SOFIS
VALVE SOLUTIONS THAT LEAD BY EXAMPLE
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SOFIS
I PROFILE
Sofis is the leader in creating smart valve solutions, such as mechanical valve interlocks, portable actuators and valve position indicators in combination with specialised services, for the energy, chemical, power and water industries. As safety expert Sofis provides a variety of solutions for controlled, safe and compliant valve operations protecting people and property worldwide. Hannah Barnett spoke to Managing Director Henry Langston and Commercial Director Linda Schulte.
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Managing Director Henry Langston
Commercial Director Linda Schulte
ofis is making the working environ-
S
plants, offshore windfarms
ment safer, offshore and onsite. The
and carbon capture.”
a million interlocks worldwide, and devel-
sequence of valve operations that is
oped several unique safety solutions
often customer specific. All Sofis products
that can be mounted on valves, making
are bespoke to fit the valve, and the com-
it a market leader in solutions for valve
pany provides a complete set of services
operation and maintenance. The com-
to support clients throughout the project,
pany is now bringing these to a new
including installation and maintenance.
company has installed around half
generation of infrastructure, supporting the energy transition and other key
Interlocks guarantee a predetermined
“A lay person might think: ‘an interlock is just a simple lock,’ right?” said
trends, such as digitalisation. “Fundamentally, safety is linked to sustainability, because every time there is an accident it typically involves a loss of containment,” said Henry Langston, Managing Director: “and a loss of containment not only impacts people, the operations of the plant, and the business that owns it, but also the environment. “So every leak we prevent, every time we stop an accident from happening, we are already making a positive contribution. We’re really proud that our solutions are also being adopted into new green applications, like hydrogen
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SOFIS
I PROFILE
Commercial Director Linda Schulte. “Our
pressure needed can vary hugely for
customers know better: the interlocking
each application: and if it’s wrong,
solution is part of the process safety
there can easily be an explosion. So we
onsite and is totally customised, we
protect that process by making sure that
work from A-to-Z and our project managers
the right valve for the right pressure line
know everything. Winning the order is one
is the only operable one. Simple things
phase, then there is the design phase,
like that become important, when getting
the engineering phase and the manufac-
it wrong means blowing up a hydrogen
turing phase. We maintain a lot of contact
fuelling station.”
with our customers throughout the whole process and they appreciate it.” From its HQ in the Netherlands, Sofis
The company is also moving into electrolysis for the industrial hydrogen market. “This process requires compressors,
employs around 100 people, with three
pumps and pressure safety valves,” said
main offices and sites around the world,
Mr Langston, “all things that have a lot of
plus several satellite regional offices and
manual valves to protect. So we adapt to
partners representing Sofis worldwide.
ensure that we can serve those hydrogen markets, because we cater to very small
Hydrogen pioneers
valves, very large valves and different
Sofis is closely involved with the emerging
classes of valves with our solutions.”
green hydrogen industry, based on deep
The company recently attended the
experience with grey and blue hydrogen
Hydrogen Technology Expo in Germany
applications. However: the recent
where it was able to demonstrate its
increase in the number and scale of
active engagement in this new market.
plants producing the light, flammable
“Many companies across the supply
and highly explosive gas has introduced
chain were there, but not all of them had an
several new safety challenges.
active solution yet,” said Ms Schulte. “We
“A great example is in refuelling which
had actually delivered a safety solution to
involves loading and offloading of liquid
a station in the UK, which impressed people.
hydrogen under extreme temperatures
However, we were not necessary there to
and pressures for new applications,”
sell our solutions, but more to learn from
Mr Langston explained. “Because the
people and pass on what we have learnt.”
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SOFIS
I PROFILE
“There’s going to need to be another
“The thing that makes us unique, is
€600 billion in capital commitments to
that we look to engage throughout the
meet our 2030 targets for hydrogen
value chain to create solutions,” said
production globally,” Mr Langston added.
Mr Langston. “It’s not just about customers
“That’s two to three times what’s already
coming to us for a product: it’s that deep
been committed in the last few years.
application knowledge and unparalleled
There’s a real awareness that it is
experience that we offer, alongside our
an industry-wide effort to get it right,
ability to service and support clients onsite,
because we are scaling up and
through maintenance and inspection.”
developing a whole new generation
One particularly innovative solution is
of infrastructure. No one company
for the Equinor Northern Lights project in
has all the answers. But we all have
Norway; the largest carbon capture oper-
an important role to play.”
ation in Europe, where the company has integrated one of its newest technolo-
Significant projects The company supplies and supports its
gies, a key management system (KMS). KMS offers an auditable level of
products globally, including to notable
safety, including a record of everything
offshore projects in Saudi Arabia. And at
going on in a plant. It also keeps sites
one of the biggest new LNG export facili-
in optimum maintained working order,
ties on the US Gulf Coast, Sofis saved the
avoiding downtime and therefore
customer millions in CapEx by using
a loss of earnings.
portable actuators instead of permanently installed ones.
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“The Northern Lights project is the new standard,” said Mr Langston. “We are
going to deliver several more of these
“We have a deep application knowl-
solutions as part of large upgrade
edge on process safety,” said Ms Schulte.
programmes to existing offshore assets.
“If we’re involved in the beginning of
We’re seeing new builds integrating this
big EPC projects, then we can really add
kind of additional digitalised administra-
value and reduce CapEx. Getting involved
tive safety. It adds a huge amount of
earlier and being seen as the safety
value to our customers.”
expert: that’s commercially one of my challenges. We are also creating a Sofis
Partnerships built to last
Academy to share knowledge with our
Sofis prizes the strong, reliable supply
distributors and customers.”
chain relationships that contribute to
Indeed, it is clear that Sofis solutions
the company’s overall success as the
truly make a difference in the lives
synergy is passed on to customers too.
of those who use them.
“We have trust from our suppliers
“Linda and I were in Abu Dhabi for
that has built up over many years,” said
ADIPEC,” concluded Mr Langston,
Mr Langston, “and that supports how we
“and we listened to customers talking
deliver with flexibility and agility towards
about what it’s like for their operators
our own customers – whether on the
to be out in 45 degrees Celsius, turning
other side of the world, or around the
a valve 200 times in a hot petrochemical
corner. We view what we do as very
environment, wearing PPE. Sometimes it
much a relationship-driven exercise.”
might be a very urgent or safety-related
Going forward, Sofis will continue to raise
procedure, so it’s important that we
its profile and create awareness throughout
make valve operations easier, faster
the industry about its capabilities.
and more efficient.”
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