Inside Energy December 2021

EIC Inside Monthly news for EIC members December 2021

Sector analysis

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EIC member news

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Kiwa’s business is changing to meet the needs of the energy transition

A tale of two COPs: Brazil and the US compared

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Sector analysis

A tale of two COPs: Brazil and the US compared One is a world superpower, the other is an emerging economy. One is the world’s second largest carbon dioxide emitter, the other is home to 60% of the Amazon rainforest. One was a protagonist at COP26 in 2021, the other was a protagonist at the Earth Summit in 1992.

One has passed a US$1tn infrastructure bill that boosts funding in low carbon projects, while the other’s lower house has passed a bill that effectively bends fiscal rules in anticipation of an election year. One’s president flew to Glasgow and delivered a speech shortly after the official opening, while the other’s thought it best to visit his ancestors’ hometown in northern Italy instead. The two largest economies in the Americas, Brazil and the US naturally draw attention on the world stage, both for their successes and shortcomings. It would not be different regarding COP26, as the climate emergency becomes more evident by the day. How do they compare with regard to their contributions and pledges at the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties?

Pledges at COP26 Responding to the common goal of limiting global temperature rise to 1.5ºC, countries around the world have announced or joined various climate mitigation pledges. Perhaps one of the most striking was a joint US-China declaration to work together on climate change.

While these announcements are far from an indication of a structured, well-defined roadmap, having the two largest GHG emitters share a common view of such an urgent matter is noteworthy.

The US has also unveiled the Net Zero World Initiative, a programme created in partnership with Argentina, Chile, Egypt, Indonesia, Nigeria and Ukraine to accelerate energy transition through custom-made, tangible technology roadmaps and strategies developed in partnership with the Department of Energy (DoE).

Brazil, meanwhile, is calling for a reduction of 50% of GHG emissions by 2030 – up from the previous 43% goal – using 2005 emissions as a reference. Analysts paying close attention to the country’s emissions targets will point out that this increase doesn’t mean much, and rightly so: the previous target considered 2.1bn tonnes of CO2 emitted in 2005, whereas the reference for the current one has been revised to 2.4bn tonnes. Both targets still lead to an emissions limit of 1.2bn tonnes of CO2 by the end of the decade.

Brazil has also pledged to bring forward its goal to end deforestation from 2030 to 2028. As more than half of the Amazon rainforest is located within Brazilian territory, this is indeed a pivotal issue.

Pietro

Ferreir

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However, the possibility of meeting this target is a subject of scepticism: deforestation has increased in recent years and key environmental oversight bodies have seen their budget reduced under the Bolsonaro administration, which has encouraged commercial activity in forest areas. On 10 November, Brazil’s Environment Minister Joaquim Leite declared at COP26 that “where there is a lot of forest, there is also a lot of poverty.”

Energy transition opportunities How do these pledges translate into new business opportunities? The US congress has recently passed a bipartisan bill calling for a US$1.2tn investment in infrastructure, of which US$65bn is associated with power and grid funding, with an emphasis on clean energy. This new investment will come on top of an already robust pipeline: according to EICDataStream, the US has 726 projects in clean energy sectors such as renewable power, energy storage, nuclear, hydrogen and CCS, representing a combined CAPEX of US$476bn.

Brazil, on the other hand, has not seen such a major government-induced commitment. The country’s economy has yet to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and a key concern in congress is currently how to modify austerity rules to shore up popular support during the upcoming election year, not grand energy plans. Nonetheless, the country has a growing pipeline of clean energy projects: there are 216 projects associated with solar and wind power (including a promising offshore wind segment), nuclear as well as green hydrogen, amounting to a combined CAPEX of US$211bn.

Looking ahead Naturally, the US and Brazil come from very different realities and a direct comparison may not be very useful.

COP26, however, has shown that the two key energy players in the Americas are clearly treading contrasting paths when it comes to climate change. This stark difference is noteworthy and demonstrates how challenging it is to deliver pragmatic outcomes following COP26.

While momentum builds in the US and prospects of delivering – and succeeding at – an energy transition strategy seem tangible, Brazilian actions in the climate change debate will remain as they are now under the Bolsonaro administration: built on questionable assumptions and subject to doubt.

It remains to be seen whether Brazil’s next government – under Bolsonaro or not – will adopt a change of mind with regard to climate change. U-turns are indeed possible, as Brazil’s northern neighbour has shown in the past.

Pietro Ferreira Senior Regional Analyst, Americas pietro.ferreira@the-eic.com

Designed and published by Energy Industries Council 89 Albert Embankment, London SE1 7TP Tel +44 (0)20 7091 8600 Fax +44 (0)20 7091 8601 Email info@the-eic.com Web www.the-eic.com @TheEICEnergy EIC (Energy Industries Council)

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Inside this issue...

As we wind down towards the close of 2021, it’s a good opportunity to reflect on another challenging year, celebrating Mark R isley our achievements, and looking forward to what promises to be an actionpacked 2022.

COVID has loomed large in the rear-view mirror for a second year in a row now, and it’s important to remind ourselves that although we have adapted to this new normal, the situation we find ourselves in is anything but.

The new Omicron variant has emerged at a time when perhaps a false sense of security had started to creep in with many of us double vaccinated for some time now, and it is a stark reminder that above all, we must put safety first.

The last 12 months have been busy here at the EIC. Our industry-leading virtual events calendar has continued to grow, with large-scale virtual conferences such as Energy Exports Conference, the North Sea Decarbonisation Conference, and EIC Connect events around the world all drawing thousands of virtual attendees.

2021 also saw the EIC establish the UK Energy Supply Chain Taskforce alongside the UK Department for International Trade (DIT), the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS), and leading trade associations and organisations from all sectors across the energy industry.

The taskforce, co-chaired by EIC, DIT and BEIS, involves government and industry working together to maximise opportunities in our sector and mitigate challenges as we continue to move forward in the energy transition.

We also saw a gradual return to physical events, with the largest being the longawaited ADIPEC 2021. We were delighted to pick up the Best Pavilion award from the event organisers, a testament to the many hours of hard work put in by the EIC team to make the pavilion such a success.

Contents Sector analysis

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Inside this issue...

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EIC databases

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One-to-one 6 New EIC members Member news

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2022 promises to be just as eventful, with new product announcements, exciting events, and new initiatives planned throughout the year, and we can’t wait to share the exciting pipeline with you.

Social media round up 15 Forthcoming events

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Mark Risley, Head of Marketing and Communications mark.risley@the-eic.com

International trade

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UK and Europe news 19

9 January 2022

Middle East news

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CONNECT

Asia Pacific news

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North America news

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QATAR

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South America news 23 Survive & Thrive V

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EIC (Energy Industries Council)

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DataStream MALAYSIA

Global opportunities TURKEY

H2biscus Green Hydrogen & Ammonia Project

Sakarya Gas Discovery

Operator: Samsung Engineering Value: US$1bn Samsung to develop the project in Bintulu. The pre-feasibility study has been completed and the feasibility study is expected to start in late 2021.

The contracts for the FEED and EPC are scheduled to be awarded in 2022.

Operator: TPAO Value: US$3.6bn The Subsea Integration Alliance has been awarded the EPCI contract which will cover the subsurface solutions to onshore production, including completions, subsea production systems, subsea umbilicals, risers and flowlines and an early production facility.

US

Cherry Point Refinery Upgrade Operator: BP Value: US$269m The investment to the refinery in Ferndale, Washington will consist of the Renewable Diesel Optimization (RDO) project, the Hydrocracker Improvement Project (HIP) and the Cooling Water Infrastructure Project (CWI).

For more information on these and the 10,000 other current and future projects we are tracking please visit EICDataStream

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ITALY

IRAQ

NETHERLANDS

Dhi Qar Solar PV IPP

Floating Offshore Wind Farm Kailia Energia

Aramis Carbon Capture and Storage Project

Operator: Masdar Value: US$500m Masdar has announced the signing of an implementation agreement with Iraq to develop a combined capacity of 1GW solar PV projects.

The locations of the PV IPP projects are 450MW in Dhi Qar, 100MW and 250MW in Ramadi, 100MW in Mosul and 100MW in Amarah.

Operator: BlueFloat Energy Value: US$5bn Falck Renewables and BlueFloat Energy have formed a 50:50 partnership to develop floating offshore wind farms off the Italian coast. The joint venture has kicked off works with its first 1.2GW project in Puglia by starting the authorisation process.

Operator: TotalEnergies Value: US$500m TotalEnergies, Shell, EBN and Gasunie have formed a partnership to develop CO2 transport infrastructure to enable offshore storage of CO2 from industrial clusters in the Netherlands. The Aramis project aims to provide CO2 transport to unlock storage capacity for refineries and the steel and chemicals industries.

SupplyMap The only database of UK supply chain companies across all energy sectors Need ayour demonstration of EICDataStream, EICAssetMap, EICSupplyMap? Get in touch Share news and views...

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AssetMap

EICAssetMap

EMEA Join us

Asset-tracking database with 14,000 operational assets for energy O&M opportunities in EMEA EICAssetMap maps all key energy assets in all energy sectors across the EMEA region in the latest membership offering from the Energy Industries Council (EIC).

EICAssetMap, the EIC’s asset-tracking database for all energy sectors, is now available as a new and powerful membership category for the entire EMEA region including 14,000 assets from over 100 countries.

Companies can grow their business by identifying and engaging with key targets in the operator, developer and O&M contractor communities in Africa, ASEAN, Australasia, Brazil, EMEA, Europe and CIS, GCC, Gulf of Mexico and UK with this fully interactive map-based database.

key energy markets around the world in all energy sectors to find new O&M business opportunities Search for operational assets in

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One-to-one with Paul Brown CEO, Kiwa UK Group

Kiwa’s business is changing to meet the needs of the energy transition and contribute to the path towards net zero, particularly in hydrogen

Q

What is Kiwa’s background and how do you think your company is positioned to contribute to the challenges of meeting net zero?

Our roots are in the utilities and go back to 1948 when Kiwa opened its first test facility in the Netherlands.

We have since diversified into other sectors, including energy and renewables.

Now a global organisation with 5000 employees, we’re recognised for our technical expertise and knowledge within the energy sector, particularly wind and solar, but also with our expertise in gas and hydrogen across supply, distribution, transportation and industrial. We’ve seen our capabilities develop across enabling technologies such as battery storage, hydrogen fuel cells and heat pumps that support the energy transition towards net zero.

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The breadth of our expertise allows us a unique perspective on the whole energy system.

Working with government bodies, regulators and trade bodies as well as manufacturers, utilities and SMEs, we have experience and insight in multiple stakeholders and markets, which is particularly beneficial in helping clients navigate the complexities of the market, regardless of their business.

The challenges ahead come in many guises and we’re well positioned to assure

upstream and downstream activities through our testing, inspection and certification services, all of which contribute to the decarbonisation of our energy system.

Q

It’s clear there is a strong focus on hydrogen within Kiwa, so how do you see the role of hydrogen playing out over the coming years?

Decarbonisation of the UK would be hard to achieve without hydrogen. It’s interesting and useful as it has so many applications and is complementary to electrification as a route to decarbonisation, especially in markets like building heat. It also has use across the motive and transport sectors such as shipping, heavy haulage and in the hard to abate areas in industry. Hydrogen as an energy vector has the potential to bridge both the electricity and gas networks, turning electrons into molecules and vice versa, which is why having a deep knowledge of the technologies and markets is both critical and valuable.

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Hydrogen has the potential to really change the way we produce, distribute and consume energy in our society, however you do have to make it first, and make it safely and economically, which is the immediate challenge.

At industrial scale, green hydrogen (produced by electrolysis) is the ideal, but deploying blue hydrogen is an

interim measure while we learn to scale up green hydrogen and make it cheaper and more efficient. Our recent focus has been on the acceptance of blended hydrogen which in the short term can help decarbonise our heating systems within the existing gas network (see Hy4Heat, H21 Hydrogen for Leeds, H100, HyDeploy, HyHouse projects – for all of which we have provided technical guidance). We’re also actively investigating local carbon capture and usage linked to biogas. Though these projects are relatively small they show great potential to be repeatable and thereby scalable.

Q

It sounds complicated.

Many of our members are well versed in hydrogen and the challenges they face in their own sectors, what challenges do you see the market facing in the short-term?

It is complex, but things are moving in the right direction.

The government has issued its ten-point plan, and the UK Hydrogen Strategy was released this summer, along with the Industrial Decarbonisation Strategy.

Technology is now developing at scale, and Kiwa has even built a hydrogen production facility here in the UK to provide our own hydrogen piped into our new test facilities to help clients test their own hydrogen-ready systems.

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One-to-one

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The hydrogen sector is broadly split into production, distribution, storage, mobility, appliances/fuel cells and industrial processes and each of these areas will essentially face the same problem: who pays for it and what is needed to get production and distribution up to scale safely and at a compelling cost? This is where Kiwa’s experience across several industries and sectors can help.

The government has been addressing this through ‘greening finance to finance green initiatives’, but ultimately it’s down to industry to collaborate to achieve success.

Q

So collaboration is key?

Absolutely. For the last 20 years we have operated as a trusted advisor to the UK distribution network operators, and it’s all about collaboration. Bringing all those elements together and really understanding the technologies and infrastructures that are going to make all of this happen translates into valuable capabilities to work with the financial sector and the developers supporting the decarbonisation agenda.

The challenge for the whole sector is presenting a compelling business case that overcomes the need for short-term operating fossilfuelled plants. Hydrogen and energy storage can help with that to increase the scale of dispatchable renewables.

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Blue hydrogen will help to accelerate production of hydrogen and the roll-out of distribution and storage infrastructure, but all of this is subject to financing and what will become bankable in the near to mid-term.

