions (main category) Benefits

▸ Four contracts secured with major companies, including Mitsubishi and National Grid.

▸ Additional revenue of £5m provided by new outsourced projects.

Key findings

For industry

▸ Build relationships you need to be successful.

▸ Trust your people even more than what you think you should.

For government

▸ Help international businesses to plan better by collaborating and sharing experiences with other countries.

Applica at a glance:

Key products and services: resourcing of projects globally.

Main industries served:

▸ Oil and gas – 55%

▸ Offshore renewable energy – 10%

▸ Hydrogen – 10%

▸ Carbon capture – 10%

▸ Others (energy): gas to power –10%

▸ Others (non-energy): chemical –5%

Headquarters: Manchester, UK

Year established: 2018

Number of employees: 19

Revenue: £13m

Revenue from exports: 55%

Aquestia

Finding competitive advantages in the combination of three leading brands

Isaac (Izik) Goldenberg

Fire Protection, Power, Oil & Gas Global Manager

How is Aquestia thriving?

Aquestia stands as a uniquely interesting story of synergistic success in the energy market.

Established from the merger of three renowned global players, Aquestia seamlessly blends the unique expertise and offerings of each enterprise. For more than 6 decades, each of the 3 brands (DOROT-OCV-A.R.I.) were specialised not only in innovation of new hydraulic control devices but in developing their ability to analyse fluids systems and safety solutions. These synergies have not only unlocked a wealth of opportunities but have also expanded the firm’s reach to more than 140 countries worldwide.

Resultantly, in the world of fluid control solutions, this multi-faceted merger-led entity is hard to beat.

The challenge - Aquestia is a world-leading provider of optimal solutions for pressure management, surge protection, and water loss reduction, integrating uniquely developed products with innovatively designed software. Born from the merger of three industry leading brands – OCV Control Valves, A.R.I. Optimal Flow Solutions, and Dorot Control Valves – the company brings together unparalleled expertise.

OCV Control Valves is a global leader in manufacturing and supplying hydraulically operated, diaphragm actuated, automatic control valves. A.R.I. Optimal Flow Solutions, meanwhile, is global provider of solutions for the protection of liquid transmission systems. And Dorot Control Valves is a leading developer, manufacturer, and marketer of a wide range of superior quality control valves.

The combination of these three entities under the Aquestia umbrella enhances the brands’ customer service on a global scale, providing a comprehensive range of solutions and expertise across various water management systems. With a cumulative experience of 180 years in sustainable fluid control solutions, the firm offers an extensive portfolio of products and innovative technologies.

Through its 14 subsidiaries, Aquestia is equipped to address diverse control challenges across various markets and technical

requirements, with sales units in Spain, Italy, France, Germany, China, India, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, and the United States enabling the firm to cater to clients in 140 countries worldwide.

The solution - Having established itself as a newly formed corporate entity comprising three renowned global brands, the primary focus of Aquestia in the four years since its inception has been maximising sales and seizing new growth opportunities that have emerged because of the merger.

Here, there were many potential possible avenues that the combined entity could explore, with its various component parts boasting experience and expertise in key markets spanning various sectors, including oil and gas, fire protection and aviation fuelling.

Further, in each of these sectors, the constituent brands had cultivated substantial relationships with key stakeholders across the value chain, ranging from end users and EPC companies to contractors and system integrators. Quickly, several synergies were brought to the fore.

Aquestia’s global presence and excellent internal networking enables a high level of service to be delivered to its customers across various projects worldwide. Additionally, the company’s capacity for continuous innovation in control devices and hydraulic system analysis across diverse markets served as a competitive edge, distinguishing Aquestia in the market.

Through these significant merits and competitive advantages, Aquestia now stands as a leader in advanced hydraulic solutions for optimal liquid conveyance system management.

With its unparalleled offerings in surge protection, water loss reduction, and pressure management, the firm has established its position as a prominent market player, seamlessly integrating uniquely developed products with innovatively designed software.

Looking ahead, the firm will only continue to go from strength to strength, optimising its already highly diverse offering and capitalising on additional global sales opportunities over the coming years.

Story type

#innovation (main category)

#technology

Benefits

▸ Maximisation of sales and seizing new growth opportunities because of the merger.

▸ High level of service delivered to customers and its innovations has distinguished Aquestia in the market.

Key findings

For industry

▸ Understanding the market is not less important than knowing it.

▸ Build great relationships with customers.

For government

▸ Better understanding of the customers, and to have a suitable dialogue accordingly.

Aquestia at a glance:

Key products and services: manufacturing.

Main industries served:

▸ Oil and gas – 65%

▸ Conventional power – 10%

▸ Onshore renewable energy – 10%

▸ Offshore renewable energy – 5%

▸ Energy storage – 5%

▸ Others (energy) – 5%

Headquarters: Tulsa, US

Year established: 2020

Number of employees: 600

Revenue: N/A

Revenue from exports: 85%

ARC Marine

Pioneering a new, eco-friendly carbon-neutral approach to subsea asset protection and coastal defence

Steve Wright

Projects Partnership Director

How is ARC Marine thriving?

Determined to develop and commercialise a new form of sustainable material to produce subsea and coastal defence structures, ARC Marine is now bringing its reef cubes and Marine Matts to market. Following several years of product development and significant amounts of energy being devoted to securing investment, the company is delivering net positive marine impact and capturing the attention of leading blue-chip companies and corporate investors.

Oceans have been overexploited with vast areas of seabed reduced to ocean deserts almost devoid of marine life and there is an urgent need to restore marine habitat on an unprecedented scale and find a way to pay for it.

Globally industries deploy millions of tonnes of concrete into the marine environment to protect subsea assets and coastlines, but Portland cement production is a major contributor to global warming and to date very little thought has gone into designing industrial structures to benefit nature.

ARC Marine is intent on changing the status quo and is pioneering the use of eco-friendly carbon-neutral solutions that embrace nature inclusive design (NID) to protect marine infrastructure and coastlines.

