Ashtead Technology_Inspire Magazine (Issue 3)

AUGUST 2023 | ISSUE 03

CONTENTS //

// WELCOME

Welcome to the third issue of our Group magazine

In this issue and innovative marine 04 // Proven technology solutions for the offshore renewable energy industry

06 //

Ashtead Technology launches new drop camera system for high-resolution subsea inspection

Allan Pirie CEO

12 //

Q&A with Steven Thrasher, Regional Director, Americas

14 //

Engineering the future

16 //

Open Days & Technology Showcases 2023

Maritime Robotics

18 //

Advanced technology solutions for metocean measurement

decommissioning 08 // Offshore technology solutions: case study

19 //

Ashtead Technology signs rental agreement with i2S with access to Orphie technology

of view: Hiretech acquisition.

10 // Point Interview with Keith Mackie

features 20 // Employee and people news

Technology signs 07 // Ashtead rental agreement with

02 // INSPIRE

Welcome to the third issue of our magazine which showcases more of the developments and progress across our business as well as the depth and breadth of capability as we continue to serve as our customers’ trusted subsea technology partner.

Since our last issue, a lot has been happening across the business to support our continued growth.

In December 2022, we further expanded our mechanical solutions service offering with the acquisition of Hiretech, our seventh acquisition in the last six years. Hiretech has an excellent reputation and strong heritage in the delivery of high-performance equipment and services to the offshore energy sector and now, as one team, we can provide an enhanced subsea technology and services offering to support our customers’ IMR and decommissioning work scopes. More about the acquisition and integration can be found on pages 10 and 11.

Across our survey and robotics service line, we have continued to invest in our extensive subsea

equipment rental fleet to meet our customers’ current and future operational challenges.

Throughout this issue we highlight several new partnerships as well as our ongoing focus on quality, service excellence and people development to ensure we remain at the forefront of what we do.

As well as the development of our own proprietary products, our asset integrity team continues to design, develop and deliver increasingly larger engineering work scopes for customers leveraging the collective capabilities we have in Ashtead Technology. More about the exciting work we’re doing in this space and our growing expertise can be found on pages 14 and 15.

I hope you enjoy reading this latest issue and that it gives you greater insight into how we deliver and add value for our customers. As always, it is important to acknowledge the exceptional work by our people who are central to our continued success and achievements to date.

INSPIRE // 03

Z

OFFSHORE RENEWABLES //

// OFFSHORE RENEWABLES

Proven and innovative marine technology solutions for the offshore renewable energy industry

With 38 years’ experience in the energy services sector, Ashtead Technology has a long-established reputation as the go-to partner for underwater operations. Using our technology and know-how, needed to solve underwater survey, mechanical and asset integrity challenges, Ashtead Technology supports offshore renewables projects from consent & planning and project development, through to construction & installation, operations & maintenance, and repower & decommissioning work scopes.

Our growing track record in the renewables sector is attributed to our technical capability and the breadth of our equipment fleet combined with our agile, highly responsive, and costeffective approach to successfully delivering our customers’ marine energy campaigns.

Specifically for the construction and installation phase, Ashtead Technology has supported offshore wind providers and tier one service contractors with various custom engineering solutions for their unique operational challenges.

In 2021, Ashtead Technology was contracted by Saipem to support the foundations installation 04 // INSPIRE

phase of the Neart na Gaoithe offshore wind farm, in the Firth of Forth, Scotland. We were initially awarded a contract for drilled borehole inspection and based on the successful delivery of the initial stages of this campaign was subsequently awarded additional scopes to support borehole internal casing cleaning, grouted pile installation and subsequent grout level monitoring.

For the borehole inspection work scope, we used our in-house design and assembly expertise to develop a bespoke inspection tool that could be deployed from a vessel to inspect, survey, and verify successful completion of the drilled sockets.

In addition, utilising existing in-house tooling, we engineered solutions for dredging the socket base, jet cleaning the upper socket casing, and removing any debris remaining inside the casing anulus prior to grouting operations commencing.

The grout monitoring scope involved the development of a bespoke autonomous monitoring system with sacrificial grout sensor arrays to enable real time monitoring of the grouting process taking place below seabed level.

The system provides remote positive verification of grout level to the correct elevation to ensure foundation integrity is met.

