Mitsubishi Hitachi Global power players

Agraferm Technologies Biogas – the fuel of the future?

VTT Vasiliko Energy for the East Mediterranean

Eneco Luchterduinen A project for the community

It’s all about rigs…

This month we look at the importance of the work of quality rigs in areas including the Upper Zakum field, the North Sea and the Timor Sea. We also learn more about the work that

goes into constructing all parts of a modern rig in China, Poland and across the world…

NOVEMBER 2014

more than business www.totalworldenergy.com

www.deregtcables.com ANYWHERE. ANYTIME. EVERYTIME.

View the complete marine product range on www.sercel.com

Krimpen aan de Lek, The Netherlands info@deregtcables.comSales & Marketingp.brussee@deregtcables.com

Cable Technology Partner SM

Technology Comes To Life

ULTRA-DEEP WATER APPLICATIONSDe Regt Marine Cables is a worldplayer in the design

and manufacture of customer engineered dynamic cable systems for subsea applications. One of its

latest developments are the Rigid Flexible Rods, to replace the steel wires strength member for

the purpose of moving into deeper water

// BENEFITS OF THE RIFLER LIGHTWEIGHTSTRENGTH MEMBER

• Self-supporting over a deployable length of over 7km

• Weight reduction of over 75% in water

• Safe working: allowed in an explosive atmosphere

• Usage of non-corrosive materials

• Terminable with conventional methods

De Regt.indd 1 04/02/2014 10:53

EDITOR Joe ForshawSUB-EDITOR Harriet PattisonWRITERSRosie DeWinterColin ChineryTim HandsRoland Douglas Christian Jordan STUDIO DIRECTOR Martyn OakleyDESIGNERS Harvey TarltonHarry Wyer

RESEARCH DIRECTORChris BolderstoneMAGAZINE MANAGER Rick LiddimentPROJECT MANAGERS Ben RichellKieran ShukriJodie RettieHal HutchisonAjuanne PayneSALES DIRECTOR Andy WilliamsSALES MANAGER Daniel MarshallSALES EXECUTIVE Mark Leonard

ACCOUNTSMike Molloy Jane ReederMANAGING DIRECTOR David HodgsonOPERATIONS DIRECTOR Chris BolderstoneFINANCE DIRECTOR Scott Warman

2a Ardney Rise, Norwich, Norfolk, NR3 3QH, United Kingdom

If you would like more information about ways in which Total World Energy can promote your business please call +44 1603 411568 or email | editor@ecp-ltd.com

East Coast Promotions Ltd does not accept responsibility for omissions or errors. The points of view expressed in articles by attributing writers and/or in advertisements included in this magazine do not necessarily represent those of the publisher. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead is purely coincidental. Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained within this magazine, no legal responsibility will be accepted by the publishers for loss arising from use of information published. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or stored in a retrievable system or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the publisher.

© East Coast Promotions Ltd 2014

It’s often easy to forget that there’s much more to renewable energy than wind and solar power. These are the pretty faces of the renewable energy industry; the ones that have proven themselves as viable energy sources and the ones that have the backing of many prominent players. But what about other sources? What about hydro power, what about biogas? While these are perhaps less popular than wind and solar, they certainly have the potential to provide huge contributions to the grid.

In the biogas sector there are many prominent players around the world including Agraferm Technologies based in Pfaffenhofen, Germany. This innovative organisation is run by a group of people with many years’ experience in biogas and the company is looking to grow internationally, spreading the word of quality biogas plants and how they can be extremely efficient and cost-effective when built and run correctly. We talk to two Directors from Agraferm about the history of the organisation that is set to grow in 2015.

We also feature the traditional energy industries, oil and gas, where we talk to VTTI about their new facility in Cyprus and also Mitsubishi Hitachi about development in Europe and their combined cycle gas turbines.

Interestingly, we hear from The Association of Dutch Suppliers in the Oil and Gas Industry and hear how the association and its members are pushing internationally proven Dutch services around the world aligning with one of the common themes of this month’s edition – global expansion.

If you or your company are expanding globally, setting no boundaries in operation, and continually finding new areas to work in, you should get in touch with us; we love to hear stories of business success, it’s what we’re all about! Find us online @TWEmagazine

PAGE 3

Joe Forshaweditor@ecp-ltd.com

PAGE 4 MAR 14

EDITOR’S PAGEWhat is the potential of biogas?

3

NEWS All that’s happening in the energy industry

6

ENTREPRENEUR Entrepreneur of the year

10

INNOVATION Solar powered speed

12

VTT VASILIKO Europe’s link in the east mediterranean

14

MIB ITALIANA A true Italian job

22

MHPS EUROPE Continental power players

26

NATIONAL ENERGY Powering more than T&T

34

ZADCO National oil, National pride

40

INPEX: ICHTHYS PROJECT Austrailian energy for Japan

46

TRIYARDS From China to the world

50

AGRAFERM TECHNOLOGIES Biogas: Future proof

54

IRO ASSOCIATION Global networking

60

DE REGT MARINE CABLES Able cables

64

SMULDERS WIND TURBINE CONSTRUCTIONS Gathering Strength

70

MEGCHEM Out of Africa

74

ENTREPOSE CONTRACTING It’s in the pipeline

78

BOMESC OFFSHORE ENGINEERING COMPANY Offshore engineering, a Chinese success story

82

ENECO LUCHTERDUINEN En-powering the community

86

ALUSHIP TECHNOLOGY Changing the industry with aluminum

90

HYUNDAI HEAVY INDUSTRIES Heavy work, all part of the job

94

DESTINATION DIRECTOR If you can afford it, Europe’s luxury awaits

98

FUTURE POWER Industry leading innovation from Sweden

100

Contents

CONTENTS

PAGE 5

86 26

26

50 54 94

PAGE 6

Appointment of new Chairman at Shell The Board of Directors of Royal

Dutch Shell has announced the

appointment of Charles O Holliday

as Chairman with effect from the

conclusion of the 2015 Annual

General Meeting, subject to his

re-appointment as a Director of

the Company by shareholders at

the AGM. Mr Holliday will succeed

Jorma Ollila who will step down

from the Board with effect from

the conclusion of the 2015 AGM

having served as Chairman for nine

years.

Chad Holliday was appointed

as a Non-executive Director of

the Company with effect from

September 2010, and is currently

Chairman of the Corporate and

Social Responsibility Committee

and Member of the Remuneration

Committee. He was Chief

Executive Officer of DuPont from

1998 to 2009, and Chairman from

1999 to 2009. He is a member

of the Board of Directors of Bank

of America Corporation, having

previously served as Chairman up

until September 2014, and is also

a Director of Deere & Company.

Commenting, Mr Ollila said:

“I am delighted that the Board

has appointed Chad Holliday to

succeed me as Chairman. He has

a distinguished track record as an

international businessman and I

am sure he is the right person to

chair the Board going forward after

the 2015 AGM.”

Chad Holliday said: “I am

honoured to be appointed

Chairman of this great company,

and I look forward to working with

Ben van Beurden and the whole

Board to deliver the strategy.”

#twenews

Charles O Holliday

NEWS

PAGE 7

Expansion Project in Kazakhstan

Bechtel has been awarded a contract

to provide engineering, procurement,

and construction services to build

four crude-oil storage tanks at the

TengizChevroil oil production facility

in Tengiz, Kazakhstan. The company

also will modernize the fire and gas

detection systems across the entire

crude tank farm. TengizChevroil is a

joint venture of Chevron, ExxonMobil,

KazMunayGas, and LukArco.

“The Bechtel team will apply

extensive technical knowledge

and more than 30 years’ worth of

experience working in Kazakhstan

to deliver new tank storage capacity

to the Tengiz facility on a short

schedule,” said Jack Futcher,

president of Bechtel’s Oil, Gas &

Chemicals business unit. “We look

forward to continuing our work

with TengizChevroil and the people

of Kazakhstan as they develop

important energy resources.”

The project will add to the

existing facility 500,000 barrels

of tank storage, export pumps,

interconnecting pipe, switching

manifolds, a monitoring station,

associated facilities, and supporting

infrastructure.

Bechtel is the global leader in the

oil and gas industry. The company

has been supporting oil production

in Kazakhstan since the 1990s.

Bechtel helped develop the Tengiz

and Korolev oil fields, built several

oil and gas facilities at Tengiz,

and constructed artificial islands

with associated port facilities in

the Caspian Sea off the coast of

Bautino.

PAGE 8

#twenews

© Rob Wilson - Shutterstock.com

Repsol hits pay in GoM’s Leon well Repsol has made a new discovery

of “high quality” oil in the United

States’ Gulf of Mexico.

The find was made 352

kilometres from the Louisiana coast

in an ultra-deep water well named

Leon, located in the Keathley

Canyon 642 block.

Repsol is the operator of the

discovering consortium. The well

found more than 150 metres of

net oil pay within a column of over

400 metres. The well was drilled

in water 1,865 metres deep, and

reached a total depth of 9,684

metres, making it one of the

deepest wells operated by the

company.

The company has a lot of

experience in deep-water well

drilling and is internationally

recognised for its technological

capacity with cutting-edge

projects in hydrocarbon

exploration and production such

as the Kaleidoscope and Sherlock

projects.

Repsol has a 60% participation

in the license, with Colombia’s

Ecopetrol holding the remaining

40%. The US Gulf of Mexico is

amongst the world’s most profitable

and promising deep water plays.

Repsol holds 119 blocks in this

prolific area together with a share

in the Shenzi field, which boasts 16

wells in production connected to

two platforms.

The resource potential being

carried out by the current operator

will lead to a development plan for

the field in the near future.

NEWS

PAGE 9

GDF SUEZ E&P UK Ltd and

BP last month announced a new

exploration discovery in the UK

Central North Sea. The discovery,

which spans GDF SUEZ operated

block 30/1f (licence P1588) and BP

operated block 30/1c (licence P363)

was flow tested at a maximum rate

of 5,350 barrels of oil equivalent per

day. The discovery, referred to as

‘Marconi’ by GDF SUEZ and ‘Vorlich’

by BP, is located in the Central North

Sea.

Ruud Zoon, Managing Director

of GDF SUEZ E&P UK Ltd said:

“This is an encouraging exploration

discovery in a part of the Central

North Sea that needs additional

volumes of hydrocarbons to open

up development options for several

stranded discoveries. The discovery

is our third successful well this year

and demonstrates a continuing

commitment by GDF SUEZ to an

active exploration and appraisal

drilling programme on the UK

Continental Shelf.”

Trevor Garlick, Regional President

of BP North Sea said: “As BP marks

its 50th year in the North Sea and

as the industry looks to maximise

economic recovery from the basin,

increasing exploration activity and

finding new ways to collaborate

will be critical to realising remaining

potential. This discovery is a great

example of both.”

The well was drilled by GDF SUEZ

E&P UK Ltd as operator, with the

Transocean Galaxy II jack-up rig

under a joint well agreement between

the two licence groups.

Business and Energy Minister

Matthew Hancock said: “We are

determined to have set the right

fiscal and regulatory regimes to

make sure we can get the maximum

possible economic extraction of oil

and gas from the North Sea.

“This discovery shows exactly

what can be achieved in the North

Sea if companies work together to

maximise the considerable potential

of remaining oil and gas reserves.”

GDF SUEZ and BP Discover New Central North Sea Field

The definition of an entrepreneur is not

always one who starts up a company

but one who is also responsible for

its continued success, growth and

creativity. Mark Robinson joined the APC

Technology Group almost three decades

ago in 1985 as a sales engineer. By

1992, he had reached board level before

becoming Managing Director in 2004.

Today, as CEO of APC, Robinson has led

the company to terrific heights through

new innovations and technological

advancements in the energy field.

With more and more companies and

businesses, both big and small, wanting

to reduce their energy bills and use more

sustainable energy solutions, APC is there

to help and advise where money can be

saved on energy and help in controlling

usage. This might be as simple a change

as replacing lights with low energy bulbs.

The company’s emphasis has been

on maintaining profitable growth,

diversification and helping customers

reduce business energy consumption.

APC has managed this through a

series of strategic acquisitions and by

the creation of subsidiary companies.

However, Robinson soon realised that he

couldn’t build a sustainable technology

company on just one product so he

created an all-compassing holistic offering

to customers, a turn-key solution.

Offering cleaner technology and energy

efficiency is now driven through Minimise,

a wholly-owned subsidiary of APC which

is broken down into Minimise Holdings,

Minimise, Minimise Energy and Minimise

Controls.

A FLAIR FOR ENTREPRENEURIALISMRobinson’s entrepreneurial flair began

almost 30 years ago but it was in 2008

that he moved across to the cleantech

sector through the launch of Minimise.

The energy reduction specialists

have enjoyed significant growth and

recognition for the development and

distribution of energy efficient solutions,

helping customers to maximise their

profitability whilst reducing energy

consumption.

Last year, one of APC’s biggest

achievements came with signing a

contract with Morrisons. “Until recently,

Morrisons had been mainly doing

lighting,” Robinson explained in a

statement. “All credit to them, they saw

the benefits they could gain by becoming

more energy efficient and moved quickly

to go into volume before any other

chains.

“It’s great of us as it got us out of the

blocks and got us a seat at the big table.

We’ve now proven that we can provide

our product to scale.”

Earlier this year, Robinson cemented

his position in the sustainable energy

sector being crowned ‘Entrepreneur

of the Year 2014’ at the New Energy

& Cleantech Awards. Now in its 7th

year, the awards recognises companies

responsible for the shaping of future

green energy and cleantech industries.

Speaking after the event, Robinson

said: “I am delighted to accept this award

on behalf of all my colleagues at Minimise

PAGE 10

Sustainable, energy efficient solutions

Starting at APC Group almost three decades ago, Mark Robinson has used his entrepreneurial flair to turn the company into a market leader providing sustainable technology solutions to help improve the energy efficiency of its customers. Earlier this year Robinson was awarded ‘Entrepreneur of the Year 2014’ at the New Energy and Cleantech Awards, a testament to his hard work and passion…

Editorial: Harriet Pattison

Sustainable, energy efficient solutions

and within the APC Technology Group. It

was a great honour just to be shortlisted

in this category with representatives from

companies that share our commitment

to energy efficiency, innovation and

sustainability.

“Winning this award further establishes

our position as industry leaders, delivering

energy savings to clients of all sizes and

sectors through our complementary

range of products and services.

“As sponsors of the Retail Company

of the Year award, Minimise would like

to congratulate John Lewis on their

success in this category and commend

all the shortlisted companies, including

Morrisons, The Co-Operative Group

and Sainsbury’s, on their energy saving

achievements.”

Adrienne Robins, Account Director at

Quantum, said in a statement after the

ceremony: “We are delighted that Mark’s

success in expanding the Group and

Minimise’s business operations and reach

has been recognised by the new energy

and cleantech industries in which the

companies operate.

“We will do all we can to support

Minimise’s ongoing expansion plans,

which will cement their position at the

forefront of the energy efficiency sector.”

SUSTAINABLE EXPANSIONIt is inevitable that fossil fuels will

eventually run out so planning

ahead and finding alternative energy

resources is imperative. There is now

a large market for sustainability with

new technology advancements and

innovative products being introduced

on a regular and global basis for all

energy markets. It is easier perhaps to

bury our heads in the sand and ignore

the inevitable but it seems that it is only

when we look at how much we spend

on our energy bills each month that we

feel motivated to seek alternative and

more cost effective solutions. This is

what APC, led by Mark Robinson, is

hoping to achieve.

With exponential growth after the

launch of Minimise in 2008, Robinson

is looking forward to further expansion

for the company, increasing its

footprint to bigger markets opening

new offices in Miami and Toronto.

New acquisitions have also helped to

place APC on the highly competitive

energy pedestal. Acquiring Green

Compliance plc has allowed APC to

offer a water sustainability service with

products including; rain and waste

water harvesting, water consumption

monitoring and management, leak

detection and remediation and the

management of water hygiene.

From switching to an energy efficient

light bulb to improving the energy

efficiency of an entire organisation,

Mark Robinson has ensured a range

of industries will benefit from the range

of technologies developed to reduce

energy consumption. Keeping up to

date with technology advancements

over the past 30 years, Robinson is

showing how businesses can expand

and grow successfully without increasing

its carbon footprint

© Airbus S.A.S. 2011

PAGE 11

ENTREPRENEUR

In August, Total World Energy looked

at the airplane powered only by the

sun, Solar Impulse. In October we

looked at the boat powered only by

the sun, the MS Tûranor PlanetSolar.

Back in 1996, Honda aired a TV

promotion campaign about their plans

for developing a solar powered car,

and in 2013 a motorcycle powered

only by electricity developed by solar

panels became the fastest production

motorcycle in the world. Clearly, solar

power and its uses are coming to the

forefront of the everyday energy mix.

In June last year, the Lightning

Superbike team competed at the

Pikes Peak International Hill Climb

(PPIHC) in Colorado Springs. As the

second oldest motor sports event in

the USA, running since 1916, PPIHC

is a 12.42 mile (19.99 kilometre)

course that begins at 9,390 feet

(2,862.07 meters) above sea-level and

finishes at the 14,115 foot (4,302.25

meter) summit of the spectacular

Pikes Peak –Americas Mountain. As

the drivers climb toward the summit,

the thin air slows reflexes and drains

muscle strength in addition to robbing

internal combustion engines of up to

30% of the power they were capable

of at the start line. Competitors and

vehicles must be in top shape and

condition simply to finish, let alone

win.

Lightning didn’t just win the electric

category, they were faster than the

closest world-class gas-powered bike

by almost 21 seconds. The majority of

the electric bike field posted times in

the mid-12-minute range - Lightning

Electric Superbike was more than two

minutes faster.

Lightning Motorcycle was the

fastest of the 82 motorcycle entered

and beat all but the eight fastest

cars at the PPIHC. Adding to the

achievement, the Lightning SuperBike

was powered by clean, renewable

solar energy.

The bike is a result of collaboration

between California based Lightning

Motorcycles and SMA America

which manufactures solar inverters.

PAGE 12

Solar power and one of the world’s fastest motorcycles…

Editorial: Joe Forshaw

The Lightning Superbike is powered by electricity; it doesn’t use a trace of gasoline or petroleum at all. Last year it received many awards and accolades and we take a closer look at how solar power is being utilised to drive such a high-performance vehicle…

Lightning Motors Corp. has

been involved in researching and

manufacturing electric two wheeled

transportations for more than six

years.

The Lightning SuperBike was not

the first electric bike to compete at

the event but it was the first to have

such an impact. It has paved the

way for the Lightning LS-218, the

latest offering from the pioneering

company. Powered by a 380V 20 kwh

battery pack and IPM liquid cooled

150kw+ 10,500 rpm electric motor,

the LS-218 produces 200 hp and

168 ft•lbs of torque. Weighing just

495 lbs, the bike can reach 218 mph

and the motor can reach 10,500 rpm.

To charge, it takes just 30 mins on a

quick charger and 120 minutes on

level two charger and a full charge

will take the bike 160-180 miles at

highway speed.

But perhaps most importantly, the

EnerDel battery pack can be charged

through a specially adapted solar

panel system. The bike is charged

with solar power through a mobile

charging station that features an

inverter made by SMA America and

Trina panels. “The merger of solar

power and electric vehicles is exciting

to witness and we are thrilled with the

success of the impressive SuperBike,”

said Henry Dziuba, president and

general manager of SMA America

after the PPIHC. “The win at Pikes

Peak shows that superior, world-class

performance can be achieved today

with clean technologies.”

During the performance at the

PPIHC, the bike was driven by

Carlin Dunne who is now three-

time consecutive overall motorcycle

champion and King of the Mountain.

“We are incredibly gratified with

the performance by Carlin,” said

Richard Hatfield, founder and CEO

of Lightning Motorcycles following

success at the PPIHC. “The Lightning

team worked around the clock to

ensure that we provided the best

possible bike for the race. We set this

as a goal more than four years ago

after our first North American road-

racing event. Sunday, we achieved

our goal. This accomplishment is a

big step forward for Lightning, and we

believe this is a giant leap forward for

public acceptance of clean, renewable

energy-based transportation.”

Adding further clout to the bikes

renewable energy offering is the

regenerative braking system which

helps achieve the impressive mileage

from a single charge. The braking

system is made up of Dual Brembo

320mm discs, Brembo radial-mount

forged 4-piston calipers, two Brembo

T-Drive 320mm Fully-Floating Rotors

and two Brembo GP4-RX CNC Radial

Calipers.

This fantastic vehicle is yet another

example of exactly what can be

achieved with today’s modern

engineering ideas. We can power a

boat and a plane that can travel all the

way around the world using nothing

but solar power. We can power cars

and buses using electric motors and

now we can power the world’s fastest

production motor cycle with solar

technology; so how long will it be until

all of our travel is 100% clean and

100% efficient? We’ll explore more

innovative transportation solutions in

the coming months…

INNOVATION

© Airbus S.A.S. 2011

PAGE 13

PAGE 14

Development in the East Med from VTTIEditorial: Roland Douglas

In November 2014 the new €300m VTTV terminal project opened in Vasiliko, Cyprus. Its strategic location will be the first of its kind in the Eastern Mediterranean, connecting Europe and the Black Sea with markets in the Middle East and Asia. This is an important development for European oil and gas transit and VTT Vasiliko General Manager, George Papanastasiou talks to Total World Energy about the development of the project…

The movement of oil and gas in

the Mediterranean is critical for

the energy industries of many

nations. Asian and eastern

countries depend on efficient

transportation to supply product in

and out of their borders; the North

African market remains important

to European supply; European

nations rely on the Med for vital

imports and the handy links to

the Red Sea and the Black Sea

as well as Russia and the Middle

East make the Mediterranean an

international hub for oil and gas

transportation.