Financing in the energy sector is well established with a strong foundation in oil and gas. We’ve seen vast capital deployment into renewable sectors following initial subsidies then cost reductions, and into subsequent technologies such as energy storage. What is Kiwa’s view of the energy transition in this regard?

It’s an area we are becoming more involved with. We have a strong pedigree in providing downstream services into the renewables sector – we work with banks, financial institutions and investors performing due-diligence and as ownersengineer, so we understand the techno-economic challenges well. We have over 15GW of direct project experience in renewables, and serve customers across many countries. It is true that these markets are well established, and many of the risk models are based from decades of development in oil and gas, but innovation needs to happen in finance too in order to deploy capital into these nascent markets critical in meeting decarbonisation targets.

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For sure there’s some way to go, but there’s also a lot of change happening – not just how we produce energy but also how we consume it. The consumer, whether domestic or commercial, needs to be assured that the relevant checks and balances have been established and the services and systems they use are safe and sustainable. It’s clear that certain pathways are well underway. Pilot projects for electric vehicles, hydrogen buses, heat-pumps and the electrification of heat as well as hydrogen as a multiservice energy vector are all happening as we speak.

It’s our job to understand at a base level what the technology does, where in the market it sits and what is required to meet the highest standards for operation and safety.

We provide the testing and assurance services to make that happen. In doing this we develop a huge understanding and wealth of experience that can be fed back into the market to help our clients through expert consultancy. This is a continuous evolution, and it’s important that we keep developing as a company and adapting to the challenges of the market by working with the key stakeholders to effect change.

There’s a long way to go and things are inevitably going to change along the way, from your experience how do you see companies like Kiwa adapting to the changing market?

@TheEICEnergy

EIC (Energy Industries Council)

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New EIC members NEW PRIMARY MEMBER

NEW PRIMARY MEMBER

NEW PRIMARY MEMBER

Alternative Lighting and Technical Solutions for Africa (Pty) Ltd

eekmasec Systems Nigeria Ltd

EPS Sepadu Sdn Bhd

87 Mowbray Road Greenside Johannesburg 2193 South Africa

136, F’ Layout Kontagoro Road Minna, Niger State Nigeria Contact Mr Muhammad Bagudu, Executive Chairman, eekmasec Group

Contact Mr Gerhard Moolman, Director

Telephone +234 703 4387 920 Email muhammad@eekmasec-edu.com

Telephone +27 11 486 3552 Email gerhard@altsa.co.za

Web https://eekmasecgroup.com/ nigeria.html

Web www.altsa.co.za ALTSA (Pty) Ltd is a premier turnkey LED lighting company in South Africa that has been at the forefront of lighting technology for the past 10 years.

The company offers a wide range of luminaires including industrial, indoor, outdoor and explosion-proof.

ALTSA offers lighting designs using specific lighting simulation software according to SANS specifications.

EIC 2021

Email zaidee@eps-sepadu.com Web www.eps-sepadu.com

The company’s services and projects in/for Nigeria include:

EPS offers engineering, design and system integration services to its customers. With the combined experience and engineering capabilities from its employees, EPS is able to offer solutions with high efficiency, innovation and reliability.

Telecommunications (engineering, procurement and construction).

Oil and gas projects (EPC including carbon capture solutions and oil spill management).

EIC

AWA R D S

FINALISTS ANNOUNCED

Get in touch Share your news and views...

Telephone +603 7832 5296

EPS Sepadu Sdn Bhd (EPS) was established to deliver high quality products and services to industry.

The company is an industries solution integrator as well the authorised distributor for a range of products with high international recognition and optimal design.

Security and defence.

VIRTUAL

Contact Mr Mohd Zaidee Zulkefley, General Manager

eekmasec Systems Nigeria Ltd was incorporated in Nigeria (RC No 492818) in 2003, and is part of eekmasec Group and managed under eekmasec Group Corporate Governance Policy, by eekmasec Education Solutions Ltd, a London based company.

Energy (electricity generation, transmission and distribution) – solar, wind and hydro.

All luminaires are compliant with relevant safety and performance standards as prescribed by SABS, IEC and IES.

No 7, Janan Ruang U8/109 Bukit Jelutong, Section U8 40150 Shah Alam Selangor Malaysia

Email newsdesk@the-eic.com • Phone +44 (0)20 7091 8600

EPS’s after-sales support services include but are not limited to troubleshooting, overhaul and calibrations to ensure customers are continuously satisfied.

EPS core product solutions competencies include: process gas and liquid analytical systems; process and gas pipeline mechanical equipment; ultrasonic gas flowmeters; industrial control valve solutions; industrial heat tracing systems.

EPS core system solutions competencies include: design and build CEMS; design and build process gas and liquid analytical systems; design and build SWAS; design and build process gas and liquid analytical sampling systems.

New EIC members

NEW PRIMARY MEMBER

NEW GLOBAL MEMBER

NEW GLOBAL MEMBER

PELLINNO Ltd

Strategic Growth Services

Valen Fittings Ltd

Unit 9 The Business Centre Barlow Drive Winsford CW7 2GN

Laan van Meerdervoort 235 Den Haag 2563AB Netherlands

Valen House Westgate Aldridge Walsall WS9 8DG

Contact Mr Pete Elliott, Director

Contact Mr John Young, CEO

Contact Mr Lewis Ashby, Sales and Business Development Manager

Telephone +44 (0)1928 244 970

Telephone +316 8296 2265

Telephone +44 (0)1922 454 913

Email pete.e@pellinno.co.uk

Email john.young@ stratgrowthservices.com

Email lewis@valenfittings.co.uk

Web www.pellinno.co.uk

Web www.stratgrowthservices.com

Web www.valenfittings.co.uk

PELLINNO provides industrial system solutions and integration support for electrical, control (including PLC systems) and instrumentation.

Strategic Growth Services (SGS) is a global network of experienced strategy and business executives from the energy sector with consultants located across Europe, the Middle East, South East Asia and North/South America.

Established in 1976 Valen Fittings has established a global reputation throughout the oil, gas, petrochemical and power generation industry sectors as being a UK manufacturer of high quality large diameter pipe fittings.

Specialising in the manufacture of bespoke lengths of pipe, tees, elbows, reducers, stub ends, weld caps as well as many nonstandard bespoke fabrications.

PELLINNO is a gas detection system provider with fixed and portable solutions (design, install, commissioning and periodic calibration) and a portable gas detection system distributor (sales/hire).

PELLINNO also provides engineering services including design, control system manufacture, site installation and commissioning. Operator training and maintenance support.

PELLINNO is a specialist hazardous area contractor providing COMPEX trained E,C & I design, installation and inspection engineers for works within hazardous areas.

Qualified engineers provide solutions for both hazardous and non-hazardous areas within the following UK industrial sectors: utilities, renewable energy, oil and gas, petrochemicals and manufacturing.

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SGS provides a range of bespoke consulting services that enables its customers to grow their business with SGS’s world class team, who each have 30+ years’ leadership expertise in their respective fields, including: upstream, downstream, petrochemicals, renewables power, metals and mining.

SGS works with customers to help them increase their project acquisition rate. It does this by identifying the most profitable new regions and sectors for growth, using its extensive experience and insights, and project intelligence from EICDataStream.

This focused approach ensures that only the most productive opportunities are pursued to deliver credible long term business growth for its customers.

SGS doesn’t just identify the opportunities, it can provide project support right throughout the process to ensure successful project delivery.

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The company’s products are manufactured from European sourced material in a wide range of metallurgy grades ranging from 3 series stainless, duplex and super duplex stainless steels through to high nickel alloys and aluminium.

Valen Fittings offers both standard and fast-track delivery options in order to meet the project and turnaround demands of its customers. While adhering to industry typical design code requirements and in addition more onerous of standards such as Norsok M-650, Valen Fittings prides itself on consistently delivering quality products without compromise.

@TheEICEnergy

EIC (Energy Industries Council)

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Member news ABB secures US$120m order to power Jansz-Io Compression project

ABB has won an order worth approximately US$120m to supply the overall electrical power system (EPS) for the prestigious multibillion-dollar Jansz-Io Compression (J-IC) project. The order, comprising contracts with Chevron Australia Pty Ltd and with Aker Solutions, was booked in Q3 2021.

The Jansz-Io field is located around 200km offshore the north western coast of Australia, at water depths of approximately 1,400 metres.

The field is a part of the Chevronoperated Gorgon natural gas project, one of the world’s largest natural gas developments. The J-IC project, which moves gas from the deep seas to shore, marks only the third time that world-leading subsea compression technology is being deployed globally and the first time outside of Norway where ABB is also responsible for providing the EPS.

The project will involve the construction and installation of a 27,000 tonne (topside and hull) normally unattended floating field control station (FCS), approximately 6,500 tonnes of subsea compression infrastructure and a 135km submarine power cable linked to Barrow Island.

ABB will provide the majority of the electrical equipment, both topside and subsea, for J-IC. The project will combine two core ABB technologies – power from shore and variable speed drive (VSD) long step-out subsea power – for the first time. The electrical system will be able to transmit 100 megavoltamperes over a distance of approximately 140km and at depths of 1,400 metres.

The contract was awarded following concept development and a frontend engineering and design (FEED) study. Work has started and the subsea compression system is expected to be in operation in 2025.

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For more information: www.abb.com © 1995-2021 ABB

Using world-leading subsea compression technology, Jansz-Io Compression is positioned to maintain long-term natural gas supply to Gorgon. The Chevron-operated Gorgon project is a joint venture between the Australian subsidiaries of Chevron (47.333%), ExxonMobil (25%), Shell (25%), Osaka Gas (1.25%), Tokyo Gas (1%) and JERA (0.417%).

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Add Energy collaboration creates solution to cut inventory management costs

Add Energy, a leading international consultancy, service and software provider has announced a significant collaboration to lead the way in digital transition and full cycle efficiency for inventory and spare part management.

Add Energy’s asset and integrity management division has joined forces with Craig International and AH Asset Solutions to create an end-to-end, efficiency-driven inventory, procurement and logistics optimisation solution which provides significant time and financial benefits.

The alliance is believed to be unique within the market and the collaborative approach successfully combines niche skills to create a globally scalable option which carefully manages inventory to save money, increase productivity, generate income and minimise downtime.

Add Energy’s suite of inventory management software solutions can not only verify stock, but also build and optimise materials data and track and manage parts in the most efficient and effective way possible.

Cleansed and enriched data can then be used to access buying and selling options which are hosted by Craig International’s eBuy and smartbuyer online procurement platform which gives simple, online access to more than 60,000 customer hosted products, access to procurement specialists and pre-qualified vendors across the globe from their eight regional bases.

As well as unlocking cost savings of up to 15%, the system can reduce the number of suppliers by up to 60%.

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For more information: www.addenergy.no

Member news

Aggreko’s Matt Watson awarded full membership to the Institute of Refrigeration

Matt Watson, Aggreko’s Manufacturing & HVAC Sector Sales Manager for the UK and Ireland, has joined the Institute of Refrigeration (IoR) as a full member. His membership to the institute marks a recognition of his position as a responsible industry professional and the depth of his knowledge on cooling equipment solutions.

The Institute of Refrigeration is the foremost authority for those working in HVAC and refrigeration, so I am looking forward to taking advantage of the wealth of cutting-edge research and information I now have access to.

Matt Watson, Manufacturing & HVAC Sector Sales Manager, Aggreko

The IoR is a membership association for recognised industry professionals working in the fields of refrigeration, air conditioning and heat pumps.

The organisation is a leading source of information for those employed in these sectors, with an evergrowing library of reports, technical publications and best practice guides available to members.

In order to gain full membership, prospective applicants must be able to demonstrate considerable theoretical knowledge, significant experience within a management role and 10 or more years total within the sector. As a member, Matt hopes to use the IoR’s resources to help steer Aggreko through the ongoing legislative changes facing the cooling industry.

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For more information: www.aggreko.com

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Altus signs exclusive distributorship deal in Malaysia Altus Oil & Gas Malaysia Sdn Bhd (Altus) has signed an exclusive distributorship agreement with Singapore-based multi award winning company, Magna International Pte Ltd to market Vappro VCI products in Malaysia.

Magna International is represented

by Dr Nelson Cheng, the group chief executive and Altus is represented

by Mohammad Taufik Othman, managing director of Altus Malaysia.

Under the terms of the agreement, Altus will be the exclusive distributor of Magna’s award winning VCI product, Vappro, across Malaysia.

Vappro stands for vapour-phaseprotection, which is a state-of-the-art technology in corrosion prevention.

The innovation of Vappro’s VCI technology has earned it recognition and confidence from customers worldwide and is of superior quality, integrity, and is environmentally friendly and cost-effective. Its products cover a wide range of industrial applications that include oil and gas, logistics, automotive, electronics and the packaging industries.

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For more information: www.altusmalaysia.com

AsstrA Group provides vessel agency services in north western Russia

A vessel agent represents the interests of a ship owner or cargo owner at a given port. For example, services might include arranging a vessel’s entry into a port or arranging other necessary details while the while the vessel remains in the port.

Cargo owners can benefit from having a ship’s agent act as a trusted partner in port.

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Such an approach speeds up the process of placing ships under cargo operations and also increases visibility of port time accounting.

Vessel agents work closely with AsstrA’s port forwarding department.

Ships’ agents are typically hired by shipowners in other countries to represent the shipowners’ interests before local port authorities.

A ship’s agent can pay port authority vessel call fees in the local currency, assist with pilotage to the port, and arrange tug assistance for mooring operations to the berth.

In 2021, AsstrA Group’s general cargo department provides vessel agency services at ports in north western Russia. Plans for the near future include extending the service to southern Russia in ports around Krasnodar: Novorossiysk, Caucasus, Tuapse, Temryuk and Azov.