More recently, Ashtead Technology was approached to provide an engineered solution

Offshore renewable energy is an increasingly important part of our business now and in the future, and we continue to support our customers to meet the growing demand for cleaner, safer and more efficient energy production using our wealth of knowledge, skills and technical expertise.

Ross MacLeod, Ashtead Technology’s Integrated Projects Director

for a specific challenge our customer had on installed wind turbine generator jacket foundations. Using our extensive in-house expertise and rapid response capability, we designed, manufactured, and successfully tested a custom tooling solution for honing the internal bore of the j-tube within four weeks of order confirmation. For this project, we provided a fully integrated service supply including the design, manufacture, test, mobilisation, and provision of offshore operation personnel helping to reduce overall project cost and time.

Our latest award is for the design, development, and mobilisation of a socket inspection technology solution for the construction phase of the Courseulles-sur-Mer offshore wind farm, which is under development near Calvados, Normandy, France. The 45km² wind farm is expected to be commissioned in 2024.

Commenting on our recent awards and growing track record in the offshore wind space, Ross MacLeod, Ashtead Technology’s Integrated Projects Director, said: “Offshore renewable energy is an increasingly important part of our business now and in the future, and we continue to support our customers to meet the growing demand for cleaner, safer and more efficient energy production using our wealth of knowledge, skills and technical expertise.”

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SURVEY & ROBOTICS //

// SURVEY & ROBOTICS

Ashtead Technology signs rental agreement with Maritime Robotics

Ashtead Technology launches new drop camera system for high-resolution subsea inspection Ashtead Technology has signed a multi-year rental agreement with Maritime Robotics, a leading provider of unmanned technology solutions.

Ashtead Technology has launched its new standard drop camera system, part of a range of systems designed for high-resolution seabed visual inspection, in water depths down to 4000m.

Our standard system is depth rated to 1000m, increasing to 4000m utilising sonar coaxial cable.

It has been fitted with a high-specification digital camera which streams uninterrupted real-time HD 720P video during the survey, and records 16.6MP digital stills and 4K video for download at the end of the survey for live interpretation.

Under the terms of the agreement, Ashtead Technology will be a rental partner for Maritime Robotics’ Otter Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USVs) for high-quality maritime data acquisition. and continuous improvement, the standard system will continue to be upgraded to increase its performance and flexibility.

Equipped with a digital video recorder, the topside system records real-time HD video and incorporates Ashtead Technology’s drop camera system control software. Lights, camera position and orientation can be adjusted within the frame, and light intensity, which can produce 4 x 9000 lumens, is controlled using the topside software for optimal imagery.

Ross MacLeod, Integrated Projects Director, said: “The first commercially available DSL telemetry-based drop camera system was developed by members of the Ashtead Technology engineering team back in 2005, and since then we have continued to evolve the systems using more advanced telemetry technology, camera systems and oceanographic sensors to optimise the system’s capability.

Ashtead Technology is also currently developing a range of advanced drop camera solutions for shallow and deepwater use to go with its established WROV deployed winched borehole drop camera. In line with our commitment to innovation

“Based on its specification, we believe this to be one of the most advanced drop camera systems in the market and we look forward to launching the full series throughout 2023 to support our customers’ subsea visualisation requirements.”

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The Otter is the smallest member of Maritime Robotics’ USV family with a footprint of only 200 x 108 x 81.5 cm and a weight of 55 kg. The Otter’s robust catamaran design and the tightly integrated survey sensors makes this system a cost-effective, turn-key solution for bathymetric surveys in sheltered waters.

Phil Middleton, Ashtead Technology’s Head of Survey & Robotics, said: “This investment marks our first step into the supply of autonomous technology solutions for unmanned offshore survey operations.

Autonomy is a key enabler for risk reduction, cost efficiency and reduced environmental impact and at Ashtead Technology we endeavour to ensure that our portfolio of rental equipment continues to meet our customers’ current and future operational requirements.

Ashtead Technology is a progressive business with a first-class reputation, and we are delighted to be working together to continue building momentum for our equipment globally.

Kristoffer Fortun, Chief Sales Officer at Maritime Robotics

“We are excited about developing our partnership with Maritime Robotics and look forward to seeing these systems performing well in the field for our customers.”

Kristoffer Fortun, Chief Sales Officer at Maritime Robotics, said: “This agreement reinforces our commitment to growth and the continued development of our autonomous data acquisition solutions. Ashtead Technology is a progressive business with a first-class reputation, and we are delighted to be working together to continue building momentum for our equipment globally.”

