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TÜV SÜD National Engineering Laboratory
TÜV SÜD NEL
Global thought leadership in flow measurement
Alongside Scottish Enterprise, TÜV SÜD National Engineering Laboratory (NEL) invested £17 million in a worldleading, advanced multiphase test and research facility in the UK, retaining its global thought leadership position in fluid metrology. In addition, the company has built on its oil and gas heritage and quickly diversified to explore measurement challenges in the clean fuels, petrochemical and life sciences sectors. This has resulted in the development of new services which will have a strong focus on production optimisation and digitisation, and has also laid the foundations for some very interesting scientific research in the future.
The challenge
A well-established player in the field of flow measurement, TUV SUD National Engineering Laboratory has experienced many challenges since its foundation in 1947. Previously unique in its service offering and a world leader in the science behind multiphase flow measurement, the company has seen a growing number of competitors enter this market and dispute its leadership. NEL’s facility in East Kilbride (near Glasgow) had been modified over the years, but it no longer provided the world’s leading flow testing loop, as newer and more powerful facilities were introduced around the world. Meanwhile, over-reliance on the the traditional oil and gas business posed a significant risk to the company. How could NEL maintain its credentials as the UK’s National Measurement Institute and explore opportunities in new market segments?
The solution
NEL closely monitors market behaviours, and six years ago the company saw an opportunity to bring innovation to the industry while diversifying into new sectors. As a National Measurement Institute, they understood that thought leadership around fluid mechanics and flow metrology required the most up-to-date infrastructure and industrial solutions. At the same time, NEL looked at the market and saw the potential to apply its expertise to new challenges in areas such as clean fuels, life sciences, subsea oil & gas, and water, among others. In the subsea segment
specifically, the accurate measurement of multiphase flows is a crucial factor to understand the performance of production operations – a key concern when it comes to operator revenues and government taxes.
In order to meet these challenges, NEL made the decision to invest in the new Advanced Multiphase Facility (AMF), a revolutionary high-pressure, high-flow rate multiphase facility with a test range beyond anything currently available anywhere else in the world. Able to operate with a 140-bar pressure and affording much more accurate measurement (or lower uncertainty, to use the correct terminology), the AMF provides the right balance between NEL’s traditional and new portfolio of clients and technical challenges, such as digital solutions. Funded by NEL’s parent company TÜV SÜD, the AMF also received a £4.9 million grant from Scottish Enterprise.
Story type
#innovation (main category)
#digital #diversification #energytransition #optimisation #technology #transformation
Benefits
• Accurate flow measurement for governments and oil companies • Increased influence in flow measurement segment NEL’s new Advanced Multiphase Facility (AMF) in East Kilbride has allowed the company to return to the top of thought leadership in flow measurement around the world. A project that required six years from concept to execution, the AMF was responsible for the creation of direct and indirect jobs and the singularity of its service offering is expected to double NEL’s revenues within the next 10 years. The AMF is all about continuing to develop and apply best practices for measurement – in oil and gas and beyond – while enabling further innovation of national and international standards.
About TÜV SÜD NEL
As the holder of the UK’s national standards for flow and density measurement, TÜV SÜD National Engineering Laboratory (NEL) is one of the leading authorities on flow
Key findings
For industry
• Fail fast, take risks and learn from them • Realise that your traditional markets will not always be there
For government
• Provide more research funding to support the UK’s internationally recognised thought leadership in metrology • Advertise the UK as a provider of technology solutions, with the supply chain and expertise to facilitate it
Government support?
The company’s AMF project received a £4.9m R&D grant from Scottish Enterprise. In addition, TÜV SÜD NEL has joined DIT trade delegations and received R&D tax credits. The company also benefits from the Apprenticeship Levy.
measurement issues in the world. The company is an independent provider of calibration and testing services, in addition to consultancy services offering theoretical guidance and practical support on all aspects of flow measurement. In addition, NEL’s research and development work is at the forefront of research into flow and density measurement at UK, European and global level. NEL’s services are delivered by a team of 80 expert consultants, scientists and engineers utilising the facilities of their own accredited calibration laboratory, one of the foremost laboratories for fluid flow measurement in the world.
TÜV SÜD NEL at a glance:
Key products and services:
independent consultancy, on-site measurement, testing, R&D and training services
Main industries served:
• Government – 50% • Upstream O&G – 42.5% • Downstream – 7.5%
Headquarters: East Kilbride, UK Year established: 1947 Number of employees: 91 Revenue: £11m Revenue from exports: 30%
