Emirates Electrical and Instrumentation

EMIRATES ELECTRICAL AND INSTRUMENTATION I PROFILE

Emirates Electrical and Instrumentation (Emirates E&I) is a leading technical and contracting services provider for a wide variety of oil and gas clients across both the domestic (UAE) and international markets. Hagop Dermosessian, General Manager of Emirates E&I, explained to Hannah Barnett how the company is now paving its way forward towards greater diversification.

Ev er since its inception in 2002, Emirates E&I has operated predominantly in the oil and gas space, with ADNOC serving as its major customer. But today, business is branching out, with Mr Dermosessian stating that: “We have diversified into the energy sector, as well as the infrastructure sector and have plans to grow and branch out regionally. We also hope to tap into the electromechanical space, and are becoming more of an E ngineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contractor, as opposed to an electrical and instrumentation contractor, which we have been historically.”

Company overview

Emirates E&I has made a name for itself based on its seamless ability to integrate with its clients’ operations, ensuring that its projects are completed safely, on schedule, within budget, to specification, and with minimal downtime. The company was acquired in 2017 by the renowned Ghobash Group.

Elaborating on the company being part of the Ghobash Group conglomerate and how this helps to shape Emirates E&I’s diversification strategy, Mr Dermosessian stated that: “Because we are owned by a very financially sound Group, we don’t

shy away from opportunities. No matte r the size, we will look into all potential growth areas. We support all our customers, and we have a very skilled, experienced team which is continuing to grow. So, we have the capability to tackle any kind of project.”

As a result, beyond continuing to build a successful reputation in electrical instrumentation works over the past few years, the company has expanded its capabilities to include electromechanical and HVAC projects. This scale-up is in line with its objective of becoming a Tier-2 EPC contractor within the next three to five years.

Significant projects

During Q3 of 2022, Emirates E&I was awarded a major district cooling project, which would encompass the

modification of the existing chilled water system pipeline feeding a prestigious project in SeaWorld, Abu Dhabi. “We were responsible for all the chemical treatment and pre-commissioning of the chilled water network, which served as a new vertical for us, given that we hadn’t worked extensively in that space before”, explained Mr Dermosessian.

The company was also awarded another prestigious project, as a major subcontractor on a joint venture between ENGIE and EDF. This encompassed the replacement of 133,000 streetlights with energy-saving luminaires in Abu Dhabi. The project resulted in successful power savings of 74% across the municipality.

Sharing the significance of this project, Mr Dermosessian said that: “This was a major milestone, as the project’s scope was new and served as a new vertical.

In the past we delivered similar street projects on a smaller scale for ADNOC, but now with the increased scale, we have successfully established a name for ourselves and opened the door to a whole new market.”

The company continues to work closely with its most prominent partner ADNOC, and during Q2 of 2022 was awarded a subcontracting agreement with an EPC contractor for an IT telecom building. In collaboration with ADNOC, Emirates E&I carried out the full Mechanical Engineering and Plumbing (MEP) works and was also recently awarded a contract to upgrade fire alarm systems and HVAC at 25 ADNOC substations and clusters. This is in addition to projects aimed at updating ADNOC’s access control PA/GA system and installing a new NAVAID system on its platforms.

“Most recently, during Q2 of 2023, we were awarded the biggest project in our company’s history,” stated Mr Dermosessian, as he went on to outline how the four-year contract for ADNOC on its LNG and offshore platforms, focused

on providing maintenance services for the lighting and all other electricals, is worth $34.3 million.

Sustainable paths

With ADNOC recently announcing over $1.2 billion in upcoming projects, Emirates E&I envisions many more prestigious contracts down the road. Elaborating further, Mr Dermosessian added that “It’s not only about ADNOC, as the UAE relies on oil and gas, and therefore the infrastructure that comes along with it. Today, there is

a growing need for new developments too. Solar energy is picking up pace and the market for other renewables is steadily growing. There is an abundance of projects in the region that support sustainability and we are working with as many of them as we can.”

The push to embrace renewable solutions and the energy transition comes as Dubai prepares to host COP28 in November 2023. “Everybody is working towards COP28, and you can see this from the number of projects that are being launched,” Mr Dermosessian went on to state. He also provided insights into the future, with the company’s response to the Region’s appetite for sustainable solutions: “At Emirates E&I, we have created a new ESCO division to fully embrace the energy transition and to accelerate our diversification plans. We have also teamed up with UMOE, a Norwegian company that manufactures hydrogen storage and transportation units. The company’s manufacturing process

doesn’t involve conventional steel and uses a composite material that lasts longer and weighs less. We are UMOE’s regional partners, and we are trying to provide a similar solution in the UAE, using different types of transportation and storage models.”

Time-served partnerships

As a leading company within the oil and gas space, Emirates E&I continues to build on its reputation, especially when it comes to onshore and offshore EPC work.

Elaborating on this topic, Mr Dermosessian said that: “There have been many times when ADNOC has specifically recommended us for specialised jobs: this has enabled us to establish relationships with other companies in the oil and gas space, including end users, developers, main contractors, and suppliers. We have had excellent rapport with our suppliers, as evidenced by some of our long-term partnerships running the course for the last 20 years.”

Giving away the secret to developing long-lasting relationships with suppliers, Mr Dermosessian said that “Being democratic and swiftly delivering on invoices is a good start. The most important thing is being fair and honest. We always ensure that we pay our suppliers on time, and we never favour one supplier over another, as long as they are technically sound, and their prices are in line with the market. It’s all about being in a competitive space.”

Spelling out his own professional commitment and passion for his role, Mr Dermosessian concluded that it was hard work which has resulted in his career’s longevity:

“Having played an active role in this market’s evolution for 20 years now, I can safely say that positivity, optimism, and

the determination to succeed have served as my greatest assets along the way. The same dynamic spirit applies to E&I, where we envision our service and delivery excellence not only growing, but increasingly contributing to a wider spectrum of projects and achievements which will impact the future of the energy sector. As we continue to branch out, strengthen our expertise, and partner with more stakeholders and clients, we take pride in remaining result-driven and dedicated to realising more meaningful goals. We look forward to sharing the outcomes and rewards of our progressive vision with all of our partners. This is what motivates me the most – moving forward with vision and going beyond the ordinary to achieve more.”