A tanker heading for the UK

from Qatar will face a long and

tricky journey of around 20,000

km if it has to head south around

Africa and the Cape of Good

Hope and up the Western African

shipping lanes, not to mention

the threat of piracy. But heading

through the Arabian Sea and the

Red Sea, into the Mediterranean

will save time and money despite

the obvious choke points at the

Strait of Hormuz, Bab-el-Mandeb

and the Suez Canal.

And now, to make things even

more convenient, there is a new

terminal in a strategic location on

the island of Cyprus which will help

to connect Europe and the Black

Sea with markets in the Middle

East and Asia.

The terminal is VTT Vasiliko

and is located close to the Port

of Vasilikos, 50km south of the

country’s capital, Nicosia.

Owned and operated by

international storage group VTTI,

the VTT Vasiliko terminal has a

543,000 m³ storage capacity, 28

tanks, four jetties and a 17.5m

maximum draft – and this is all in

the first phase of construction.

Phase two (currently under

evaluation) will see the terminal

create an additional 13 tanks and

an extra capacity of 305,000 m³.

VTTI is a fast-growing

independent provider of energy

storage worldwide. Founded in

2006 by the Vitol Group, MISC

Berhad became co-owners in

2010. The company currently

offers eight million cubic meters of

combined storage capacity across

five continents. This will rise to

over 10 million in the near future

as new projects come on line.

General Manager for VTT

Vasiliko, George Papanastasiou

tells Total World Energy that

fantastic progress has been made

with construction of the terminal

and first oil is expected this month.

“The EUR 300M oil storage

terminal of VTT Vasiliko Ltd is

almost complete and it is expected

to receive the first oil in November

2014.

“VTT Vasiliko is VTTI’s latest

investment developed from a green

field site, which incorporates the

latest standards and technology.

It is strategically located in a

region where oil terminals are

not common. VTTI have high

VTT VASILIKO LTD

PAGE 15

“It is strategically located in a region where oil terminals are not common. VTTI have high expectations from this Terminal because of its location and the flexibility it can provide to its users”

expectations from this Terminal

because of its location and the

flexibility it can provide to its users.

“The information on the

first owner and transporter is

commercially sensitive but the

products will be jet fuel, diesel and

possibly naphtha.”

A CHALLENGING PROJECTA project of this size is not an

everyday occurrence for Cyprus.

The value of the VTT Vasiliko

terminal is equal to 1.7 per

cent of the country’s GDP and

Papanastasiou says that a project

on this scale has not come without

challenges.

“There have been challenges in

all phases and parts of the project.

However, the offshore marine jetty

has been the most difficult part

as the Cypriot Authorities were

lacking knowledge to license what

was proposed and the knowledge

for its construction was very

limited locally.

“Securing the required permits

and licenses was a slow process

at the beginning as this is the first

project of its kind in Cyprus and

the authorities were lacking the

knowledge. This had an impact

on a late opening of the terminal.

Going forward, we believe that the

VTTV project will serve as a case

study for future energy related

developments in Cyprus.”

In March 2012, a deal

was signed with leading

international building, civil and

electromechanical engineering

contractor, the J&P Group for

construction of the terminal. J&P

General Manager, Efthyvoulos

Lacovides said at the time: “J&P,

with its experience in projects

of similar complexity around

the world, will begin the project

immediately and will complete

it within the deadline of the

agreement, the first phase in 24

PAGE 16

you can rely on our experience

Shoham (Cyprus) Ltd77 Franklin Roosevelt Ave.3011, Limassol,Cyprustel.:+357-25-208700fax:+357-25-568990email:mail@shoham.com.cyweb:www.shoham.com.cyweb:www.shoham.com.cy

Ship Agency Services at VTTV Vassilikos, the Energy Hub of Cyprus.

The first Oil Storage Terminal in the Eastern Mediterranean, connecting Europe and the Black Sea with markets in the Middle East and Asia.

-Ship Agents at VTTV Vassilikos -Port Agents at all Cyprus Ports-STS Operations-Offshore Support Services-Offshore Support Services-Oil & Gas Logistics-Crew Changes

We place our servicesat your disposal.

Please contact us:

Serving the Cyprus ports since 1951

FONASBA QUALITYSTANDARD

“It is strategically located in a region where oil terminals are not common. VTTI have high expectations from this Terminal because of its location and the flexibility it can provide to its users”

VTT VASILIKO LTD

PAGE 17

months and the second in 26.5

months.”

Papanastasiou says that the

relationship between J&P and VTT

Vasiliko has seen positive results.

“A three year relationship

characterised by constructive

work, exchange of knowledge,

share of experience and close

cooperation was marked with the

delivery of a ‘fit for purpose’ oil

terminal in the East Med at the end

of Oct 2014,” he says.

And topping off a project

which has been widely regarded

as a success, VTT Vasiliko has

received all of the HSE (Health,

Safety and Environmental) and

EIA (Environmental Impact

Assessment) certificates that are

required to operate such a facility.

“The VTTV terminal meets the

latest HSE standards of the oil

storage industry. Furthermore the

requirements of an EIA which was

carried out, have been exceeded

by the company,” explains

Papanastasiou.

BUSINESS IN THE EAST MEDAccording to the US Energy

Information Administration (eia),

the eastern Mediterranean region,

usually defined as Cyprus, Israel,

Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and the

Palestinian Territories, is currently

undergoing changes to its

energy landscape. With expected

economic growth, and the

population of the region forecast to

grow from 45.3 million in 2010 to

between 58 and 62 million in 2030,

energy demand should increase

noticeably over the next two

decades. This, along with growing

export opportunities, means that

the region will receive more and

more tankers of bigger capacity

and the likes of Eni, Kogas and

Total have all showed intentions

to explore further in Cypriot water

and potentially export following

recent discoveries of natural gas

and other hydrocarbon resources.

Because of the global interest

in the region, VTT Vasiliko has

designed its storage tanks to meet

the needs of potential customers.

“The decision was made on the

profile of the commercial activities

of potential users of the Terminal,”

says Papanastasiou. The tanks

are a mix of mild steel, mild steel

coated and mild steel insulated

in design. These can be used to

hold gasoline, jet fuel, kerosene,

naphtha, gasoil, diesel, fuel oil and

petrochemicals.

One of the key rationale behind

the development of the terminal is

the strategic location that Cyprus

offers; perfect for moving fuel oil

from the Black Sea to the East,

ideal for moving Middle Distillates

from the East to the West, and

excellent for moving gasoline from

Europe to the East Med and the

Red Sea.

“We expect our Terminal to

enhance the supply chains of

players moving products in all

these directions but mostly those

that break bulk in the East Med

region. The deep sea marine

facilities the VTTV terminal offers

and the related flexibilities is

exactly what oil traders were

missing in this region. With the

development of mega refineries in

the Middle East and the closure of

refineries in Europe, it is something

we expect that will change the

balances and we will see more

products moving from the Arab

Gulf/Red Sea towards Europe in

the future,” Papanastasiou says.

SLICK IN CYPRUSApart from the large initial outlay

from VTTI into Cyprus for this

project, there are many more

benefits set to be realised as a

result of the new terminal.

The construction of the terminal

is estimated to generate revenues

of €18m per year from port fees,

and the country is expected to

receive further proceeds from

taxes paid by companies to

transport their products through

the terminal.

Local people will also benefit

as Papanastasiou explains:

“Local resource is the direction

from VTTI. Cyprus offers highly

educated human resources which

only lacks the experience due to

the specialised knowledge that is

required in this case and the small

size of the market. Only when a

certain skill or competency is not

possible to develop locally, VTT

Vasiliko will consider importing

resources and this will be on a

temporary basis.”

And with a company like VTTI

investing in Cyprus, the General

Manager suggests that the country

could see more investment from

energy companies in the future.

“The VTT Vasiliko investment

as the first onshore infrastructure

energy project has showed the

PAGE 18

Joannou & Paraskevaides Group (J&P) is an international contracting

company, who undertakes a wide spectrum of construction work in four

continents for more than 70 years. J&P has been successfully involved in the

Oil & Gas Industry over the last 40 years. J&P has extensive experience in the

construction on EPC basis of oil gathering and processing stations, export

terminals and tank farms, Gas-Oil Separation Plants, cross country pipelines,

Gas Plants, Oil Refineries and Petrochemical Plants and other associated works

in most countries in the Middle East, North Africa and Europe. J&P is proud to

include amongst its Clients, most major international Oil & Gas Companies and

Operators. Most recent project is the Vasiliko Terminal in Cyprus, a 600,000

m3 capacity multi-products tank farm comprising of 36 no. tanks and related

Terminal Utilities, and ship loading facilities capable to receive simultaneously

four tanker vessels of max. 160,000 dwt capacity through a 1500 m long marine

jetty and mooring/loading platforms.

“The VTT Vasiliko investment as the first onshore infrastructure energy project has showed the direction and set the pace. It will serve as an example for investors looking for opportunities around the globe, to see Cyprus as a location to put their money in energy related projects”

LABUAN SHIPYARD

PAGE 19

direction and set the pace. It will

serve as an example for investors

looking for opportunities around

the globe, to see Cyprus as a

location to put their money in

energy related projects,” he says.

And of course, it’s not just

international traders, oil companies

and employees that will benefit

from the development of the

terminal. The local economy will

receive a needed boost with

a focus on the communities

surrounding the project, by

sponsoring and supporting

educational and athletic centres,

small local businesses and families

in need.

The Cypriot energy market will

also receive a boost as the current

storage facilities at Larnaca are

aged and do not provide efficient

logistics for local marketers and

are still slated to be relocated

for Larnaca town development.

Currently, some of the excess

Cypriot stocks are held in Greece

and Malta at a cost of €17 million

per year.

Of course, with a project

of this size, in an area that is

environmentally sensitive and

surrounded by communities

and water, there has been

a requirement for certain

environmental standards to be met

and Papanastasiou is proud of

what has been achieved so far.

“The ‘green’ venture is in our

philosophy as a group and our

high operating standards and

experience give us the confidence

that the VTT Vasiliko terminal will

create no harm to people or the

environment throughout the years

of operation,” he says.

And there is more to come from

this fantastic project. Phase 2, set

to create further capacity and job

opportunities is currently being

reviewed by the relevant parties

and when this is completed, the

terminal will reach full completion

and Papanastasiou expects this to

be in around one year from now.

“We estimate that the terminal

will be fully complete and 100%

operational to maximum capacity

in a year from being operational

and this is based on the interest

we see from oil companies and

trading organisations. A change

of the current market environment

will expedite things, of course,” he

concludes

PAGE 20

BIOTEK is a Greek company operating in the oil and gas industry since 1987. It is experienced in a

vast variety of projects, such as refineries, power plants, fuel tanks, gas pipelines, chemical industries

and electromechanical activities for industrial facilities.

In 2014 BIOTEK was subcontracted a Jetty project in Vasiliko, Cyprus. The Jetty consisted of a steel

access ramp for access to the vehicles, one main Trestle 1,5 km long pre-fabricated and pre-assem-

bled in Modules for in-site installation on piles, one main Platform and 4 Berths for fuel loading –

unloading. Each Module of the steel structure, approximately 160 tons weight, has all the process and

utility piping assembled together.

The fabrication of the steel modules performed in Greece and transported in 3 separated pieces to

Limassol port, where the assembly of each of the 47 modules took place with all the piping, second-

ary structures and scaffolds on it. For site installation, the modules were transported with a barge and

erected with a floating crane to Vasiliko.

The second step, after modules erection, was piping and steel interconnecting, platforms and equip-

ment installation.

In addition to Jetty, BIOTEK was also awarded with the piping interconnecting inside the Oil Terminal.

Both projects performed in parallel with absolute success, despite the short time period for comple-

tion and severe weather conditions, especially on the sea activities.

“We estimate that the terminal will be fully complete and 100% operational to maximum capacity in a year from being operational”

VTT VASILIKO LTD

PAGE 21

BIOTEK is an experienced construction company in the energy fi eld and mainly in oil-gas industry.

After applying an effective style of integrated management based on mutual trust with clients, BIOTEK achieved to augment its status by successfully delivering projects.In due respect to the latest technical innovations and practices conducted through a highly skilled personnel, BIOTEK always ensures the highest quality performance standards.

Fields of activity consist of energy, oil, gas and petrochemical constructionprojects competitively delivering civil and steel structures, piping prefabrication and erection, mechanical, electrical, instrumentation, sandblasting, insulation and painting works.

BIOTEKAgios Athanasios, Thessaloniki, W.B. 325, Ionia, Greece, P.C: 57008

Tel: +302310723670Fax: +302310723680Email: info@biotek.grWebsite: www.biotek.gr

Innovate or stagnate. MIB Italiana has

been a pioneer in the energy sector

for close on 50 years, but product

development is both continuous and

instinctive for this foremost global name

in onshore and offshore connectors and

emergency release systems.

“The requirements of our clients’ are

increasing and becoming more stringent

and demanding,” says Director, Daciano

Colbachini. “And to keep their position

in an ever increasingly competitive

marketplace, any company involved

at the sharp end of the safety and

environmental protection sector needs to

maintain a very pro-active approach to

the improvement or development of new

products.

“If we do not invest in R&D then

someone out there surely will,” says

Colbachini.

GLOBAL FOOTPRINTMIB is a leader in the research,

development, manufacture and supply

of customised connections and safety

equipment for floating production

platforms and tanker-offloading systems;

its footprint prominent in some of the

world’s harshest environments.

Valves and double valves with

emergency release systems, and quick

connectors and disconnectors for

gas and liquids at low, ambient and

cryogenic temperatures, are among the

advanced products produced for the

LNG, LPG and petrochemical industries

at its plant at Casalserugo, Padova, in

northern Italy.

PAGE 22

At the cutting edge of

offshore safety

Editorial: Colin Chinery

The imprint of MIB Italiana, leader in customised connections and safety equipment for floating production platforms and tanker-offloading systems, can be seen in the world’s harshest environments. And in an increasingly demanding market and after almost 50 years in operation, innovation, excellence, and highly-focussed client relationships are ensuring MIB stays out in front.

Courtesy of Hoegh LNG

Global programmes involving MIB are

numerous, including LNG jetty-based

terminals in Australia, ExxonMobil floating

storage off-loading Banyu Urip project in

East Java, Indonesia, the Helix Producer

the first FSU in the Gulf of Mexico,

and floating production, storage and

offloading units in the Timor Sea.

The formation in 1966 of MIB Italiana –

now part of the diversified IVG Colbachini

Group - coincided with the significant

increase in the use of oil and liquefied

gases, and the expansion of major oil

terminals, process plants and refineries

in the Middle East, North Africa and

elsewhere.

“The growing demand of energy came

hand in hand with a more focused view

of safety and the protection of such

huge investments, employees and the

environment,” says Colbachini.

“And MIB, through its founder Giorgio

Bormioli, recognised and seized the

opportunities created, and the company

rapidly became a world leader supplier

of customised connectors, anti-pollution

devices and safety solutions for the oil

and gas industries.”

Since the early 1970s the company’s

success has been based on the

supplies of critical safety equipment

for the liquefied gas industry (-196° C)

for onshore terminals. And the results

reached, “have allowed MIB to be one of

the market leaders in this field.”

With an expertise acquired with

onshore jetty projects - both for ambient,

low and cryogenic temperature – the

transition to the offshore arena was

natural and seamless, with MIB providing

sector-specific safety products for

installations where the environmental

conditions are extremely demanding.

TOUGH TALENTAnd MIB – active in the North Sea, off

Eastern Canada and the deep waters of

the Gulf of Mexico - likes it tough.

“These are just examples of

our effective presence where the

environmental conditions are extremely

adverse, and where we see an ever

increasing demand for our products. In

fact you could say, ‘the more hostile the

environment, the better for MIB’.

“With a good product mix, and

free from reliance on a specific sector,

continuing expansion will be driven

largely by a strong client and market-

oriented approach,” says Colbachini.

MIB ITALIANA

PAGE 23

PAGE 24

“We are currently focusing our attention

to find tailor-made solutions for our

clients, and promoting MIB as a turnkey

supplier of offshore fluid handling

equipment.

“This involves not only the supply

of our traditional portfolio of MIB

connectors and safety release systems,

but also the provision of the entire

scope of offshore-related products such

as hawser reels, mooring hawsers,

quick release mooring hooks, as well

as connector and valving solutions,

hydraulics power and control panels

and all the many interfaces within the

‘package’.

“We are also interfacing on several

projects with our sister company, Bassi

Offshore - also part of the IVG group -

with its range of OCIMF standard marine

hoses, both floating and submarine.

“Our

objective

is to offer our

clients, whether

end users, contractors

or shipyards, a complete

customised solution, so eliminating

the historical problems suffered through

interfacing, split warranties, coordination

and project management.

“We take these issues away, take the

responsibility for the specific work scope,

and deliver a fully integrated package.”

With almost every project unique, and

new features and designs continually on

stream, R&D comes naturally to MIB,

Colbachini says.

Over recent years MIB has launched a

range of solutions for the offshore sector,

including a new generation marine break

away in response to industry demands

for maximised environmental protection

of the oceans.

Another innovation has been the

MIBflex cardanic ball joint for the

transfer of low, medium and high

pressure fluids, and allowing for leak

free angular displacement of connecting

components.

BRIGHT GREEN“Our business is primarily safety equipment,

involving not only the safety of installations,

vessels and personnel, but most

importantly the environment.

“Many of our products are purpose-

provided to avoid spillages of oil and

petrochemicals, or the release into the

environment of harmful or dangerous

gases. And whether in business or in

one’s personal life, the push for our

environment is a crucial issue.

“If my business can help in any way

to achieve the objectives needed for our

planet to survive, then we shall do so in the

best possible way. In fact, ‘The Greener the

Better’ for MIB,” says Colbachini.

Unsurprisingly in a company with so

strong a client focus, after sales support -

with a UK presence in Coventry - is a key

element. “I regard our excellent rapport and

on-going relationships with our customers

as part of ‘the deal’.

“The after sales business is really

important for us and it’s part of the

company pride to give an extensive

support of its products worldwide through

a team of highly skilled and experienced

personnel.

“We provide all the necessary installation

assistance to our equipment, inspection

and maintenance support, working

shoulder to shoulder with our customers.

“MIB’s dedicated team focuses on

providing quality engineered products,

a clear and concise understanding of

our customers’ needs, and the provision

of a fully comprehensive service from

project inception to long term support.

“Complete client satisfaction is not

only our target, but I would like to think

also our trade mark,” says Colbachini.

Quality is paramount for MIB,

says the Director: “We are certified

ISO 9001:2008 and being suppliers

of crucial safety system that must

function effectively in an emergency,

we recognise there is no room for any

compromises in quality.”

After almost half a century of

leadership, what has been the key to the

company’s success? “A dedicated team

focused on providing quality engineered

products, having a clear and concise

understanding of our customers’ needs

,and providing a fully comprehensive

service, from project inception to long

term after-sales product support,” says.

Colbachini

Reports showing that Chinese

shipyards are becoming more skilled

as well as cheaper than competitors

in Europe, the Middle East and South

Korea, leaves Colbachini unphazed.

“Our marketplace is clearly split

into two distinct factions; those

who purely buy on price and those

who still recognise the technical

and quality levels of experienced

vendors.

“Certainly the tendancy to look

only at the bottom line is playing into

the hands of the Chinese, a problem

in any industry not only oil and gas.

ONLY OPPORTUNITIES“But there is clear evidence that the old

attitude towards Chinese manufactured

goods is being eroded, and it cannot be

disputed that their skills are growing at a

very quick rate. You can see evidence of

this in the way the Korean shipyards are

suffering at the moment.

“But the Chinese have still much to

learn, and hopefully will not be such

a big threat to us in the foreseeable

future - assuming we can remain positive

and not let such issues cloud our

judgements.

“My approach is to continue to steer

MIB towards its traditional approach;

providing clients with solutions based on

nearly 50 years of experience and a very

successful track record.

“This Chinese challenge is certainly

interesting. But where others find

difficulties, MIB Italiana only sees

opportunities,” Colbachini concludes

“We provide all the necessary installation assistance to our equipment, inspection and maintenance support, working shoulder to shoulder with our customers”

MIB ITALIANA

PAGE 25

PAGE 26

Mergers, investments and developments for the next big player in European thermal power generationEditorial: Christian Jordan

MHPS Europe offers a unique and highly specialised portfolio of products and services to clients in Europe, Middle East and Africa. Commercial Director, Shin Gomi tells Total World Energy more about the development of this power player and its targets for the future…

After its official launch in February this

year, Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems

(MHPS) Europe has set itself the target of

becoming the number one in the thermal

power generation systems market, where

significant growth in demand is expected

globally.

Back in August, we looked at the

progress MHPS Africa had made with

two huge coal-fired power stations,

Medupi and Kusile, in South Africa.

Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems

Africa Head of Sales and Business

Development, David Milner told us: “We

and all the partners on site are working

towards getting the first unit at Medupi

online by the end of the year and that is

the number one goal at the moment.

“Now that we have such a wonderful

product portfolio, it’s completely changed

the outlook of the organisation. Instead

of just having one product which was

largely boilers, we now have a complete

set of technologies from gas turbines,

steam turbines and boilers to Integrated

Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC)

products etc, and therefore the company

decided it needed to be able to take all

of these products to the market in South

Africa as well as the rest of sub-Saharan

Africa so we have established, and

we are busy expanding, our business

development activities.”