However, despite their obvious environmental credentials, deliberately disrupting a well-established supply chain relationship was never going to be easy. The well-established incumbent methods of cable, pipeline and scour protection, which involve the use of concrete mattresses fitted with polypropylene rope and granite rock often shipped from Norway, would not be easy to disrupt.

The solution - ARC Marine’s initial reef creation strategy centred around raising finance to buy an ex-Royal Navy frigate and sink it to create a recreational dive attraction, akin to the HMS Scylla in Cornwall.

However, almost immediately, the founders realised that the availability of suitable ships was an issue and that sinking ships was not a scalable and sustainably sound solution.

Instead, the company decided to focus on developing eco-friendly concrete artificial reef products and identify commercial applications where industries were already deploying con-

crete at scale in the marine environment. Having trialled several artifi cial reef products, and to establish the gold industry standard for eco-friendly products, the decision was taken to develop a world class, plastic free and carbon-neutral concrete mix that maximises the use of recycled material whilst being independently verifi ed as marine safe. That solution goes by the name of Marine Crete, made into products such as reef cubes and Marine Matts. Manufactured solely from marine-friendly materials, reef cubes® are designed to support and protect life on the seafloor and coastlines and can be utilised across various industries, including aquaculture, coastal defence, reef conservation and offshore renewable energy.

Developing the solution involved a huge amount of testing and patenting processes which spanned across five years and required external investment.

Raising awareness within the investment community was therefore critical and a founder presentation at an OGV shark tank event in Aberdeen resulted in over £150,000 of new angel funding. In addition, ARC Marine worked with the Net Zero Technology Centre, to help fund the development of a new product, the Marine Matt, which is designed to protect subsea cables and pipelines.

During the early years, the business was forced to be frugal until it achieved a minimum viable product and started to gain both revenue and serious funding.

The latter started to arrive towards the end of 2021 in the form of a £2m investment. With just five people in the company at the time, the funding proved critical to accelerating forwards, and in December 2023, another £2m was raised.

Building up a pipeline of real-world deployments is key to gaining traction in the market. Here, ARC Marine has enjoyed success in Cornwall through a collaboration with the Environment Agency to enhance rock armour at Newlyn breakwater. Installed by Kier, reef cubes will be subject to a five-year study which will assess biodiversity values compared to typical rock armour and pre-cast structures. Through projects such as this, the company is starting to gain some recognition. In monetary terms, it generated revenues of more

Story type

#environmental sustainability (main category)

#energy transition, #innovation, #scale up

Benefits

▸ ARC Marine’s successful approach is resulting in a widening client base and revenue exceeding £2m in 2023.

Key findings

For industry

▸ It’s a “no-brainer”- adopt naturepositive solutions that have a clear business case to deliver long term sustainable marine impact with the potential to reduce life cycle costs.

For government

▸ Actively support technologies that can accelerate marine habitat recovery and work with stakeholders to deliver the evidence needed to justify leaving purpose-built structures on the seabed forever.

ARC Marine at a glance:

Key products and services: natureinclusive design consultancy services and supplier of carbon-neutral concrete marine structures embracing NID with applications for subsea scour, cable and pipeline protection, coastal defence units, artificial reefs, aquaculture moorings and more.

Main industries served:

▸ Offshore renewable energy (wind) – 80%

▸ Oil and gas – 5%

▸ Others ( non-energy): coastal d efence, eco-tourism, aquaculture – 15%

Headquarters: Torquay, UK

Year established: 2015

Number of employees: 20

Revenue: £2m

Revenue from exports: 10%

than £2m in 2023. Now entering the scale-up stage, the challenge is to rapidly identify and induct new and like-minded people and maintain a high growth trajectory without losing control of the ocean-focused ethos on which the firm was founded.

Armstrong International

Adapting and innovating to drive decarbonisation success

Ian Sutherland

Global Market Director, Oil & Gas, Petrochemical and Chemical Industries

How is Armstrong International thriving?

Armstrong International is a company that has never shied away from outside the box thinking and innovation. Having recognised the need to adapt its product offering to support the changing requirements of its customers and remain and the cutting edge of key energy markets, the firm has struck up a critical joint venture, enabling it to help realise significant carbon footprint reductions through leveraging waste heat.

The challenge - For over a century, Armstrong International has been solving and preventing thermal utility problems for satisfi ed customers in more than 100 countries. Now manufacturing product solutions in the US, Mexico, Canada, France, Italy, Belgium, India, China and South Korea, the company helps its clients to tick three key boxes – maximise effi ciency, lower energy use and reduce environmental emissions.

Prior to the energy transition, Armstrong had a client relations dynamic that is relatively typical with solutions providers in the energy sector. Indeed, it would continually serve its customer base by explaining and demonstrating how its products and services optimise energy savings and systems values.

Today, however, that dynamic is different. Now, customers are seeking expert advice and real experience in introducing proven decarbonisation solutions.

For Armstrong, the challenge lies in ensuring it is heard in an increasingly noisy decarbonisation solutions market. Timing is everything, with the company working hard to be in the room at the optimum moment when customers reach critical junctures, meaning its solutions can carry maximum impact.

Similarly, the company has needed to remain cognisant of customer needs, innovating new products and solutions to ensure that it can continue to serve their decarbonisation requirements amidst market changes.

The solution - In carrying out hundreds of thermal audits all over the world, Armstrong saw that steam – its primary utility of expertise – can in certain instances be replaced with other heating media. Further, the firm understood

that the primary source for heating processes may be generated away from traditional methods, such as burning fossil fuels, as companies instead leverage waste heat which can account for up to 70% of total energy generated. The company recognised that its traditional and mature marketplace, albeit very large, would continue to decline over time as industries continue to focus on cutting their carbon footprints.

In an effort to respond to these market shifts, it formed a joint venture with Combitherm GMBH in Germany – an organisation manufacturing high temperature heat pumps to produce superheated water (up to 120 degrees Celsius) and low-pressure steam from waste heat sources.