AsstrA clients regularly opt for agency services at the ports of St Petersburg, Ust-Luga, Primorsk, Vyborg, Vysotsk and Kaliningrad. In addition to handling relations with port authorities on behalf of ship owners, vessel agents help arrange crew changes, bunkering and towing, and ship chandlering related to provisions and spare parts. Port fees, mooring fees, and other similar charges are also paid directly on the shipowner’s behalf.

As shipowners cover vessel agent fees, cargo owners benefit from the arrangement at no charge. AsstrA clients receive comprehensive consulting, documentation and service support for the shipment of cargo through ports. AsstrA employs ship agents with 10 years experience who are ready to help with and advise on maritime transportation and documentation.

While a ship is in port, AsstrA’s operational staff interact with various port organisations, including: port authorities, tug companies, pilotage service providers, customs and border authorities, owners of berthing and other port infrastructure.

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For more information: https://asstra.com/

@TheEICEnergy

EIC (Energy Industries Council)

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Member news

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ScanWell, represented by CHESS, closes deal with Equinor

ScanWell technology has arrived in Brazil with Equinor, and it is the first company to close a service agreement for well integrity monitoring.

ScanWell is a Norwegian technology and services company offering state of the art equipment, software and services focused on well integrity, well barriers, gas lift optimisation and production performance of oil and gas producing wells, without loss of production and without wireline intervention into the well.

Established in 2008, with its main office in Stavanger, Norway, ScanWell introduced to the global market new and disruptive instruments and methods for well integrity monitoring.

ScanWell is recognised by the industry as a technology provider that requires no wireline intervention in the wellbore. With the use of remotely operated tools, flexible instruments, software and methods that are all developed in-house, ScanWell is one of the major players in well integrity surveillance services with over 15,000 surveys done for well integrity monitoring worldwide.

For more information about the application and technology contact the local agent at CHESS Solutions.

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For more information: www.chessengenharia.com.br

Delta Energy Services wins major contract with Santos

Delta Energy Services, a provider of inspection services to the international oil and gas industry, has announced that it has secured a major contract to provide inspection services to Santos Ltd, with works relating to manufacturing, fabrication, testing, delivery and installation.

Services commenced in June 2021 and will continue until approximately June 2026, with options for extension.

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For more information: www.des-global.com

Daniel McCarthy joins EnerMech as new strategic proposals director

Daniel McCarthy has joined EnerMech as its strategic proposals director to help accelerate its planned growth across the business.

Mr McCarthy started his 18 year career in the oil and gas, engineering and construction sector at Kentz, which was later acquired

by SNC-Lavalin in 2015. In his most recent role, he was responsible for overseeing the company’s pursuit of large-scale projects in the Americas, as well as leading all its major global construction proposals.

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Mr McCarthy’s performance history also includes winning high-value projects in North and South America, the Caribbean, Europe and the Middle East, as well as managing and developing multidiscipline tender teams to ensure proposals meet all health, safety and quality requirements.

Based in the United Kingdom, Mr McCarthy will be instrumental in building on recent successes with a key focus on devising and implementing best-in-class procedures for cross-regional, complex proposals. His focus on large-scale tenders will also see Mr McCarthy align the company’s technical expertise across its global locations to deliver proposals across the energy and infrastructure sectors.

EnerMech is a global services company specialising in critical asset support across the asset lifecycle from pre-commissioning to decommissioning. The group is headquartered in Aberdeen, UK and has 40 facilities in 23 countries.

The business has experienced a strong performance in 2021 and secured contracts totalling £170m in the first quarter of the year including substantial downstream projects in Africa and the US and a second award for its unique patented catalyst handling technology.

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For more information: www.enermech.com

The 200MW Salamander floating wind project, developed by Simply Blue Energy in partnership with Subsea 7, has signed a memorandum of understanding with ERM for the potential use of ERM’s Dolphyn hydrogen technology.

The project is also working closely with Scotland Gas Networks (SGN) to potentially integrate with and connect into future 100% hydrogen infrastructure or as a blend with existing gas infrastructure, which SGN is aiming to develop through its decarbonisation roadmap.

Our ambition for ERM Dolphyn is to progress towards multi-GW, green hydrogenproducing floating wind farms over the next decade – in the UK, Europe and further afield.

Steve Matthews, Major Projects Director, ERM

The award-winning ERM Dolphyn is a first of a kind technology combining electrolysis, desalination and hydrogen production on a floating wind platform – with the hydrogen transported to shore via pipeline. It is an economic and scalable solution, which produces green hydrogen with no carbon emissions at the point of use.

Prior to the Salamander project, ERM Dolphyn aims to undertake a 10MW demonstration project, which would produce green hydrogen offshore and provide the first step needed to scale up at Salamander. The Salamander project and ERM Dolphyn will engage in further engineering work in the coming months to assess the potential deployment of the ERM Dolphyn technology within the Salamander project.

Howden supplies compressors for hydrogen refuelling station Howden, a leading global provider of mission critical air and gas handling products, has supplied three hydrogen compressors for use in the world’s largest hydrogen refuelling station (HRS) for HyPower: the Beijing Daxing HRS in China.

Howden’s hydrogen diaphragm compressor packages were supplied at the refuelling station and Howden’s strong brand reputation, high product quality, reliability and technological strength in the hydrogen market were key to the successful contract.

The Howden team in China responded to a short lead time requirement and worked closely with HyPower to provide the solution necessary to keep this important HRS running. Howden has a long history and strong presence in China with over 1,000 employees operating in offices and service centres across seven cities and a large manufacturing centre that serves customers across the country.

With over 100 years of experience in the compression of hydrogen, Howden plays a key role across the hydrogen value chain with its industry leading, broad compression technologies and solutions.

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For more information: www.howdenprocesscompressors.com

© Howden Group 2021

ERM signs MoU for Dolphyn hydrogen technology

© Copyright 2021 by ERM Worlwide Limited

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For more information: www.erm.com

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Member news

© 2021 Mech-Tool Engineering Ltd

MTE successfully delivers modular contract

MTE has completed a contract to supply two containerised switchgear modules to its client, AF Switchgear.

Delivered as a full turnkey project, MTE provided the initial design expertise which transitioned into the engineering and supply scopes for the project.

Installed by AF Switchgear, the modules contain electrical switchgear and ancillary equipment – complete with cable management systems and interconnecting cables installed and connected. The modules are fitted with lighting, small power, heating, ventilation and fire alarms.

This contract win adds to MTE’s extensive modular experience and demonstrates its capability to deliver cost-effective solutions. Alongside this project, MTE is pleased to have secured various other modular contracts and is constructing modules of all standards and specifications which will be delivered to clients worldwide.

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For more information: www.mechtool.co.uk

Ocean Infinity acquires Geowynd Ocean Infinity, the marine robotics company, is excited to announce that it has acquired marine geotechnics experts, Geowynd.

Based in the UK and serving clients all over Europe, Geowynd’s team of geotechnical engineers provides consultancy services to aid the safe and optimal development of offshore renewable energy projects.

Geowynd’s market leading geotechnical analysis services include developing smart site investigations, advanced laboratory testing strategies and optimised de-risked foundation design and installation solutions.

The acquisition comes as Ocean Infinity continues to develop its Armada robotic vessels to serve the offshore renewables industry with the provision of geophysical, geotechnical and operation and maintenance services. While Geowynd will continue to operate under its own brand and service its well-established client base, the acquisition will present opportunities to combine Ocean Infinity’s robotic vessels, data, artificial intelligence, and low emission operations with Geowynd’s geotechnical expertise to provide sustainable, data-driven services to the renewables sector.

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For more information: https://oceaninfinity.com/ © Ocean Infinity

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Member news New EIC members Social media round up

ScottishPower Renewables backs Proserv offshore wind subsea cable solution

© 2021 Proserv UK Ltd

Global controls technology company Proserv Controls has received industrial sponsorship for its disruptive subsea cable condition monitoring system for the offshore wind segment, ECG™, or Electro Cable Guard, from ScottishPower Renewables (SPR).

Social media round up We want to use every opportunity to connect with our members, so please follow us on Twitter (@TheEICEnergy) and connect with us on LinkedIn – EIC (Energy Industries Council) Below you’ll find a selection of some of the exciting EIC activities and useful industry information we’ve shared through our social media channels.

The EIC @TheEICEnergy

The sponsorship agreement will see SPR provide its expertise and resource both from a cable owner and operator perspective, bringing vital knowledge into the project to assist in the development and ultimate functionality of ECG. ECG has been initiated and driven

by Proserv with critical support from its consortium partners Synaptec, a power system monitoring leader, and cable engineering specialists BPP Cable Solutions. The system offers a paradigm shift in present market offerings around condition monitoring of both inter array and export cables.

Machine learning will be integrated into the system, so that, once fully engaged, minute anomalies in performance, even within normal operating boundaries, will be detected, potentially indicating future issues requiring remedial action.

It is anticipated that the capabilities of ECG will lead to huge advances in the way subsea cables are managed, significantly reducing the incidence of faults and failures on offshore wind farms in the future.

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For more information: www.proserv.com

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Amarinth wins order for 14 vertical pumps from The EIC ISCCO for @TheEICEnergy The EIC welcomes the UK Export ADNOC Strategy which sets out the framework to Ruwais help existing and new exporters to expand their investments: http://bit.ly/323FIPM refinery With 47 businesses showcasing some of the best in the UK energy sector, the EIC picked up top prize for Best Pavilion at #ADIPEC2021: http://bit.ly/3xa019K

Amarinth, a world-leading, net-zero designer and manufacturer of low lifecycle cost EIC (Energy Industries centrifugalCouncil) pumps and associated #EICConnect Qatar received fantastic equipment for responses from our speakers and attendees. offshore Visit our website to access the videosand or register: CONNECT #EICConnect #Qatar #UAE #Webinar QATAR onshore oil and gas industries; nuclear and renewable energy generation; desalination, process and industrial markets, has secured an order with its agent NAMA for 14 API 610 VS4 vertical pumps from ISCCO for the ADNOC Ruwais Refinery East, United Arab Emirates.

5 October 2021

The Ruwais refinery in the United Arab Emirates is owned

by ADNOC and has undergone significant expansion since being commissioned in 1981. The most recent project will add a further 600,000 barrels/day capacity to the @TheEICEnergy

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December – February 2021/2

LIVE events

1 December Management Course

EICDataStream/AssetMap training Online

2 December Corporate Entertainment

EIC Awards 2021 Webinar

2 December Business Presentation

North America EICDataStream Online

3 December LIVE e-vents

EIC Members – Speedy Networking Webinar

7 December LIVE e-vents

GCC Energy Market & Project Update Webinar

9 December Business Presentation

North America EICDataStream Online

15 December Business Presentation

AGM and Industry Round Up Online

15 December Management Course

EICDataStream/AssetMap training Online

15 December Business Presentation

Events calendar 6 January Business Presentation

South America EICDataStream Online

9 January EIC Connect

EIC Connect Qatar Webinar

12 January Management Course

EICDataStream/AssetMap training Online

13 January Business Presentation

North America EICDataStream Online

19 January Business Presentation

South America EICDataStream Online

26 January Management Course

EICDataStream/AssetMap training Online

27 January Business Presentation

North America EICDataStream Online

1 February Overseas Exhibition

Offshore Europe 2022 P&J Live, Aberdeen

1 February Corporate Entertainment

South America EICDataStream

EIC Awards 2021 After Party

20 December Business Presentation

9 February Management Course

Online

North America EICDataStream Online

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Aberdeen

EICDataStream/AssetMap training Online

For more information and to book visit www.the-eic.com

Forthcoming events

9 January 2022

CONNECT February – April 2022

QATAR

14 February Overseas Exhibition

9 March Management Course

Egypt Petroleum Show 2022

EICDataStream/AssetMap training

New Cairo Exhibition Centre

Online

22 February EIC Connect

16 March Overseas Exhibition

EIC Re-Connect UAE

Wind Expo Japan 2022

ADNOC Business Centre

Tokyo Big Sight, West Hole, Japan

23 February Management Course

21 March Overseas Exhibition

EICDataStream/AssetMap training Online

3 March Corporate Entertainment

9 March Overseas Exhibition

Wind Energy Asia 2022

Kaohsiung Exhibition Centre, Taiwan

Muscat, Oman

23 March Management Course

EIC Middle East Annual Golf Day The Els Club, Dubai

Oman Petroleum and Energy Show

EICDataStream/AssetMap training Online

6 April Management Course

EICDataStream/AssetMap training Online

22 February 2022

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International trade Join us... at our exhibitions in 2022

The EIC’s international trade team is busier than ever with the return of face-to-face events at ADIPEC and World Nuclear Exhibition (WNE) as well as preparing for our busy events schedule in 2022.

We are excited to share our upcoming events in 2022 and are thrilled to be adding new shows to the mix, all focusing on hydrogen and clean tech.

As business and international travel restrictions ease, we are delighted at the prospect of increasing our presence at new shows around the world, networking within new industries and

helping to support more companies with their strategies and growth in the hydrogen sector.