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MECHANI CAL SOLUTIONS //

// MECHANICAL SOLUTIONS

Offshore decommissioning technology solutions Ashtead Technology are international experts in the provision of decommissioning technologies and services for the offshore energy sector.

Case study

We offer a comprehensive service capability for the cutting and removal of oil & gas and renewable energy infrastructure, with a proven track record in field clearance and structure & pipeline cutting and recovery.

Overview

Combining our centre of excellence expertise in the UK with our bolstered international operational capability, we have recently executed multiple successful projects in the Middle East, Asia, UK and West Africa, and laid the foundations for delivering further multiservice decommissioning projects globally.

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Scope: Victoria field decommissioning Location: Southern North Sea Based on an existing relationship and an established track record for delivering decommissioning work scopes reliably, safely and efficiently, Ashtead Technology was approached by Boskalis to support a subsea cutting and recovery work scope for the decommissioning of the Victoria field in the Southern North Sea.

Solution Ashtead Technology provided all the tooling, support personnel and project management for the duration of the project. The full spread of equipment included various Diamond Wire Saws, an Internal Pile Cutting Tool, Shears, Chop Saws, Recovery Tools, Dredge Systems, Hydraulic

Power Units and other ancillary equipment. Through having the one supplier to deliver the full work scope, this reduced the overall project cost and helped to maximise efficiencies and minimise any risk on-board the vessel. Our dedicated onshore project team worked alongside the Boskalis team throughout the preparation, testing and mobilisation phase to help ensure the seamless delivery of the project ahead of schedule. The project team were also involved in the smooth running of the offshore phase through the provision of a dedicated 24/7 offshore project point of contact.

In total, six multi-skilled and highly-experienced technicians were mobilised to work alongside the Boskalis crew.

Benefits & value Ashtead Technology was able to provide Boskalis with a fully-integrated ‘one stop shop’ project solution. Supplying all the cutting and recovery equipment provision as one package provided multiple efficiencies by only requiring one

contractor to carry out the full scope of supply.

This ease of communication helped create a streamlined flow of information throughout all stages of the project from the initial engineering phase right through to final delivery.

Results • The internal cuts of the 4 piles were successfully carried out using our water abrasive Internal Pile Cutting Tool • Ashtead Technology’s Air Lift Dredge was deployed for internal piles and was also effective for dredging the mats that were hanging over the pipeline. The performance of the tool “provided a significant contribution to the project, saving time and allowing work to continue which would have otherwise been down-time” • Multiple cuts were carried out using all three Diamond Wire Saws in various positions, demonstrating the flexibility of the cutting tools • 48 cuts were made with our Shear Cutter INSPIRE // 09

MECHANI CAL SOLUTIONS //

// MECHANICAL SOLUTIONS

Point of view Ashtead Technology acquired Hiretech in December 2022, an Aberdeenshire-based equipment rental and services company, serving the international offshore renewables, decommissioning, and conventional energy markets.

The acquisition has provided strong synergies through vertical integration of the supply chain, and meaningfully expands our business by adding complementary capabilities to strengthen our mechanical solutions service line and deliver an enhanced offering to our customers.

Keith Mackie (pictured above), formerly Managing Director of Hiretech is now General Manager for this part of the business, under our mechanical solutions service line. Here, he shares more about the integration and what life is like as part of the Ashtead Technology Group.

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It’s been six months since the acquisition.

Share your thoughts so far.

Being part of Ashtead Technology is the perfect home for Hiretech enabling us to expand our existing capabilities and international footprint. Our customers now have access to a wider portfolio of products and services, resulting in a far more comprehensive solutions capability. Now part of Ashtead Technology’s mechanical solutions service line, we are one united and highly-experienced team with a multi-purpose fleet of back-deck and subsea equipment rental assets and services to support our customers’ offshore energy campaigns.

What are the main synergies and benefits to being part of the Group?

Ashtead Technology was Hiretech’s largest customer so a strong relationship was already established – this made the integration extremely smooth running and we now have very strong foundations to build on as we grow our market share. Ashtead Technology’s international footprint and scale brings immense value to our part of the business and

we have already started to benefit from this especially in key growth markets including the Middle East and Asia Pacific regions.

Looking ahead, what are the main opportunities?