This month we look at the European

arm of the operation and talk to

Commercial Director, Shin Gomi to find

out how the company plans to achieve its

aim in the coming years.

“The reason we put the two

businesses together was to be more

competitive. Our main competitors

include General Electric, Siemens and

Alstom and from a volume point of view,

with one company as Mitsubishi Heavy

Industries and one company as Hitachi,

the volumes were not big enough to

compete therefore the decision was

taken to merge these two Japanese

companies to compete on a global

scale,” explains Gomi.

“Mitsubishi Heavy Industries holds

65% of the MHPS and Hitachi holds

the remaining 35%. What we did in

February this year was to take out the

fossil power generation businesses from

each company and moved them into

one organisation. Basically, our company

is focussed on fossil power or what we

call thermal power generation systems.

Our company is now dedicated to

supply and support of anything to do

with thermal power generation systems.

We manufacture components and

equipment, we undertake EPC contracts,

we provide maintenance and services for

equipment that we have supplied and we

also service equipment not manufactured

by us, in existing power stations.

“We are now global; we have

operations in the western hemisphere,

MHPS America, which takes care of all

the requirements in North and South

America; in Asia we have multiple

companies in China, Singapore, Thailand,

Indonesia; we have operations in

Australia and India; we have operations

in the Middle East in Abu Dhabi and

Saudi Arabia, and we now have MHPS

Europe. Apart from the Japanese

operations, MHPS Europe is probably the

second largest operation behind MHPS

America,” he says.

And in South Africa, the company’s

work at Medupi and Kusile is

demonstrative of the scale of the projects

that this organisation is involved with.

“We are involved in some of the largest

construction projects in the southern

Hemisphere currently at these two sites,”

says Milner.

“The energy produced by a single unit

at Medupi and Kusile would power 80

high-speed German trains simultaneously

and there’s six units going in at each so

at full capacity the power produced is

significant,” he adds.

A UNITED ORGANISATION Often when big companies merge,

success is not as easy to come by as

the organisations planned. Historical

trends show that roughly two thirds of

big mergers will disappoint on their own

terms, which means they will lose value

on the stock market. The motivations

that drive mergers can be flawed and

efficiencies from economies of scale

may prove elusive. In many cases, the

problems associated with trying to make

merged companies work are all too

concrete. But for MHPS Europe, the fit

between the two organisations has been

pleasing from the very beginning.

“The effect of the merger has been

very good,” states Gomi. “We already

have a strong market presence; people

were aware of both Mitsubishi and

Hitachi and they are now seeing a more

comprehensive product line and more

comprehensive capabilities and services

offered. Since the merger, we have

received a lot of good feedback from the

customers. Internally, there wasn’t too

much difficulty merging and integrating;

we were very united from day one.

“Powergen Europe in June was the

first event that MHPS Europe jointly

participated in and this was a great team

effort, presenting as one company and

promoting the multiple products that we

now offer. I would say of the merger; so

far so good.”

MHPS EUROPE

PAGE 27

Before the merging of these two giants

in the energy market, the companies

were direct competitors but each with a

smaller product range compared to that

of the global industry leaders. “We were

competitors in the past, we were in the

same industries but there were not many

opportunities to work together,” says

Gomi.

Today, in Europe and around the world,

MHPS is one company operating with

one workforce, one product portfolio and

one single vision.

The European operation is

headquartered from two areas and looks

after three large regional markets. “We

have two headquarters; one in Germany

and one in London. The German

office was the headquarters of Hitachi

and London was the headquarters of

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries before the

merger. We are in the middle of the

integration right now but these two offices

are in charge of the Europe, Middle East

and Africa markets,” says Gomi.

LOCALISATION When it comes to customer service,

MHPS Europe is second to none in

its desire to be hands on and locally

available to customers, quickly solving

any problems that may arise at minimal

cost to the customer and to the

customer’s customers. This comes right

from the top of the organisation and

President and CEO, Takato Nishizawa.

“One of the key messages from Mr

Nishizawa surrounds maintenance and

services business. He believes that for us

to be the number one global player, we

need to achieve customer satisfaction

and to do that we need to maximise

service and maintenance after equipment

has been delivered,” says Gomi.

This is why, in Europe, MHPS invested

in two companies that offer top-of-

the-range service capabilities allowing

for manufacture, refurbishment and

modification without the need to transport

parts back to Japan.

“In Europe, we acquired a company

called Maintenance Partners in Belgium

and ATLA Turbine Services in Italy. These

two investments were done before the

merger with Hitachi. At the same time,

Hitachi had already developed strong

local presence in Germany.

“The aim here is to localise service

capabilities and expand power generation

service support for the client who owns

MHPS components and also those who

need support on other products from a

non-OEM,” says Gomi.

“With Maintenance Partners, we

have one huge rotor shop in Antwerp

supporting both the power generation

industry and also oil & gas industries and

with ATLA, we also have a state-of-the-

art component repair and manufacturing

shop in Italy so we do not have to

ship components back to Japan. This

integration has now been completed

and we are able to support European

customers locally together with Germany

operations. Most of the people employed

here are European meaning that the

whole service, organisationally and

infrastructurally, is localised.

“With ATLA in Torino, we have

invested in new factories to digest more

component repair and manufacture for

high-tech gas turbine hot gas path parts.

With Maintenance Partners in Antwerp,

we have expanded the 9000m² facilities

with an additional 4000m² rotor repair

facility to be able to handle the large

frame gas turbines and steam turbines

PAGE 28

Skye-lab Technologies Cc

Skye-lab Technologies Cc started its humble beginning in the year 2007 and has been actively involved in the area of providing Professional Services to the Power Generation, Petro-chemical,Civil and Construction, Water Treatment and Telecommunications Industries.

Skye-Lab Technologies Cc assures its customers of professionalism, accountability and non-compromising standard of its service and solutions.

Skye-lab Technologies Cc is a specialised Training and Certifi cation Consultancy organisation with a specifi c emphasis on the provision of training, implementation and auditing of the ISO 9001; 2000; ISO 14001; OHSAS 18001; ISO/TS 16949 and ISO/IEC 27001.

Skye-lab Technologies Cc in partnership with and under license from EXCEL PARTNERSHIP

Consider the applicability of this internationally acclaimed training for your Quality, Environmental and Health and Safety Managers, Operation Managers, Procurement Specialist and Industrial hygienist.

Skye-lab Technologies Cc GLOBAL BUSINESS PROFESSIONAL CONSULTANT

Registration No: 2007/198674/23

in South Africa in 2015. Internal and Lead Auditor courses.

Registrar for Auditors (IRCA) and International Enviroment Management Association (IEMA) for ISO 14001.

Skye-lab Technologies Cc in partnership with and under license from EXCEL PARTNERSHIP, in presenting these internationally recognized training courses which is fully

Auditors (IRCA) and International Environmental Management and Health and Safety goals.

Consider the applicability of this internationally acclaimed training for your Quality, Environmental and Health and Safety Managers, Operation Managers, Procurement Specialist and Industrial hygienist.

Skye-lab Technologies Cc

Darras CentreCnr. Juno & Kitchener RoadKensingtonJohannesburgTel.: (011) 614 – 9517/8

Skye-lab Technologies Cc is a specialised Training and

emphasis on the provision of training, implementation and auditing of the ISO 9001; 2000; ISO 14001; OHSAS 18001; ISO/TS 16949 and ISO/IEC 27001.

in partnership with

Skye-lab Technologies Cc GLOBAL BUSINESS PROFESSIONAL CONSULTANT

Registration No: 2007/198674/23

in South Africa in 2015. Internal and Lead Auditor courses.

Registrar for Auditors (IRCA) and International Enviroment Management Association (IEMA) for ISO 14001.

Skye-lab Technologies Cc in partnership with and under license from EXCEL PARTNERSHIP, in presenting these internationally recognized training courses which is fully

Auditors (IRCA) and International Environmental Management and Health and Safety goals.

Consider the applicability of this internationally acclaimed training for your Quality, Environmental and Health and Safety Managers, Operation Managers, Procurement Specialist and Industrial hygienist.

Skye-lab Technologies Cc

Darras CentreCnr. Juno & Kitchener RoadKensingtonJohannesburgTel.: (011) 614 – 9517/8

Skye-lab Technologies Cc is a specialised Training and

emphasis on the provision of training, implementation and auditing of the ISO 9001; 2000; ISO 14001; OHSAS 18001; ISO/TS 16949 and ISO/IEC 27001.

in partnership with

Skylab Mega Projects (Pty) Ltd.

We’re an EPCM Company. We specialise in Petro Chemical, Mining, Nuclear, Plant, Maintenance, SHEQ and Construction Companies. We’re 100% B-BBEE Status Level 1 (one), BOW 50%.We specialise in major projects

especially Project Management

Email: donovan@skye-lab.co.za

(Management)ann@skye-lab.co.za

(Administration)

We Specialize in:

Engineering ConsultancyWelding & DesignQuality AssuranceQuality ControlSystems AuditsTraining & Certifi cationTelecommunicationsProject Management

Recruitment/Professionals

Fax: (011) 614- 2300

Email: a_blignaut@skye-lab.co.za

(Management) m_pather@skye-lab.co.za

(Procurement & General) Jacquilene@skye-lab.co.za

(HR & Recruitment)

In partnership with

MHPS EUROPE

PAGE 29

Website | www.ofsl.ieEmail | info@ofsl.ie

Phone | +353 (0) 45 409912 | Unit W9H, Ladytown Business Park, Naas, County Kildare

With a global presence, OFS is providing the highest calibre of Rotating Equipment Specialists to the Oil & Gas and Power Generation industries. We pride ourselves on having the key processes and procedures of large corporations with the flexibility and personality of a small organisation. This allows us to build strong relationships with our customers, and enables us to meet and exceed the high quality, health and safety standards required on sites worldwide.

Our primary services are:• Rotating Equipment Services

• Customisable & OEM approved Training Solutions

• Documentation Development

• Lifecycle Management – O4

Working alongside OEM’s, Oil & Gas companies, and power generation organisations, OFS is a trusted partner providing fi eld service support, project management and documentation and training support on all 5 continents.

that we supply here locally. With those

two facilities and our service operation

in Europe, our infrastructure to support

rotating equipment has been fully

developed.

“Customers have appreciated this

investment. Previously, if there was repair

required or failure with a product, we

would have to ship components to Japan

for refurbishment or replacement and

with power generation customers, losing

power for one day is a huge, huge loss

and impacts on the wider community.

Lost generation time has to be minimised

as much as possible and that is why

people appreciate our investments into

local service capabilities,” he adds.

POWERFUL PRODUCT PORTFOLIOAs a result of the merger of Mitsubishi

Heavy Industries and Hitachi, the MHPS

Europe business now has a vast range

of innovative and proven products.

With worldwide experience that has

allowed for on-going research and

development, the company’s product

range is respected globally, especially for

the J-Series gas turbines that have been

designed to achieve higher efficiency

and increased power output. MHPS

completed the development of the worlds

most advanced J-Series gas turbine with

an inlet temperature of 1,600 ºC with

our own technologies. The significant

1,600ºC turbine inlet temperature was

achieved in February 2011; it is 100ºC

higher than the current temperature

of 1,500ºC featured in G-Series gas

turbines. Since the launch of the J-Series,

16 units of the M501J have been sold in

Japan and South Korea. Two units of the

M701J have been sold, both in Japan.

This product range includes all

components required for thermal power

generation systems. Three of the most

popular products, present in energy

sectors around the world, are boilers,

steam and gas turbines. In addition to

this, MHPS has a strong global presence

in providing the EPC contract with many

supply records in EMEA regions as well.

“Gas turbines and steam turbines are

amongst the most popular products. The

difference between the two is the way

they rotate the turbine. Once you have

the rotation, you connect the turbine

to the generator so the generator can

produce electricity,” says Gomi.

“There are two major products in

the market, conventional power plant

and combined cycle power plant.

Conventional power plant is like what

we are using in South Africa; you burn

coal or oil or any type of fuel in a boiler to

produce steam and the steam is used to

rotate the turbine.

“With combined cycle power plant, the

technology is a little more advanced. You

have a gas turbine with a compressor

section and a turbine section. The

compressor section takes air and

compresses it and then it is mixed with

natural gas or other types of fuel. You

then ignite the gas and there is a large

PAGE 30

reaction. The

energy from the

reaction is used to power the turbine.

This requires high pressure, high

temperature and the material we use

for coating and cooling is very sensitive

and very high-tech. After you run the gas

turbine, there is exhaust gas which is still

hot and we used the exhaust gas in a

boiler to create more steam and turn a

steam turbine and that is why it’s called a

combined cycle. Gas and steam turbines

together in one power plant optimise

efficiency,” he explains.

But selling combined cycle power

plant is no easy feat, especially with

the continual rise of renewable energy

sources that do not require large-scale,

industrial turbines (Renewable energy

sources accounted for an 11.0 % share

of the EU-28’s gross inland energy

consumption in 2012 according to the

EU Commission). After all, how many

power plants does one region need at a

certain time?

“In Europe right now, there is a lot of

renewable energy so demand for power

from power stations has fallen slightly.

Also,

the coal

price has

been fluctuating

and is lower now so

there are more coal power plants

running. This has resulted in lower

demand for combined cycle power plant

equipment but they are still running. As

they run, there is always a maintenance

requirement so we have to be there.

Gas turbines are very sensitive and we

have to undertake periodical inspections

and because of the high temperatures

that the equipment is exposed to, repair

or replacement is often required,” says

Gomi.

“From a service perspective, when

demand for equipment is lower we focus

on our maintenance capabilities and also

our abilities to service other equipment

that is not manufactured by us.”

Interestingly, when the business does

experience lulls in demand for products

in European markets, it has developed a

strategy enabling the movement of power

plant equipment to other parts of the

world where demand is high, as Gomi

explains: “We have been aggressively

creating opportunities to relocate power

stations. If power plants are not running

in Europe but there is high demand in

the Middle East or Africa, then we can

relocate the combine cycle power plants

to places where they can run. This is a

unique offering that we are developing.”

In South Africa, the power stations

that MHPS is working on are coal

fired but Milner tells us that there is a

growing focus on gas.

“Right now at Medupi and Kusile,

we are installing boilers but going

forward the product range will

be more diverse. There is a push

within Southern Africa towards gas

and we have a lot of good products

for that market. It’s a market that

we are addressing; we are active in

Mozambique, Tanzania and in Namibia

on the Kudu Project,” he says.

CURRENT FOCUS Since the formation of MHPS Europe, the

organisation has had a baptism of fire,

not stopping to admire itself but quickly

building a pipeline to add to the work that

was already in place before the merger.

In just under a year, the company has

managed to secure business with major

customers that operate as leaders in their

chosen industry.

“We are working on multiple projects

right now. Day to day we support our

customers,” says Gomi and he adds that

the list of services provided by MHPS in

Europe are categorised into four main

sections; existing customers, non-MHPS

customers, relocation services and

operation services.

“With existing customers that are

up and running, we provide long-

term maintenance and service and

sometimes they require modifications or

upgrades. Maybe they need efficiency

improvements or output improvements

and we can present solutions for this.

Maybe they need flexibility for their

solutions; they need to react more quickly

to power demand – we have developed

a flexible menu to provide customers with

all they could require.

“With non-MHPS customers, we

receive requests regularly for services

MHPS EUROPE

PAGE 31

Specializing in the Fabrication and Erection of Structural Steel, Process Piping, Platework, Mechanical Installation (SMPP), Steel Bulk Storage Tanks, Hydrocarbon Storage and Handling Terminals, Pressure Vessels, Civil work, Electrical and Instrumentation, Engineering Procurement and Construction (EPC) Projects.

We concentrate on the completion of projects in various industries, where we have built up a substantial client base, including:

SUGAR MILLING MINING, MINERAL AND METALS ELECTRICITY GENERATION WATER TREATMENT SERVICES CEMENT PROCESS PLANT PETROCHEMICAL PAPER AND PULP MILLING OIL AND GAS

5 Jan Street, Rocky Drift, White River, 1240, Mpumalanga Republic of South AfricaTel: +27 (0)13 758 1015 Fax: +27 (0)13 758 1050 E: info@steval.co.za

www.steval.co.za

PAGE 32

even though the customer does not

own MHPS equipment. We can provide

services as a non-OEM and we develop

quality ideas on how to meet the needs

of these customer across Europe, Middle

East and Africa.

“With relocation, we look for a

customer who is in need of power and

we look for customers who are struggling

to make full use of their product because

of low demand for power.

“Lastly, we don’t only provide

maintenance, we also offer operation of

power stations and we are proactively

promoting these services right now.

“We have a team servicing all of these

sectors daily,” he says.

Operation of power stations is an

attractive option for potential customers,

often resulting in less recruitment and

training requirements, cost savings and

an overall more integrated approach to

the supply chain.

Earlier this year, the company signed

an agreement with Turkish organisation,

Üründal Group, to build and operate a

520 MW natural gas combined cycle

power plant in Turkey’s Kırklareli province

with partner, Kırklareligaz Enerji Üretim

Sanayi ve Ticaret Anonim Sirketi.

An example of MHPS Europe’s service

capability is demonstrated by a deal

signed in February with ScottishPower

to provide long-term service to a

natural gas-fired gas turbine combined

cycle power generation plant at the

company’s Damhead Creek Power

Station. Based on the 12-year, long-term

service agreement MHPS will provide

maintenance, management, parts supply

and remote monitoring services for the

gas turbines.

Away from gas and steam turbines,

MHPS Europe announced in September

that it would supply environmental

equipment to ENEA Wytwarzanie S.A., a

power producer in Poland, for two sets

of selective catalytic reduction (SCR)

type deNOx system for installation at

Units 1 and 2 of the company’s coal-fired

power station in Kozienice. These high-

performance systems reduce emissions

of NOx (nitrogen oxides), a cause of air

pollution, by more than 80 per cent. They

are scheduled to go into operation at Unit

1 in late 2015 and at Unit 2 in May 2016.

A MITSUBISHI MAN Since the formation of MHPS Europe

following the merger, the company has

been understandably ambitious. When

asked if he believes that the organisation

has made progress towards its goal of

becoming the number one in the thermal

power generation systems market, Gomi

says that much progress has been made.

“I believe we are getting close. Our

competitors have a very strong presence

in the market. But five or six years ago

Mitsubishi had nothing here and we have

invested to increase our presence. There

are lots of opportunities that we never

had a chance to obtain in the past but

now we can put together a competitive

product so we are on the right track to

become the number one in the market.

“Before 2006, the service resources

for Mitsubishi we had in Europe was less

than 10 people. Now, we have over 600

servicing this region and we have made

significant investments into resources.”

MHPS EUROPE

PAGE 33

The commercial director has been a

Mitsubishi man for most of his career,

starting in Japan and moving around the

world helping to develop the business.

“I come from the Mitsubishi Heavy

Industries side and I have been part of

the service business all of my career.

Originally, I worked in the Mitsubishi

Heavy Industries headquarters in

Yokohama for four years and then I

moved to the USA for five years to

support establishment of the local service

company, Mitsubishi Power Systems

America. We built the service centre with

manufacturing shop, repair shop and

all of the field service organisation and

remote monitoring centre with the strong

leadership help of the key executive

management that we hired locally. After

that, I went back to Japan for four years

helping to expand the localisation of

services abroad. We worked to expand

service capabilities in the USA through

additional investment, in Europe we

invested in localized operations together

with the acquisition of Maintenance

Partners and ATLA. In 2011, I moved

to London as Commercial Director for

Power Generation Services in Europe,

Middle East and Africa and also helped

integrate Maintenance Partners and

ATLA,” he says.

Importantly, Gomi is still very happy

in his role and after all the investments,

developments, acquisitions and

mergers he says that the company

has a clear strategy which is effectively

communicated from the very top.

“One of the unique things about our

company is that it is very open and very

flexible. We have Mr Hanasawa, the

CEO here in London and Mr Kiechl, the

CEO in Germany and Mr Nishizawa,

the President and CEO of MHPS and

they meet frequently, sharing information

openly and that is very helpful for us to

understand the business strategy and

direction. It makes sense right now as we

are a newly integrated company and we

all need to change and move in the same

direction. The communication that they

do at executive level and the involvement

of the executives at each local level is

amazing and very unique. We are very

encouraged that they look at us in this

way and we will always support them

coming here.”

With such a vast market place, such an

innovative product range, such a fantastic

workforce and a growing global reputation,

it seems that it will not take too long for

MHPS Europe to reach its goal and there

certainly will not be any standing still; the

focus is always on the future.

“The company is motivated to grow

in Europe from a services point of view

by touching customers, listening to

customers and understanding customers

and this information is very important for

new product development in the future

– it’s motivating and a lot of fun,” Gomi

concludes

Trinidad and Tobago is among the

richest countries in the Caribbean

and with a strong, industrialised

economy, it has secured a rich

heritage in the natural gas, oil and

petrochemical industries.

The Coordinating Task Force

initially led the way in monetising

the country’s natural gas resources,

subsequently leading to the creation

of National Energy, which was

incorporated by the Government of

the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago

in 1979. The Company celebrated

its 35th anniversary on 12th

September this year.