The coefficient of performance can be as high as 3.5 through the utilisation of synthetic refrigerants having ultra-low GWP and the safest A1 classification, in a package that is perfectly in line with efficient electrification for decarbonisation. Indeed, the ability to optimise traditional steam and condensate systems and assess what processes can be removed from the steam loop offers an impressive payback. The carbon footprint reductions can be significant – particularly through the use of high temperature heat pumps that leverage waste heat.

It is exactly here where Armstrong has positioned itself.

Of course, this switch has taken signifi cant time and effort to pull off. While the joint venture has been a key component of the firm’s success, it has also had to invest in strengthening its existing global audit teams, continually engaging in site visits and corporate meetings that align with its motto – that “experience matters”.

The company prides itself on getting intimate with its customers’ challenges, continually stepping outside its comfort zone to pursue new knowledge and technologies in the aim of finding the most effective solutions. By adopting new Pinch based studies, that is exactly what it has achieved with its latest breakthrough, and the results speak for themselves.

With this growth in business, the firm has in-

Story type

#optimisation (main category)

#environmental sustainability, #people & competency

Benefits

▸ Higher calibre of engineering skillsets and new industrial functions introduced.

▸ Company preparing its offering and own operations for a decarbonised future.

Key findings

For industry

▸ Never deviate from core values.

▸ Help to optimise, minimise and decarbonise clients’ processes.

For government

▸ Develop a programme of accountability.

▸ Demonstrate real transparency of progress.

Armstrong International at a glance:

Key products and services: intelligent thermal utilities solutions.

Main industries served:

▸ Oil and gas – 60%

▸ Conventional power – 5%

▸ Others (non-energy): chemical and petrochemical – 35%

Headquarters: Michigan, US Year established: 1900

Number of employees: 3,000

Revenue from exports: 60%

troduced a much higher calibre of engineering skillsets to its ranks and welcomed new industrial functions to discuss the topic of circular thermal and waste heat. Now actively recruiting for further talent in pinch auditing and solution sales, the company looks set to make the most of its continual decarbonisation innovations moving forward as demand for expertise continues to grow.

Arup

Committed to scaling up delivery of Australian offshore wind

How is Arup thriving?

Australasian Off shore Wind Lead

Arup Australia is at the very forefront of progress in Australia’s renewable energy market. Having taken the strategic decision to focus our energy work on the future – to increase the capacity of low-carbon technologies and build energy systems that support them - the firm has combined local knowledge with global experience to establish itself as a leading consulting partner for public and private organisations involved in advancing offshore wind across the country.

The challenge - Comprising consultants, designers, and global experts, Arup is a global leading player in sustainable development, working with its clients in an innovative and technologically driven manner to shape a better world. Crucially, Arup selects projects where it can make a positive impact globally, with Australia emerging as a key market. In light of escalating global warming and associated extreme weather events, the imperative to decarbonise the energy system is evident. In 2021, Arup committed to focusing its energy efforts on the future, with the aim to accelerate decarbonisation and facilitating the transition to a net-zero world. Consequently, Arup ceased undertaking new projects related to hydrocarbon-based fuels, except for select hydrogen production projects that meet specifi c criteria.

This transformative decision marked a significant shift for Arup Australia, necessitating a change of organisational emphasis and investment to help clients realise the potential of the nascent Australian offshore wind market.

The solution - By aligning its business strategy with member values, Arup has embraced positive change, solidifying its role as a leader in sustainability. This has catalysed Arup Australia’s increasing involvement in accelerating the country’s offshore wind programme. Beginning in 2021, the Arup Australia team cultivated offshore wind expertise, drawing from their conventional energy background and leveraging Arup’s experience in established offshore wind markets such as the UK and Europe.

As fossil fuel power stations in Australia are decommissioned, opportunities for new, clean power are significant. The state of Victoria, for example, aims to install at least 2GW of offshore wind generation capacity by 2032 – enough to

power 1.5 million homes. By 2040, Victoria’s target is 9GW and, with other Australian states expected to follow, these numbers will increase significantly in the foreseeable future.

Early in this process, Arup Australia provided regulatory guidance to the Australian Federal Government on establishing an offshore wind industry in the country. Now, two years into its commitment to future energy, the firm has participated in nearly 50 offshore wind projects solely within the Australian market, collaborating with a diverse range of clients including local and international developers, State Governments, Federal Governments, and port authorities. Furthermore, the Arup Australia team now also supports offshore wind projects in other emerging markets.

Part of Arup Australia’s success stems from its international reach combined with its on-theground local understanding of ecological conditions and stakeholders such as the community, environmental, and fishery bodies. Drawing upon major offshore wind infrastructure delivery experience from the UK and Europe, the Australia team leveraged the experience of Arup’s global experts to devise approaches to designs compatible with site-specific conditions. This deep understanding of local Australian conditions has also enabled the company to optimise electricity transmission solutions, conduct port and supply chain assessments, and oversee environmental, planning, and approval processes for developers. Further, another crucial aspect has been the organisation’s commitment to reskilling and upskilling existing energy professionals while also attracting offshore wind talent to join their team. Remaining optimistic about the continued growth of the offshore wind market in Australia, the firm is committed to expanding its ability to meet client needs, investing in software and digital tools for detailed foundation design and covering complex aspects such as marine spatial planning and cable routing. Increasingly, the firm is helping to integrate the wider supply chain, minimise project risk, attract investment, and ensure the sustainable delivery of offshore wind. By also continuously leveraging lessons learned across the UK, Europe, East Asia and the Americas with local knowledge and relationships, Arup Australia will no doubt play a vital role in allowing the country’s offshore wind industry to grow and thrive.

Story type

#transformation (main category)

#environmental sustainability

Benefits

▸ Capabilities expanded to meet client needs.

▸ Supporting existing staff while also looking for attracting new talent.

