Technical news

TECHNICAL NEWS: GLOBAL INDUSTRY UPDATES

Flyability

FLYABILITY ADDS CHF 15 MILLION IN NEW FUNDING

Swiss drone company, Flyability, announces that it has raised an additional CHF 15 million (€15.3 million) in a series C funding on top of CHF 7 million (€7.1 million) that it had already closed. This was led by Japan-based SBI Investment with new investor participation from Cargill and Verve Ventures.

Flyability specialises in drone-based industrial solutions for companies with a focus on the mining, power generation, energy, chemical, wastewater, and maritime industries. Flyability’s drone technology increases safety by reducing the need for inspectors to enter confined spaces. It also significantly reduces downtimes for confined space inspections. The series C funding comes just a few months after Flyability launched Elios 3, the world’s first collision-tolerant drone equipped with a LiDAR sensor for indoor 3D mapping. Elios 3 allows inspectors to visualise their assets in 3D models created in real time as the drone flies. Inspectors can create survey-grade 3D models after flights using software from Flyability and its growing list of software partners. The Series C investment will help Flyability strengthen its position as the market leader. It will also help develop new sensing and autonomy capabilities for the Elios 3, which was designed to be highly adaptable so that it could serve the specific needs of each industry that uses it.

TWTG

GLOBAL SOFTWARE AGREEMENT ANNOUNCED BETWEEN TWTG AND SHELL

Dutch I-IoT (Industrial Internet of Things) solution provider TWTG has secured an enterprise framework agreement to supply its vibration analytics solution to Shell Information Technology International. The announcement comes a few months after TWTG delivered 2,500 wireless NOEN Vibration Sensors to Shell Energy and Chemical Park, Rotterdam.

The monitoring solution forms part of SolidRed, TWTG’s I-IoT middleware. The program is designed to provide engineers with precise insight into rotating equipment that’s retrofitted with TWTG’s NEON sensors. The application takes data collected from on-site assets and provides the operator with a visual representation of the full-spectrum vibration analysis. This can be done from any remote monitor in Shell’s closed system. For Shell engineers, the data application allows them to have a greater insight into more than simply the RMS velocity and RMS acceleration data as they are able to turn the raw data into more practical information. Yvo Thal, senior IT project manager at Shell Information Technology International says: ‘The SolidRed NEON VB application allows us to get the most data and insight out of the NEON wireless LoRa devices, including spectrum analysis data. Rotating engineers can evaluate changes in patterns and diagnose these without leaving their desks. Comparing visualised changes in the spectrum over variable timeframes gives engineers a clear indicator of possible wear or damage, far in advance of any actual loss in performance or potential failure.’ The Vibration Application roll-out sits within Shell’s current IT architecture, and TWTG’s open approach to development ensured the easy integration with other systems, including Shell’s Sensor Intelligence Platform.

BP

BP APPOINTS NONEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

BP has announced the appointment of Satish Pai as a non-executive director to the board. Pai’s appointment will come into effect from 1 March 2023, where he will join the Safety and Sustainability Committee.

Helge Lund, chair of BP, says: ‘On behalf of the board, I am delighted to welcome Satish to BP. Satish is an accomplished and transformative executive with broad experience in operations and technology management in both resources and energy industries and the board will also benefit from his strong digital capability and experience.’ At the date of the announcement, Pai is currently a Director at Hindalco Industries and ABB. Pai will bring decades of experience to the board in Spring of 2023.

Gerotto

GEROTTO EXPANDS OFFERING FOR AUSTRALASIA

Italy-based tank cleaning company, Gerotto, has provided distribution rights to KOR, an Australia and New Zealand based company that manufactures and distributes industry equipment through OEM companies, such as Cappellotto and Schwarze Industries. The partnership is part of Gerotto’s growing ambition to provide safer alternatives for its customers.