A DEDICATED SERVICE Providing quality and dedicated

services in the area of natural

gas based development, National

Energy sought to attract foreign

investors while working towards

becoming a global leader in the

development of sustainable energy

based industries. This included the

construction and operation of the

early petrochemical plants, ports

and marine infrastructure, which

serviced all plants at the Point Lisas

Industrial Estate throughout the

1980’s. These activities continue

today.

PAGE 34

The future of energy

Editorial: Harriet Pattison

With the mandate to ‘develop and manage suitable infrastructure, in order to support, facilitate and promote the various activities relevant to the natural gas-based energy sector’. National Energy has helped to promote Trinidad and Tobago’s energy brand on a global scale for over 30 years. The Company was re-branded in 2013, and is now looking to further develop a sustainable energy sector as well as work with other agencies to export the country’s expertise to regional and international energy sector players, with particular focus on emerging economies.

National Energy’s President, Dr

Vernon Paltoo, explains: “Over

the years we went through a lot of

changes but in a nutshell, today we

maintain the same mandate in terms

of establishing new industries within

the energy sector. We have a wider

portfolio today since our business

also involves developing renewable

and alternative energy projects, as

well as other aspects of the energy

value chain.”

Dr Paltoo joined National Energy

ten years ago having been involved

in the industrial development and

academic industry for over 20

years. Joining as a Team Leader

for Business Development, Dr

Paltoo gained experience through

all sections of the Company before

being appointed President in

January 2013.

“Since then,” he explains, “we

have re-branded the Company to

position it for the ever changing and

future markets. I have systemically

tried to change the image and focus

of the Company and concentrate

on why we continue to develop

Trinidad and Tobago. I firmly believe

that our future lies beyond Trinidad

and Tobago, so that has been my

primary focus in the last few years.”

A NEW INTERNATIONAL IMAGEIncorporated in 1979 as National

Energy Corporation of Trinidad

and Tobago Company Limited,

the Company decided to rebrand

in 2013 to National Energy. Dr

Paltoo explains the reasons behind

this were mainly to push the

international barriers: “It was felt

that we needed a more international

image and presence and so the

entire image and focus of the

Company went to push Trinidad and

Tobago’s energy sector beyond the

barriers of Trinidad and Tobago.”

The re-branding also allowed the

Company to engage in a diverse

range of activities associated with

the energy sector and to become

a respected international provider

of energy services and logistics,

especially for the emerging energy

markets.

“We are actively looking to go out

of Trinidad and Tobago and expand

businesses in other provinces”

explains Dr Paltoo. “Earlier this year,

there was a mission to Suriname

where we’re looking at deepening

ties with that country and providing

assistance as it relates to the

development of the Surinamese

energy sector. We feel that a lot

of the expertise that resides with

NATIONAL ENERGY (CORPORATION OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO)

PAGE 35

National Energy and as well as any

wider energy sector can be used

in assisting that country to develop

their energy industry in a much more

efficient manner. Even though we

have done well, there’s no harm in

ensuring that other countries can

benefit from our experiences and

expertise.”

CELEBRATING NEW PROJECTSIn September of this year, National

Energy celebrated the official

opening of the Port of Galeota.

Located in the south-eastern

point of Trinidad and Tobago,

the multi-purpose port facility will

be a logistics hub for the energy

sector and will cater specifically

to the offshore needs of both

the exploration and production

operators.

The Port of Galeota, which

includes five berths (one for the

Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard)

will assist Trinidad and Tobago

with the recent upsurge in planned

upstream activity within the region

and in turn, help to contribute to

the generation of revenue for the

country. “It is a dedicated energy

port, which was completed a

couple of months ago at a cost of

US$85 million. It will not only service

our existing clients but would

also provide a platform for us to

penetrate other markets,” explains

Dr Paltoo.

The new industrial Methanol/

Dimethyl Ether project (DME),

earmarked for the south-western

part of the country is also under

development at the Union Industrial

Estate, located in La Brea. At an

estimated capital cost of US$850

PAGE 36

“We have to be very sensitive in terms of our operations so all necessary precautions, processes and procedures are followed to the highest international standards, especially when it comes to the loading and offloading of cargoes”

NATIONAL ENERGY (CORPORATION OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO)

PAGE 37

Contact:GLF Construction Corporation

80 S.W. 8th Street, Suite 2201Miami, FL 33130

Tel: (305) 371-5228Fax: (305) 371-9201

www.glfusa.com

In doing business with GLF, our clients benefi t from a tradition of 100 years of construction excellence, with experience in over 20 countries worldwide.

• Structures and Bridges • Heavy Foundations

• Marine Works and Ports • Light Rail Systems

• Design-Builds • Structural & Historical Renovation

• General Contracting

GLF Construction Corporation is a worldwide specialist in Marine and Heavy

Civil Construction

The recently conpleted New Port at Galeota Project for National Energy

million, the project by Mitsubishi will

be the first major industrial chemical

plant at the Union Industrial Estate.

The project demonstrates the

competitive pedestal that National

Energy is currently sitting on:

“Even though there is significant

competition from other territories

due to competitive gas prices,

namely in Africa, the Middle East

and even North America with the

Shale Gas industry, we are still able

to attract large multinational players,

namely Mitsubishi of Japan in

terms of developing new industries

in Trinidad and Tobago,” says Dr

Paltoo.

“In the past, our traditional

investors would have come from

Europe and North America but what

we’re seeing now is that there is a

lot of interest beyond our traditional

foreign investment. There are a

lot of Asian and South American

investors, who are genuinely

interested in investing in Trinidad

and Tobago,” Dr Paltoo adds.

SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENTIn addition to helping to promote

Trinidad and Tobago’s expertise,

helping to grow its economy and

developing the infrastructural

requirements needed to support

the energy industry, National

Energy also ensures that it takes

the environmental impacts into full

consideration.

With sustainability so integral to

this industry, Dr Paltoo explains:

“It is a key aspect in terms of what

we do; green and sustainable

management of the environment

is one of our primary mandates in

terms of all the activities that we do.

We are looking at other energy-

based projects to help ensure it’s a

viable industry for decades to come.

“There’s a strong reliance on

natural gas as the major input

material for energy sector projects.

However, we are striving to leverage

our experience and expertise from

the existing industries that we have

successfully developed in order to

create new value-added projects

and products. It is important to build

sustainable and economically viable

industries so that in the event that

there are issues with the supplier of

raw materials 50 or 60 years from

now, we would have developed a

sophisticated energy industry that

would not entirely rely on local raw

material prices.”

EXPANDING INTO LOGISTICSWith a fleet currently consisting of

nine vessels, Dr Paltoo confirms that

National Energy is looking to expand

its business further into logistics

with the addition of a new vessel

before the end of the year.

One of the target markets the

Company is looking at is Suriname:

“We foresee that as a base in

which we can provide logistics

services for the emerging energy

industry. We will be increasing our

activity, increasing our portfolio and

expanding our services so that we

can accommodate clients not only

in Trinidad and Tobago but in other

provinces as well. Suriname is one

of our first potential investment

destinations,” explains Dr Paltoo.

MAINTAINING INTERNATIONAL STANDARDSWith the handling of hazardous

products including methanol

and ammonia and with no major

incidents throughout its 35 years,

Dr Paltoo explains that international

standards for safety and security are

imperative to the Company.

“We operate six piers and

one dock that handle all the

methanol, ammonia and iron

and steel shipments out of the

industrial estate” he explains.

“They are constantly audited,

reviewed and assessed by all the

relevant agencies. In fact, we have

international agencies that conduct

exercises to ensure that the highest

global standards for safety and

security are adhered to. Our staff

are trained accordingly to ensure

that those needs are met.

“We have to be very sensitive

in terms of our operations so all

necessary precautions, processes

and procedures are followed to the

highest international standards,

especially when it comes to the

loading and offloading of cargoes.

“Health and Safety is a constantly

evolving industry in which we

diligently follow and maintain the

highest standards.” With the

Company’s many processes and

procedures, and as the operators of

all the industrial ports in the country,

Dr Paltoo admits that “improving

health and safety is continual,

undertaking multiple exercises and

audits in order to fill the gaps and

close any loop holes that may be

present within the system.”

“We understand the nature of

our business and the risks involved

and, in so doing we would take

the necessary steps and follow the

relevant processes and procedures,

cementing all levels of containment

and security where our shipments

are concerned,” Dr Paltoo adds.

A LEADING CAPACITYCompetition in this industry is rife

but with National Energy’s expertise

and determination to stay ahead

of the game, and place Trinidad

and Tobago firmly on the map, Dr

Paltoo explains why this Company

remains one of the key leaders in

such a competitive industry: “Let me

put this into context: Currently, our

methanol and ammonia production

capacities are 6.5 million tonnes 5.6

million tonnes respectively. Trinidad

and Tobago is a global leader in the

export of methanol and ammonia,

contributing approximately 20% of

global methanol exports and 25% of

global ammonia exports.”

In 2013, National Energy

handled over 18 million tonnes of

petrochemical and steel products

with an estimated value of US$6

billion.

“For many years we have been

the global leaders where that is

concerned and our plants are some

of the best run plants in the world.”

As with so many things, the

world continues to change and

with it comes new and increasingly

competitive locations. Dr Paltoo

reveals that National Energy

must maintain its innovative flair

and continue to be adaptive if

the Company is to compete with

emerging markets.

“There are lots of developments

happening very quickly,” explains Dr

Paltoo. “Especially with other very

competitive locations, and so we

have to continue to be adaptive. We

have to be innovative.”

A FUTURE OF PROMISELeaving behind its birthday

celebrations for another year,

National Energy is looking forward

to a future that boasts promise

and development. “While we

have significant expertise in port

operation and construction, we want

to export that expertise. As such,

we are looking at neighbouring

countries where they are now

developing their infrastructure,”

explains Dr Paltoo.

“We have assisted those countries

and are seeking to leverage our

expertise to international markets

and ensure that the same standards,

processes and procedures which

we follow are adopted in any other

location, which we may operate.

“But at the same time, we firmly

believe that we can build our

industry locally by partnering with

foreign and local investors and going

beyond our traditional products,

such as methanol and ammonia,

with the intent on developing other

industries,” he concludes.

PAGE 38

“I firmly believe that our future lies beyond Trinidad and Tobago, so that has been my primary focus in the last few years”

NATIONAL ENERGY (CORPORATION OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO)

PAGE 39

Abu Dhabi; the capital and the

second most populous city in the

United Arab Emirates and also

capital of the largest of the UAE’s

seven member Emirates. It’s fair

to say that this region has seen

exponential growth over the past

few decades and that growth has,

in a big way, been down to the

fantastic work that has been done

in the oil, gas and wider energy

industries.

And in the future there are plans

in place to further develop this

magnificent metropolis by growing

not only the oil and gas sectors, but

also other industries and the Abu

Dhabi UPC (Urban Planning Council)

has built the Abu Dhabi 2030

Urban Structure Framework Plan

to optimise the city’s development

through a 25 year program of urban

evolution.

Economic diversification is a key

pillar of the Economic Vision 2030

and the Emirate is setting ambitious

targets for the performance of

the non-oil sector. But one thing

remains certain; oil and gas will

continue to be a huge driver of the

economy and the development of

other industries including financial

services and tourism.

Abu Dhabi is one of the world’s

most important hydrocarbon

suppliers, ranked among the top

five exporters of crude oil and top

25 exporters of natural gas. The

Emirate’s participation in the oil and

gas sector spans the entire range

of activities including exploration,

production, transport, refining and

PAGE 40

Developing the Upper Zakum

field for Abu Dhabi

Editorial: Christian Jordan

ZADCO is continually coming up with new methods to sustainably develop the lucrative Upper Zakum field on behalf of ADNOC and for the benefit of the shareholders. Total World Energy takes a closer look at the artificial island project and how this pioneering idea is assisting in the field’s development.

marketing of oil and gas. It also

covers the fabrication of high-value

energy-related equipment and the

provision of related services.

In 2007, the global hydrocarbon

market was valued at $2,150

billion with reported profit margins

of around 15 per cent. However,

Abu Dhabi easily exceeds this

margin given its exceptionally

low production costs and vast

economies of scale. And one of the

driving forces behind exceeding this

margin is the business excellence

displayed by the regions oil

companies, one of the foremost

being Zakum Development

Company (ZADCO).

DECADES OF EXCELLENCE Founded in November 1977 as per

Law No.9 for 1977, promulgated by

Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan,

ZADCO’s mandate was to develop

and operate the Upper Zakum field.

Currently, ZADCO’s shareholders

include Abu Dhabi National Oil

Company (ADNOC) with a 60%

share, ExxonMobil with a 28%

share, and Japan Oil Development

Company limited (JODCO) with a

12% share.

Along with its work in the

Upper Zakum field, ZADCO is also

responsible for the operation and

development of the Umm Al Dalkh

and Satah fields.

Oil in the Upper Zakum, Umm

Al Dalkh and Satah fields was

discovered in 1963, 1969 and 1975

respectively.

The development of the Upper

Zakum reservoir is considered

as one of the major technical

achievements in Abu Dhabi and in

the first shipment of Upper Zakum

crude oil was exported on the

tanker ‘Al-Ain’ in May 1983.

Upper Zakum is located 84 km

north west of Abu Dhabi Islands

and covers around 1,200 km² of the

Gulf marine area. Zakum field is the

second largest field in the Gulf and

the fourth largest field in the world.

Umm Al-Dalkh is located 25

km north west of Abu Dhabi and

Satah field is located 200 km north

west of Abu Dhabi. Originally,

operations at the Umm Al Dalkh

field were managed by Umm Al

Dalkh Development Company

(UDECO) but in 1988, ADNOC

decided to merge the operations of

UDECO and ZADCO to rationalise

operations, avoid duplication of

functions and reduce cost.

ZADCO

PAGE 41

Today, oil from all three fields is

processed at the plant on Zirku

Island. Zirku Island is located

140 km north west of Abu Dhabi.

With its advanced oil and gas

installations, Zirku is considered

the main industrial base for the

processing, storage and export of oil

from Upper Zakum, Umm Al-Dalkh

and Satah fields.

Alongside Zirku Island, ZADCO

also manages Arzanah Island, the

base for Satah field operations.

Located 180 km north west of Abu

Dhabi, Arzanah can accommodate

around 100 people.

A BRIGHT FUTUREConsidering the significant

infrastructure and personnel

that ZADCO manages, and the

importance of the fields under its

management to not only Abu Dhabi

but the global oil market, you would

expect that projects in the pipeline

would be significant, and you would

be right.

“ZADCO looks to the future with

confidence,” the company states,

and after 37 years of successful

operation, there is no suggestion

of resting on laurels. “The fourth

decade is a decade of further

maturity and progress in all areas,

devoting its efforts and capabilities

to serving Abu Dhabi and the UAE.

Improved oil recovery will be a

main target and accordingly, the

introduction of the state-of-the-art

technology will be available to serve

and streamline operations, increase

growth and control expenditure.

One more key element of the fourth

decade strategy is to improve the

human resources programs to

enhance the Emiratization process

as per the set target,” the company

says.

One of the projects that will help

the company on its growth path is

an on-going project which will see

production in the Upper Zakum field

increased from 550 thousand to 750

thousand barrels of oil per day by

2015.

This idea has been a concept

that has required a lot of attention

from ZADCO and its partners as

the investment required to up

production is costly and requires

PAGE 42

PAGE 43

CompetitiveSolutions

for ComplexProjects

CompetitiveSolutions

for ComplexProjects

VALUE DRIVEN BUSINESS

First Class Safety

Highly Skilled Workforce

Client Satisfaction

World Class Quality

Schedule Certainty

www.lamprell.com

Lamprell has played a prominent role in the development of the energy industry in the Middle East for over 35 years and with multiple facilities, we are able to produce pressure vessels and columns, using exotic materials, which typically form part of module delivery. We are expanding our modular activities into broader markets as the industry moves towards onshore modular construction in areas of the world where infrastructure needs to be extended.

Lamprell has played a prominent role in the development of the energy industry in the Middle East for over 35

years and has played a significant role in construction of complex process modules. Our most recent contract

award was for the ground breaking Zadco UZ750 Project in Abu Dhabi, in support of the incumbent EPC

provider Petrofac Emirates. Our Jebel Ali centre of excellence has played a significant part in the support

of modular construction projects and is synonymous with the fabrication of complex process, separation,

gas compression, power generation and general topside modules. As a result, we are fully conversant with

the handling and welding of exotic materials such as Inconel, duplex and super duplex, a common feature in

complex onshore process trains and in the handling of hydrocarbons and associated gasses. We understand

the stringent requirements in the commissioning and certification within this process environment. With multiple

Middle East facilities we are able to produce pressure vessels and the columns that typically form part of

module delivery, reducing the reliance on 3rd party supply for critical path items, a constant consideration for

fast track projects. Building on this competence we are expanding our modular activities into other markets

as the industry moves towards onshore modular construction versus stick build, in areas of the world where

infrastructure does not lend itself to in situ construction and where operations already exist, but need to be

extended. Total’s high profile North Sea development, Laggan Tormore, situated 125 miles West of Shetland,

is one such example where in 2013, we delivered a total of 15 onshore process modules in a fast track ten

month schedule. The modules are now installed and form part of the critical onshore gas process sirge system

deployed within the Laggan Tormore gas plant. Finally, we see considerable synergy with Lamprell’s track record

in the provision of complex onshore process modules for the emerging LNG, refining and petrochemical sectors.

new infrastructure solutions. Initially,

the idea was to install an additional

25 wellhead platform towers,

together with hundreds of kilometres

of new flow lines, hundreds of new

wells, significant well workover

requirements, and investing in

substantial gas injection expansion

and gas capturing facilities. After

some consideration, the company

determined that this method was

not the most efficient way to

increase production and a new

solution was devised.

This solution, referred to as

the ‘artificial island concept’, was

developed in collaboration with

ZADCO’s shareholder ExxonMobil.

This idea suggested drilling and

production centres could be located

on artificial islands and to support

the concept, ZADCO established

a drilling division and began

exploring the use of high-technology

extended-reach drilling (ERD) – this

is a technology widely used by

ExxonMobil in locations such as the

Sakhalin field in Russia.

Also, to reduce the required

number of new wells and unlock

tighter areas in the reservoir, the

company explored the use of

Maximum Reservoir Contact (MRC)

technology. Previously, MRC and

ERD had not been widely used

in the region and although they

had been proven in other parts

of the world, their use on the

scale planned by ZADCO was

unprecedented.

In the past, ZADCO has drilled

wells of approximately 10,000 feet

but, in the pursuit of growth, the

company wanted to go deeper.

Using the artificial island concept, the

company hopes that it will be able

to drill to 30,000 to 35,000 feet. So

far, ZADCO has completed drilling a

pair of record-breaking MRC wells

both of which are almost 20,000 feet

total drilled length. These are classed

as pilot wells and the knowledge

and experience gained during their

operation will be used to aid in

planning for the future. ExxonMobil’s

experience with drilling technology

has been paramount in the

development of this project, so much

so that the company has organised a

Technology Centre co-located within

PAGE 44

“The rigs have advanced equipment to achieve the desired drilling depths with ERD, in addition to the Rig Walker System to allow the move on the cluster pads”

the ZADCO HQ allowing for access

to innovation, technology and best-

in-class idea sharing between the

two companies. The artificial island

concept will also be supported by

NDC (National Drilling Company) and

industry leading directional drilling

and completion service providers

to ensure success in the execution

stage.

In June, a new rig, the ND 66, was

inaugurated on one of the artificial

islands - the South Island. Provided

by NDC, the rig has been described

as ‘state-of-the-art’ and ZADCO’s

Senior Vice President, Development,

Mr Ali Hassan Al Marzooqi said:

“These up-to-date rigs will support

ZADCO’s mandate to achieve

sustainable production based on

full field development. The rigs have

advanced equipment to achieve the

desired drilling depths with ERD, in

addition to the Rig Walker System to

allow the move on the cluster pads.

“The artificial islands concept

will significantly reduce life-cycle

development costs and enable long

term maximum recovery levels to be

achieved. To that end, this effective

partnership between ZADCO and

NDC will contribute considerably to

tackle the challenges and meet the

targeted production levels.”

A KEY PARTNER Being such an important player in

the local and international industry,

ZADCO does not only focus on its

own operations in its own fields. The

company is always seeking to build

mutually beneficial relationships with

partners to grow the industry for the

benefit of all.

Recently, it was reported that the

ZADCO’s facilities at Umm Al-Dalkh

and Zirku Island had been used by

The Abu Dhabi Marine Operating

Company (ADMA-OPCO) after the

company brought its Umm Lulu

Phase-1 facilities online and produced

its first oil from the Umm Lulu Field.

Located in the Arabian Gulf 30 km

north west of Abu Dhabi, the Umm

Lulu field has the potential to produce

105,000 barrels per day; Phase-1 of

the project will add 22,000 barrels per

day by end of 2015 and the rest will

be added by full field development in

2018.

The Phase-1 development includes

two new wellhead towers to host 10

new wells, powered by solar energy,

subsea pipelines, fibre optic cables

for data transfer and a flexible pipeline

for water disposal and all oil produced

will go through ZADCO’s facilities at

Umm Al-Dalkh and Zirku Island.

This is the first time that ADMA-

OPCO oil will be processed by

another operator shows the success

of the continued collaboration

between the ADNOC group of

companies.

With many other projects in

the pipeline, some planned for

completion during the end of 2014,

it seems that ZADCO is taking steps

towards its goal of successfully

developing the Upper Zakum field on

behalf of ADNOC and for the benefit

of the shareholders. As progress

towards this goal is made, ZADCO

will continue to assist Abu Dhabi and

the wider region to grow and excel,

not only in the oil industry, but across

the entire economy

ZADCO

PAGE 45

LOCAL KNOWLEDGE.INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE.