Key findings

For industry

▸ Focus your career on modern technologies that will help to decarbonise the planet.

Arup at a glance:

Key products and services: specialist services on infrastructure, buildings, management consulting, economics and planning.

Main industries served:

▸ Renewables – 50%

▸ Energy transition – 50%

Headquarters: London, UK

Year established: 1946

Number of employees: 18,000

Revenue: £2.2bn

Revenue from exports: N/A

Damon Sunderland

ASCO

Optimise. Strengthen. Grow.

How is ASCO thriving?

Mike Pettigrew CEO

With new CEO Mike Pettigrew at the helm, ASCO is working to transform its operations and establish itself as a key enabler of the net zero agenda. Working to realise evolutionary, sustainable change on several fronts, the firm has adopted a three-pronged go-forward strategy – optimise, strengthen and grow –that will be central to achieving its ambitions. The challenge - Headquartered in Aberdeen, ASCO is fast approaching its 60th anniversary as a leading logistics and materials management company for the global energy industry.

With over 1,500 employees operating out of its UK headquarters and international bases in Norway, Canada, Australia, Trinidad & Tobago, Senegal and Suriname, the company has truly established itself as a trusted and reliable global organisation. However, sustaining consistent growth is rarely a simple task for even the most successful businesses.

Back in August 2023, ASCO was acquired by private equity firm Endless LLP, with Mike Pettigrew being appointed as the company’s new CEO as a result of this sale.

Upon joining the company, Mike identified several areas for improvements. While the business supported several offshore wind farms already, it didn’t have any coherent strategy surrounding such operations – this was something that had to change. For the new CEO, it was essential that this was made a priority in forming the centre of ASCO’s strategy and enabling it to help its clients meet the net zero challenge head on.

The soluti on - In the time since, ASCO has continued to explore how exactly that focus should be instated. Although requirements are different for oil and gas clients against renewables, ASCO remains committed to helping its customer base find incremental areas for operational improvement and emissions reductions. wherever possible, working as a valued partner.

A key challenge has been ensuring that ASCO is engaged by its clients at an early enough stage. Too often, full project logistics are seen as a “lift and shift” operation that is not a prior-

ity in the concept of a scope of work. However, for logistics management to have maximum impact, it is important that it is a primary consideration from the outset – i.e. during the feed study, when build methodology is in its infancy. Developing a strategy to engage with offshore wind developers early on has therefore been a priority for ASCO, and this is something that has already begun to bear fruit.

In Senegal, the company supported the Senegal Supply Base (SSB) in the planning and layout of a key supply base in Dakar, the country’s capital city. Here, ASCO was able to deliver end-to-end logistics and materials management services in a six-month timeframe.

Of course, this is just one example of the evolutionary change that Mike has sought to implement among many since arriving at ASCO. Today, the firm’s go-forward strategy is based upon three key pillars.

The first of these centres around optimisation, encompassing everything from ASCO’s digital systems to its people, training practices, locations and systems. The second aims to strengthen, primarily relating to its role with existing clients and market position. The third is growth, both internationally and in relation to energy transition markets, with particular focus being placed on expanding into New Energy and Renewables including offshore wind and hydrogen.

Several steps forward are being taken in each of these directions and at present, ASCO is developing its own proprietary digital ecosystem. The firm is continuously exploring ways in which it can bring more value to clients, such as providing a fully integrated suite of services. Above this, sustainability has been highlighted as the umbrella covering the organisation’s entire go-forward strategy – an ethos that will ensure it is best placed to support the transition journeys of itself and its clients. Further, the internal culture has had to evolve, the new CEO favouring one that is “safe, supportive and passionately brave” to help provide an environment of confidence and willingness amidst ongoing evolutionary strategic changes.

Already, such a significant series of changes are resulting in a broadened project portfolio.

Story type

#service & solutions (main category)

#environmental sustainability

Benefits

▸ Expansion of project portfolio as well as plans to move into key markets such as CCUS in the next few years.

▸ Internal culture change to better fit new strategic changes.

Key findings

For industry

▸ Don’t miss the opportunity of a good crisis – net zero is a massive opportunity for entrepreneurs and individuals. Get involved and think big!

▸ Focus on the value you bring to your market – what is it we can do to make their business easier, better or more valuable?

For government

▸ Focus on getting CCS regulatory framework, as well as soften and make stable fiscal regime in UK.

ASCO at a glance:

Key products and services: logistics, transport and freight, supply base management, warehousing and storage, materials management, marine services, training, lifting and assurance, personnel and environmental services.

Main industries served:

▸ Oil and gas – 95%

▸ Offshore renewable energy – 5%

Headquarters: Aberdeen, UK

Year established: 1967

Number of employees: 1,500

Revenue: £638m (2022)

Revenue from exports: 26%

With ambitions to increase its bottom line by 40%, accelerate international expansion, and move into key markets such as New Energy and CCUS in the next five years, ASCO’s strategic efforts to optimise, strengthen and grow look well-set to come to fruition.

asset55

Launching Validate to address energy asset data quality

concerns

How is asset55 thriving?

Paul Bicker Chief Product & Technology Director

Software designed to enhance the performance of energy assets is only as good as the data that feeds it. This has been the mantra of asset55 after it discovered issues relating to data quality being fed into its Execute platform. Now, with a solution built in the form of Validate, clients are benefitting from more robust data practices and can make decisions based on optimised information. Such has been the response to the launch, much of asset55’s overall revenue growth is being driven by these two products which work so well hand in hand.

The challenge - For over a decade, software engineering technology company asset55 has helped to improve the safety and productivity credentials of clients in the energy sector. Operating on a software-as-a-service (SaaS) model, the company’s mission is simple – to empower organisations with its products and people throughout an asset lifecycle.

A large part of asset55’s value proposition, especially around its Execute platform, relies on the ability to extract and analyse data. However, recent times have seen challenges pertaining to the quality of data the company has been able to leverage from client assets. Yes, asset55 continues to perform well and enjoyed a positive 2023, but to really move to the next level, the data quality issue needed to be addressed.