It is hugely exciting being part of an organisation that has the scale, resources, capability and investment to help better serve our customers. Whilst this is a fantastic opportunity for our business, the core of what we do remains which is to provide rental equipment package solutions and support services for decommissioning, subsea, hydraulics, well services, pipeline and renewables applications.

For our people, being part of a larger organisation provides them with enhanced career growth and development opportunities as well as access to valuable experience across various other disciplines and functions.

The future looks bright and I’m looking forward to playing a part in the next stage of Ashtead Technology’s growth journey.

Congratulations Congratulations to Samantha Mitchell and Craig Stewart who have both recently been promoted as a result of their fantastic contributions to the company and to support the continued growth and evolution of our business.

Samantha has recently been promoted from Operations Supervisor to Operations Manager, and Craig, from Senior Maintenance Technician to Workshop Manager. Both have played a key role in the Hiretech integration and are valuable members of the Ashtead Technology team as we move forward as one company.

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REGIONAL FEATURE //

// REGIONAL FEATURE Share some of the recent projects delivered by the Americas team A really interesting project involved the recent delivery of a subsea remediation scope for a global energy operator which saw us modify some of our existing cutting equipment to remove some faulty subsea connector pieces on subsea trees that were experiencing some technical difficulty. Using our in-house capability, under critical path, we were able to quickly modify the gripper arms, some of the hydraulic controls and drive motor to run a special blade, making it capable to fit in a particularly tight space and cut an extremely hard material. Ashtead Technology was a clear front-runner for this project based on our speed of response and ability to quickly and effectively engineer a new solution to solve this unique operational requirement.

Another project, delivered by our asset integrity team this time, involved the creation of an accurate 3D model of certain members of a jacket to determine the amount of marine growth. Using three different technologies we were able to capture data to enable the creation of a digital 3D model of the fixed platform using our ROV3Di camera system for the mudline, a NORBIT iWBMS multibeam sonar for the water surface, and a NORBIT Lidar laser for the above the water data capture.

Discuss the biggest opportunities for growth in your region Shifting the perception about our offering is a definite opportunity through making customers aware of the depth and breadth of capability within our portfolio

including our in-house engineering, machining and fabrication capability as well as on-site calibration services as part of our asset management offering.

The offshore renewables sector also presents a huge opportunity for our business. Offshore wind is America’s next major energy source, representing a generational opportunity to create jobs and bolster the economy.

Offshore renewable energy has become an important part of Ashtead Technology’s business now accounting for a significant proportion of our Group revenue. We have a growing track record in the delivery of offshore wind projects utilising our skilled people and their wealth of subsea operations expertise together with our equipment and facilities to deliver best in class, cost effective offshore wind farm installation and operations solutions.

What’s next for Ashtead Technology in the Americas?

Doing more of what we do well is key to our growth so we remain the first point of contact when a customer is faced with an operational challenge.

We are also committed to ongoing investment in our facilities, people and equipment in support of the above and to meet the demand for our technologies and services across the offshore energy sector.

As a progressive, technology-driven business, innovation is at the heart of what we do and integral to our growth strategy. We are continuing to work with industry partners and the supply chain to support the development of new technologies and methodologies, playing our part in the global drive to improve efficiency, reduce cost and safety risk and minimise carbon impact.

Steven Thrasher, joined Ashtead Technology in 2017 as Regional Director for the Americas so has experienced much of the company’s evolution over recent years. In this article, Steven discusses Ashtead Technology’s growth in the Americas region and how through an enhanced service capability across our three service lines and continual investment in our people and equipment, we now serve as a fully integrated technology and services provider for our customers’ subsea technology requirements.

Q&A Discuss Ashtead Technology’s evolution in the Americas region

Traditionally recognised as a subsea equipment rental business, our capabilities and offering have evolved significantly over the years. Through organic growth and acquisition, we have bolstered our expertise to enable us to deliver a broader range of technologies and solutions to support our customers’ IMR and decommissioning requirements across the offshore energy sector.

For our survey & robotics service line, we have invested significantly in our fleet so continue to hold a dominant market position for the provision 12 // INSPIRE

of subsea equipment rental solutions and packaged services. Our mechanical solutions service line has experienced the greatest growth particularly in the provision of ROV tooling, dredging and cutting work scopes as well as the delivery of bespoke engineering solutions leveraging our in-house design, engineering, machining and fabrication capability.