HLG is one of the leading contractors in the Middle East.

With a reputation for delivering complex projects in remote locations, HLG specialises in the provision of onshore and offshore infrastructure and facilities. The Group’s oil and gas capabilities include pipelines, earthworks, tank farms, jetties, camps, roads and structures, modular buildings, mechanical, electrical and instrumentation installations, as well as logistics handling and other supporting infrastructure for production and processing facilities.

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

HLG TotalWorldEnergy Ad 88x125mm.pdf 1 10/29/14 11:55 AM

Q: What is the history of the project - Why was it first developed? When was the region first explored? Who was responsible? How did INPEX get involved?

In an open bid conducted in

1998, INPEX acquired the petroleum

exploration permit WA-285-P,

located in the Browse Basin, off

the north-west coast of Western

Australia. From 2000 to 2001, three

exploratory wells resulted in the

discovery of an extremely promising

gas and condensate field now known

as the Ichthys gas-condensate field.

Front End Engineering and

Design (FEED) work began in 2009.

Thereafter, INPEX obtained the

necessary government approvals

and concluded LNG sale and

purchase agreements (SPA) with

gas buyers before making the Final

Investment Decision (FID) in January

2012. In December of the same year,

the Ichthys LNG Project finalized

arrangements for US$20 billion in

PAGE 46

Coming up from down

under

Editorial: Joe Forshaw

Located about 220 kilometres of Western Australia, in the Timor Sea, the Ichthys project is currently taking shape. Representing the largest discovery of hydrocarbon liquids in Australia in 40 years, the Ichthys LNG Project is currently ranked among the most significant oil and gas projects on the planet. Effectively three mega-projects rolled into one, involving some of the largest offshore facilities in the industry, a state-of-the-art onshore processing facility and an 889 km pipeline uniting them for an operational life of at least 40 years, this is a project that requires articulate and precise planning. Seiya Ito, INPEX CORPORATION President Director Australia tells Total World Energy more…

project finance loans including those

with eight export credit agencies

and 24 commercial banks, in

what was at the time the biggest

project financing ever arranged in

the international financial market.

The Ichthys LNG Project is now in

the construction phase, with first

production expected to commence

at the end of 2016.

Q: With regard to the LNG plant, why was Darwin chosen? Why was onshore processing facilities chosen over alternative offshore processing facilities, such as FLNG for example?

INPEX ultimately selected Darwin

as the location for its gas liquefaction

and processing facility (LNG plant) for

the Ichthys LNG Project as a result

of a number of factors, including

the need to start up the project and

deliver LNG to Japan in a stable

and timely manner, and the support

the company received from the

governments of both the Northern

Territory and Australia.

As a capital city, Darwin offered

a workforce, operating harbour, an

existing LNG operation, infrastructure

such as transport, roads, an airport

and hospital, all of which made this

location very attractive and has

been a key factor in the Project

being able to have a high level of

local employment to date. Onshore

processing facilities were selected

based on the determination that the

Ichthys gas-condensate field would

yield a quantity of hydrocarbons

sufficient to ensure long-term

production, which in turn would be

best supported by onshore facilities

from an economic standpoint.

Q: For such a complex project, consisting of construction both on and offshore, what have been the most significant challenges?

Delivering a mega project safely

and according to plan is not easy,

especially for one like Ichthys.

Changes in design, delays in

engineering, significant workloads at

fabrication yards and designing for a

40-year operational life are some of

the challenges we are successfully

managing.

The world’s best contractors,

financial security from our investors,

highly experienced project managers

and an innovative contracting

strategy all play a role in addressing

these challenges and minimising risk

to cost and schedule.

Q: Do you strive to work in partnership with local companies compared to international companies, or is it a mixture of both? What are the benefits to working with either?

Given the global nature of the

Ichthys LNG Project, we work

in partnership both with local

companies in Australia, and

international companies around

the world, all of which provide the

knowledge and expertise required

INPEX: ICHTHYS LNG PROJECT

PAGE 47

PAGE 48

to oversee the whole chain of

development and production

components - subsea, offshore,

pipeline and onshore. Currently

we have more than 30,000 people

worldwide working on this US$34

billion project. Nearly 5,000 are on

site in Darwin, Northern Territory

and nearly 1,000 in Perth, Western

Australia.

Q: At what stage is the project currently? Is it all on track to meet the estimated first production in 2016?

We are currently proceeding

more or less on schedule. We

are confident in our schedule

and expect to commence first

production at the end of 2016, as

initially planned.

Q: What are the operational plans once complete, production figures etc? What does the project mean for the future of Gas in Australia? How much LNG will be exported and where to?

The Ichthys LNG Project will

deliver 8.4 million tonnes of LNG

per annum and 1.6 million tonnes

of LPG per annum, along with

approximately 100,000 barrels

of condensate per day at peak.

Approximately 70% of the LNG is

scheduled to be delivered to Japan,

helping deliver Japan’s energy

security. The project is also vitally

important to Australia (and the

Northern Territory), contributing to

the country’s position as a top LNG

supplier to the global market while

making a significant contribution to

the Australian economy.

Q: What will the social and economic benefits be for Australia – job opportunities, training, local business growth etc?

The Ichthys LNG Project is vitally

important to Australia (and the

Northern Territory), contributing to

the country’s position as a top LNG

supplier to the global market while

making a significant contribution

to the Australian economy. To

date, we have committed more

than AU$ 10 billion to Australian

companies through a wide variety

of contracts. AU$ 5.2 billion of

this is for Northern Territory-based

companies during construction, and

approximately AU$ 50 million has

been committed to Aboriginal and

Torres Strait Islander businesses,

almost exclusively in the Northern

Territory. With an operational life

of at least 40 years, thousands

of jobs, training and business

opportunities will be created for

generations to come

“The Ichthys LNG Project will deliver 8.4 million tonnes of LNG per annum and 1.6 million tonnes of LPG per annum, along with approximately 100,000 barrels of condensate per day at peak”

Delivering the Difference in all fields of APAC

Sea Trucks Group is pleased to come back to the Australian region for provid-ing Accommodation Support Services to INPEX on their Ichthys project. Over the years the Sea Trucks Group have gained a good reputation for providing quality and well executed Accommodation Support projects in diverse fields and regions of the globe.

In 2014 Sea Trucks Group have been breaking new grounds for the group by providing Accommodation Support services in the harsh area North of Sakhalin, Russia. The 2014 campaign in Sakhalin saw the team at Sea Trucks engineer, procure and install additional Accommodation modules onto the deck of the JASCON 34, adding an extra 224 berths to the vessel’s existing capacity, thus totaling 563 berths.

Over the past years Sea Trucks Group have been dedicated to working in the APAC region. After the successful SURF installation campaign for BHP on the Pyrenees development in 2009 and the high profile West Atlas Decommissioning program in 2010, JASCON 25 executed a precision lifts campaign for the Origin Energy Yolla Mid Life Enhancement Project in 2012, where the ves-sel provided accommodation and heavy lift services. The vessel continued being busy executing prime examples of the vessels DP3 hybrid design concept. 2013 saw Sea Trucks Group perform in such diverse fields as Salvage of a vessel in the Philippines, Modular lifts onto FPSO in Malaysia and SURF installation in Brunei.

The versatile DP3 vessels of the Sea Trucks Group can accommodate up to 469 POB in accommodation mode (more by install-ing extra accommodation modules) and can efficiently transfer personnel utilizing their 42,5 m heave compensated telescopic gangway. The vessels have high capacity cranes with heavy lift capability of up to 800 t and 1,800 t and have large unobstructed deck areas of up to 1,500 m2 which can accommodate large topsides modules and subsea equipment.

The versatility of the vessels is further demonstrated as the large deck space allows deployment of modular rigid and flexible pipelay equipment for subsea, umbilical, risers and flowlines (SURF) projects for our clients in the Asia Pacific region.

Oil States Skagit SMATCO is a trusted provider of offshore equipment and services in some of the world’s most demanding environments. Our deck equipment solutions include industry-leading mooring systems, anchor-handling equipment and marine cranes backed by certified and warranted repair & refurbishment. Regardless of the complexity of the job, you can rely on Oil States Skagit SMATCO to provide the highest quality solution based on our extensive experience and world-class engineering solutions.

INPEX: ICHTHYS LNG PROJECT

PAGE 49

Rigid and Flexible Pipe Installation | Platform Installation | Accommodation, Hook Up and Commissioning | SURF Installation | Decommissioning | Marine Support

www.seatrucksgroup.com

Jascon 25Yolla - Origin | Accommodation & Heavy Lift | Bass Strait, Australia

sea Trucks australia Pty LtdLevel 3, 507 Murray Street | Perth | WA 6000T +61 8 921 858 88

STGS e a T r u c k s G r o u p

Delivering the difference ...in any field

Ad Inpex/Ichthys Project brochure Nov2014_176x250mmFC.indd 1 30/10/14 1:15 PM

PAGE 50

Meeting the challenge

Editorial: Harriet Pattison

Listed on the Singapore Stock Exchange, Triyards offers integrated full-service engineering, fabrication and ship construction solutions for the global offshore and marine industries. A front runner in the fabrication of SEUs in South East Asia with numerous orders in the pipeline, it’s no wonder Triyards has a healthy order book and are amongst the industry leaders. For a company that was only founded less than a decade years ago, the future looks to be an exciting one with new products and services on the horizon…

Triyards Holdings Limited, the

offshore vessel fabrication and

engineering solutions provider

to the oil and gas industry,

focuses on shipbuilding, ship

conversions, medium to heavy

fabrication works and ship repair.

The company was founded less

than a decade ago in 2005 with

the acquisition of its first facility in

Vietnam, and has since become

the front runner in the fabrication

of self-elevating units (SEUs) in

South East Asia.

Total World Energy speaks

to CEO, Eng Yew Chan, who

explains how the company has

been significantly increasing its

capacity and product list since its

inception: “We attained our second

facility in 2007 and acquired our

engineering and design facility

for our crane and heavy lifting

product line in Houston in 2010.

Almost exactly two years ago

we were listed on the Singapore

Stock Exchange in 2012 and

more recently we increased our

capacity in Vietnam even further

through the acquisition of Strategic

Marine.”

For over ten years, Strategic

Marine has been building

aluminium and steel vessels as

well as complex aluminium and

steel structures for both the mining

and marine infrastructure sectors.

The acquisition of its two yards,

one in Vung Tau, Vietnam and

the other in Singapore, have a

total area of 158,648 m2 and will

increase Triyard’s yard capacity by

over 67%, with the exception of its

yard in Houston.

Speaking of the acquisition,

Mr Chan said in a statement:

“Strategic Marine is a good fit

for Triyards as we work to build

our name in fabrication and

engineering solutions and move

beyond the construction of oil

& gas product lines adding

capabilities and products

which would target a

wider clientele base.”

In a busy ten

years, Mr Chan

attributes Triyard’s

continuing success

to its two-fold

strategy: “Firstly,

with the increased

capacity and the

proximity of the

Vietnamese shipyards

from one another we

are able to increase our

capacity very efficiently as

they’re only about 400m to

500m apart.

“Secondly, we have a new

product line which is aluminium

based. This is a little bit unique in

our shipbuilding industry in that

there are not many shipyards who

will be able to do steel products

as well as aluminium products

efficiently.”

Joining the group 12 years ago,

Mr Chan’s career began when he

started working for Ezra Holdings

in 2003 before joining EOC Limited

as CFO. In February of this year

Mr Chan joined Triyards as CEO.

AN INDUSTRY FIRSTA builder of SEUs, Triyards is

the first company in the world to

construct the 450-feet SEU series,

known as the BH-450, they are

self-propelled units that boast

large deck areas and high capacity

cranes. The series also have room

for up to 250 personnel in private

accommodation and standing at

130m in length, the SEU series

have the capability to operate in

water depths of up to 90m.

In May last year, Triyards

became one of only few Singapore

yards with the capability to

both design and build its very

own SEUs and jack-ups. It also

introduced its new class 400

high pressure, high temperature

drilling jack-up rig, the TDU-400.

At over 163m, this new innovative

product will help to enhance both

the engineering expertise whilst

withstanding up to 100-knot winds

and water depths of an estimated

120m.

A large segment of the SEU

product line is the building

of liftboats to clients on an

international scale. With seven

built to date, Mr Chan explains

that the company has seen a

significant number of enquiries for

this particular product since July

of this year, with an increase in

orders. He attributes this surge in

interest to the growing momentum

in South East Asia and the Middle

East for the deployment of

liftboats.

“We still have a very healthy

order book and I think there’s

TRIYARDS

PAGE 51

“The orders also showcases the confidence clients have in our engineering capabilities. This unit reinforces our versatility and capability in this product segment”

Eng Yew Chan

bookings for both the aluminium

product line and our steel

products, predominately revolving

around the self-elevating units,

such as the lifts boats,” he

explains.

“The liftboat construction time

varies; for the smaller units it can

be anywhere from 14-16 months,

while the larger units can take

anywhere between 18-20 months,

depending on complexity.”

In July this year Triyards

completed two liftboat contracts

worth US$112 million and more

recently, added another liftboat

contract to its order book in a deal

worth US$50.5 million, which will

bring the total value of new building

orders to US$162.5 million for the

company.

With the most recent order due

for completion in 2016, Mr Chan

said: “Our recent new orders

attests to the industry’s confidence

in us and our ability to meet our

clients’ stringent requirements on

safety, quality, timeliness of delivery

and cost efficiency. They also

reflect the market’s satisfaction

of our engineering and fabrication

capabilities.

“Operators are starting to realise

the high value-to-cost ratio of using

liftboats, increasing its demand

for these vessels. Our extensive

track record, proven designs and

fabrication capabilities put us in

good stead to gain from this and

enhance our lead in this product

segment.

“The orders also showcases

the confidence clients have in

our engineering capabilities. This

unit reinforces our versatility and

capability in this product segment.”

In addition to the company’s

engineering capabilities, Mr Chan

attributes Triyards continued

success in the SEU field to being

the early first movers and to its

strategic corporate structure:

“With regards to our corporate

structure, we can actually turn

this into commercially viable

projects. With larger shipyards

these projects may seem a little

bit too small, especially with cost

efficiencies and overheads, they

may not be profitable. Juxtaposed

against that is the smaller yard

owners who may not be in a

comfortable position to build a

liftboat which would cost at the

very least US$40-$50 million.

Triyards is finding itself in quite a

comfortable niche, where we are

the right size to actually produce

these units.”

PAGE 52

Navigate to new horizons - Get on course with green returns

Marine and Shipbuilding

half_page_ad_Oct2014 (151x112).indd 1 10/24/2014 5:49:59 PM

TRIYARDS

PAGE 53

Another major contract for

Triyards, contracted to parent

company Ezra Holdings, is the

Lewek Constellation. A multi-lay

offshore construction vessel with

ultra-deep-water pipe-laying and

lifting capabilities, it provides

versatility, speed, maneuverability

and a 3,000 MT heavy-lift crane.

Completed this year, the Lewek

Constellation serves VAALCO

Gabon to carry out operations at its

Etame Marin Field located offshore

of Gabon in West Africa. It has

joined EMAS AMC’s Lewek Express

pipelayer to carry out offshore

works for VAALCO in a contract

worth an estimated US$120m.

A STRONG TRACK RECORDIt is clear then that Triyards’

increase in activity and capacity

has placed them in a key industry

position. “For the lift boat product

line, I think we have a very

strong track record of successful

delivery,” explains Mr Chan.

The company’s geographical

proximities also help to contribute

to its success: “If you’re going

to order a liftboat from Triyards

in Vietnam, to be deployed in

South East Asia or to the Middle

East or to Africa, the proximity

of our facilities to those markets

gives us a distinct cost advantage

from a transportation and cost

perspective.”

With 2,000 staff employed

directly under Triyards, Mr Chan

explains these are split almost

equally between the two facilities

in Vietnam and the team leaders

and project managers are

regularly sent for improvement

training and refresher courses.

When the company delivered

the Lewek Constellation to Emas,

it employed an estimated 7,000

sub-contractors but on a day

to day basis, Triyards ensure it

remains nimble and keeps it staff

levels to a minimum.

THE HOUSTON FACILITYIn addition to the shipyards in

Vietnam and Singapore, Triyards

also has an offshore lifting

appliance facility located in

Houston, Texas.

It produces equipment such as

active heave-compensated offshore

cranes, A-frames and winches

which can be installed both on the

SEUs and offshore construction

vessels that require stringent

standards.

Mr Chan explains the facility

accommodates the design

engineering while the fabrication is

undertaken in the Vietnamese yards

where costs remain much more

competitive. “What the Houston

office does do is come up with new

and innovative product lines that

we are now exploring to actually

turn into a stock program,” he

explains.

Looking to the future, Mr Chan

explains that Triyards is looking to

increase its efforts to market the

company on a more international

basis in order to build a more

diverse client base. With the new

aluminium product line that has just

been introduced, Triyard’s product

portfolio is steadily increasing with

a wider variety to offer its clients.

“I think it’s a very exciting time

for us,” Mr Chan explains, “not only

because of the potential upstream

and interest in the SEU segment

but because we are also basically

introducing new products to the

market with the Triyards name,

such as the aluminium boats. We

are also looking forward to the

roll out of our new crane product

which will compliment the products

we have currently very well,” he

concludes

A worldclAss

journey1814 - 2014

Kongsberg Maritime provides

innovative and reliable solutions

for safe and efficient operations

at sea. Headquartered in Norway,

we have 55 offices in 18 countries

worldwide, providing

systems, customer service and

training for offshore, merchant

marine and subsea markets.

For enquiries, please contact us:

km.sales.singapore@kongsberg.com

km.support.singapore@kongsberg.com

www.km.kongsberg.com

Come visit the KONGSBERGBooth at 1K4-01, Level 1, Hall B

A worldclAss

journey1814 - 2014

Kongsberg Maritime provides

innovative and reliable solutions

for safe and efficient operations

at sea. Headquartered in Norway,

we have 55 offices in 18 countries

worldwide, providing

systems, customer service and

training for offshore, merchant

marine and subsea markets.

For enquiries, please contact us:

km.sales.singapore@kongsberg.com

km.support.singapore@kongsberg.com

www.km.kongsberg.com

Biogas is perhaps the most

overlooked of all of the prominent

renewable energy sources around

the world. Wind, solar and to some

extent, hydro, claim all the plaudits

in the renewable energy sector but

as we know – they do have their

pitfalls. And biogas is no different but

one thing that it has in its favour is

that it can provide a continual energy

source.

A report from Woods End

Laboratories in the USA said: “The

difference between biogas - the dark

horse - and ‘sexy’ solar and wind

that everyone is talking about, is that

biogas is steady and storable.”

But what is biogas? Energy-

science people will tell you that

biogas typically refers to a mixture of

gases produced by the breakdown

of organic matter in the absence of

oxygen. The production of biogas is a

result of using raw materials such as

recycled waste while producing a very

small carbon footprint.

Biogas is produced through the

process of anaerobic digestion with

anaerobic bacteria or fermentation

of biodegradable materials such

as manure, sewage, municipal

waste, green waste, plant material

and crops. Biogas is a fuel gas, a

mixture consisting of about 55%

methane (CH4) and of 45% CO2 and

sometimes amounts of hydrogen

PAGE 54

Renewable, cheap, eco-friendly-

Biogas, the fuel of the future?

Editorial: Roland Douglas

Agraferm Technologies is a leading name in the biogas industry offering services including project management, construction, re-powering, and technical and biological services for AD plants across Europe and further afield. Two Directors from this innovative company tell Total World Energy more about the growth of the business and the development of the industry…

sulphide (H2S), moisture and

siloxanes.

But producing biogas is not an

easy process; to create a quality,

safe, productive facility, you cannot

go out with a screwdriver and

build it yourself. You need the

help of a specialist and one of the

foremost names in biogas plant

construction in Europe right now is

Agraferm Technologies, a German

based organisation which this year

celebrates a historic milestone.

“We will be celebrating our tenth

anniversary this year,” says Director,

Eike Liekweg. “The company

began when there was already a

boom around biogas in 2004. Our

competitors at that time came from

related industries, perhaps they were

in tank building or construction but

none of them were biogas specialists.

The business was founded as the

only real biogas company and

specialists from other existing

companies joined to form Agraferm.”

Head of Sales at Agraferm, Markus

Ott says that the founders of the

company all came from a biogas

background, giving great experience

to the management team.

“The guys who founded

Agraferm were all already active

in the biogas industry before

Agraferm. Take myself for

example; biogas was my first

job after university so I have

been in the industry for

over 18 years,” he says.

“The founding of the

company was based on

being a specialist and

coming from a biogas

background and not

other technical fields. The

knowledge we have in

the business was active in

biogas before the German

boom.

“You need engineering skills

as a core, and knowledge of

biological aspects as well. The idea is

always to bring together mechanical

requirements with the biological ones.

We are not doing rocket science in

terms of equipment. We use standard

pumps, standard engines, standard

tanks – so there is no rocket science

in the components – but the process

design, engineering and smart

cooperation of components with

each other and with the bacteria; that

is a core focus.”

AGRAFERM PLANTIn its ten years, Agraferm has

demonstrated its expertise in a wide

variety of applications and many

different locations. With completed

plants in the UK, Germany,

Italy, Slovakia, Czech Republic,

Luxemburg, Belarus and Latvia, the

company has a wealth of experience

but Liekweg says each plant is

different and always put together with

the customer requirements in mind.