The solution - Since this challenge was first identified in 2019, moves have been made to leverage support and grants to improve its R&D capability around AI and immersive technology. Significant focus has also been placed on building a culture of “incremental innovation”, with employees encouraged to innovate and bring new ideas to the table.

One of those new ideas is Validate, a software solution that acts as a data feeder to the Execute platform while providing insights into data quality issues. These include detecting instances where the wrong data is used, as well as situations where the type of data is correct, but a more specific data point within it is not accurate or suitable enough.

Using smart algorithms, Validate can cross-reference data across multiple reference points to highlight areas of data quality risk. This kind of analysis is crucial, especially

if it occurs at the start of the project cycle. Here, it can ensure issues are addressed before developments reach construction and manufacturing stages, thus saving significant costs and time that may otherwise be incurred.

Following a soft launch in 2021, the concept has gained traction with big names. ExxonMobil, for example, was a key launch client for the Validate system, which is now being commercialised and generating revenue for assett55 from the likes of IOCs, NOCs and EPCs.

Indeed, clients are extracting benefits and improving project outcomes due to gaining insights into erroneous data. In the instance of Var Energi, asset55 and the Validate system managed to validate over three billion data points, uncovering over a million errors in the process. While this created challenges for asset55 in terms of processing such volumes, the value it delivered for Var Energi has been significant.

Clients are also seeing the value in combining investments into both Execute and Validate solutions, which are proving to be an appealing prospect when packaged together. Now, a large proportion of asset55’s revenue growth is coming from sales related to these solutions, with 2023’s overall turnover of £6.5m representing a £4.3m increase on 2022. £5.4m of this came from sales in Validate and Execute.

Looking ahead, asset55 is on course to more than double revenues to £13m in 2024. Having identified and acted upon the data quality issue in earnest, the company can look to broader horizons in the years ahead.

Story type

#innovation, #service & solutions (main categories)

#digital Benefits

▸ Revenue to double in 2024, reaching £13m.

▸ £5.4m of asset55’s 2023 growth increase came from sales in Validate and Execute.

Key findings

For industry

▸ Embrace agility and innovation that SMEs can bring to the industry.

▸ Don’t get caught up in dogma and hype. CEOs can erode internal industry barriers.

For government

▸ Provide funding and assistance for SMEs to allow them to flourish.

asset55 at a glance:

Key products and services: software engineering technology company.

Main industries served:

▸ Oil and gas – 100%

Headquarters: Sunderland, UK

Year established: 2012

Number of employees: 25

Revenue: £6.5m

Revenue from exports: 60%

AsstrA

Developing a project-based model to support larger, more complex cargo transportation needs

Patrick Richardson Global Head of Business Development IPL

How is AsstrA thriving?

AsstrA, through the creation of AsstrA Industrial Project Logistics, is meeting the complex and highly bespoke needs of EPC companies engaged in the construction and expansion of energy assets. Drawing on its decades of experience, the firm supplemented this with the strategic hiring of experts with projects-based experience – starting off with four people in 2021, the unit now has a team of 45 professionals driving its growth, and delivering for customers.

The challenge - AsstrA is a truly global third-party logistics provider, with a presence in Europe, the CIS, Asia, the Middle East, and North America. In operation since 1995, it has built up a formidable network of offi ces, agents and sub-contractors who, between them, execute tens of thousands of multimodal orders every year across borders, and across continents.

More recently, the company’s leadership saw an opportunity to diversify and expand by applying the expertise of its team to the world of projects logistics. Projects are complex contracts, typically including the movement of extremely large and heavy components from their origin to final construction and assembly sites. In order to achieve its goal, acceptance by multiple EPC companies, and the resultant growth, investment in people was needed.

The solution - In 2019, the decision was taken to launch AsstrA Industrial Project Logistics, a new arm dedicated to supporting EPC clients with their bespoke transportation needs. The first step was to assemble a team of project professionals focused on providing clients with quality, competitive services that place the environment and safety first. Starting out with a small project team, immediate organic growth dictated the need to build out its capabilities further, prompting the hiring of Colin Bagwell in 2020. This was a vital move, which kickstarted expansion in the EPC market.

AsstrA had to pre-qualify as a new sub-contractor with EPC companies, a process which involves planning and attention to detail, not

least around selecting the right carriers to partner with, to fulfil the quality, HSE and sustainability norms of AsstrA .

Today, thanks to this repositioning, AsstrA can cover all aspects related to a specific capital expenditure project, including multimodal transport of equipment from global and local origins to one or more construction sites and within time constraints.

The range of services provided by AsstrA Industrial Project Logistics, encompasses professional route planning, transportability assessments, customs procedures, and numerous other factors, all required on, petrochemical plant, power generation plant, pipelines, rail infrastructure, rolling stock, airports and industrial plant.

These solutions require meticulous planning and execution, all whilst considering environmental, health & safety, geopolitical, climate, and other challenges. AsstrA’s approach, in helping clients to handle these complexities, is to offer initial advice, building trust, drawing on the experience of its team. AsstrA IPL has been expanded to include supply chain experts with knowledge of EPC processes and requirements. This has helped to attract customers in it’s target markets, including renewable sectors. Striking up relations with OEMs such as those in the power generation and transmission community, has also been key.

Over the past two years in particular, AsstrA has built up an impressive track record of completed projects. In Poland, for example, the company helped an EPC JV with an olefins plant expansion which included a wash tower built in Spain. This item, spanning 94 metres in length and weighing 827 tonnes, was shipped from the Port of Gijon to Gdansk using a Jumbo heavy lift vessel.

Success stories such as this have helped the company gain significant traction in the EPC projects market. Since 2021, headcount in the projects team has grown, along with revenues increasing from €8m in 2022 by a forecasted 800% in 2024. After two extremely busy years, momentum only looks set to build further.