Throughout our growth however, we have remained agile and responsive and pride ourselves on our quality-first approach and commitment to operational excellence. This is what continues to set us apart from the competition and ensures we remain at the forefront of what we do.

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The launch of Ashtead Technology’s Autonomous Monitoring System (AMS) in 2016 was the start of the development of a range of game-changing proprietary products for subsea inspection and monitoring applications.

ASSET INTEGRITY //

// ASSET INTEGRITY

Ross MacLeod, Ashtead Technology’s Integrated Projects Director system monitors critical structural information, allowing real-time adjustments to be made during installation, ensuring the structure is set in place quickly and within installation tolerances.

Supporting the offshore renewables sector

Engineering the future Underpinned by our deep heritage, knowledge and extensive experience in the subsea and robotics sector, Ashtead Technology has built an established track record in the delivery of custom engineered solutions for the offshore energy sector. Our ability to understand what and where the challenges are and how these can be overcome has resulted in the pioneering development of several new technology innovations particularly in the asset integrity space.

Spearheading our technology development programme is Ross MacLeod (pictured), Ashtead Technology’s Integrated Projects Director.

Ross joined Ashtead Technology in 2011 as Business Development Director prior to taking on the role of Technical Director in 2017, where he played a significant part in growing our technical services offering and in-house engineering capability across our survey & robotics and asset integrity service lines. Ross became Ashtead Technology’s Integrated Projects Director in 2022 to support the successful delivery of increasingly larger engineering work scopes as our customers’ trusted subsea technology partner.

Ross said: “Core to developing the optimum solution is listening to the customer and understanding their unique challenge. As a subsea equipment rental business with 38 years’ experience across the sector, we have first-hand experience of what will and won’t work – we have seen it all. Ultimately, we want to help our customers and we will always consider what will add most value, be more efficient, reduce operational risk and vessel time.”

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Our evolution and early developments It was some notable successes in the engineering space that led to an organic shift in our offering.

No longer just a ‘box rental’ business, Ashtead Technology has evolved to become an integrated subsea technology and solutions partner - with our passion for solving problems, combined with our market-leading technology portfolio, we deliver innovation, operational excellence and specialist engineering services to support our customers’ projects.

The launch of Ashtead Technology’s Autonomous Monitoring System (AMS) in 2016 was the start of the development of a range of game-changing proprietary products for subsea inspection and monitoring applications. Based on feedback from customers, current systems had too many design limitations and were not multi-functional, so Ashtead Technology created a next generation configurable autonomous monitoring solution for measuring headings and pitch & roll using the latest technology, solid state fibre optic and ring laser gyros. Evolving from the AMS was the Deflection Monitoring System, a suite of structural monitoring systems to support offshore construction operations, combining powerful software with modular technology. The

Our growing track record in the development of offshore technology solutions has resulted in further pioneering work in the offshore wind sector and specifically for the installation and construction phase. Our reputation for being inventive, knowledgeable and responsive has created opportunities for us to develop custom engineered solutions for wind energy operators and service companies to support borehole inspection, borehole internal casing cleaning, grouted pile installation and grout level monitoring (see full article on pages 4 and 5). Core to our recent success has been the acquisition of complementary companies which have further bolstered our mechanical solutions capabilities and in-house engineering expertise to help develop truly unique solutions for customers.

Ross said: “The acquisition of Underwater Cutting Solutions in 2019 came at the perfect time for our business as we were able to leverage their strong capabilities to support various work scopes for the Neart na Gaoithe offshore wind farm which we were awarded in 2021. Specifically, their offshore cleaning and dredging technology know-how was used to develop custom solutions for preparing the socket bases before grouting could commence as part of the foundations installation phase.”

Development of proprietary products By being able to design and build our own custom equipment, Ashtead Technology is not constrained by the availability of existing equipment in the market and can focus on developing the right solution for our customers’ project needs. A key strength is our ability to design integrated electrical systems, instrumentation, telemetry and hydraulic control systems which offer sophisticated functions and safety features whilst remaining robust and reliable for operation in the marine environment.

Recent developments have included our ROV/ diver deployed Cathodic Protection Measurement System for robust subsea monitoring; our Chain Measurement System, an ROV-deployed optical caliper imaging device; and our new standard Drop Camera System, part of a range of systems designed for highresolution seabed visual inspection, in water depths up to 4000m.