Gerotto’s range of robots has grown because of a proactive approach and dedication to innovation to support the demands of the market and changing safety regulations. Meanwhile, KOR is committed to bringing innovative solutions to the industry, designed to respond to new operational needs and challenges. Alessandro Gerotto, CEO of Gerotto says: ‘We are proud to work with an

industry leader like KOR. The Australian market is growing at a rapid pace and robots and ROVs that we produce will create a competitive advantage for customers.’ to put the product into its designated storage tank. It also offers optimisation of storage tank levels across the supply chain, reducing on-site stock levels where sales volumes are low. Saif Humaid AL Falasi, group CEO at ENOC, says: ‘At ENOC, we are focused on continuously enhancing our business operation through digitalisation. In recent years, we have been investing heavily in optimising our operations and staying ahead of the technological advancements in the energy sector.’ corrosion or function prohibiting wear at the point of disassembly. ‘This was an incredible achievement for the team, we’ve been researching and developing technology to address the challenges that gasoline and other low flashpoint materials bring, so it was great to get the continuous operations test completed and have it be such a success,’ says Charles O’Connell, director of mechanical engineering.

Aramco

ARAMCO CEO CALLS FOR GLOBAL CONSENSUS ON CLIMATE AND SECURITY PRIORITIES

Aramco president and CEO Amin H. Nasser has highlighted the desperate need for a more credible energy transition plan moving forward.

A new global consensus that accurately and appropriately addresses climate issues and security challenges are needed for a brighter future, according to Nasser. In a recent speech at the Schlumberger Digital Forum, Nasser suggested that three pillars should be the focus of the response. The three pillars are: 1. Policymakers to recognise that supplies of ample and affordable conventional energy will continue to be needed in the long term 2. Further reduction of carbon footprints, with the use of technology 3. The use of new, lower carbon energy, that will assist conventional sources already in place Stressing the importance of attention to the energy crisis, Nasser emphasises the need for urgent action and cooperation, globally.

ENOC Group

ENOC GROUP INTRODUCES SMART FUEL SUPPLY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

ENOC Group, through its subsidiary, Horizon Terminals, has announced the implementation of an advanced digital solution for efficiently planning fuel supplies.

The announcement makes ENOC the first fuel company in the UAE to implement the latest version of the system. PDI Logistics Cloud is used to plan fuel supplies for ENOC retail stations and commercial customers. It will be based on their current stocks, forecasted demand, time to load the road tanker, traffic levels, and time taken

Square Robot

SQUARE ROBOT THRUSTER OPERATIONS TESTING COMPLETE

Autonomous robotic solutions company, Square Robot, has completed a successful test of a new thruster submerged in motor gasoline. Two thirds of the tanks in the world contain crude oil or another low flashpoint product, which make them challenging for in-service robotic inspections.

The test included operation of a thruster at a nominal speed in oil for a minimum of six hours as well as disassembling and inspecting the thruster at the completion of the test period. The main objective of the test was to ensure the thruster could operate in this kind of hazardous environment at normal speed and load with no material degradation to any of its components or of its overall performance. At the conclusion of the test, the thruster met or exceeded all objectives that were set throughout the six hour test and showed no signs of any chemical

StocExpo

STOCEXPO LAUNCHES ‘PITCH THE FUTURE’ CONTEST

The largest international event for the tank storage sector, StocExpo, is launching a brand-new pitch contest to help companies highlight their latest innovations.

The pitch contest will take place on day one of the StocExpo event on 14-16 March 2023 in Rotterdam, Netherlands and will be open to all exhibitors. Each pitch is limited to just five minutes. Held as part of the new Asset Management & Integrity Conference, the pitches will be judged by a selection of HSE, procurement and maintenance managers from the tank storage sector. The winner will be awarded a full presentation slot on the following day to explain more about their technology/ service to the audience of terminal operators, EPC providers, renewable fuel producers, chemical, oil & gas majors, and traders. For more information and to register your innovation please contact: margaret.dunn@tankstoragemag.com