Story type

#diversification (main category)

#people & competency

Benefits

▸ AsstrA was recognised with an industry award due to its work in Poland.

▸ Revenue growth from €8m in 2022 to a forecasted 80% in 2024.

Key findings

For industry

▸ Do not be scared to spread your wings and take opportunities in countries you would not necessarily consider working in initially. You will gain valuable knowledge and connections.

▸ Hire capable and smart people. When you have the right people, success will follow.

For government

▸ Relax Brexit regulations in collaboration with EU, make processes easier, allow all the best, bright minds into UK.

AsstrA at a glance:

Key products and services: logistics and transport solutions.

Main industries served:

▸ Others (non-energy: logistics and transport) – 92%

▸ Onshore renewable energy – 5%

▸ Oil and gas – 3%

Headquarters: Zurich, Switzerland

Year established: 1995

Revenue: £395m

Revenue from exports: N/A

ASYAD

Oman’s shining example of ESG-driven success

Essam Al Sheibany VP of Sustainability

How is ASYAD thriving?

ASYAD is a leading example of ESG-led success in Oman, putting into action its unwavering commitment to reform. By prioritising sustainability in its business strategy and culture, the group achieved record breaking profits, secured key funding to expand its fleet, and achieved Gold Rating on the Oman Sustainability Index for two consecutive years. This steadfast commitment to promoting positive change attracts top talent to the Oman’s logistics powerhouse.

The challenge - Sustainability is today’s futuristic force transforming the energy industry. As Oman’s global integrated logistics provider, ASYAD Group recognizes the importance of proactively evolving and adapting to sustainability demands to ensure future success.

ASYAD is committed to decarbonizing its operations, not only to meet regulatory changes and manage market pressures but to play an impactful role in the national and global drive to net zero. To that end, the group is undergoing a cross-cutting transformation, focused on its shipping business and deep seaports.

Beyond operations, sustainability is deeply ingrained into the company’s values and culture. ASYAD, as a responsible global citizen, acknowledges that achieving true sustainability is a challenging, collaborative journey that requires strong partnerships to drive innovation and share knowledge and best practices.

The solution - To advance its sustainability transformation, ASYAD began developing its ESG strategy in 2022 as the cornerstone of its wider business PKI-centered transformation for 2023. This ESG framework does not focus solely on decarbonizing the business, it extends to four key areas: environmental stewardship, thriving workplace, community engagement and robust governance.

ASYAD also created a culture of transparency by implementing disclosure mechanisms to maximize accountability and setting quantifiable milestones to track progress across its business units. This not only enhances Asyad’s reputation as a sustainable and responsible international business, but it also enables the group to attract additional funding from ESG-led investors.

The benefits of this approach are already apparent. ASYAD became the first Omani com-

pany to access sustainability link loans based on its low CO2 emissions, securing USD 35 million loan to fund the purchase two new, more eco-efficient vessels.

Financing is not the only arena where ASYAD shines. The Group in 2023 has achieved the highest ranking in the ESG Category (Platinum) during the Oman Sustainability Awards and is publishing its first public Sustainability Report in 2023 which will also undergo an international ESG rating process to verify its measurement and commitment mechanisms through the Global Reporting Initiative.

Furthermore, ASYAD has recognised major international shipping lines’ increased demand for ports to disclose ESG commitments and decarbonisation plans, as well as regulatory and operational demands for reporting on carbon footprint and emissions targets.

The transformation has also enabled ASYAD to better meet ESG criteria and regulatory requirements in various markets throughout its extensive portfolio. The sustainability impact of this strategy will echo globally given the depth of Asyad’s asset lineup that includes three deep ports, two free zones, an economic zone, and a last-mile delivery provider.

In addition, ASYAD Group operates a wide array of maritime services, with one of the largest drydocks in the middle east and a diversified fleet of more than 75 vessels, supported by a sea transport network that connects Oman to key ports across the region. This global reach offers a unique opportunity to disseminate sustainability worldwide.

Despite many challenges in retaining talents equipped with the expertise and know-how to accelerate its sustainability ambitions, as well as the increasing cost of adopting key sustainability technologies and solutions, ASYAD has remained unwavering in its commitment to change. Partnerships have proven key, with the group collaborating with Sultan Qaboos University on biofuel projects and building partnerships with international corporations to develop clean fuel alternatives and unlock new frontiers for emission reduction.

Through these efforts, ASYAD has established itself as a shining beacon and corporate role model not just for Oman, but internationally. The group’s credibility in the industry has

Story type

#environmental sustainability (main category)

#culture, #transformation

Benefits

▸ Record profit in 2022 and new self-sustaining segments.

▸ ESG entirely embraced and reputation elevated.

Key findings

For industry

▸ Build your strategy to evolve under ESG.

For government

▸ ESG should be self-driven, regulation is a key enabler to take businesses in this di-rection.

ASYAD at a glance:

Key products and services: integrated logistics solutions

Main industries served:

▸ Oil and gas – 90%

▸ Others – 10%

Headquarters: Muscat, Oman

Year established: 2016

Number of employees: +8,000

Revenue: £1.02bn

Revenue from exports: N/A

enabled it to attract promising talents and a wider client base, garnering a reputation as one of the world’s elite energy transporters in terms of sustainability.

As a result, ASYAD has been able to secure better financing to sustain its business growth and fleet expansion goals. In fact, 2022 was a record-breaking year for ASYAD in terms of profit, with business units that were previously underperforming financially becoming self-sustaining.

Overall, the group’s commitment to sustainability has been crucial to its success and its capacity to develop, adapt to and surpass sustainability requirements. This robust and forward-thinking approach is proving to be the key to Asyad’s bright future.

By integrating sustainability into its core values and culture, and emphasising transparency, collaboration, and partnerships, ASYAD has become an example of ESG-led success.

Atmos International

Innovating to offer greater value to gas and water pipeline operators

How is Atmos thriving?