Ross added: “We are at an exciting stage in the evolution of our business with some very interesting projects in the pipeline. Investment in the business through growing our team, expanding our product and service offering and acquiring highly complementary businesses has truly strengthened our company and positioned Ashtead Technology as a go-to partner for service and engineering excellence with a robust suite of products and services, that we can be proud of.”

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Open Days & Technology Showcases Ashtead Technology has held several customer facing events across our regions so far this year in order to showcase our broad ranging capabilities across the offshore energy sector and connect with new and existing customers.

HOUSTON & HOUMA

Featured are some pictures from our events in Aberdeen, Houston, Houma and Abu Dhabi that captures the highlights from each day.

ABERDEEN

ABU DHABI

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IN THE NEWS //

Advanced technology solutions for metocean measurement

// IN THE NEWS Before performing any work offshore it’s important to understand the effect the environment may have on your asset and installation campaign. The marine environment can be harsh and unpredictable which makes it difficult during front-end engineering of offshore infrastructure. Developing a better understanding of the impact of wind and waves ensures efficient installations and lifecycle extension.

At Ashtead Technology, we have extensive experience in providing advanced equipment and technology solutions for metocean survey applications, including weather and surface wave monitoring, underwater current profiling, tidal range, deepwater metocean measurements and long-term temperature monitoring.

We understand that the data collected is critical in developing safe, environmentally sustainable and commercially viable projects, and we take great care to ensure that our equipment is prepared and calibrated for each deployment to the highest standards. We provide turn-key instrumentation packages configured and tested at our facilities prior to deployment and 24hr technical support and system integration. Our technical team also receive regular manufacturer training for the operation and maintenance of these systems, ensuring we can provide the very best service to customers.

Our range of metocean equipment available to rent includes a range of acoustic doppler current profilers, deployment frames and floatation buoys, acoustic releases, current meters, multiparameter water quality instruments, acoustic data telemetry, depth sensors, water samplers, tide gauges, and winches & handling systems.

Continued investment In support of our commitment to the metocean market and to meet our customers’ environmental survey requirements in this space, Ashtead Technology has further strengthened its subsea equipment rental fleet with investment in Directional Waverider 4 Buoys from Datawell.

The Waverider 4 Buoys integrate wave and current measurements and are ideal for use in harsh marine environments.

Phil Middleton Head of Survey & Robotics

Metocean data is crucial to the success of offshore projects and with access to our metocean technology portfolio, we can help customers get the right information, at the right time.

Phil Middleton, Ashtead Technology’s Head of Survey & Robotics

They can provide more than three years of continuous wave monitoring thanks to their high-capacity internal batteries. A combination of three accelerometers, pitch/roll sensors and a fluxgate compass are used to provide robust and highly reliable spectral wave data.

Phil Middleton, Ashtead Technology’s Head of Survey & Robotics, said: “Metocean data is crucial to the success of offshore projects and with access to our metocean technology portfolio, we can help customers get the right information, at the right time, to enable them to make key decisions about field planning, design and development.

“Our commitment to investment in the metocean market is another great example of listening to our customers and ensuring we have the broadest and most technologically advanced subsea equipment from leading manufacturers, backed up by our extensive knowledge and expertise, to support their mission-critical operations.”

Ashtead Technology signs rental agreement with i2S with access to Orphie technology Ashtead Technology has signed an exclusive rental agreement with France-based i2S, specialists in underwater robotics and imaging solutions.

Under the deal, Ashtead Technology will have access to i2S’s Orphie systems, high-specification cameras that can be used by ROV and divers to improve observation in turbid waters. Orphie technology offers the possibility of observing objects at a distance three times greater than many cameras, producing real-time actionable images to support underwater inspection operations.

Jules Guillien, Head of Sales at Orphie, said: “We are delighted to enter into this collaboration with Ashtead Technology, a company with a strong international footprint and reputation for excellence. We have developed a range of cameras with the aim of making underwater inspection easier and more efficient by providing unmatched image quality, even in turbid waters.

We are looking forward to working together with Ashtead Technology and providing our innovative imaging technology solutions to their customers.”

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EMPLOYEE FEATURE //

// MECHANICAL SOLUTIONS // PEOPLE

Meet the team Karthy Gajendran Project Manager, Asia Pacific region Discuss your role within Ashtead Technology?