“Each one is unique

but there’s

elements that are typical to an

Agraferm plant. Our plants, from a

space and tank volume perspective,

are smaller than other plants because

we run a higher dry matter content in

the tank and we have vertical stirrers

in the main digesters and this specific

way of stirring the mass is part of our

process knowledge.

“It really is bespoke design

depending on the customers input

materials and how they want to

handle it and what they want to do

with it.

“All the plants vary in size of

output. It always depends on the

legislation; there might be certain

feed-in tariffs and customers tend to

build plants which are economically

viable in the long-term. When you go

to different countries, the legislation

changes again and so you have to be

flexible,” he says.

One of the key differentiators

between Agraferm plants and the

rest of the market

is that

AGRAFERM TECHNOLOGIES AG

PAGE 55

PAGE 56

digesters in an Agraferm facility can

take higher volumes of dry matter,

resulting in a smaller plant with a

larger output.

“This has advantages in

construction, operation and in cost,”

says Ott.

“Another very important factor is

the flexibility you get with feedstock.

If you have an AD (Anaerobic

Digestion) plant that is able to mix

a higher dry matter content, you

are much more free to leave maize

silage and there is a trend in the

AD business, to think about other

feedstock apart from maize silage,

in both the agro as well as the

waste sector.”

This flexibility is hugely important

as sources of feedstock can change

because of many different factors

and it is important that a feedstock

shortage or a change in input does

not affect overall output.

“You can substitute your maize

silage with grass for example

without creating a process bottle

neck in your system,” says Ott. “We

have seen this in Germany because

roughly 30 per cent of the AD plants

are said to be in economical critical

situations because the maize price

went up and we are also seeing this

is in the UK. There was a huge fear

across the industry as everyone

cried for different feedstocks.”

And while wet fermentation is less

efficient, Agraferm is specialised in

high load fermentation independent

of input material, be it organic waste

or agricultural residues resulting

in a vast knowledge of suitable

feedstock and important flexibility

innovations.

“People would not consider building a coal-fired power plant themselves but in biogas, people think it’s simple but at the end of the day, it’s still a power plant”

ORGANIC GROWTHIt is widely acknowledged that biogas

has a hugely important role to play in

the global energy mix and Agraferm

is of course looking to grow as more

and more countries switch on to the

benefits of efficient biogas plants.

In the USA, the Environmental

Protection Agency’s AgSTAR program

reported in 2010 that around 8000

American farms could support biogas

recovery systems, providing about

1600 megawatts of energy and

reducing emissions of global warming

pollution by about 1.8 million metric

tons of methane - the equivalent of

taking 6.5 million cars off the road.

And Agraferm is ready to grow

around the world, taking into account

national operational differences, as

Liekweg explains: “We are looking at

markets outside of Europe. We believe

that there are other areas in the world

that will be growing including South

Korea and Brazil but these are different

in the sense that they don’t use energy

crops, that’s more a European thing,

so you’re dealing with dung, litter,

manure and different kinds of waste

and you have to build the plants more

towards the national requirements

which might include less automation,

different climate conditions and so on.”

And when the company does work

on projects away from Germany, more

than just clean energy is generated.

Employment opportunities, knowledge

and innovative thinking is created for

local communities. Liekweg says that

when Agraferm works in new regions,

there will be a mix of experienced

personnel and local contractors in

place to ensure quality.

“We like to have a mix of people,”

he says. “Agraferm is an EPC

contractor; we do the engineering,

we do the procurement, and we

do the commissioning. We source

everything, we do assembly on

site but we don’t actually produce

anything. In any project we will

look for the right suppliers. We do

have our regular suppliers of core

equipment but when you look at a

tank for example, this can be done

locally and the majority is done by

our subcontractors and we supervise

and coordinate. If we were to build

a project in South Korea, we would

supervise and train operators so that

they can run the plant on their own.”

And this on-going maintenance and

operation of the plant is important as

some of the mechanical components

do require upgrading from time to

time but, as Ott mentioned previously,

there are few high-tech components

in an AD plant and service and

operation of the plant can be trained.

“If you look at a biogas plant, you

might have an engine if it’s a plant that

produces electrical power and the

engine requires maintenance but the

rest is not so maintenance intensive.

Our plants are very robust and do not

need too much on-going service.

“We do ensure we have service

personnel available, we are opening a

service base in the UK before the end

of the year, because it’s a necessity to

keep the plants running smoothly but

it’s not huge business,” says Liekweg.

“Nobody in the industry is installing

rocket technology, one will always be

able to find local guys to undertake

the technical work of the pumps etc,”

says Ott.

AGRAFERM TECHNOLOGIES AG

PAGE 57

PAGE 58

“On the biological side, it’s the

opposite. With this, the client has to

stay in touch with us as the deliverer

of the plant if they want to develop

feedstock mixes in the future as

we know the plant and we can

recommend switch over plans if a

change in mix is required,” he adds.

‘NIMBY’One thing that the energy industry,

renewable and all, has faced over the

years is opposition. Every sector and

every idea faces opposition, sometimes

from government, sometimes from

local communities and sometimes from

associations but when projects are

managed correctly and all stakeholders

are kept in the loop, opposition is easier

to manage. In the biogas industry,

because of the nature of activities,

people often have reservations about

new plants but Liekweg says there is

nothing to worry about.

“This is called the NIMBY effect –

‘not in my backyard’ – and you have

that with any kind of energy plant. In

Germany and in the UK we have a lot

of wind farms and generally everyone

says yes, wind farms are a good thing

and we don’t want too much nuclear

or coal but we don’t want to see the

windmill so put it somewhere else.

This is the same with biogas. The first

reaction is that people don’t want it.

They think it might smell, it might be

dangerous, it might be noisy, it might

create traffic but this is a matter for the

project developer, to try and engage

with the public as much as possible

and show them that biogas plants do

not affect people negatively.

“Is it dangerous? No. These are

professional industrial style plants. In

the early days of biogas, there were

some accidents but these were with

unprofessional projects where farmers

had tried to build their own biogas

plants so today I don’t see a big risk at

all,” he says.

Ott says that the industry should

come together to set standards of

best practice for the construction and

operation of biogas facilities to ensure

that below-par plants are never even

considered.

“It is important in the UK market to

not repeat similar mistakes that were

made in Germany where in the first few

years of biogas, people tried to build

biogas plants on their own and not to

technical standards,” he says. “I see

the risk that this could happen in the

UK, so I think it should be up to the

industry and the various associations

to define certain minimum standards

of best practice otherwise you could

have everyone trying to step into this

business, with no idea about biogas,

and you end up with good plants

but also bad plants because the bad

ones are cheaper. The UK Anaerobic

Digestion and Biogas Association

(ADBA) has addressed this and

working groups are already active in

this field.

“People would not consider building

a coal-fired power plant themselves but

in biogas, people think it’s simple but

at the end of the day, it’s still a power

plant,” Liekweg adds.

BIOGAS FOR THE FUTURE? Today, biogas is widely used but

its roots remain with agricultural

consumers. However, biogas is always

growing and becoming more popular

and this is, in part, down to its multiple

applications.

“Some countries have understood

the versatility of biogas; it can provide

energy for electricity and also for

heating and for the transport sector

because biomethane chemically is

nothing more than natural gas or CH4

and those countries that have seen

these benefits are supporting biogas

strongly,” explains Liekweg. “The UK

has the RHI, where biomethane can be

used for heating; Italy has a biomethane

for transport law where natural gas is

specifically used in the transport sector

and there is no competition to wind and

solar so it’s well received.

“Wind and solar are cheap but they

need a stabiliser to balance during peak

times and on the base load so biogas

should always be considered as part of

a wider system with all the technologies

working together,” he says.

And while the industry does continue

to grow, garnering support with every

extra megawatt produced, Agraferm

Technologies will be there to provide

support and expertise as it too grows,

ensuring that the industry is not

overlooked.

“We are the market leader in the UK

by plain biogas volume. Across Europe,

we are still a niche player as we don’t

serve a mass market. Our power plants

are unique, our technology is unique

and everything is built to a very high

standard so we are not the cheapest,”

says Liekweg.

“We would hope that governments

would be able to step into discussions

with our local branches and have

smooth negotiations about how to

further grow the biogas industry,” Ott

adds.

And is the organisation well-

positioned for the future? Ott is in no

doubt: “We feel that our size is perfect

right now as we are small enough

to come through hard times but

large enough to ensure quality and

development,” he concludes

“We would hope that governments would be able to step into discussions with our local branches and have smooth negotiations about how to further grow the biogas industry”

AGRAFERM TECHNOLOGIES AG

PAGE 59

Uniflare offer complete turnkey solutions

Design Manufacture Maintain

ww

w.u

nifla

re.c

o.ukTell us your gas train requirements and Uniflare will offer

the turnkey solution to provide the best CAPEX and

OPEX solution for you.

UNIFLARE design, manufacture, install and maintain biogas trains to extract gas from the gasholder, treat it and then pump it to the CHP engines.

The UNIFLARE team has more than 40 years combined experience in the design, manufacture, upgrade, repair and maintenance of all types of biogas plant and control systems.

UNIFLARE supply desulphurisation plants, dehumidifiers, pressure boosters, analysers and flare stacks designed to operate as one to provide the correct biogas conditions at the CHP units.

Control communication connecting the various units to the site control and each other is by Modbus or Profinet.

With the oil and gas industry

maintaining a prominent position

within the energy sector due to an

ongoing demand for more traditional

energy sources, the Dutch oil and

gas supply industry is flying high

amongst the global industry leaders.

Dutch oil and gas contractors are

now operating in locations including

Western Europe, off the coast of

Brazil and Western Australia with

specialist vessels on hand for almost

any offshore project in the oil and gas

industry.

With so many of these Dutch

companies both looking to and

already operating on a worldwide

scale, The Association of Dutch

Suppliers in the Oil and Gas Industry

(IRO) was first established in 1971

to help promote and establish

them successfully within the oil

and gas industry. Headquartered in

Rotterdam, IRO has an impressive

repertoire of over 430 members

involved in the field of engineering,

maintenance and manufacturing,

PAGE 60

Networking on a global

scale

Editorial: Rosie DeWinter

First established in 1971 and recognising the potential of its own reserves, The Association of Dutch Suppliers in the Oil and Gas Industry has helped to promote, educate and distinguish Dutch industry supply companies. Now surpassing 430 members, its methods are clearly working. Organising exhibitions and trade missions from Australia to Texas and Aberdeen to Singapore, Managing Director, Sander Vergroesen, tells Total World Energy the reasons for the association’s exponential and continued success…

both onshore and offshore.

Total World Energy speaks

to Managing Director, Sander

Vergroesen, who explains the history

behind IRO: “The association was

founded originally as a council which

included a mix of governmental

bodies, companies and scientific

institutions. After the discovery

of Slochteren, the huge onshore

gas field in 1959, IRO decided to

establish the potential of its own

reserves and during the 1970’s began

to venture offshore into the North

Sea.

“From 1971 to 1991, it remained

a mix of companies but in 1991 they

decided to make it an association for

suppliers in the oil and gas industry.

Since then, it has grown and received

industry recognition for successfully

providing a platform for Dutch

suppliers.”

INTERNATIONALLY ORIENTATEDFor over 20 years, IRO has had two

main commitments, as Vergroesen

explains: “Firstly, the main purpose

of the association is to facilitate the

network for the member companies.

This is a mix of huge market leading

companies and small innovative

companies. Together they cover

the complete supply chain for oil

and gas, from seismic exploration

to delivery and transport for huge

vessels and installations.

“The smaller companies frequently

deliver to the bigger companies and

during our networking events they

get the opportunity to meet each

other. There are numerous reasons to

bring them all together so facilitating

network meetings is a very important

part of IRO’s activities.

“Secondly, an equally important

aspect is export promotion. IRO is

responsible for the organisation of

the Holland Pavilion at international

trade shows and exhibitions in key

upstream oil and gas development

areas. These exhibitions are very

important as they allow members

to sign in and join us at the Holland

Pavilion next to the larger companies

who have their own booths,” explains

Vergroesen.

“Additionally, we organise trade

missions together with members of

IRO ASSOCIATION

PAGE 61

PAGE 62

our parliament and our government

and more recently, we are looking to

go abroad with ministers, our Prime

Minister or even royalty if possible.”

Held all over the world, the

exhibitions include Australasian Oil

and Gas held in Australia, the OTC

in Houston Texas and Rio de Janeiro

Brazil, Offshore Europe in Aberdeen,

ADIPEC in Abu Dhabi, Offshore

Northern Seas in Stavanger and

exhibitions held in both Kuala Lumpur

and Singapore. The Offshore Energy

exhibition in The Netherlands, held at

the end of October, saw the majority

of IRO’s members in attendance.

STAYING CONNECTEDWith over 430 members, IRO ensures

they are helped and promoted on

a national and international scale.

Vergroesen explains the association

has its own Netherlands Oil & Gas

catalogue which is released annually

and members are invited to advertise

their company profiles.

As well as published online on

www.iro-noc.nl, the catalogue is also

taken to each exhibition where IRO is

present and handed out to visitors. It

provides a good view of the activities,

services and products of the Dutch

suppliers in the oil and gas industry.

“We also publish a monthly

newsletter which is sent to all our

members,” explains Vergroesen,

“in this way we stay connected to

our members but also to what’s

happening in our industry in the

world.”

HEALTHY COMPETITIONOf course, with so many companies

operating in such a similar and

competitive field, is there much

competition between them? “We try

to protect our existing members,”

explains Vergroesen. “If a company

is willing to become a member of

our association we make sure they

have a track record in our industry

and have an added value to the

association and its members.”

Within the association, Vergroesen

admits there is naturally competition.

So while the larger companies

involved don’t necessarily need to

be with an association, Vergroesen

believes they are a part of it because

they know suppliers to them are part

“Those exhibitions are very important and next to these we try to organise trade missions. We try to do these more and more together with members of our parliament and our government”

of the IRO association. Vergroesen

hopes this competition will challenge

them and push them further, either

to venture deeper into the oceans or

travel to more remote areas like the

Arctic.

“They will need new equipment

or solutions to overcome these

challenges,” says Vergroesen, “so

they look to IRO members to see who

could provide these services. This

helps to stimulate healthy competition

between them and encourages new

and innovative products. Many of the

members know each other from the

networking events so they consult

each other and although they are

competitors, it inspires them to stay

ahead and stay sharp.”

The association then is not one

of unnecessary competitiveness but

one of innovation and comradeship:

“The companies are always willing

to learn, not only what’s happening

abroad but also from each other.

They feel encouraged to team up with

the other members to help improve

the industry and I think IRO plays a

key role in this. We try to combine our

committees and the network facility

too which is very important,” explains

Vergroesen.

MOTIVATION & NETWORKINGAfter four decades, IRO has seen

exponential growth organising more

exhibitions and trade missions across

the globe and now with its 430

members, it looks set to encourage

more young people to work in the

oil and gas industry and continue to

help its existing members in achieving

international business through

promotional export events.

Vergroesen attributes the

association’s continuing success

to numerous causes: “I think the

networking facilities, the export

promotion activities, the way we try

to be a scout in areas which aren’t

recognised and the information we

provide to our members and the

committees are vital characteristics of

the association.

“Additionally, we provide a platform

where a group of companies can

discuss topics in the field of; export

and public relations, gas, human

resources and safety, innovation and

regulatory affairs, offshore renewable

installations and well services and

drilling. We try to team up with other

associations too, to see where

we can combine to become more

powerful,” Vergroesen adds.

Looking to the future, Vergroesen

explains that it is essential for IRO

to monitor what is going on around

the world in order to establish new

market areas such as South East

Asia: “We know that Indonesia is

also very important,” he says. “We

feel things are about to happen in

these areas so we stay linked to our

government and try to motivate them

to support us in trade missions. We

often organise these in cooperation

with Dutch embassies abroad.”

Ultimately, IRO has continued to

hold very close connections to its

members: “We belong to them,”

explains Vergroesen, “and we are

independent so if they want to

change things, they can stand up and

inform us.” Almost 45 years on, IRO

strives to ensure its members “keep

track of what’s happening in the

world and stay ahead,” Vergroesen

concludes.

IRO ASSOCIATION

PAGE 63

PAGE 64

The preferred cable technology

partner Editorial: Christian Jordan

With many years’ experience in advanced cable design and supply for leading clients in the oil and energy, defence, seismic exploration and scientific market sectors worldwide, DE REGT Marine Cables is recognised as a true industry leader. Managing Director, Claude Pelzer tells Total World Energy more about how the company has grown, and continues to grow, into a first class product and service provider…

In the past couple of years there

has been a trend towards exploring

further offshore and in deeper,

harsher environments. While some

companies are happy to drill in

shallow water, taking advantage of

the vast proven reserves that are

available, it is exploration in deep

water (500 feet or more below

the surface of the sea) that are

becoming the real challenge for the

world’s foremost energy companies.

And as we all know, it’s not just

the oil companies that have to

invest after a decision to explore

in deepwater is taken. The whole

supply chain has to change the

way it operates and come up

with innovative solutions to the

deepwater/harsh environment

problem.

Just last year, the Wall Street

Journal reported that leading

energy companies including

Chevron Corp, Statoil and BP

had al invested in heavily in

new technology designed for

deepwater operation.

WeST Drilling Products AS, a

unit of WeST Group, has created

a robotic oil rig that it says will

reduce drill ing time by up to 50

per cent, Chevron has developed

proprietary seismic-imaging

technology that it says gives it a

much clearer picture of what lies

beneath the sea floor and BP is

developing a set of new deep-

sea technologies called Project

20K™ to enable safe exploration

at pressures as high as 20,000

pounds per square inch and

temperatures as high as 350

degrees Fahrenheit.

But what do all of these

projects, and the many others

that surround deepwater projects,

have in common? Just like any

project; deep or shallow, research

or production, renewable or

fossil fuel based, they all need to

be connected and this requires

subsea cabling.

Away from the energy industry,

submarine cables are an absolute

necessity of the modern world,

on par with global positioning

satellites and sea freight. Over the

next few years, new submarine

cables are set to be required

around the world - being deployed

in both areas where cables are

common, and broaching areas

never before attempted.

Through 2016, a combined

annual growth rate of 9.87 per

cent for the submarine cable

market has been predicted by

Research and Markets, a firm

studying the trends of a number

of sectors.

One of the leading companies

in custom-engineered, specialty,

dynamic or static cable solutions

used in subsea applications

is DE REGT Marine Cables, a

Netherlands based supplier to

the oil and energy, defence,

seismic exploration and scientific

industries.

HISTORIC TIES Managing Director, Claude Pelzer

tells Total World Energy more

about the deep history of this

highly innovative and growing

organisation that was founded in

DE REGT MARINE CABLES

PAGE 65

1912 by JF de Regt (senior) as a

goldsmiths business.

“DE REGT started many years

ago and after investment, the

company moved into the cabling

market. Interestingly, in 1991, DE

REGT teamed with a competitor,

Jacques, and became JDR and

that went on for two decades

going through various capital

investors. At some point, interest

came from Dutch industrialist,

Fugro and they took over the

Dutch subsidiary. This meant that

DE REGT marine cabling section

continued by themselves and JDR

in the UK split off in 2011. Now,

as of 2013, DE REGT has become

part of Sercel, as part of the deal

between Fugro and CGG to sell

the complete Geo Survey division.

“Originally, DE REGT was

operational in the seismic

exploration and defence

technology markets which

ultimately looks at oil and gas

at the bottom of the ocean and

submarine systems and defence

systems. Both are similar in that

they are tow systems, based on

a rake technique. Obviously there

are big differences, specifically we

look at seismic activity by towing

various umbilicals behind vessels

for marine acquisition companies.”

As activity in global offshore

sectors grows, the demand for

services from companies like

DE REGT grows with it. In the

UK alone in the coming three

years, there is expected to be an

increase in activity. In a recent

report, the UK HSE suggested

that there are 107 oil and gas plus

181 gas producing installations,

located on 383 producing

fields in 2014 with 50 new field

developments planned across all

sectors. And this kind of growth is

not unique to the UK. This growth

in offshore projects is something

which DE REGT has witnessed,

along with growth in other marine

based industries.

“For the last three years we’ve

seen more action in our largest

market, the seismic exploration

market in oil and gas. We relate

the largest part of our turnover,

between 50-80%, to that market,”

PAGE 66

DE REGT MARINE CABLES

PAGE 67

Innovative Estane® Solutionsfor Oil & Gas

Lubrizol Estane® TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane) has special benefi ts like buoyancy, high abrasion and fl ame resistance, and high mechanical strength, and is used in the following applications:

• Power, control and instrumentation cables• Seismic cables• Umbilicals• MUX cables• Downhole cables• Connectors

• Lay fl at hoses• Spiral hoses• Braided hoses• Material transfer hoses (chemicals, fuels, solids)• Industrial hoses• Hydraulic hoses

Phone: +32 1 4241681Email: Engineeredpolymers@lubrizol.com

www.lubrizol.comAll marks are the property of The Lubrizol Corporation.

says

Pelzer.

“Next is the defence market

which has always been quite

stable. This involves working

with large and prestigious

original equipment manufacturers

throughout the defence market.