Jun Zhang CEO

After forging a reputation for itself as the go-to provider of oil and gas pipeline leak detection systems, Atmos knew the fate of its long-term future lay in how well it could diversify into other fields. Investing heavily in R&D has long been a hallmark of the company, and its innovative spirit has resulted in the development of new solutions geared towards the smarter operation of gas and water pipelines.

The challenge - Atmos International was founded in 1995 with a clear value proposition to clients – to reliably detect pipeline leaks on operational pipelines. Fast-forward to the present day, and its leak detection technology has been successfully applied to over 1,500 pipelines across more than 60 countries, with a formidable pool of loyal customers providing it with steady custom.

That said, recent years have posed challenges, not least around the state of play within the oil and gas industry. The lasting impact of the pandemic on oil prices, combined with the move to net zero and phasing out of fossil fuels, has created uncertainty and reduced the appetite for investment in the field.

This prompted Atmos’ leadership to ask where the company might be in 20 years’ time. To make it sustainable in the long term, a rethink was needed, one which triggered a move to diversify into different areas.

The solution - Some of the groundwork for the company’s diversification had already been laid by the time the strategy was more formally adopted in 2020.

Atmos started innovating new products for the oil and gas market back in 2017 to generate fresh demand, with a focus on bringing value to players in the natural gas segment. This came in the form of the award-winning Atmos Intelligent Optimizer (AIO), which informs control room operators on how to run pipelines in the most optimal way while minimising energy consumption and securing gas supply for all customers.

Innovating this, and other solutions for the modern gas sector, has involved numerous investments into R&D and talent. Atmos hired AI specialists from universities to work in tandem with its internal R&D team, with external

funding also being secured from Innovate UK. Existing clients were leveraged as sounding boards to run ideas by, while the company also brought in a new business development director in the US to specifically work on commercialising the AIO product. The impact of this appointment is already being felt, with two projects ongoing with gas pipelines in the country.

The other key diversification channel has been water. Another industry heavily reliant on robust pipelines and compliance with regulation, it was a natural step to provide IoT-powered, real-time leakage detection systems to water network operators. Indeed, the water sector in England and Wales loses around three billion litres of water a day due to leakage, a reality which costs around £800m a year and contributes significant amounts of CO2 emissions.

In 2020, Atmos began R&D work into how it could serve this huge demand to reduce leakage incidents, factoring in unique challenges such as the need to create new hardware to measure flow and pressure in different types of pipelines. What’s more, systems need to be battery-powered, and therefore extremely energy efficient and cost-effective if they are to be viable.

Interest in the concept is growing. Atmos is working with four different UK water companies, including projects with United Utilities and Northumbrian Water. Meanwhile, the UK’s Department for Business and Trade provided a grant for the company to explore its water solution in Brazil.

Getting to this point has drawn on all of Atmos’s innovative spirit and culture. The company commits more than 20% of UK annual revenue in R&D, helping it to remain at the forefront of ideas and keep pace with technological change. This is also made possible by a highly talented and creative team of people, the credentials of which have been proven time after time in the form of five ‘Smart Awards from Innovate UK’ and a ‘Queens Award for Innovation’ in 2020.

Looking ahead, there is clearly more to come. During 2024, Atmos expects to start taking on revenue-generating work in both of its new lines of business, suggesting that its investment into diversification is on the cusp of paying dividends.

Story type

#technology (main category) #diversification, #innovation

Benefits

▸ Atmos’ diversification strategy is expected to generate revenue in 2024.

▸ The company’s R&D was recognised and Atmos was awarded five ‘Smart Awards from Innovate UK’ and a ‘Queens Award for Innovation’ in 2020.

Key findings

For industry

▸ Take the opportunity to make a new product or start a new business when you see it. If there is a need: persist, you will succeed.

▸ The key to success is having the right people. It doesn’t matter how big the challenge is because the right people will overcome it.

For government

▸ Continue to invest in technology and innovation because the future depends on it.

Atmos International at a glance:

Key products and services: technology. Its primary focus is to detect pipeline leaks and pipeline simulation software

Main industries served:

▸ Oil and gas – 99%

▸ Others (non-energy: water) 1%

Headquarters: Manchester, UK

Year established: 1995

Number of employees: 180

Revenue from exports: 77%

ATPI

Supporting the energy sector in its bid to reduce Scope 3 emissions

How is ATPI thriving?

Story type

#environmental sustainability (main category)

#innovation

Benefits

▸ ATPI’s EBITDA in the Middle East up by 250%

▸ Company providing solutions suitable for the ever-expanding ESG reporting criteria.

Lynn Coutts Pippa Ganderton Managing Director, Middle East Director ATPI Halo

Recognising the difficulties enterprises were having in providing accurate reports on their Scope 3 emissions, ATPI responded with a brand-new solution designed to validate and offset travel-related emissions. Such has been its popularity since launching in 2020, clients across all sectors, including energy, are queueing up to be onboarded.

The challenge - The energy sector relies on a huge amount of domestic and international travel to function. Whether it’s workers moving to and from assets such as rigs and offshore platforms, or execs flying to numerous parts of the world to attend events and meetings, the industry leans heavily on all modes of transport across land, air, and sea.

As a world-leading travel management company, ATPI has operations in over 170 countries, supporting the movement of people across the energy sector on a daily basis. In addition to managing logistics, it also plays a key role in supporting the safety, security, efficiency and wellbeing implications associated with travel.

In recent times, the company has placed extra emphasis on sustainability, its latest challenge being to help companies in the energy sector cut down on their Scope 3 emissions by providing means to travel more efficiently and responsibly.

The solution - The firm’s answer to the challenge is ATPI Halo. Launched in 2020, it is a solution that has been designed to act as a hub for ideas and offer tangible, sustainable solutions to companies whose business is dependent on travel.

Inspiration for the solution came from speaking with clients such as NES Fircroft, BORR Drilling, Seadrill, and The Ocean Race. ATPI quickly realised how difficult it was for them to address the Scope 3 CO2e emissions amassed from their travel activity, leading to the development of its latest innovation.