As a Project Manager within Ashtead Technology’s mechanical solutions service line, I am responsible for the timely, safe and reliable delivery of our subsea technology and services to support our customers’ projects in the Asia Pacific region.

Specifically, I lead the development of each project plan to include objectives, scope, budget, timescales and resource management and allocation. Identifying and mitigating risks is also part of my role which is mainly accomplished by risk assessments and contingency planning to help minimise any disruptions, ensure safety and compliance whilst adhering to the highest quality standards.

Good communication is an essential part of my role as I am the main project point of contact for all stakeholders from project initiation to delivery.

Internally, I assign tasks, monitor progress, and provide feedback to create a better and safe work environment for everyone involved in the project.

What does your typical day look like?

I start each day with daily project meetings and address anything urgent that needs attending to.

I also prioritise tasks, deadlines and keep on top of all offshore and onshore activities associated with each project. Throughout the day, I will have regular contact with our sales, operational and management teams to provide everyone with ongoing updates and determine what other work is coming up in the pipeline. It is all about communication, transparency, organisation and planning.

What has been your background and career history to date?

I have had many years’ experience working in various management and operational disciplines, supporting the successful execution of projects for major energy operators and service companies in the Asia Pacific region.

After graduating from Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, my first position was as a Project Engineer for a fabrication company building 30 to 50 tonne Aframes for launching ROVs offshore. After a few years I made the move to a company specialising in decommissioning technologies and ROV tooling where I served as the single point of contact to support projects in Asia, India and Australia. Fast forward a few years, and I started to manage larger decommissioning work scopes from the bidding phase right through to project completion and close-out. This experience has been extremely beneficial in reaching my careers goals to date.

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Who or what inspires you the most?

Each supervisor or manager I have worked with throughout my career had specific attributes or leadership styles that I have learned from or admired. I have been very privileged to have worked with so many great people over the years which has helped shape me into the person that I am today.

What do you enjoy most about working in Ashtead Technology and in the Asia Pacific region?

Ashtead Technology’s mechanical solutions service line continues to grow in the region and I’m relishing the opportunity to lead the ongoing delivery and successful completion of our diverse range of decommissioning projects.

We have a great regional leader who leads by example and encourages a supportive and collaborative working culture, ensuring we adhere to our core values at all times and strive for excellence together. I also enjoy the flexibility of my role and trust placed in me to succeed.

Hard work is recognised and rewarded so we feel valued and empowered as individuals and as a team to want to do our best and make a difference for our customers.

Ashtead Technology strengthens team with new offshore renewables appointment Ashtead Technology has appointed Rich Fry as Group Business Development Manager – Renewables The appointment underlines our strategic ambition to accelerate the growth of our capabilities, services and track record in the offshore renewable energy sector and support customers globally in the delivery of the energy transition.

Rich brings strong credentials to the company with over a decade of experience working with equipment manufacturers, installation and O&M contractors in various engineering, project management and business development roles in the offshore renewables market.

His appointment comes at a pivotal time for Ashtead Technology as we continue to build momentum in the offshore renewable energy sector supporting the construction and installation stages of offshore wind farm developments.

Bob Gillespie, Ashtead Technology’s Commercial Director, said: “Offshore renewable energy is a key growth

sector for our business with offshore wind projects now accounting for a significant proportion of our Group revenue.

“Working alongside our highly skilled team, Rich will play a key role in leveraging our existing strengths and capabilities to grow our presence in the global offshore renewable energy market utilising his wealth of domain knowledge and industry expertise.

I’m looking forward to working with Rich and our wider team of experts to support the continued delivery of best-in-class and cost-effective offshore wind energy lifecycle solutions for our customers.”

Commenting on his appointment, Rich, said: “I have witnessed Ashtead Technology’s impressive growth over recent years, and it is a privilege to be able to play a part in the next stage of the company’s exciting growth journey.

“Ashtead Technology has developed a strong position in offshore renewables and I look forward to building on this track record through raising awareness of the broader range of technologies, expertise and services we have to offer from across the Group.”

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// PEOPLE

The Ashtead Technology Star Awards was introduced in 2022 to recognise and reward excellence throughout our business, in line with our core values, and show appreciation to our colleagues.

Shape our future

We are immensely proud of our people and the great work they do to support our business and customers around the world.

Huge congratulations to our winners so far for 2023.

ashtead-technology.com/careers

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