“In the past we’ve focussed

on these two areas, seismic and

defence, and in the last few years

we’ve also focussed on what

we call oil and energy which is

pursued by our mother company

Sercel as a growth area so we’ve

been putting the company’s

knowledge and experience into

this new area with new products

and new technologies to cope

with demand from the oil and gas

and the renewable energy markets

so that we can come up with

fit-for-purpose products which

can go to harsh environments or

polar conditions where we have

deepwater situations,” he adds.

LEADING PRODUCT

RANGEDE REGT products are

used in a range of applications

and as a leader in the design and

manufacture of custom-engineered,

dynamic and static cable solutions,

the company can also maintain

cables.

“We design and manufacture

the key interfaces in your subsea

infrastructure. We develop and

deliver the essential links in your

marine data gathering system.

“We will maintain them too - for

the whole of the product life -

helping to maximise your business

opportunities by meeting your

operational goals,” DE REGT says.

And innovation is at the heart of

product development with Pelzer

saying that new ideas are always

being considered as the company

tackles the challenge of deepwater

applications.

“We envisage going to very

deepwaters but keeping the

systems on top of the vessels or

rigs so that you can see the benefit

of a much lighter umbilical enabling

the client to go to deep but not

having to interchange parts which

can be costly.

“We are trying to open up larger

markets in oil and gas, especially

in deepwater applications. In the

near future, we might end up with

projects for deep sea mining. If

we go to an area with 5km water

depths for a total system, if you

roll it out with a lot of power being

consumed at the bottom of the

ocean then the umbilical and the

system itself are areas where you

will need to reduce weight in some

way to make the system work. This

is why we are trying to push the

conventional methods out of the

market and come with disruptive

innovation,” he says.

As with most innovations, design

and development takes time and DE

REGT works closely with clients to

make sure all specifications are met.

“Typically, there’s a number of

alterations during the design phase.

Depending on the request and

client specification, in the beginning

there can be a lot of questions.

Sometimes, the client will have

uncertainty about their own system

and this is where we can jump in

and think with the client to come up

with a good solution.

“You have to consider many

things including water depth,

weight of the umbilical, weight of

the systems, how does it behave

in a certain sea state or certain

area, and then come up with a full

specification and design, which can

go through several alterations, until

the client is happy to go ahead.

Then we build a prototype; test it,

qualify it and then come up with a

complete system for full production.

This can take anything between 10

and 30 weeks depending on the

size of the project,” explains Pelzer.

PAGE 68

DE REGT MARINE CABLES

PAGE 69

ON-GOING EXPANSION To create products and execute

services that live up to the quality of

the DE REGT brand, the company

only works with highly skilled

professionals, training them in

the DE REGT way from the very

beginning. This investment into

people has allowed the company

to grow both internally and in its

preferred market places.

“From a design point of view, we

look at bachelors, masters or PHD

graduates; people with a strong

education technically, electrically

and mechanically,” says Pelzer. “The

process starts with serious training

production-wise so our people

have a very practical approach.

They learn from others what the

boundaries are and what the

capabilities of the machinery are.

Then they get extensive training on

cable design, termination and end-

fittings. They learn everything to do

with cable design and this can take

two or three years before people

can call themselves senior. It’s a

very specific approach to education

alongside the education that they’ve

already had.”

Away from development of the

workforce, DE REGT has also been

growing its physical footprint and

now with additional offices in China

and Germany, from its base in

Holland, the company is continually

innovating.

“Our base is our production and

design facility in Holland. This is

where we originated and where we

have grown from. Today we have

a facility that is four times as large

as what it was in the beginning.

Looking at growth regions, we see

China as a growth area and we

found that a local presence was

needed there. Along with our mother

company, we have several entities

that we can address throughout the

world so this is good for us from

a R&D point of view. At our sales

office in China we regularly meet

with clients to ensure a very close

relationship as China has a different

culture so we have made sure we

put in serious effort.

“DE REGT Germany was acquired

last year and this is a whole new

development which originated

from the elevator business and we

see a lot of benefit from pushing

a new technology that we refer

to as RiFleR (Rigid Flexible Rods)

which could be the next generation

of lightweight armour packages in

umbilicals and deepwater equipment

lowering and hoisting applications,”

explains Pelzer.

MARKET DEVELOPMENT As the business of DE REGT grows

and the products and services

on offer continue to develop, the

company has to evaluate each

opportunity and decide on whether

or not its specialist offerings will suit

each project.

“It’s very important that you know

what you’re dealing with when it

comes to your clients and your

competition,” Pelzer explains. “You

have to look at your own strengths

and for certain projects it’s important

to find out what your unique benefits

are and in some cases you have to

choose to say ‘no’ or say ‘yes, this

is perfectly within our capabilities

or with some modification or

investment this could be worthwhile

pursuing’.

“In any case, with any opportunity,

you have to find out whether there is

a solution or opportunity where you

can step in. If you want to move in

a new market but you find out that

your competitors have been active

for many years, you definitely need

to come up with an innovation that

is disruptive or otherwise guarantee

that you can deliver the same

product but that often does not give

a great benefit because clients may

have a long lasting relationship with

a competitor already.”

In the future, similar growth

that has been witnessed over the

past few years is exactly what the

company is looking for. And with the

development of deepwater projects,

and the offshore energy industry in

general, it seems as though there

will be huge opportunities for DE

REGT as we move towards the end

of 2014 and beyond.

“We have to be realistic but we

don’t set easy targets for ourselves,”

the Managing Director says. “We

want to reach out to the people we

work with and discuss with potential

partners what are the possibilities.

We are very aware of ourselves

being one part of a larger system

in certain market places where

we want to grow. It takes a lot of

investment but the sky is the limit for

disruptive innovation and ultimately if

you look at our growth, you can see

that it’s pretty serious.

“We would like to grow massively

in some areas because of the added

value that we are able to deliver.

Of course all things need to be

researched in the short-term so we

can make informed decisions but we

would like to see a trend of growth

so that we can enter new markets

besides the ones we have been in

for the past few decades.”

And considering DE REGT is

already a self-proclaimed ‘world

player in marine cables’, if the

company (and the industry) achieves

the sort of growth that it is hoping

for, it won’t be long before DE

REGT is recognised by even more

organisations as the worldwide

industry leader and whenever one of

the many planned offshore projects

gets the green light, DE REGT will

be there to provide the very best

of custom-engineered, specialty,

dynamic or static cable solutions

The specialised manufacturer

of offshore foundations and

towers, Smulders Group NV

was first established in 1966.

Headquartered in Helmond, the

Netherlands, its core activities

include the construction,

manufacturing and supply and

assembly of steel constructions.

Sub-divided in two divisions,

wind turbine constructions and

high-grade constructions, the

company’s product portfolio

includes monopiles, jackets, high

voltage substations and towers.

Almost 20 years ago the

company entered into the

renewable energy market with the

production of onshore towers,

before it released the increasing

potential and began expanding

its activities in the industry with

the production of foundations for

offshore wind farms.

LEADING THE RENEWABLES MARKETToday, Smulders’ activities for

the renewables market includes

the fabrication of various types of

offshore foundations and substations

which has earned the company an

impressive reputation for being an

PAGE 70

Introducing the power of cooperation

Editorial: Rosie DeWinter

An important player in the European offshore wind market, Smulders has an impressive reputation within the industry for efficiency, cost reduction potential and its production facilities that has seen it involved in many high profile projects, including Eneco’s Luchterduinen Q10. With continued success in the renewable energy market, the company reached a milestone earlier this year having received the largest order for the number of foundations in its history.

organisation on an international

scale and a market leader with a

trusted and established track record.

Of course, over the coming years,

the wind energy market is only

set to rise with the manufacture of

bigger and more efficient turbines

and much deeper water offshore

locations. To prepare for these

changes, Smulders is looking

to expand both its capacity and

facilities, including the latest

technological advancements and

new foundation developments.

Smulders’ product portfolio is

supplemented with onshore and

offshore module construction of the

High-grade Constructions division

which produces offshore high

voltage substations.

HIGH-GRADE STEEL CONSTRUCTIONS This second division, developing

high-grade industrial constructions

for both the onshore and

offshore industry and for

bridges, renovation projects

and architectural constructions,

requires a special and efficient

approach due to their technical

and often architecturally

challenging nature.

Many of the designs for the

above projects are complex with

a list of extensive requirements

to be met. Although often large

and challenging, Smulders prides

itself on its technical ability to

complete these with efficiency and

competency.

PRODUCTION FACILITIESWhere Smulders manages to stay

ahead of its competition is with its

numerous subsidiary companies,

helping with the many phases of

a particular project. Many of the

production processes are managed

in-house and then divided

between the subsidiaries. This

not only guarantees meticulous

and consistently high standards

but ensures both time and cost-

efficiency with a focus on safe

working conditions.

Using a variety of locations,

capacities and facilities, this has

helped Smulders prepare for the

production of foundations for

the offshore sector and with the

flexible setup of the centralised

SMULDERS GROUP

PAGE 71

PAGE 72

project organisation, this helps the

company to provide a quick turn-

round on projects.

At the company’s production

facility in Antwerp, Smulders

manages many activities including

foundations and towers assembled

with prefabricators before they

receive surface treatment.

The Hoboken facility has many

specific characteristics, including

a hoisting capacity of a 450 ton

portal crane covering a surface

of 60,000 m² and two 240 ton

overhead cranes with a combined

capacity of 480 tonnes. It also

includes large production halls

of 240 x 40 x 20m and 320 x 46

x 36m, high quality paint spray

equipment and halls with controlled

and conditioned environment and

a storage capacity of over 30,000

m², within reach of the portal crane.

Additionally, the facility has the

convenience of the connection of

production location with an open

river to the North Sea.

AN IMPRESSIVE MILESTONEEarlier this year, Smulders Projects,

a subsidiary of Smulders Group,

received an order from Van Oord

Offshore Wind Projects, together

with Sif Group, for the delivery of 150

transition pieces for the Gemini Wind

Farm.

Producing its 1000th transition

piece at the Hoboken facility, Smulders

Projects will supply and install all the

secondary steel and surface treatment

needed, while Sif Group will supply the

primary steel tubulars.

This project also marks a milestone

for Smulders Projects in that it

is the largest order for number

of foundations the company has

received in its history.

The Gemini Offshore Wind

Farm, located in the North Sea

approximately 85 km from the coast

of Groningen, currently comprises

150 turbines, all of which are four

MW each. It will be one of the largest

wind farms in the world and its results

will more than double the number

“Producing its 1000th transition piece at the Hoboken facility, Smulders Projects will supply and install all the secondary steel and surface treatment needed, while Sif Group will supply the primary steel tubulars”

of offshore wind turbines in the

Netherlands from 139 to 283.

Iemants, another subsidiary of

Smulders Group, will build the

two offshore substations that will

be connected to the turbines in

collaboration with Cofely Fabricom

and CG.

The project is expected to continue

at the Hoboken facility until the

middle of 2015 and is the fourth

project that Van Oord has awarded

to Smulders Projects for transition

piece foundations, highlighting the

importance of efficient customer

service to the company.

A SUCCESSFUL PORTFOLIOThe Smulders portfolio is certainly one

to be proud of and since its inception,

it has installed over 2,000 wind turbine

towers for both onshore and offshore

wind farms, including Gamesa with

over 500 towers for onshore wind

turbines and the Bard with 34 towers

for offshore wind turbines.

Its biggest project saw

over 1,000 towers

manufactured for its

onshore wind turbines.

In addition

to wind turbine

towers, Smulders

has totalled over

900 steel foundations

for the offshore wind

turbine industry, including

Thornton Banks with 48 jacket

foundations for offshore wind

turbines and a total of 80 monopile

foundations for offshore wind turbines

for the Dan Tysk project.

Smulders has also supplied the

offshore transformer station to WPD’s

288MW Butendiek wind farm in

Germany and the topside foundation

to the Luchterduinen Q10.

Since its inception, Smulders has

diversified into new and lucrative areas

whilst maintaining a successful and

efficient

service, encouraging repeat service

and a reputation to match. With a

full order book and many projects,

both existing and new, in the pipeline,

Smulders’ status as an important

player in the European offshore wind

sector has placed them in good

stead for a very bright future indeed

PAGE 73

Lichtgitter GmbHSiemensstraße 148703 StadtlohnGermanyTel.: +49. 2563. 911-0Fax: +49. 2563. 911-182info@lichtgitter.dewww.lichtgitter.de

Lichtgitter GFK GmbH & Co. KGSiemensstraße 148703 StadtlohnGermanyTel.: +49. 2563. 911-192Fax: +49. 2563. 911-222info@lichtgitter.dewww.lichtgitter.de

True to the motto: “Lichtgitter – Everything from one source” we offer you the range to meet your wind energy plant requirements with all types of industrial floor coverings. Whether platforms of gratings of steel, stainless-steel, aluminum or GRP, chequer plates or transformer coverings to the point of helihoist and handrails, we give you an all inclusive package backed up by the established Lichtgitter quality. Due to our long lasting experience you can be assured that we will ensure quality and safety at all levels.

Lichtgitter – The power behind the windFor offshore application without any compromise

Product Range:

Forge-welded gratings | Pressure-locked gratings | Perforated metal planks

GRP gratings | GRP profiles | Chequer plates | Spiral staircases | Stairtreads

Ladder rungs | Steel Service | Hot dip galvanizing

1 Helihoist

2 Grating air strainer

3 Internal platforms

5 Stairtreads

5 Stairtreads

9 Transformer coverings

8 GRP-Cable Tray

4 External platforms

4 External platforms

7 GRP-Handrails

6 GRP-Vertical ladder

Our products for the Wind-Offshore-Industry (http://www.lichtgitter.de/ftp/LIC_offshore_EN_2012.pdf)

An engineering services company

providing solutions to the oil, gas

and power generation industry,

MegChem has been in operation for

nearly 20 years, in which time it has

built up a solid reputation across

Africa and into the competitive

international markets.

Originally founded in 1995 as

a result of a buy-out from Sasol

Technology, Managing Director,

August Zerwick explains the

company started out mainly focusing

on its roots from the management

buy-out, the complex brownfields

Petrochemical environment. Before

long however, it began to render

EPC services to its clients, starting

with Petrochem before diversifying

and executing numerous projects,

including gaining experience in

nuclear power generation processes

with the Helium Test Facility for the

PBMR Project and working with

ArcelorMittal in the modification and

repairs on certain furnaces.

Almost two decades on,

MegChem has secured a niche

market, managing complexities in

EPC projects. Although these tend

to be smaller, they are far more

beneficial in helping to ensure the

client’s plant operates efficiently and

PAGE 74

Engineering excellence

Editorial: Harriet Pattison

Operating for nearly two decades, MegChem has cemented its position within the oil and gas, petrochemical, mining and industrial markets, providing its clients with a turnkey solution. Offering a range of project services from concept design to basic design, procurement through to commissioning; Managing Director, August Zerwick tells Total World Energy that the future looks set to be an exciting one, full of opportunity…

the rewards tend to be far greater. As

a result, larger and more competitive

industry players are attracted too.

Complexities involved in projects

such as these might cover stringent

time restraints, live and unpredictable

equipment or particularly harsh and

hazardous working environments.

“We see our market as being

a focused contractor rendering

engineering services over various

value contracting models in the

complex brown fields maintenance

environment,” Zerwick tells Total

World Energy, “so we will do

engineering consultation in terms of

scoping the project for the client and

then we have the ability to do a full

turn-key execution of the project with

various sub-contractors, giving the

specific strategies.”

It is this turn-key solution which

places MegChem on such a

noteworthy pedestal amongst not

only its clients but key industry

leaders. Able to provide in-house

engineering capabilities to the client

involves conceptual engineering,

construction and commissioning,

helping to ensure the day to day

running of the project continues

both smoothly and efficiently. Of

course, this one-stop solution helps

build the reputation of trust and

professionalism MegChem continues

to uphold today.

VALUABLE CORE COMPETENCIESPerhaps one of the company’s

most successful project solutions

to date is 3D laser scanning:

“What you’ll normally find in

our environment is that you’ve

got to integrate with existing

operating plants and normally

you’ll find that the plants could be

in operation which brings safety

risks to the table. Additionally,

you have challenges in terms

of reversed engineering and in

terms of documentation that’s not

necessarily available.

“So you have to finger print the

plant in what we refer to as at ease

frame work and here we use, with

high success, laser 3d scanning,”

explains Zerwick.

“Over the years, we’ve developed

it as a tool to be able to take a very

accurate finger print of the plant

within certain tolerances. So using

that you can aggressively engineer

solutions that consider the present

operating environment with due

regard to safety, optimising services

to the likes of scaffolding, installation

modifications and the whole

execution of the work.

“These core competencies that we’ve

developed over the 20 years are adding

value for the client.”

Over the past two decades,

MegChem has continued to expand

its range of services and ventures

into new markets. Working across

Africa in Angola, Nigeria, Botswana,

Mozambique, into the Middle East

and supporting a number of Australian

enterprises, Zerwick explains

the company is now focusing on

geographical expansion with its highly

innovative 3D scanner.

“We see that the 3D laser scanning

MEGCHEM

PAGE 75

PAGE 76

ability gives you the opportunity to bring

a dimensional accurate plant to your

home or office, where you can with

certain costing and execution strategies,

unlock value. We can then accurately

re-engineer or modify the design and

interact with a fabricator and clients to

support in executing the project.

“So in terms of markets, we are

looking to increase our footprint in Africa

as we’ve got a market there in terms

of energy. We’ve identified this as a

sweet spot and we want to continue

to support

clients there

in innovative

energy

projects,”

Zerwick adds.

Now a

prominent

player in the

engineering

market, Zerwick

attributes MegChem’s

exponential success to

the support of its clients

and ability to offer a no hassle

turn-key solution.

To maintain this industry position,

Zerwick explains MegChem must

remain innovative: “We must focus

on how we can manage risks in

terms of execution, not comprising

on integrity, be sensitive and meeting

the schedule objective so we are a

no surprise contractor to our clients.”

“Our core competencies, we like

to think, include helping to develop

our engineers in an environment

to support clients in day to day

operations. We have all the designer

engineering tools and combinations

as well as software to go that extra

mile,” explains Zerwick.

A POSITIVE WORK & LIFE BALANCEOf course, behind every highly innovative

and successful company lies a team

of hard working employees.

Key to its success, Zerwick

explains that training, development

and opportunities to grow are

vital in building a team focused on

efficiency and customer satisfaction.

“Challenges are important,

especially from an engineering point

of view as our employees really

have to think and keep on their

toes if they want to be successful

engineering contractors.

“From a training and development

point of view, we continuously

challenge ourselves. We have a

multi set of skills to help our staff

understand the needs of the client

and engage with the client in a

framework of support, helping to

build confidence and trust with the

client,” explains Zerwick.

Of the 336 employees, 90 of

these are graduate engineers.

Zerwick explains: “The professional,

approval management of integrity

is crucial because we work in

high value, high risk operating

environments, so you have to make

sure you address those risks so we

are focused on ensuring we get it

right.”

Outside the working environment,

Zerwick explains the company’s

importance of a work/life balance:

“We have leisure time, an annual

golf weekend and a big cycling

club which many of our employees

participate in.”

Involved in the South African

Mechanical Engineering Institute,

Zerwick explains MegChem is

active on various university advisory

boards, interacting on the academic

side. The company also has an

engineering forum where whole

days are spent on engineering case

studies and projects that have been

completed which are then shared

with clients.

Zerwick adds that MegChem

also supports university students

in studying vocational subjects

for engineering and open days for

schools are held to help promote

engineering. “We also have smaller

more niche projects on the go to

further encourage engineering and

the profession,” explains Zerwick.

SUSTAINABILITY MEASURESIncreasingly important to South

Africa, Zerwick explains, to be

recognised as a sustainable

company is a vital aspect of

MegChem’s business mandate.

“On each and every project that

we do, we have an environmental

and health and safety plan and we

instigate management processes,

requirements and philosophies to

make sure we follow the rules.

“In terms of the business,

sustainability is very prominent and

we are now looking at recycling

paper and energy efficient measures

in our office building.”

A FUTURE OF EXCITEMENT AND OPPORTUNITYLooking to the future, Zerwick believes it

to be a very positive one for MegChem:

“We have just completed a make-over of

the business where we’ve appointed a

number of new line managers and we’ve

also remodelled the business to ensure it

is even more client driven.

“We’ve given the business managers

the mandate to structure their business

division on the rules of that specific

industry segment, so we’ve got

more freedom in terms of strategies

for different plant environments and

business sectors.”

In terms of expansion, the company is

looking to the petrochemical business to

build relationships with other clients and

other markets in both South Africa and

the Middle East. Moving further afield,

Zerwick explains: “We’ve done work in

Australasia and there are opportunities in

America where we can use the 3D laser

scan to support the guys there in terms

of resource capacity.

“So excitement and lots of

opportunities ahead. I think we’ve

developed the toolset that puts us in

a position where we can aggressively

extend across borders, both our

services and skills in the complexities

environment,” Zerwick concludes

MEGCHEM

PAGE 77

Zeeco designs and manufactures industrial combustion and pollution control technologies for the refining, petrochemical, production, power and pharmaceutical industries. Zeeco product lines include ultra-low emission burners, gas and liquid flaring systems and hazardous waste incineration.

Contact Heaton Valves Africa for information on Zeeco Equipment.