Camilla

Tew

If you are interested in one of our events and want to know more information on how to join us, please get in touch with one of the team to discuss your options. Please email us and a member of the team will be in contact. internationaltrade@the-eic.com

EXHIBITIONS 2022 Offshore Europe

Booking Now

1 – 4 February

Aberdeen, UK

EGYPS

Register Interest

14 – 16 February

Cairo, Egypt

Wind Energy Asia

Register Interest

9 – 11 March

Taiwan

Wind Expo Japan

Booking Closed

16 – 18 March

Tokyo, Japan

Oman Petroleum & Energy Show (OPES)

Register Interest

21 – 23 March

Muscat, Oman

Offshore Technology Conference (OTC)

Register Interest

2 – 5 May

Houston, USA

Energy Exports Conference (EEC)

Register Interest

14 – 16 June

Aberdeen, UK

Hydrogen Technology North America

Register Interest

14 – 16 June

Houston, USA

ONS

Register Interest

29 – 1 September

Stavanger, Norway

Gastech

Register Interest

5 – 8 September

Milan, Italy

Oil and Gas Asia (OGA)

Register Interest

13 – 15 September

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Rio Oil and Gas

Register Interest

26 – 29 September

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Wind Energy Hamburg

Register Interest

27 – 30 September

Hamburg, Germany

Carbon Capture Technology Expo Europe

Register Interest

19 – 20 October

Bremen, Germany

Hydrogen Technology Expo Europe

Register Interest

21 – 22 October

Bremen, Germany

ADIPEC

Register Interest

7 – 10 November

Abu Dhabi, UAE

OSEA

Register Interest

tbc

Singapore

We are always on the lookout for more shows and new sectors to add to our ever-growing schedule.

If you are interested in an exhibition that isn’t on our list, please do let us know.

Get in touch For more information contact...

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UK and Europe news UK events update The UK events team descended on Glasgow at the start of November to hold a series of events during COP26 which focussed on the energy industry and its net zero targets.

Kick-starting our week in Glasgow we held a morning event with Mott MacDonald, in its Glasgow office, discussing the very latest technologies and developments in carbon capture utilisation and storage (CCUS). Our excellent speakers, from Mott MacDonald, Aker Carbon Capture and Origen, identified key technologies and discussed the latest research, developments, readiness and barriers, as well as required government support, for CCUS. We then based ourselves at Wood House, partnering with Wood to host two further events. Firstly, we hosted The Race to Net Zero which was part of our Road to COP26 series in partnership with DNV. We were delighted to welcome an amazing speaker line up for this event from Drax, DNV, KBR, TotalEnergies, Wood and EDP Renewables. The session looked at how the energy sector is evolving to play a leading role in a carbon neutral future, providing the solutions for our net zero ambitions, elevating existing energy systems to one that is cleaner and more sustainable, bringing new ways of thinking to address the climate challenge.

To round off the week we looked at the North Sea as an area in transition. After an informative presentation from EIC’s Diveena Danabalan on future projects in the region, we moved into an inspiring discussion with EIC and Wood’s Craig Shanaghey – President, Operations for Europe, Middle East & Africa – looking at how the North Sea is playing a pivotal role as the energy transition takes shape, and at the future sustainable energy plans for the North Sea region.

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It was a fantastic week, and we would like to thank all Jo Cam our partners and pbell supporters who helped make these events possible: DNV, Wood, Mott MacDonald, KBR, Kent Introl, Bertling, Sterling Quality Services and Doqaru.

Following on from Glasgow we went on to hold the last in our Road to COP26 series, the Outcomes of COP webinar which took place on Thursday 25 November with our speakers from EIC, DNV and Vysus Group diffusing the outcomes from COP and what they will mean for the energy sector in the coming decade. Many thanks to our co-host Vysus Group for joining us on this final webinar in the series.

Coming up to round off 2021 with a bang we have the virtual EIC Awards on 2 December, which as always, will celebrate the best and brightest supply chain companies in the energy sector. Do please join us and raise a glass to all the finalists and winners in each of the tightly fought categories.

Jo Campbell Regional Director, UK & Europe jo.campbell@the-eic.com

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EIC T H U R S D AY 2 D E C E M B E R 2 02 1

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Middle East news Regional update

It is hard to believe that we now approach the end of another year, once again shrouded in the backdrop on an ongoing pandemic, but thankfully one where Ryan M cPhers on the world began to adapt and hopefully has turned a corner.

The energy sector noticed a significant shift with the previous dialogue of the few now becoming the dialogue of the many.

This is a conversation that impacts the entire supply chain with governments, IOCs and NOCs moving to net zero. With recent events like COP26 and a possible US$2trn market per annum until 2050 it is easy to see why energy transition is on everyone’s lips. It is now a hyper topic where the entire world is now becoming more energy literate. This also presents further opportunities as many traditional oil and gas companies diversify into the renewables market.

We delivered a record number of events here in the region, also marking a welcome return to our physical events after close to an 18-month absence. These events have helped to provide our members with up-to-date market intelligence and information when required most alongside the opportunity to hear from some of the key players in the region. This included our inaugural Qatar Connect event where attendees will be able to continue to view the content consisting of over 16 sessions into the new year via our website. This is a model we will continue to look at into next year as we reintegrate the physical element that has been sorely missed.

The addition of a new Russia/CIS membership, adding to the existing GCC and Africa categories ensures that we continue to deliver the level of service that our members have become accustomed to, where we are delighted to have welcomed several new members over the course of the year.

This years ADIPEC was a welcome return to live events at scale. It was great to see so many of you in person and the UK pavilion taking pride of place on a national scale. The level of activity on the pavilion was something to behold and we look forward to seeing many more of you in 2022.

On a final note, on behalf of the entire team here we would like to wish you and your respective families our very best wishes over the holiday period and a healthy, happy and prosperous 2022. We are certainly in the midst of an exciting time within our industry and hopefully the future will see an upturn in fortunes for you all, where we are privileged to support you in any way we can.

Ryan McPherson Regional Director, Middle East, Africa, Russia & CIS ryan.mcpherson@the-eic.com Get in touch Share your news and views...

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Regional news

Saudi Arabia pledges to reach net-zero by 2060

Saudi Arabia, the world’s biggest oil exporter, has set a target of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2060, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said at the Saudi Green Initiative (SGI) Forum. The Kingdom also plans to more than double its target of reducing annual carbon emissions to 278m tonnes by 2030, this is up from a previous target of 130m tonnes.

Green initiatives now represent investments of more than 700bn Saudi riyals (US$186.6bn) that will create major opportunities for the private sector, create more jobs and develop a green economy. Saudi Arabia became the second Gulf country, after the UAE, to unveil a net-zero emissions target.

Qatar Petroleum changes name to Qatar Energy

Following hot on the heels of the recently launched EIC Connect Qatar, Qatar Petroleum has changed its name to Qatar Energy to better signal a new strategy that focuses on energy efficiency and environmentally friendly technology such as capturing and storing carbon dioxide. Qatar is the world’s largest supplier of liquefied natural gas and aims to expand production to 127m tonnes annually by 2027 from 77m tonnes.

Forthcoming events

Please go to page 16 to see upcoming events in your region

9 January 2022

CONNECT

QATAR

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Asia Pacific news Regional update

Some of the world’s longest and toughest COVID-induced border curbs are finally being eased, with Asia Pacific countries taking their Azman firmest steps yet towards Nasir re-opening to international travel. From Singapore to Sydney, Bali to Bangkok, authorities have announced a flurry of plans to welcome vaccinated travellers by drastically reducing or completely removing quarantine requirements in place for most of the pandemic. The easing is a significant shift towards opening up just as the traditional yearend holiday travel season approaches. Australia is also making the same move, following announcements by Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore earlier in October to either do away with restrictions on who can enter or ease quarantine rules on entry.

Singapore, trying to move on to living with COVID, has announced quarantine-free travel for vaccinated travellers from countries in Europe, Asia and the US. It has also signalled that more countries will be added to the list.

Meanwhile, Thailand said that from November it would scrap quarantine for vaccinated travellers from five low-risk countries including the US, China and the UK. More nations will be added to the list gradually as the country seeks to revive its tourism-reliant economy. Indonesia is also reopening borders further, allowing inoculated visitors from more countries to enter and imposing a shorter quarantine period. The country has re-opened tourist spots such as Bali and Batam to foreign visitors. The Philippines has also exempted fully vaccinated visitors from low-risk countries.

Driving the decisions to re-open across the region are rising vaccination rates, a growing consensus that the far more infectious Delta variant has rendered containment regimes less effective, and the urgency to revive export and tourism-dependent economies that have languished for nearly two years. Some other places in the region, like New Zealand and South Korea, have not yet reached high enough vaccination levels to re-open, but their governments have signalled that they intend to follow suit once inoculation levels are sufficient. The only exception is China. The world’s second largest economy remains the last stalwart of COVID Zero and has indicated no plans to lift its border controls.

In November, EIC APAC organised the first in-person networking event for EIC members in Kuala Lumpur at the Hyatt Hotel. The EIC is planning to have more events such as this in the coming months depending on the level of restrictions by the authorities.

Azman Nasir, Head of Asia Pacific azman.nasir@the-eic.com Sign up for the EICOnline newsletter

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Regional news

Samsung to develop Malaysia’s H2biscus green hydrogen, ammonia project

Samsung Engineering is planning to develop a green hydrogen and ammonia project in the district of Bintulu, Sarawak, Malaysia. The H2biscus green hydrogen/ ammonia project will be sponsored and developed by the Posco, Lotte Chemical, Sarawak Economic Development Corporation (SEDC) through its subsidiary SEDC Energy and Samsung Engineering consortium.

The project is expected to produce 7,000tpa of green hydrogen for Sarawak’s local use, 600,000tpa of blue ammonia, 630,000tpa of green ammonia and 460,000tpa of green methanol. The pre-feasibility study has been completed and the feasibility study is expected to start in late 2021. The contracts for the FEED and EPC are scheduled to be awarded in 2022.

Refiner Eneos to acquire Japan Renewable Energy

Japan’s biggest refiner, Eneos Holdings is acquiring Japan Renewable Energy Corporation (JRE). JRE will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Eneos Holdings following the deal’s completion which is targeted to be by the end of January 2022. The company is buying JRE for about US$1.8bn to expand its low-carbon business, joining a list of major global companies moving away from climate-changing fossil fuels. Eneos plans to combine JRE’s development capabilities with its renewable energy business to become a leading renewable energy company in the country. JRE has 877.1MW (419.2MW in operation and 457.9MW under construction) of capacity in Japan, with most of the portfolio comprising solar, onshore wind as well as biomass.

EIC Newsbriefs membership@the-eic.com Keeping you up to date with energy news from around the world

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North and Central America news Regional update

In September the EIC was able to host one of the year’s most anticipated events, and the region’s first hybrid in-person and virtual event: Connect Energy USA 2021 2.0. The in-person portion took place Amand a Duho n in Houston on 28 September with an exclusive group of speakers, sponsors, advisory board members and delegates. The day began with a VIP breakfast sponsored by Merrimac International with Elm Valle, Director, Global Supply Chain, Dril-Quip. Elm discussed the evolution in leadership needed to ensure we have the force to push through the energy transition, how COVID has been a catalyst for stronger commitments to ESG, the importance of bringing the human equation back to relationships both externally and internally, the need to build strong bridges with suppliers, cultural change; the pandemic is the one thing we all have in common and we need to use this to work together.

Following the in-person component, during October we had the honour of hosting one-to-one meeting and briefing sessions with Grant Owens, Senior Supply Chain Manager, Wood; Luis Vazquez, Senoir Procurement Manager, Subsea-Surf, Global Sourcing & Procurement, TechnipFMC; Kimerly King, Manager of Contracts and Procurement, Energy GBU, Bechtel and Jigar Master, Supply Chain Manager – Projects and Tendering with Subsea7 and the USA Market Update session addressed by Pietro Ferreira, EIC Senior Regional Analyst, Americas. The briefing sessions highlighted a critical moment for the supply chain; EPCs are changing the way they do business from a procurement perspective, their clients are changing the way they do business with them; Scope Three is coming, and the supply chain must be on board as demands for decarbonisation are here and now across the energy sector.

The EIC would like to thank all speakers, sponsors and partners for supporting this amazing initiative. To learn more about sponsorship opportunities and upcoming Connect events across the region, contact Luanna Souza, Project Manager, Americas: luanna.souza@the-eic.com In addition to Connect, from 29-30 September, I had the pleasure of serving as a speaker for two panels at the 5th Annual LNG Summit: Role of LNG in Decarbonising the Energy Sector, and LNG’s Carbon Footprint and Incompatibility for Net Zero Future – What’s Next?

From production to post-combustion, panellists discussed avenues to address emissions such as hydrogen, CCS/ CCUS, electrification, asset integrity and upgrades, to the big question of financing and returns on investment.

The Energy Kaleidoscope with, left to right: Ing. Paul Sullivan, Sam Thigpen, Paula Fitzpatrick, Laurent Pagnon, Michael Olsen and Amanda Duhon

The panel The Energy Kaleidoscope included Michael Olsen, Vice President, Policy & Government Affairs, Aker Offshore Wind; Ing. Paul Sullivan, Senior Vice President Global LNG & FLNG, Worley; Sam Thigpen, CEO, Sapphire Gas Solutions; Laurent Pagnon, VP Digital & New Business Ventures, TechnipFMC and Paula Fitzpatrick, VP, Growth & Development Conventional Energy, Wood discussing key points around the meaning of energy transition from a variety of perspectives across the value chain. During the keynote lunch we had the opportunity to hear from Viet Van, VP Supply Chain Strategy at Shell. Viet provided an update on Shell as a company, emphasising the need to do things differently. He posed a call to action of the supply chain to bring their expertise to help achieve net-zero while working together in unison to leverage expertise. He advised Shell will shortly release its ‘supplier energy transition hub’, so watch this space.

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During October, the North and Central America region had the pleasure of welcoming EIC’s very own Senior Regional Analyst, Americas, Pietro Ferreira for a North & Central America Regional Sector Update: Renewables.