Since the launch of ATPI Halo, the company’s client-facing sustainable travel and events proposition has continued to evolve and mature, with many important milestones being achieved.

Customers globally have benefitted from this additional reporting capability, tapping into ATPI Halo’s high-quality, fully certified portfolio of carbon credit investment projects to offset all or part of their unavoidable travel CO2e footprints. So far, ATPI has invested and made available to its clients over 55,000 carbon credits, supporting indigenous communities in developing countries impacted by climate change, protecting wildlife, and proactively helping to remove carbon from the atmosphere. Further, in 2023, ATPI’s carbon offset portfolio expanded to 13 projects, ranging from renewable energies to efficient cookstoves, and nature-based carbon removal solutions.

Technical enhancements to ATPI Halo have also been made along the way. For example, it now has an improved data collection and analytics reporting suite with ‘Analytics 2.0’, which includes CO2e emissions data for air and non-air elements of travel. The new version will also include a carbon budget capability.

More and more clients are onboarding, including many players in the energy sector. Seadrill is one of those companies seeking to offset the emission associated with its unavoidable travel commitments, and has turned to ATPI Halo to do just that.

Visibility over Scope 3 emissions is not only critical in discovering areas where environmental impacts can be reduced, but also in fulfilling ever-expanding ESG reporting criteria. Solutions such as ATPI Halo have therefore entered the market at just the right time, and there is nothing to suggest that momentum will not continue to build. Indeed, ATPI Halo revenues are growing strongly, with EBITDA in the Middle East up by 250%.

Continue like this, and it might just become one of the savviest service innovations the company has ever made.

Key findings

For industry

▸ Don’t wait for perfection when starting your sustainability journey, start with small steps.

▸ Make sure you’re working on a key topic in your future business plan.

For government

▸ Take an actual step forward when it comes to energy transition.

ATPI at a glance:

Key products and services: worldleading specialist travel management in over 170 countries.

Main industries served:

▸ Oil and gas – 80%

▸ Offshore renewable energy – 2%

▸ Others (non-energy): construction, retail, finance & insurance, specialist sports and corporate event management – 18%

Headquarters: London, UK

Year established: 1999

Number of employees: 3,000 (Group), 130 (Dubai)

Revenue: £650m

Revenue from exports: N/A

Avantis Group

Sticking to its strengths to excel in a brand-new market

Russell Milne General Manager

How is Avantis Group thriving?

Entering a new market that has different ways of doing business is never easy. In 2021, Wales-based Avantis Group delved into the UAE after securing work with oil giant ADNOC, working hard behind the scenes to ensure it could survive and thrive in the country well beyond this initial project. Fast-forward to 2024, and the new division is generating solid revenues with the aim of contributing significantly to the wider company’s growth in the future.

The challenge - Set up in 2019, Avantis and AES has built a reputation as a go-to provider for diesel engine repairs and maintenance services – a one-stop shop that offers everything from the supply of spare parts to engineering support. Avantis, headquartered in the UK, is a global leader in the energy and transportation sectors, with a presence in Canada, Brazil, the UAE, and Singapore. It specialises in sustainable technologies and lifecycle management services to drive environmental improvements. Its mission is to lead in low-carbon innovations and reduce environmental impacts through strategic decarbonisation. Its services range from engineering design to global aftercare, all geared towards enhancing sustainability and efficiency.

The soluti on - Starting small, the UAE team soon acclimatised. Working with a sponsor to conduct business in the UAE required new processes to be developed to ensure timely execution and alignment with the company’s existing business model in the UK. New process maps were developed to gain clarity on scope execution and quality service delivery, while back-to-back agreement and commercial terms were struck with Avantis UAE and AES’s newly extended network of supply chain partners in the region.

Putting in the hard yards and completing the groundwork, which also includes building up a reliable supplier network, has been essential. More work with ADNOC followed in the form of two new contract wins with ADNOC Offshore and ADNOC Gas, which endorsed the

one-stop shop concept that Avantis UAE and AES has to offer. Indeed, the ability to serve the needs of all diesel engine maintenance across 40 different manufacturers was seen as a welcome opportunity for ADNOC, drastically streamlining its operations in this area.

Avantis UAE and AES’s small but skilled team networked with enthusiasm. Signifi cant time and effort were injected into building personal relationships with other prospects and suppliers in the country – an approach that open doors with Dubai Petroleum, Aggreko, WellGear, Motive Offshore, GMS and supporting existing relationships and contracts in Qatar. With much of the early heavy lifting complete, Avantis now has a steady footing of sustainable business in the region, which so far has delivered signifi cant growth. A pipeline which will only continue to grow, not least because the team has been expanded thanks to the recent arrival of a new members of staff.

Today, Avantis UAE and AES is seen as a real alternative to the original manufacturer. It has made a positive impact on the market, with clients already looking for the company to expand its services into other Middle Eastern countries. Indeed, typical client feedback received to date highlights Avantis UAE and AES’s professional, can do approach to business. Reliability has been another key selling point, with customers turning to it for its ability to provide cost-effective solutions on time.

As more and more satisfied clients add to Avantis UAE and AES’s track record in the UAE, it will only be a matter of time before its presence in the wider GCC region starts to grow.

Story type

#resilience (main category)

#service & solutions

Benefits

▸ Three contract wins with ADNOC Offshore, ADNOC Drilling & ADNOC Gas.

▸ The UAE division is growing quickly.

Key findings

For industry

▸ Be prepared for cultural differences and respect ways of working that are different from other Western regions.

▸ Network is key and leverage your existing client base.

Avantis at a glance:

Key products and services: marine transportation, manufacture of oil and gas equipment and renewables.

Main industries served:

▸ Oil and gas – 40%

▸ Renewables – 10%

▸ Others (non-energy) – marine transportation – 50%

Headquarters: Cardiff, UK

Year established: 2019

Number of employees: 1.000

Revenue: £60m