Members and non-members had the opportunity to learn about the wide range of opportunities present in the renewables sector. To see our schedule of upcoming events, please visit the website or contact Adriana Romo, Office & Events Co-ordinator, North & Central America: adriana.romo@the-eic.com Beyond joining our regional webinars free of charge, companies have the opportunity to become global digital supporters for individual upcoming EIC LIVE e-vents. By becoming a Global Digital Supporter, companies have a range of benefits such as expanding brand visibility globally, and expanding networks by reaching a global audience. Learn more about how to become a Global Digital Supporter by contacting us.

Amanda Duhon Regional Director, North & Central America amanda.duhon@the-eic.com

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South America news Regional update

With 2021 coming to an end the EIC South America team is proud to announce that we hosted more than 15 events with over 1,050 attendees. Even though we miss hosting in-person Clariss e Roch a events, the pandemic has allowed us to reach a bigger audience gathering half of the audience from South America and half from around the world. An array of excellent speakers from operators and developers including bp, Shell, Enauta, Petrobras and Trident Energy, to contractors like SBM, Subsea 7 and many others offered first hand knowledge, an update on their current projects and demand for suppliers. If you missed the chance to watch any of these, don’t hesitate to reach out and we can provide you with a link to the recordings.

Brazil’s oil and gas opportunities are no longer limited to Petrobras’ pre-salt plans. Oil majors such as Equinor, Shell and Total are actively engaged in field development projects, with contracting activity already underway. Also, the EIC, in partnership with DIT, will be undertaking a high level business delegation to Brazil to promote the UK’s excellence in the offshore wind and energy sector. As part of the programme, UK companies in the delegation will have the opportunity to present their capabilities at a conference in Rio de Janeiro. This will be the eighth edition of the UK & Brazil: Partners in Energy event, with the objective of showcasing UK capability in the energy industry, enabling companies to share expertise and consolidate strategic partnerships in the Brazilian energy market.

We have high expectations for next year as we will be managing the UK pavilion at Rio Oil & Gas 2022 to be held from 26-29 September 2022 at a new venue in Rio. The upcoming Rio Oil & Gas, Latin America’s leading oil and gas event, is particularly important as key projects

by Petrobras and IOCs in the country will be highlighted.

Regional news

Brazilian government mulling offshore wind decree Brazil’s Mines and Energy Ministry plans to introduce a framework for offshore wind farms through presidential decree. The new framework, planned to be announced by the end of 2021, would create bidding rounds for offshore acreage, similar to the system currently in use for oil and gas E&P blocks.

There are currently two similar proposals under review in congress, but their final approval is not subject to a fixed schedule. This system would provide a solution for projects currently overlapping each other’s designated areas, a frequent occurrence among projects submitted for approval by the federal environmental regulator IBAMA.

EIC Rio’s webinar with Eletronuclear

The Rio team hopes you’ve enjoyed being a part of all of this as much as we have, and we would like to wish you all a happy new year, and look forward to many more events in 2022.

If you need any assistance or advice in the region or for more information about upcoming events, please contact: rio@the-eic.com Clarisse Rocha Head of Americas clarisse.rocha@the-eic.com

EIC Newsbriefs membership@the-eic.com Keeping you up to date with energy news from around the world

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Survive and Thrive V Success stories

Samuel Knight International Riding the 2020 rollercoaster How is Samuel Knight International thriving?

Little did Samuel Knight International realise how important scaling up in the US in 2019 would prove to be in light of 2020’s events. Having refinanced the business in 2018, it looked like years of hard work may have been about to come to an abrupt and devastating end when COVID-19 struck, until a major breakthrough arrived from across the Atlantic.

The challenge Headline after headline throughout the course of 2020 has, rightly, shone a light on the devastating impact COVID-19 has had on employment across the world. As lockdowns and travel restrictions put the brakes on economic activity, entire industries were put and remain on hold, and the inevitable consequences have, unfortunately, borne out.

Businesses have been forced to make cuts and in many cases close their doors, resulting in major upticks in unemployment and contractions in job openings – a recruitment firm’s worst nightmare.

Relatively little attention has actually been paid to the grave impact this has had on recruiters. For Samuel Knight International (SKI), which specialises in managerial direct hire solutions within the infrastructure and energy sectors, the pandemic created something of a perfect storm.

To add further angst to the unfortunate situation, CEO Steve Rawlingson had just started to bear fruit from a refinancing exercise carried out in 2018, when he raised £6 million by selling 15% of the firm to an institutional investor. A war chest to fund future growth, a tangible asset in the form of

a new office – decked out with a £1.5 million makeover – was officially moved into at the start of 2020.

When COVID-19 arrived, Rawlingson understandably feared the worst.

The solution The short-term plan was simply about ensuring survival. All non-critical costs were removed, and headcount was reduced during what became the first period in the firm’s seven-year history where it wasn’t looking to scale up.

With clients themselves pursuing cost efficiencies, and travel bans presenting further barriers to recruiting processes, SKI was forced to think on its feet.

Rawlingson was determined to stand side by side with clients and provide support where needed – it was a case of being there for them in the hope a corner would soon be turned.

That corner arrived thanks to an

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unlikely white knight – US President Donald Trump.

Following two months of industrial shutdown across large swathes of the country, the President declared US energy sector workers as exempt.

It was the news SKI was desperately waiting for, the company having only established itself in the market in August 2019, going fully live as recently January 2020 with new locally-based leader Sam Forest in place.

SKI had decided to set up in the US thanks to one long-term client which had asked for help in filling a senior VP of operations and construction position. The candidate was placed within six weeks, leading to more work. Rawlingson was also excited about the American renewables boom, something he was seeking to exploit in the years ahead – COVID-19, however, dramatically brought this forward.

Success Success stories stories

SKI was helped by the fact its top five clients were all global heavyweights in the form of Siemens, GE, Mitsubishi, Nordex and Halliburton, companies which it already had deep working ties with in the UK, Europe and Middle East. With activity about to be ramped up again in the US, SKI’s service offering that is designed to remove HR, payroll, onboarding, equipment, recruitment and financial paperwork burdens in order to scale up activity, suddenly became glaringly relevant.

SKI’s new institutional investor also arrived with deep knowledge in the renewables space and provided project finance access that enabled the company to bid on large projects.

Such financing strength is also now being used by end-user clients to help them secure work, a USP of SKI which is proving to be a winner.

There were, however, obstacles to getting off the ground, especially against the COVID-19 backdrop.

Rawlingson had to jump through many hoops to acquire a working visa and had little time to get used to the US market. He had to quickly grasp employment law and renumeration structures, find the right people to run

the operation, and create a new supply chain.

Thankfully, these issues have been overcome. SKI now has seven staff stationed across the country with plans to scale quickly to 25, a reflection of the extraordinary revenue success which has seen the operation grow to $10.2 million in turnover in the space of a year.

This is down to several major contract wins involving four onshore wind projects – two in Texas and one apiece in North Dakota and Denver, developments for which SKI placed 218 contractors at a retention rate of 98.2%.

Its success to date has led to more work being secured, this time to supply another 425 contractors across a new wave of American projects, helping to build on the 5GW of renewable energy power the company has supported across both the US and UK. A year on from the COVID-19 nightmare, and SKI is very much looking upwards once again. Revenue is forecast to reach £38 million for 2021, more than double what it achieved last year, rounding off a

Story type

Key findings

#scaleup (main category)

For industry

#export, #resilience

• Be resilient, tenacious and adaptable.

Benefits • Successful scale-up in the US: from zero to US$10.2m in revenues within one year

SKI is a global recruitment and project manpower specialist, providing skills and project solutions to the energy and rail sectors on a permanent, contract and project basis. In the energy sector, SKI covers the renewables, power generation, transmission and distribution, nuclear and oil and gas segments. The company’s contractor services offering includes mobilisation of contractors, payroll, immigration, registration, taxation as well as contractor care and localisation. In addition, SKI also provides bespoke skills testing, competency-based interviewing as well as industry and market trend insights.

SKI has offices in Newcastle, London and Bristol, in addition to US offices in Houston, Dallas and Chicago.

Key products and services: provider of specialist technical and engineering manpower

For government • Clarity is needed around energy transition plans.

The company has received support from the Department of International Trade (DIT) to set up a presence in the US.

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About Samuel Knight International

Samuel Knight International at a glance:

Government support?

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rollercoaster story which is hurtling towards a happy conclusion.

Main industries served: • Renewables – 55% • Infrastructure – 30% • Oil and gas – 7.5% • Conventional power – 7.5% Headquarters: Newcastle, UK Year established: 2014 Number of employees: 70 Revenue: £19m Revenue from exports: 70%

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Survive and Thrive V Success stories

Serba Dinamik Resilience, diversification and digital transformation

How is Serba Dinamik thriving?

Serba Dinamik has taken a proactive approach to ensuring its own longevity and sustainability in the face of challenging markets, its success underpinned by three key pillars – diversification, digital transformation and economic resilience against COVID-19.

The challenge The oil and gas industry is one which constantly has to grapple with myriad of challenges and unavoidable risk. A vast number of varied, impactful and uncontrollable factors have historically had huge bearings on the success of sector players, be it international politics and geology or price volatility and supply and demand fluctuations.

Owing to such external influences, 2020 quickly became a period of hardship for oil and gas companies. Major supply and demand imbalances stemmed from the global industrial slowdowns and travel restrictions brought about

by COVID-19, resulting in a depressed

need for refined products. The share price of oil and gas companies plummeted and ultimately failed to recover as the pandemic rolled on through 2020, with average per-barrel prices dropping from US$63.30 in 2019 to US$41.92 in 2020.

And 2021 is unlikely to offer much in the way of improvement. The World Bank estimates that per barrel prices will only rise to $44 this year – an outlook that provides little nearterm respite for an industry already struggling to sustain itself.

If nothing else, the pandemic has highlighted the importance of diversification, and those that had already spread their revenue models between oil and non-oil activities have been much more successful in coping with unforeseen pressures.

The solution Serba Dinamik is one such company that approached diversification proactively.

Founded in 1993, the Malaysian

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company spent the first two decades of its existence mostly focused on providing integrated engineering and maintenance solutions to the oil and gas and petrochemical industries. Eight years ago, however, the decision was taken to diversify the risk for its shareholders and ensure a more sustainable future for the business. Growing global trends such as coordinated action against climate change were pre-empted, and the firm began to adjust accordingly.

This was not an overnight overhaul.

Rather, Serba Dinamik has been pursuing a gradual, organic transition over recent years, focused on building internal expertise over time.

Fast forward to the present day, marked progress has been visible on multiple fronts.

The firm has continuously upskilled its core pool of talents and rolled solutions out to new sectors such as power generation, utilities and wastewater, information and communication technology. Its transition has also seen an increased focus on building technological proficiencies in key areas

Success Success stories stories

such as artificial intelligence, finance technology, cybersecurity and data analytics, a move that has ensured its ability to offer superior solutions.

When the latest oil market shock struck in 2020, many companies were forced to streamline, cut costs and find new ways of enhancing productivity – actions Serba Dinamik has taken well in time thanks to these newly consolidated technological capabilities.

Where determining the health of industrial equipment previously took up to two weeks, the company is now using AI to source even more accurate insights in just two days. Through this transformed predictive maintenance, it has helped asset owners avoid periods of unplanned shutdown and significant productivity losses.

act locally” has been very apt and equally important. By localising many of its global operations in key markets, the company has benefited from improved internal governance and uninterrupted project delivery.

With key people and core competencies assigned locally, Serba Dinamik was able to honour existing contracts despite borders being shut as it already had its resources where they needed to be. Its technological efforts have also been helpful on this front, the company able to provide expert advice and key training remotely as required via visual demonstrations.

The shift is needed to enable the company’s longevity, durability and sustainability be protected for many years to come.

About Serba Dinamik

Undoubtedly, Serba Dinamik’s commitment to diversification and digital transformation have been key to its success in 2020. Moving forward, however, the organisation plans to further transition from a position of sustainability and resilience to one of growth.

Established in 1993, Serba Dinamik Holdings is an international energy services group providing integrated engineering solutions to the Oil & Gas, petrochemical, power generation industries, water and wastewater as well as utilities. The company’s main business is in operations and maintenance (O&M), and engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning (EPCC), Information Communication & Technology (ICT) and Education & Training.

The firm’s philosophy of “think globally,

While 75% of revenues were still driven by oil- and gas-related activities in 2020, it set a target by 2023/24 shift this balance so that other activities account for 55% of overall business.

Headquartered in Malaysia, Serba Dinamik has operational offices in Indonesia, UAE, Switzerland, Netherland, Qatar, Singapore, India, the UK and the USA.

Story type

Key findings

#resilience (main category)

For industry

Serba Dinamik at a glance:

#digital, #diversification

• Success is a journey, not a destination. It is a process of continuous improvement.

• Always innovate.

These strides have been invaluable in allowing Serba Dinamik to achieve resilience in the face of the economic hardships brought about by COVID-19.

Yet such endeavours have not been the sole factor behind its enhanced durability.

Benefits • Successful diversification to ICT segment • OPEX savings of US$6m

Government support?

In Malaysia, Serba Dinamik has benefitted from government grants.

Key products and services: operations and maintenance (O&M), engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning (EPCC), ICT Solutions and Education & Training Main industries served: • Oil and gas – 75% • Chemical – 5% • Others – 20% Headquarters: Shah Alam, Malaysia Year established: 1993 Number of employees: 5,500 Revenue: US$1.5bn Revenue from exports: 70%

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Speedcast Finding inspiration in adversity How is Speedcast thriving?

Communications solutions provider, Speedcast, has a story full of extreme resilience, with the company’s recapitalization process becoming a catalyst for holisitic structural change and innovation within its value offering.

The result? The leading provider of mission-critical communications for remote and challenging locations has initiated a comprehensive transformation, strengthening and expanding its global network platform and enhancing its offerings of full-suite solutions to enable the digital journeys of its customers, as well as increase their overall operational effectiveness.

The challenge Mergers and acquisitions are commonplace in almost any industry.

While companies look to boost organic growth by increasing output and enhancing sales internally, inorganic growth by way of mergers, acquisitions and takeovers is often used as a means to which companies can achieve these same ends.

Such was the view of Speedcast, with the company having completed an impressive 16 acquisitions between 2010 and 2018. However, such an ambitious growth plan naturally came with significant challenges.

The company weathered the 20142016 oil price crash, but was further impacted by shifting market dynamics at the start of 2020. These included the global COVID pandemic, along with volatile Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) activity and price wars among two of the biggest exporters, Russia and Saudi Arabia. These crises ultimately led the company to enter into Chapter

11 recapitalization proceedings in April 2020. However, with a change in leadership and ownership, along with a clearer vision, the question became whether the companycould be successful in turning a corner.

The solution Despite being faced with significant hardships and debt, Speedcast drew upon the positives – it learned from its failures and opted to move forward in a different direction with a reinvigorated approach.

The newly instated leadership team, who had not had the chance to make a proper impact since their appointment in 2020, set about making the case for the company’s second chance, developing plans for holistic structural and operational overhauls that would make it leaner, more effective and more efficient.

Primarily, focus was shifted towards supporting the digital journeys of Speedcast’s customers, marking a

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distinct enhancement of Speedcast and its legacy companies’ traditional service model solely focused on providing the communications infrastructure. Adding full-suite solutions and advanced technologies, the company continues to partner with its customers to increase their overall operational effectiveness, building on the communications infrastructure at the core.

In order to bring its offering into the modern age, it began to work towards developing technologically empowered solutions such as a predictive maintenance and condition monitoring to help clients make informed decisions and better determine equipment health.

Through honest conversations and significant transformation, Speedcast’s value offering has become more selective, more logical and significantly improved. Having previously been an traditional provider of mission-critical communications in remote locations, it is now built on foundations of an ROI-centric, hybrid network, ‘cradleto-grave’ model, capable of supporting

Success Success stories stories

the management of entire connectivity chains with bespoke customer dashboards.

Specialties now extend far beyond communications, as the company supports customers with their connectivity, processing, cybersecurity, edge computing, sensing, web serving, analytics, dashboard and hosting requirements.

team was successful in convincing the company’s loyal lenders that plans for a digital-centric model would pay dividends – employee capabilities and skills that were previously hidden have been unlocked to add value wherever possible, and its overall offering has become more client-focused and diversified.

Speedcast’s turnaround has been immense. Its experienced leadership

Speedcast is a leading communications and IT services

provider, delivering critical communications services to the Maritime, Energy, Mining, Media, Telecom, Cruise, NGO, Government, and Enterprise sectors. The company leverages its global network platform to provide fully connected systems that harness technologies and applications to transform what remote operations can achieve. With the world’s most comprehensive network, Speedcast enables faster, seamless pole-to-pole coverage from a global hybrid satellite, fiber, cellular, microwave, MPLS, and IP transport network with direct access to public cloud platforms. The company integrates differentiated technology offerings that provide smarter ways to communicate and distribute content, manage network and remote operations, protect and secure investments, and improve the crew and guest experience. Speedcast is based in Houston and serves more than 3,200 customers in over 140 countries.

Story type

Key findings

Speedcast at a glance:

#transformation (main category)

For industry

#digital, #serviceandsolutions

• Be resilient, but be flexible • Always be ready to spot lessons from most unlikely places • Surround yourself with inspirational people

Key products and services: Major provider of mission-critical communications for remote and challenging locations.

Its technical reinvention is arguably best underpinned by its core competency: VSAT (very small aperture terminal) connectivity.

Here, the company delivers satellite capability on well-designed, robust equipment for mission-critical communications. This is a ‘game changer’ for customers in remote markets – the company is able to support a truck fleet in the Middle East with remote diagnostics, devices, connectivity, data movement and more, for example.

Benefits • Increased share of digital solutions in sales pipeline

While its revenue per annum is down, its profit margins are now much higher thanks to a streamlined approach.

Further, the company’s sales pipeline was solely driven by traditional communications just one year ago, yet it is expected that one fifth of revenue in 2021 will be derived from its newlyestablished, full-service suite and digital solutions.

Speedcast is now in a much more sustainable position, both financially and in relation to its technical expertise.

Indeed, the future looks incredibly bright.

About Speedcast

For government • Closer collaboration with national bodies and enablers across countries would help shape future strategy and structure for energy transition

Government support?

The company benefits from the Apprenticeship Levy.

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Main industries served: • Oil and gas – 23.75% • Renewables – 1.25% • Maritime – 35% • Infrastructure/mining – 25% • Government – 15% Headquarters: Houston, TX Year established: 1989 Number of employees: 1,300 Revenue: Not disclosed Revenue from exports: Not disclosed

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Survive and Thrive V Success stories

STATS Group Reaping the rewards of localised resilience

How is STATS thriving?

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, STATS Group successfully achieved year-over-year growth in 2020, thanks to a strategy driven by the localisation of operations in key international markets. Not only has this model been vital in building resilience during a challenging period, but it equally offers a bright, scalable, sustainable future for the company.

The challenge STATS Group, like the vast majority of businesses globally, was forced to adapt during a highly volatile period in 2020.

For STATS, the closing of borders and travel complications brought about about by the pandemic was a key challenge. Internationalisation has been a core strategy of the company for

over a decade, although successful operations in certain markets relied on the ability to fly competent teams around the world.

Of its 285 employees, 160 are UK based, with 65 in the US and Canada, 52 in the Middle East and just eight in Asia. The hindered mobility of staff in the face of the pandemic, therefore, posed a problem as lockdowns swept the world.

The solution Indeed, the scenario which quickly unfolded highlighted the importance of localisation. While STATS had established itself internationally, the company lacked significant operational presence in certain markets – best reflected by its footprint in Asia.

Here, the company had just eight onthe-ground employees, and as a result regional revenue dropped significantly

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from £6 million in 2019 to a little over £2 million in 2020.

Yet, overall, 2020 can actually be considered a success story for STATS, marked by a rise in revenue and staff numbers, with its total headcount rising from 250 at the end of 2019 to 285 a year later.

While the company had not yet substantially localised operations in Asia, significant progress had been made to this end in the Middle East and North America where it had shifted to more locally-autonomous operating models.

A significant emphasis was placed on in-region investment and training competent core local teams to ensure that regional activities were largely delivered by regional employees.

Centrally defined standard operating procedures (SOPs) formed the

Success Success stories stories

foundations of this upskilling strategy so as to ensure STATS’s high standards would not be dropped in any market globally – a scalable approach.

Through this transition to localisation in key international markets, the company became much more resilient to the economic and social challenges posed

by COVID-19.

Localisation of STATS’s North American operations are well advanced where over 95% of its employees are local.

While regional revenue stumbled in Asia it boomed here, rising from £13 million in 2019 to over £18 million in 2020. In the Middle East, meanwhile, where partial localisation was achieved, revenue remained stable at £9 million year over year – an achievement in itself given what was a testing period.

Regional leadership teams are provided with the trust, authority, and autonomy they need to deliver success, and staff are better engaged with overall strategy which is delivered on-the-ground in localised markets.

Story type

The shift towards localisation has enabled STATS to be closer to its customers, ensuring faster response times, a more personalised service, and an improved way of marketing its pressurised pipeline isolation, hot tapping and plugging services to the global oil, gas and petrochemical industries.

Indeed, further localisation efforts will be required in Asia and the Middle East moving forward, but the success realised in North America points to a bright future for STATS. 2020’s revenues suggest the rewards of the firm’s commitment to pursuing a sustainable growth model are beginning to be reaped, and the company is now better established in its priority market of North America.

About STATS Group STATS Group are market leaders in the supply of pressurised pipeline isolation, hot tapping and plugging services to the global oil, gas and petrochemical industries. Their primary

#resilience (main category)

• In the current remote working reality, take advantage of smart digital solutions

#export

For government

Benefits • £5m revenue growth in North America • +10% increase in staff numbers during 2020

• An expansion of the key worker definition would support exporters in times of COVID • A sensible, managed transition to clean energy is needed in the context of climate change

Key findings

Government support?

For industry

STATS received support from UK Export Finance (UKEF) in 2018. The company has also benefited from the Apprenticeship Levy and R&D tax credits.

• • • •

Invest in market research Resilience is key Focus on quality Set challenging goals, but make sure your plans are adequately funded

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services are isolation and intervention of hydrocarbon piping and pipelines which enhance worksite safety and reduce system downtime during repair and maintenance activities.

Furthermore, environmental impact can also be minimised through reduced venting and flaring of pipeline inventory.

The company has its own proprietary technology, providing DNV GL type approved, double block isolation tools, for use in onshore, topsides and subsea pipeline infrastructure. STATS Group’s vision of producing specialist tools and technology services for a safer oil and gas industry is carried out by 285 employees, spread across the world. With headquarters in Aberdeen, the company operates globally with operational bases in Canada, Malaysia, Qatar, the USA, UAE and Oman.

Export Lessons • Localisation is a key enabler of growth in export markets

STATS Group at a glance: Key products and services: pipeline isolation, hot tapping and plugging services to critical infrastructure in the oil and gas industry.

Main industries served: • Oil & Gas – 100% Headquarters: Kintore, UK Year established: 1998 Number of employees: 285 (160 in the UK) Revenue: £42.5m Revenue from exports: 80%

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Survive and Thrive V Success stories

TEXO A one team transformation How is TEXO thriving?

While COVID-19 has posed innumerable challenges in the past 12 months, it has been something of a catalyst for transformation at TEXO. By diversifying and making the most of new opportunities, the company, previously an oil and gas sector specialist built on siloed divisions, has successfully reinvented itself to become a collaborative, diversified, profitable business with a one team culture at its core.

The challenge When current Chairman, Hayden Smith, took the helm, he knew there were clear opportunities to make more of the skills and experience within the teams. At that point, the company was solely involved in the oil and gas industry and needed a fresh pair of eyes to spot potential opportunities and drive profitable change.

TEXO, based in Aberdeen, had the potential to expand its working base and to look at other industrial sectors. It was the goal to develop a multi-disciplinary engineering and construction company providing services to the oil and gas, renewable energy, nuclear energy and marine sectors in north east Scotland and beyond.

TEXO had diversified into a group driven by eight different disciplines, and on the face of it appeared to be a success. In 2019, Hayden Smith brought his son Chris in to manage the business – Chris has significant management expertise in the construction sector – and he was able to see where the organisation could be more effective and more profitable.

At that time, TEXO’s eight subsidiaries were operating as fractious, siloed

enterprises. They had become difficult to manage and the business was struggling to maintain profitability. It was a situation that needed rectifying, and quickly.

The solution Chris Smith set about drastically streamlining the organisation, the goal was simple – take one step back in order to take two steps forward on firmer foundations.

Chris began by looking at which service areas could be made more efficient, take advantage of market opportunities and begin to be more profitable. A fairly in-depth restructure resulted in four core business areas: engineering, fabrication, rope-access and temporary accommodation.

The restructure resulted in a streamlined headcount, falling from 90 at the end of 2019 to 40 by March

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2020. Yet, for Chris, this was a vital part of a focused and transparent plan that he knew would result in a business that had the right skillsets and attitudes, ready to take advantage of clearly defined new business opportunities.

Of course, restructure brings difficult decisions about the people working for the company. But a good leader understands that culture matters, and that where the structure and the culture of a business no longer supports its long-term goals, things have to change.

It was at this point in the process that the COVID-19 pandemic hit, forcing the business to complete its restructure during some of the toughest times in living memory.

It was, however, the catalyst required to accelerate TEXO’s transformation.

The furlough scheme bought the

Success Success stories stories

company time, facilitating an acrossthe-board expenditure cut that allowed the firm to weather the storm, and for the creation of a newly invigorated one-team model and culture that embraced collaboration, cooperation and collective effort.

As we begin to emerge from the pandemic, TEXO is now putting its new model to the test.

with clients on complex projects and its market reputation and influence is growing as a consequence.

It has been a monumental undertaking.

By going back to basics, Chris has successfully rebuilt secure foundations on which the business has begun to thrive.

Headcount has risen back up to 80, while revenues now stand at £30 million – a figure that has allowed the organisation to become profitable.

While 100% of cashflow was generated from oil and gas related activities in 2019, 40% of its income is now sourced from non-oil related activities in renewables, construction, power grid and nuclear.

ambition is built on a skilled workforce and a can-do, will-do attitude.

About TEXO

Recent client wins include SAIPEM for the NnG offshore windfarm, and TEXO has also completed work on the Orbital O2 tidal turbine – the company has demonstrated its ability to work closely

For 2021, the plan will be to expand capabilities while keeping operations under one roof and one identity.

This expansion includes new service offerings, port services, recruitment, DSI and Livestream. TEXO is also planning overseas expansion – the company is ambitious, but that

TEXO is an Aberdeen-based multidisciplinary engineering and construction company that provides services in the oil and gas, renewable energy, nuclear energy and marine sectors.

The company’s team is made up of engineers, constructors, surveyors, designers, creative thinkers, servicegivers and problem solvers. TEXO offers six distinct services: Engineering & Fabrication, Workspace Solutions, Asset Integrity, Recruitment, Port Services and Land & Aerial Surveys. Between them, these services support customers both onshore and offshore to design and complete essential projects on time and on budget. In 2019, TEXO won “Young Business of the Year” at the Courier Business Awards 2019.

Story type

Key findings

TEXO at a glance:

#transformation (main category)

For industry

#culture, #diversification, #resilience

• Surround yourself with trustworthy people – build a good team ethos • Diversify into different sectors • Invest in your staff

Key products and services: Engineering, construction, fabrication, rope access, temporary accommodation, port services with rapid response, complex operations, survey and inspection, drones, recruitment and live streaming services.

Today, the firm operates as a single enterprise, with one central support and administration team and cultural initiatives tying its varied services together. Where the managing directors of the disparate business units had previously been given shares in their individual businesses, they have now been provided with group shares, emphasising the importance of group performance above all else.

Benefits • Successful diversification away from O&G • Revenue and staff numbers have rebounded

Government support?

The company has received R&D tax credits

Main industries served: • Oil and gas – 60% • Renewables – 20% • Construction – 8% • T&D – 8% • Nuclear – 4% Headquarters: Aberdeen, UK Year established: 2018 Number of employees: 80 Revenue: £30m Revenue from exports: 0%

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TP Group Gaining traction in the UK rail sector How is tpgroup thriving? tpgroup is a company unwilling to stand still. With a history of supplying submarines with key carbon capture, electrolyser and fuel cell technologies, the firm has successfully diversified to win its first rail sector contract, applying 50 years’ experience to deliver hydrogen fuel solutions.

The challenge For many companies, diversification can often be the difference between long-term sustainability and short-term success, scalability and stagnancy, even survival and collapse. While one successful business model, product, service or innovation might work today, there is every chance of it being superseded by the next great idea tomorrow. tpgroup’s survive and thrive story is an exemplary one that demonstrates the benefits of proactive diversification.

Prior to 2017, the organisation was an established name serving the space and defence markets with bespoke engineering, consultancy and digital advisory services. One of its specialties was, and remains, the development and supply of cutting-edge atmosphere systems for submarines, its expertise in this domain spanning more than half a century. It is a business that provides tpgroup with a consistent and stable income owing to its high market share.

This was the challenge for tpgroup – with a steady submarine market sector, how could it leverage its market leading capabilities and technologies in new ways to avoid complacency and keep the business moving forward?

The solution This key question came to the fore in

2017. Through market analysis, tpgroup recognised conversations surrounding energy transition and hydrogen technologies were beginning to spread like wildfire, and that its submarine expertise in carbon capture, electrolyser and fuel cell technologies could bring tremendous value to the table.

The potential was clear, but so were the risks in 2017. Following further market research and analysis of established players, it was agreed that early entry would be unwise owing to stiff core competition and limited immediate opportunities. Yet, a review in 2019 quickly reinvigorated conversations.

Clean energy had begun to embark on a steep growth curve global climate targets and the UK government’s pledge to reach carbon neutrality by 2050.

The firm engaged its clients, partners, trade associations and cluster groups and deployed a ‘tiger team’ headed up by Group Technology & Innovation Director Jon Constable that focused

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on engineering and bid writing – technicalities that would enable it to more effectively seek out potential contracts.

By 2020, tpgroup had finalised a golaunch plan. It had spotted a gap in the rail market thanks to the appointment of key consultant, Kathryn Clamp.

Rail is a sensitive industry with intense regulatory scrutiny, where highly vetted, reliable and safe systems are of paramount importance. Indeed, with 50 years’ commercial experience commercial experience that has involved working closely with the government to deliver electrolysers for complex projects and safety critical applications in tpgroup’s life support systems division, the company had the extensive track record needed to succeed in such a sector with the right approach.

For tpgroup, this manifested itself in strong partnerships with key entities including the Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association, rail industry bodies, and

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MAKE UK – organisations with vital experience that could support its ambitions.

Fast forward to 2021, and this approach has proved to be vital. tpgroup has secured its first contract to develop hydrogen fueling systems for a UK locomotive business, the company’s ethos of evaluating the bespoke needs of each project having served to delight its new client thanks to emphasis on solving its specific problems.

While the client had already committed to building a hydrogen-powered train using an electrolyser, there was an additional opportunity to support the integration of motive force fuel cells.

Here, tpgroup is acting as a consultant, helping the client to select appropriate assets and associated technologies to best shape the overall solution.

prices, long delivery times and a lack of experience, while the coronavirus pandemic has impacted its ability to get initial conversations off the ground and build momentum.

Yet much optimism can be taken from the progress that has been made in such a short space of time.

As of now, the firm is well ahead of its five-year success plan in the energy domain, with a pipeline of five potential contracts on the horizon and overwhelmingly positive feedback to date from prospects and its latest client company alike.

Is it a survive and thrive success story?

With establishment in a new market, using a new technology application for a new client, undeniably so.

About tpgroup

across the three value streams. Within Consulting, the company works in partnership with national government bodies, international institutions and global prime contractors on enterprise transformation, feasibility analysis, system engineering, programme delivery and support. tpgroup’s Software & Digital Solutions segment, meanwhile, involves developing mission and safety critical systems, software tools, artificial intelligence and decision support for autonomous navigation, constellation management, collision avoidance, resource optimisation, intelligence analysis and asset management.

Indeed, the company’s drive for diversification hasn’t been without its challenges. A legacy embedded in the defence industry has seen it struggle to shake certain stereotypes such as high

tpgroup is a global leader in Consulting, Software & Digital solutions and Atmosphere Management Systems across the full lifecycle of defence, space and energy programmes. With world class innovation, expertise and experience, the company employs approximately 450 people in six countries, with customers in more than 30 countries

The company’s Bespoke Engineering Solutions domain includes life-support systems in critical workspaces, hydrogen based renewable energy solutions, water purification, rugged electronics for harsh environments and precision engineering of high-integrity equipment. tpgroup works globally with governments, institutions and leading commercial businesses to add value and deliver successful programmes on land, sea, in the air and in space.

Story type

For government

TP Group at a glance:

#diversification (main category) #energytransition (main category)

• Recognise the strong capability of the UK supply chain and provide support to UK business overseas

Key products and services: Consulting, digital and technology business

Government support?

Main industries served: • Defence • Space • Hydrogen

Set to be concluded later in 2021, the significant contract award marks a valuable first foot on the rungs of the energy transition ladder.

#collaboration, #serviceandsolutions

Key findings For industry • Business is about perseverance: do your homework, understand where markets are and believe in it • Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to achieve results

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The company has benefitted from various government support initiatives, such as the apprenticeship levy, DIT trade delegations, export financing and R&D tax credits. tpgroup has also received support from Innovate UK.

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Headquarters: Reading, UK Year established: 1996 Number of employees: 400 Revenue: £58m

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Survive and Thrive V Success stories

TRS Staffing Solutions Rebuilding trust and opening new doors

How is TRS thriving?

Amid the oil price slumps of recent years, Mexico’s TRS Staffing Solutions has had to focus with a steely determination on managing their resources to best advantage. By adopting a new results-driven culture and branching out into new sectors, the company has built on the trust of its existing clients, and opened doors to new lines of business.

The challenge There is no denying that since the 2014 price crash, the oil and gas sector has endured a tough time. It has created challenges up and down the value chain and in some cases has strained or severed relations between contractors and suppliers.

For specialist industry recruiting firms, these challenges are also all too familiar.

Globally, TRS Staffing Solutions provisions a range of services including temporary, contingent worker and direct permanent staff recruitment for managerial, professional, engineering and technical roles. Supporting services cover key business functions such as payroll, HR, admin, logistics and agency supply chain management.

In 2018 when Monica de Prada took over as Country Manager for Mexico, the company was facing challenges in

its strategic direction, along with the sector wide slump that had reduced demand for staffing.

De Prada’s brief was set. TRS needed to grow its customer base to reduce reliance on a narrow selection of clients in the oil and gas sector.

Recently, the government has implemented additional employment legislation, which TRS has quickly adapted to, implementing a new business model.

The solution

scorecard approach, reflecting a desire to grow a ‘results driven’ culture throughout the company. As a global recruitment business, TRS wanted all staff to share a common philosophy.

This has helped increase trust with clients, so much so that TRS Mexico was recently awarded a new service contract for the provision of direct hires with one of its leading clients.

The balanced scorecard and results driven culture naturally steered the company towards seeking out

In 2018, the immediate strategy was to re-engage with clients, especially HR and operational units such as engineering. De Prada quickly realised how critical it was to gain a much deeper understanding of customer needs, not just in this instance, but across the board.

opportunities in new markets. Although not prescribed as part of the new strategy, it soon became clear that diversification could open new doors and deliver results – a new can-do culture would drive TRS to explore areas that previously the firm would not have touched.

Following a small restructuring of the TRS Mexico team, the company was able to shift focus from operations support for contractors to improving its recruitment service, providing more choice and quality of candidates.

Likewise, the challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic have also mandated the firm to adopt a more adaptable approach to business, an ethos which has created a heightened willingness to open up to new ideas.

Another key development came in 2019, when de Prada met with fellow country managers to identify all the areas of the TRS business that could be improved to drive growth. This led to a decision to adopt a balanced

This led to a breakthrough contract worth $2 million with a US tech firm in the middle of 2020.

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The company was looking for 100 recruits to develop applications for its

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technology, manage its website and run other day-to-day operations.

Based in California, Mexico served as their base from which to access Latin America, and found TRS through a simple Google search for Mexico staffing solutions.

TRS quickly had to scale up to find bilingual candidates in Mexico with specific IT experience, a new challenge which it embraced with open arms.

The success of this successful venture into a new sector (one of many) is reflected in the financials with over 100% revenue growth achieved between 2019 and the end of 2020.

This despite the practical difficulties posed by the coronavirus pandemic, which hit Mexico particularly hard.

By the end of 2021, the company expects to generate 40% of revenues from non-energy clients, a huge shift from 2019 when 95% of business came from this narrow field of clients.

By taking time out to develop a fresh approach to business, TRS has unlocked opportunities that look to have secured its future.

About TRS TRS Staffing Solutions is a USbased and world-leading engineering recruitment and staffing business specialising in the recruitment and supply of professional, engineering, technical and field talent. With 23 offices around the globe, the company finds and connects the best talent with businesses and organisations active in a variety of industry sectors such as oil and gas, chemicals, infrastructure, life sciences, manufacturing, automotive, mining, power, renewable energy and public sector. TRS Staffing Solutions provides a complete range of staffing solutions designed to address every need from recruitment through to contingent workforce management and consultancy and places candidates across six continents on a contract, direct hire or permanent basis.

Story type

Key findings

TRS at a glance:

#diversification (main category)

For industry

#resilience

• Always look for an opportunity to solve a customer challenge

Key products and services: Recruitment services

Benefits • US$2m contract award

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Government support?

Apart from deferred taxes, the company has not received any type of government support.

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Main industries served: • Oil and gas – 60% • Renewables – 10% • Chemicals – 10% • Industry/IT/Manufacturing – 20% Headquarters: London, United Kingdom Year established: 2010 Number of employees: 226 (13 in Mexico) Revenue: US$380m (US$11m in Mexico) Revenue from exports: 70%

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Survive and Thrive V Success stories

TÜV SÜD National Engineering Laboratory

Aiding the UK’s transition to clean power How is TÜV SÜD National Engineering Laboratory thriving?

As the UK’s industrial strategy shifts towards clean growth and away from reliance on oil and gas to power the nation forward, TÜV SÜD National Engineering Laboratory realised the imperative to remain relevant. By developing new flow measurement tools and techniques, it has secured its own future by aiding the transition to a greener economy.

The challenge The UK’s dialogue on energy has seen a marked shift in tone in recent years. It is no longer centred around a question of if a transition to clean growth should happen, but how quickly it can be achieved.

With oil and gas reserves diminishing and the opportunities to generate power through renewables such as hydro, tidal and wind, backed up by a revival of nuclear, many organisations are having to adapt in order to remain viable.

For TÜV SÜD National Engineering Laboratory, the holder of the UK’s National Standards for flow and density measurement, the case to diversify away from a narrow focus on oil and gas was plain to see.

The company is a world-leading independent provider of calibration, testing and consultancy services, offering guidance and practical support on all aspects of flow measurement.

Up to 2017, almost all of its revenue derived from the oil and gas sector,

be it through direct contract wins or the UK’s Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), whose new industrial strategy signalled a major shift towards cleaner power generation, and thus a likely change in funding conditions.

This, combined with a rapid and significant drop in commercial oil and gas revenue, changed the picture drastically.

Add in the volatility created by the 2014-2016 price crash and mounting public awareness of sustainable issues, culminating in a series of high-profile Extinction Rebellion activities, and it was clear that the company needed to diversify.

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The solution Martin Hanton was appointed as the Technical Director in 2018 with a clear mission statement – to spearhead the company’s diversification and, ultimately, secure its future as a viable business.

This began with an examination of the UK’s new industrial strategy, particularly how energy transition and decarbonisation was going to be enacted. How could flow measurement fit into these new plans, and how could they participate?

The answer? Hydrogen, carbon capture and storage, water industry

Success Success stories stories

and life sciences. For the hydrogen market, flow measurement is a critical enabler to monetising energy systems, and so the decision was made in late 2019 to set up a new clean fuels team centred around diversifying from an oil and gas bias to also cover hydrogen gas meter testing.

construction by 4 months, a state-ofthe-art, unique hydrogen domestic gas metering test facility was completed in February 2021. The facility can conduct tests with pure or blended hydrogen, taking decades of oil and gas flow measurement knowledge and applying it to clean fuels.

One early industry need that was identified, was testing of domestic gas meters and a facility for this was conceived. A critical factor in achieving lift-off was convincing the BEIS to support it financially, through the National Measurement System mechanism, approval for which was granted in February 2020. Meanwhile, the company had never handled hydrogen, meaning new knowledge was required to create new workflows, processes and safety protocols.

In another forward-thinking development, the company is also pioneering a new portable primary standard to test hydrogen refuelling stations for dispensed quality at the nozzle. Once complete in mid2021, it will support the automotive and transport sectors by allowing filling stations to prove regulatory compliance.

By May 2020, TÜV SÜD National Engineering Laboratory was ready to start. Although COVID-19 delayed

Story type #diversification (main category) #energy transition (main category)

Benefits • Ongoing diversification away from oil and gas to hydrogen, carbon capture and storage (CCS) and other industry sectors lowering business risk • Taking existing skills and capabilities and translating them to new sectors, helping to accelerate the energy transition

Key findings For industry

As the UK emerges out of the COVID-19 crisis and renews its clean industrial drive, the firm looks set to play an important role in making hydrogen a critical component of its strategy.

• Don’t expect immediate success – be prepared to persevere.

For government • Energy transition strategies must be backed up with financial mechanisms

Government support?

TÜV SÜD National Engineering Laboratory has benefitted from ongoing BEIS support, through the National Measurement System mechanism. The company has also received support from Scottish Enterprise, joined SDI trade delegations and received R&D tax credits.

• Dedicate time to understanding energy transition and its diversification opportunities

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About TÜV SÜD National Engineering Laboratory As holder of the UK’s National Standards for flow and density measurement, part of the UK’s National Measurement System funded by BEIS, TÜV SÜD National Engineering Laboratory -is one of the leading authorities on flow 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, their research and development work is at the forefront of research into flow and density measurement at the UK, European and global level.

TÜV SÜD National Engineering Laboratory at a glance: Key products and services: independent consultancy, on-site measurement, testing, R&D and training services Main industries served: • Oil and gas – 40% • Hydrogen / CCS – 30% • Water, Life Sciences, Emissions – 30% Customers: • Government – 50% • Industry – 50% Headquarters: East Kilbride, UK Year established: 1995 Number of employees: 85 Revenue: £10m Revenue from exports: 20% (overseas consulting)

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Survive and Thrive V Success stories

UCT Fluid Solutions Inspired to innovate

How is UCT Fluid Solutions thriving?

UCT Fluid Solutions (formerly Ham-Let Group following a recent acquisition) has rapidly transitioned from being a high quality commodity manufacturer to becoming the leading light of innovative valve and instrumentation products for the process and LNG markets.

Up until April this past year, Ham-let group initiated strategic developments that lead to a dramatic shift in culture, significant market research, acquisitions and a new R&D arm. The company has now developed a technologically empowered suite of solutions capable of delivering vast savings, lower emissions, enhanced product efficiencies and reduced risk.

The challenge One of the hardest tasks facing many companies, no matter the industry, is differentiation. What is it that truly sets you apart from your competitors? It’s often a difficult question, yet one that is vital for many organisations to answer if they want to scale effectively.

In 2016, Israeli manufacturing firm UCT Fluid Solutions found itself at something of a crossroads. The firm

had established itself as a respected supplier of high-tech compression fittings and valves, yet, despite its reputation, had been experiencing low market share in the process industries.

The problem? UCT Fluid Solutions was ultimately competing with many other reactive manufacturing firms and reaping limited rewards.

To change this, the company itself had to transform. The decision was therefore taken to transition from simply manufacturing products to championing the innovaton of new, gamechanging technologies – a move that would provide numerous advantages and ensure UCT Fluid Solutions wasn’t just making more unremarkable drops in the oil and gas ocean.

The solution New ownership laid the foundations for this shift to occur in 2016 when UCT Fluid Solutions was acquired by private equity firm Fimi and Amir Widmann was appointed as CEO. This milestone marked a key change. A new culture was instilled, geared towards achieving these innovator aspirations, and UCT Fluid Solutions began to think proactively about industry challenges

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by listening to its clients.

It was a strategy deployed with a clear goal – not to understand current requirements, but to learn of the future goals of industry players so that plans could be made to support them with tailored, specific solutions.

The Fimi acquisition also triggered an acceleration in organic and acquisitive growth. Much of 2017 was spent focussed on market research, while 2018 saw the establishment of UCT Fluid Solutions’ research and development group in Singapore. While the company already had mechanical valve capabilities in house, new software, systems and electrical engineering capabilities were quickly added to its offering as a result.

Ultimately, UCT Fluid Solutions’ focus shifted from reacting to market demands to pre-empting them, leading rather than following in the way of innovation and taking the necessary steps to position itself as a first mover.

So, what were the fruits of these labours? Three key segments were identified as high potential – namely, emission-free valves, ball valves (the control panels deployed within valves) and the internet of things (IoT).

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Products in each of these segments were brought to market, resulting in new revenues streams and key contract wins, including a significant deal with a South-East Asian refining company in 2019.

In the past, the refinery had experienced significant on-site issues because of numerous remote and isolated sensing points across its vast facilities. Yet, through the installation of UCT Fluid Solutions’ new IoT-H800KL series smart valve, these problems could be overcome.

The benefit to its customers? IoTH800KL now saves the company $30,000 per day for its entire site, improving production output, enhancing processes efficiencies, and reducing unplanned downtime. This equates to over $10 million in annual savings at this one site alone.

About UCT Fluid Solutions

Indeed, the numbers speak for themselves.

Established in 1950, UCT Fluid Solutions is an Israel-based manufacturer of hightech compression fittings and valves.

The company’s portfolio includes tube, pipe and flare fittings, process valves, pneumatic actuators, manifolds, ultra clean valves, connectors and hoses, among other products. UCT Fluid Solutions is active in a range of industry sectors, including semiconductors, power generation, oil and gas, chemicals and petrochemicals, CNG/NGV, nuclear, pharmaceuticals and hydrogen, among other sectors. UCT Fluid Solutions is also present in the UK, USA, Singapore, Germany, and China.

In the ball valve product segment alone, UCT Fluid Solutions’ revenues jumped from $20 million in 2017 to $23 million in 2018 and $44 million in 2019. In the face of COVID-19, meanwhile, overall business grew 1015% through 2020 – an astounding achievement under the circumstances, and one that paves the way for an exciting future.

The significant transitions and mindset that UCT Fluid Solutions rooted in the company were imperative to lead them to where they are today. Post-acquisition with UCT, the company is broadening technology and engineering expertise to support new designs and solutions.

With this new approach, customers are exposed to a wider portfolio of advanced products and services.

Story type

Key findings

#serviceandsolutions (main category)

For industry

UCT Fluid Solutions at a glance:

#digital, #innovation, #technology

• Provide differentiated solutions to current and future market needs

Key to this was the product’s wireless capabilities that enable the completion measurements without a power connection. Further, its devices can transmit information over 1-2 kilometres without cables.

IoT-H800KL also delivers the most accurate possible readings by placing sensors within the valve, not after the valve on the line, while integrated pressure, humidity, temperature and vibration detectors are programmed to complete automatic shut off should it be required. Meanwhile, an additional technology layer allows for deep learning of the data and valve behaviour so as to inform predictive maintenance.

Benefits • Cost savings of US$10m p.a. for client

UCT Fluid Solutions meanwhile has been able to change both its own narrative and that of the entire industry. While the oil and gas market has conservative undertones and is traditionally renowned as being reluctant to change, the company has helped demonstrate the value of technologically empowered solutions while experiencing significant internal gains in the process.

Government support?

The company has received government grants.

Key products and services: flow control products and solutions Main industries served: • Oil and gas – 55% • Semiconductors – 35% • Power generation – 5% • Others – 5% Headquarters: Nazareth Illit, Israel Year established: 1950 Number of employees: 1,100 Revenue: US$200m Revenue from exports: 95%

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Survive and Thrive V Success stories

Valor A new strategy for new times How is Valor thriving?

Valor Group has adapted to a challenging M&A climate by maximising the export potential of the assets it already has, and adopting a revised strategic approach to secure new clients in overseas markets which has so far yielded a number of contract wins.

The challenge Aberdeen-based Valor Group has enjoyed a rapid rise to success by acquiring and developing companies with high-growth potential since it founded in 2018 – underpinned by its mantra of Thinking Differently, Solving Collectively.

Focussing on pioneering industry technologies geared towards net-zero carbon, enhanced oil recovery and asset life extension, the organisation is made up of four companies: remote inspection specialist AISUS, electrical and procurement services provider V-TES, enhanced heavy oil recovery specialist Cavitas Energy, and asset integrity management business AIM Valor.

When COVID-19 brought large swathes of economic activity to a halt in early 2020, and with it a crash in oil prices and delays to projects, Valor had to rethink its growth strategy.

Opportunities to acquire high-growth and financially secure companies reduced considerably, causing the firm to look beyond M&A growth. Still eager to expand, it became clear that the best means of achieving this was through new technology development and export growth of its existing businesses – also a challenge given the volatile and unstable climate, exacerbated by the fact Valor’s companies are relatively unknown in

the regions where the most potential to expand lies.

The solution Valor, in short, redefined its meaning of business development to focus on internationalisation as opposed to mergers and acquisitions. Accepting the aim of growing the group to six companies in 2020 would have to be put on hold, an amended strategic process was developed to activate a shift from ad hoc export opportunities within its four companies to a far more targeted approach.

It should be noted that exports were always part of the original ‘plan A’ at Valor – the challenges presented

by COVID-19 and the subsequent shrinking of suitable M&A opportunities have propelled it to the forefront of the agenda. In response, several groupwide meetings were held to formulate a new plan, with specific actions allocated across Valor management, which was restructured to enable greater time and resource to be dedicated to export business development.

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By mid-2020, the group was ready to exploit the export opportunities across its four divisions. Operating with the mindset of a small business and the international standards of a large corporate, Valor found itself well-placed to support a global client base. Its high-end technologies are suited to the challenges faced by clients with ageing assets, while its in-house teams can develop bespoke solutions depending on specific needs.

While there have been hurdles to overcome from operating in new markets such as finding new prospects, new business cultures and administration, and entering as an unknown entity, early signs are that these have been overcome. Valor has successfully established itself in three new countries (US, Australia and Norway) and taken on four new clients including Repsol Norge and Woodside, helping generate new revenue in the space of 12 months.

This income derives from three contract wins. The first is with

Success Success stories stories

Australian energy giant Woodside in Perth, Western Australia. Here, AISUS carried out a major caisson inspection and clean campaign with its team and equipment sent from the UK, a scope which was carried out in one visit and represented a major success for both parties. Completed in mid-2020, the contract proved a profitable venture with no delivery issues, Woodside also benefitting from a trove of data on which it can base future decisions on.

Lastly, Cavitas Energy has secured a paid trial in the U.S for its innovative thermal heavy oil recovery (THOR) technology. THOR is an in-the-well device powered by electricity that heats passing water as it is injected into a heavy oil reservoir for the purpose of increasing oil production. Not only is this an industry first, but the trial itself presents Cavitas with an immediate opportunity to support other U.S clients upon completion of the initial project.

In Norway, AISUS completed another caisson clean and inspect project for a new client where the work was once more completed by a single team in the middle of last year. The third major contract win was delivered at the start of 2021 for Petrotec, one of the largest providers of products and services to the energy industry in Qatar. AISUS is currently represented by a dedicated sales manager and has kit based in the country, allowing efficient mobilisations as part of the goal to increase inspection projects here.

By securing and delivering these projects, Valor has grown its export business considerably in the past year and started the internationalisation campaign on a high. And the momentum will not stop here – the organisation is currently implementing a number of new strategies which provide alternative energy solutions including battery and geothermal projects. When M&A activity resumes in the post-COVID recovery era, Valor looks set for growth on multiple fronts.

Story type

For government • Industry players require support to make a quicker move to clean energy • Government support with overseas delegations and exhibitions is essential for companies to access new export markets

#export

Benefits • International revenue growth 202021 • New export markets • New clients

Key findings For industry • Be bold, set smart goals and make sure all risks are taken into account • Do not get downhearted when you get a ‘no’ – there will always be another opportunity • Energy transition provides diversification opportunities for the O&G supply chain

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Government support?

The group has received grants from Scottish Enterprise and the Oil and Gas Technology Centre (OGTC), in addition to R&D tax credits. The company has also joined DIT trade delegations.

About Valor Located in Aberdeen, Valor is a specialist growth enterprise boasting a suite of oil and gas companies collectively working toward the highest of standards within the industry. With a common purpose of increasing performance, increasing production, and providing assurance, each of the subsidiaries within Valor has been specially selected to interlink their operations within the oilfield. Whether it be an innovation, technology or servicebased business, Valor offers an intrinsic platform to allow maximum company growth for those within the group.

Offering flexible investment frameworks, Valor will assist current business owners to progress the company’s operations whilst reaping many benefits from the group.

Valor at a glance: Key products and services: private equity group Main industries served: • Oil and gas – 75% • Renewables – 25% Headquarters: Aberdeen, UK Year established: 2018 Number of employees: 31 (29 in the UK) Revenue: £4.0m Revenue from exports: 40%

Export • While direct selling may work when doing business overseas, agents are beneficial in certain markets for ensuring a successful international campaign

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Lot 17-01 Level 17 Menara HLA No 3 Jalan Kia Peng 50450 Kuala Lumpur Malaysia Tel +603 2725 3600 Email kualalumpur@the-eic.com

www.the-eic.com

@TheEICEnergy

EIC North and Central America

Suite 925 11490 Westheimer Houston Texas 77077 USA Tel +1 713 783 1200 Email houston@the-eic.com

EIC South America Ed. Manhattan Tower 26th Floor Avenida Rio Branco 89 20040-004 Rio de Janeiro - RJ Brasil Tel +55 21 3265 7400 Email rio@the-eic.com

EIC (Energy Industries Council)