For more information contact:

clintonparsons@heatonvalves.co.za / williamkennedy@heatonvalves.co.za

Gauteng (Head Of f ice) Tel +27 11 418 4800 | Cape Of f ice Tel +27 21 555 2211

Kwazulu-Natal Of f ice Tel +27 31 902 8241 | www.heatonvalves.co.za

WORLDWIDE LEADER IN

ENVIRONMENTAL SOLUTIONSCOMBUSTION &

The Entrepose Contracting Group’s

unique bank of knowledge has been

steadily accrued throughout its near

80 years of operation across the

energy markets. Widely renowned for

its expertise in designing and carrying

out industrial projects right through to

their completion, the company works

with transport, processing, storage

and drilling, in addition to delivering

turnkey projects. Its areas of focus

are broken down into six broad

headings.

Entrepose Projects covers the

engineering, construction and

commissioning of oil and gas- related

projects, as well as the storage of

liquid hydrocarbons, industrial gases

and natural gases.

The group’s pipeline activities are

taken care of by its 2007 acquisition,

Spiecapag, a world leader in onshore

pipeline laying and able to join in

its maritime works activity through

the complementary activity of the

Geocean subsidiary.

Drilling is undertaken by Cofor,

specialists in onshore deep-

well drilling as well as deep sea

sounding, while its presence in 30

countries lends Geostock first-

class credentials in design, project

management support and operation

PAGE 78

Project management

expertiseEditorial: Tim Hands

A group specialising in the design and execution of complex industrial projects, Entrepose Contracting’s expertise spans the oil and gas, general energy and coastal operations industries, with a particular focus on the developing of project management expertise and the handling of projects in sensitive environments.

of underground storage facilities in

France and abroad.

The final aspect, Entrepose

Services, has recently been

bolstered to now include support

in logistics, transport costs and

regulatory procedures, alongside

control of the complete supply

chain. “It’s a network of sourcing

offices throughout the world,”

explains Business Development

Director, Jacques Menochet of the

procurement division of the company.

“We have offices in Houston, Paris,

Dubai, Singapore - among many

others - which gives us an excellent

coverage and allows us to offer to our

customers the parts they need at the

best price and in the best sourcing

location.”

ENTREPOSE HISTORY“The first use of the name Entrepose

was in 1935,” details Menochet,

“working primarily in France. The

international markets were targeted

around 1966, laying the first pipeline

in Iran, while in 1982 the company

merged with Grands Travaux de

Marseille, a renowned civil contractor

in France, before GTM then merged

with Vinci in 2000. Following various

reorganisations of the business,

Entrepose Contracting was created

in 2001, with next month bringing the

13th anniversary of the oil and gas

project in Algeria which Entrepose

held at the time.”

2005 was of notable importance

in what is a highly decorated timeline

for the company, seeing it debut on

the stock markets in Paris. “We were

able to make some acquisitions with

the money that was raised through

this move,” explains Menochet,

“including the offshore division

which we today know as Geocean,

in 2006. This was joined in a similar

fashion by Spiecapag, the pipeline

division, in 2007. Most recently,

we completed the acquisition of

Geostock in 2012, which gives

us an underground engineering

and management company. This

completes our six business lines, with

Entrepose Projects really representing

the original contracting company

through the design and construction

of production and treatment plants

and a speciality in LNG Tanks.”

Among Entrepose’s most important

recent developments has been its

decision to, in a sense, ‘streamline’

its operations, and so bring together

in a much more synthesised way

its various subsidiaries, under a

more cooperative umbrella. “The

point is not so much to get all of

the companies working under the

same procedures, because each

company has its own characteristics

- Entropose Projects is very much

geared toward complex projects for

processing plants, for instance, while

the pipeline division is a completely

ENTREPOSE CONTRACTING

PAGE 79

PAGE 80

different business. What we can

streamline, however, is the project

management that we are putting

in place. We are trying to make

universal the people and procedures

we have in this respect, and we

can also try to align the business

of HSE procedures, as well as the

commercial development of the

business.

“We have a lot of commercial

people working for the company,

and this way they are able to support

each other and enjoy a very good

relationship with the client.”

PROOF IN THE PROJECTThere are a number of notable

projects currently at the forefront of

Entrepose’s collective conscious,

among them a significant contract

in Iraq for the construction of oil

storage tanks at Tuba, as part of the

West Qurna-2 Project Development

for Lukoil, worth a total of around

US$61 million. Its globally-recognised

expertise in the construction of

storage tanks sees Entrepose

Projects take the role of project

leader, with Dominique Bouvier,

Entrepose Contracting’s former

Chairman and CEO, describing its

importance as the contract was

awarded back in 2012: “The signing

of this contract reflects the strength

of our knowhow and our expertise in

the construction of storage tanks. We

are also extremely delighted to have,

with this contract, the opportunity

for Entrepose Projects to enter the

promising Iraqi oil and gas market.”

Also notable in the company’s

development plans are its

Wheatstone project in Australia,

comprising two LNG storage tanks

with a capacity of 150,000 m³ each

and two condensate storage tanks

with a capacity of 120,000 m³ each,

and the construction of a 450 km gas

pipeline in Papua New Guinea.

“The Papua New Guinea pipeline

project is now complete” explains

Menochet. “It was our very last

project and has been a very

successful one too, and we have

also completed the Tuba project for

Lukoil. The Wheatstone LNG Tank

project is still ongoing, and progress

is around 30% and proceeding

well, with no issues so far. Also very

important for us is the four LNG

Tanks that we have to build in Russia,

alongside an ongoing pipeline project

we have in Bolivia. The pipeline

division is also working on a small

project in Australia, where we have

regular business, and in West Africa

too.”

The company’s three main

business lines for these significant

EPC contracts have been identified

as Spiecapag, for its dealings with

pipelines, Geocean, for offshore

works, and Entrepose Projects.

“These three companies together

account for more than 70% of our

revenue,” explains Menochet, “so we

are really focussing on these EPC

contracts - Spiecapag in particular

in the last two or three years has

been one of the biggest contributors

in this sense, because of the huge

contracts that we have been able to

secure.”

Despite an already impressive

geographical covering, which

sees Entrepose have dealings in a

host of the most important locales

worldwide, Jacques Menochet is still

able to pinpoint further areas which

the company is targeting in its future

plans.

“We are looking to move into the

Russian market, absolutely, and

we also look forward to developing

projects in East Africa. These are

primarily onshore, and there is also

the possibility of liquefaction plants in

Mozambique and Tanzania. Brazil in

itself is a very difficult place to begin

operations, with its very deep waters,

but if we can find a niche over there

then this will be among the most

important locations for us moving

forward.”

“We are looking to move into the Russian market and to develop projects in East Africa”

ENTREPOSE CONTRACTING

PAGE 81

Headquartered at the Tianjin

Economic Development Area in

China, with 500,000 m2 Fabrication

yard in Lingang District, BOMESC

offers module building services to the

offshore oil and gas industry, including

LNG and mining projects.

With engineering, procurement

and construction services, BOMESC

provides fabrication of topside

modules, living quarters, e-house

modules and special steel structures

to industries all over the world, from

the Middle East to Europe and Africa

to Australia. Delivering products

to international clients, including

ExxonMobil and Bechtel, BOMESC

has achieved a reputable EPC status

within the industry, cementing its

status as a professional module

fabrication company.

Founded in 1993, BOMESC is a

private company. The Deputy Manager

of Business Department of BOMESC,

Martin Liu Hongyan, explains from

the very beginning, the company

was looking towards the international

market. To warrant its presence in

the international market, the company

ensured it adhered to the HSE

International Standards and set up its

own quality standards according to

international levels to help position and

qualify for the international and high-

end client base.

Today, Mr Hongyan explains that

more than 90% of the company’s

projects are based internationally with

the remaining few based in China.

PAGE 82

The professional module fabrication specialists…

Editorial: Rosie DeWinter

The leader in the module manufacturing industry of China, BOMESC is an international player with projects in Brazil, Australia, America and the Middle East. Placing a high importance on quality control management and client efficiency has earned BOMESC a well-deserved reputation and position as an industry leader you can trust…

HSE MANAGEMENTSafety continues to remain a top

priority for BOMESC and as more

improvements and developments

are made both in the industry and

within the company, it is imperative

that safety standards are met. Mr

Hongyan explains that with the

help and guidance of the world’s

largest independent exploration and

production company, ConocoPhillips,

BOMESC has become a leading force

in HSE Management in China.

“At the very beginning, we worked

to the best of our ability to be qualified

to be a high level client company.

Thanks to the help of ConocoPhillips,

BHP Billiton and Chevron we grew

up and we learnt a lot. Working on

the Penglai 19-3 project, we began

to understand high level international

HSE Management, so we learned,

changed and improved our strategy.”

The company maintains the same

safety standard for all the projects it is

involved in and upholds an impressive

safety record with zero Lost Time

Injuries (LTI) since 2012. Mr Hongyan

explains that BOMESC achieved more

than 4.5 million man-hours without LTI

for the ConocoPhillips Peng Lai 19-3

project and more than five million man-

hours without LTI on the Wheatstone

Project.

This outstanding record of

achievement in safety, quality and

scheduled delivery times has helped to

promote BOMESC as the company of

first choice for many reputable clients.

“As we are such an international

company,” Mr Hongyan explains “our

international client base is heavily

based around HSE Management

so this keeps the standards of our

company very high.”

AHEAD OF THE COMPETITIONWith the recognition of fabrication

markets in China, more and more

projects come into Chinese market

for engineering, fabrication. Focusing

solely on the building of modules,

Mr Hongyan explains that despite a

competitive industry, the company

doesn’t face much competition as

it only operates and delivers a small

portion of large projects.

“BOMESC is only concentrating on

modularised structure. All BOMESC’s

facilities are set up for modularized

structure fabrication. We may not be

able to cover all kinds of products the

market required. But we will be the

specialist for modularized structure.

“I don’t feel at this stage we are facing

competition, most of the Qualified

Fabricators in China are having enough

work to keep themselves busy”

explains Mr Hongyan, “and the China

prices and resources are currently

at our advantage.” In this instance

BOMESC

PAGE 83

“It is a step by step process and at each step our management have simply made the right decisions”

PAGE 84

then, providing only the modularized

product is beneficial to BOMESC as

companies that offer the full package

are more prone to competition.

With its own qualified fabrication

yard, just 150km from Beijing,

BOMESC currently owns and

operates a 500,000m² module

building yard where single piece

modules with a weight up to 20,000

tons can be built and transported out.

With its specific module fabrication

yard and deep water jetty, BOMESC

is placed in high esteem by many

high-end customers across the

world. The open jetty allows access

to the open water and at a depth of

12 meters and 14 meters, there is

no congestion for the transportation

of products which are loaded out.

Helping to place it in a prime industry

position, the company is also allowed,

with government approval, to operate

this yard on a duty-free-zone basis for

all its international projects.

With the arrival of the 400,000

tonne Yamal Project to China earlier

this year, Mr Hongyan explains

BOMESC have reserved our capacity

for our future strategic projects, such

as FLNG modules and shale gas.

Many of the Chinese companies will

be busy on that project for the next

year or more.

What helps to further set this

company apart from its competition

is ensuring it only undertakes

projects which it can manage both

efficiently and complete to the best

of its ability.

SETTING THE STANDARDAs the leader in the Chinese module

manufacturing industry, the company

continues to provide these services

to international resources companies

and in 2011, it entered into the oil &

gas market when it was awarded the

construction of the OSBL modules for

the Wheatstone LNG project.

Located in Ashburton North in

Western Australia and operated by

“In the near future, FLNG will be the target for most of the high level module fabricators and we want to be part of it”

Chevron Australia, Wheatstone LNG

is a liquefied natural gas plant which

is still in progress and will have two

LNG trains with a total capacity of

4.3 million tonnes each per year

once completed. The project’s

services includes shop engineering,

procurement, construction and

commissioning and load out,

which will help to satisfy stringent

requirements of the world energy

giant, Chevron.

Of course, the last 11 years have

been a learning curb for the company

and with each project they have been

involved in, new skills and lessons

have been taken on board. With

this in mind, Mr Hongyan explains

BOMESC is now feeling confident

about branching further into the FLNG

market.

SUCCESSFUL INTERACTION Staying grounded, BOMESC

reiterates the importance of sticking

to its core beliefs, namely to serve its

clients in a professional and efficient

way: “We are very lucky to have a lot

of high level clients that come to talk

and help us to solve their problems,”

explains Mr Hongyan. “For most of

big projects in China, the concept of

Modularization is not well improved,

and this is also the reason we cannot

take fabrication projects from China

market.”

As with so many companies,

BOMESC is intent on providing a

greener service and ensures that each

project will generate sustainability

and benefit both the community and

the client. Additionally, the company

practises environmental sustainability

by reducing solid wastes, energy

consumption and concentrating on

environmental protection.

With each project, Mr Hongyan

explains that it is looked at with fresh

eyes to ensure the best possible

service and delivery: “We talk to our

personnel: ‘We do not know what

we don’t know so ask the client for

help. We should never work with

assumption.” Approaching each new

client with this kind of attitude makes

it easier for us to communicate with

our clients.”

Asked what he thinks the

company’s long running success

can be attributed to, Mr Hongyan

believes it is down to the well thought

out decisions made by the Board:

“At the very beginning we only built

small skids but we took a chance to

build a living quarter for a domestic

client very early on and from there,

we started building living quarter for

international clients. We then had the

chance to build e-house modules

and process modules and with full

experience of FPSO topside modules,

we ventured into the mining and

LNG industries and delivered more

and more products to our clients in

time. It is a step by step process and

at each step our management have

simply made the right decisions,” he

explains.

Looking to the future, it looks set to

be a bright one for this international

company: “Currently we are building

the modules for LNG and the topside

modules for FPSO,” Mr Hongyan

explains. “In the near future, FLNG will

be the target for most of the high level

module fabricators and we want to be

part of it.”

BOMESC

PAGE 85

Offi ce ADD: No.16, Zhuqing Street, Zhongshan District, Dalian, China 116001Tel: +86 411 82810655 Fax: +86 411 82810655-8004Website: www.csicnm.com

Dalian CSIC New Materials Co., Ltd. (CSICNM) is a high and new technology company under the control by CSICNM is committed to research of new materials and technologies for ship coating and metal surface treatment. Dedicated to energy saving, high effi ciency and green shipbuilding, CSICNM provides customers with high quality, cost-effective products and services.

Our product advantages1. The steel shot to make the ship section better meet the PSPC standard2. High production effi ciency3. Low loss4. Long lifespan5. Low comprehensive cost6. Little dust green environmental protection7. Not crushing, will only become smaller

The steel shot is used for sand blasting

When completed in 2015, the

Luchterduinen offshore wind farm will

supply green power for nearly 150,000

households. Currently being constructed

by Dutch company, Eneco and Japanese

organisation, Mitsubishi Corporation, the

wind farm will consist of 43 Vestas V112-

3.0 MW offshore turbines located 23km

from the beach at Noordwijk, in the Dutch

North Sea.

In October, an important milestone

was reached as the power cable from the

offshore substation was bought to the

beach and prepared for connection to

the onshore cables which will take green

power from the wind farm to the grid.

Total World Energy recently spoke

to Dennis Sanou, Project Director at

Eneco Luchterduinen and he says that

the installation of the cable is almost

complete but the team had to come

through challenges from the weather as

the cable was brought ashore.

“The successful milestone completed

recently was the complete installation of

the export cable, about 23 km from the

beach to the OHVS (offshore high voltage

station) foundation. That has been

installed and pulled in and now hangs off

at the OHVS although it still needs to be

trenched across its full length.

“We had a challenge with the remnants

of Hurricane Gonzalo which hit our site

last month while we were laying the last

meters of cable and we just managed

to safely secure and lay the cable on the

seabed,” he says.

International contractor specialising

in dredging, marine engineering and

PAGE 86

An energetic community

project

Editorial: Roland Douglas

The 129MW Eneco Luchterduinen wind farm will be located 23km off the coast between Zandvoort and Noordwijk cities in the Netherlands. A state-of-the-art project, Eneco Luchterduinen is pushing the boundaries of wind farm construction but it is perhaps the innovative engineering solutions and involvement with the local community that have been the some of the major success of the project so far…

offshore projects, Van Oord, is the main

contractor for the construction of the

wind farm and the company used the

vessel Ndurance of Boskalis for the cable

lay as its own vessel was working on the

infield cable of the wind farm.

Ndurance is 99 metres long and

arrived at high tide, held in place with six

large anchors on the sea floor and at the

beach. It was important to complete the

cable installation before the next high tide

so the vessel could refloat. Fortunately,

Gonzalo did not cause too much trouble

and the operation was a success. “It did

not impact us too much, no more than

30 minutes,” says Sanou.

A HISTORIC PROJECT The history of the Eneco Luchterduinen

project goes back to 2008 when the

application for the wind farms permit

was started. In 2009 the application

was given and over the next four years,

changes were made and all legal and

administrative processes were followed,

until July 3 2013 when the permit

became irrevocable.

Sanou began working on the project

in 2012 and he says that design was the

initial concern.

“I am responsible for the installation of

the Luchterduinen offshore wind farm.

I came into this position after financial

close which was at the end of 2012.

“We started at the end of 2012 and

one of the first things you need to start

with is detailed design which took more

than a year. Today, there are still some

minor details to sort out because the

design takes some time.

“In 2013, we still had an appeal to

pass through certain authorities as

there was an issue raised by some of

the beach restaurants who objected

to the presence of the wind farm but

this turned out to be positive for us.

The decision was in our favour and we

could go ahead with construction,” he

explains.

This is not the first offshore project for

Eneco; far from it. In another Dutch wind

project, the company was responsible

for the construction of the Princess

Amalia Wind Farm, a 60 turbine wind

farm, 23 km west of the village of

Egmond aan Zee in the North Sea.

Sanou also worked on this project,

albeit for a different organisation, and

says that experiences there have been

beneficial for Luchterduinen.

“At that time I worked for Van Oord,

the company that installed the Q7

Princess Amalia. Lessons learnt on

that project are definitely incorporated

in Luchterduinen for example, with the

OHVS design and construction where

the same joint venture building the

OHVS on our project was present for

Princess Amalia so knowledge is being

kept on board. That project was years

ago so some experience has left the

company but now we have an excellent

new team working on Luchterduinen,”

he says.

INNOVATIVE CONSTRUCTIONWhat makes this project one of real

significance for the offshore wind

industry is the fact that new design

elements with regard to its foundation

piles have been used.

“At the moment, we are extremely

delighted to share the exceptionally

good news that we have all of the

foundations in, well before the target

date of 31 December. We are talking

about 44 foundations, 43 are WTG

(wind turbine generators) and one

OHVS foundation. We are extremely

happy that that has been successfully

done although we are still waiting for

some AS-built reporting from the main

contractor but it looks ok,” Sanou

explains.

“A major innovation improvement

has been applied to the design

and installation of the monopile

foundation. We are working with a

raised flange connection, without a

transition piece. We are hammering

the pile directly on the flange that

is being used to connect the tower

which is risky for sure but we have

put so much engineering effort into

that and we are extremely happy

that this has turned out to be

successful. This is definitely a major

cost reduction that has been proven

ENECO LUCHTERDUINEN

PAGE 87

PAGE 88

to be successful at Luchterduinen,”

he says.

“There was another wind farm,

Scroby Sands in the UK, where

there was hammering on the flange

but they still used a transition piece

to overcome the idea of a direct

connection between the flange that

has just been hammered and the

lower flange of the tower. We are now

the first project in the world that is

hammering on the actual connection

that is going to be made. Everybody

was afraid because the connections

need to be within strict parameters

and we are hammering with lots

of force on these connections but

everybody knew, once this was

possible, you could establish great

cost savings.”

ENERGETIC PARTNERS Away from construction, this project has

been pushed through by two extremely

strong and experienced partners, Eneco

and Mitsubishi Corporation, both with a

focus on sustainability, which makes it

a logical step to build also a sustainable

relation with the local stakeholders and

communities in all phases or the project,

also during the complete operation of

20 years.

“There is not a project in the world

that runs flawlessly, you always have

challenges and problems,” says Sanou.

“We made a lot of effort with public

consultations, trying to listen to local

people who live in the community,

understanding what sort of problems

we are creating for them. There is also

an eight km land cable (constructed by

Eneco daughter company, Joulz) that

was installed and that runs through a

densely populated area. As an energy

selling company we were concerned

about the impact on the people so

Eneco and Joulz have put a lot of

effort into community stakeholder

management, public consultations and

that has resulted in no further objections

from the inhabitants so we are extremely

happy there.

“Joulz’ work on the cable started in

September 2013 and was completed

in July this year and now the only

work is the connection of the onshore

and offshore cable on the beach in

Noordwijk, which will be ready in

November or early December.

“There are always a couple of people

that are not happy with the wind farm

because, on a good day, you will see

it, even at 23 km but it has been very

limited.”

In this project, the figures are perhaps

some of the most important numbers

for the community and often developers

can overstate the eventual output of

their projects but with Luchterduinen,

Sanou says that the figures of green

power for 150,000 homes are fact and

not just selling points.

“That is fact. It’s not a wish, it’s a

fact – we know the specifications of the

machines, we know what they can do

– these are proven machines working in

Sweden, UK, Belgium etc., it’s a proven

Vestas turbine. Its three megawatt, it’s

not the biggest, there are lots bigger, but

it’s a proven concept,” he says.

Perhaps the success of the project

so far can be put down to effective

management. The Eneco/Mitsubishi

Corporation partnership has been a

pairing that has seen two companies

with similar cultures work together

towards the same vision.

“When I joined the project, I had

a celebration in the first week which

surprised me because the celebration

was for the completion of a project and

I though ‘what project is that?’ because

I’ve only just started for Luchterduinen

but apparently this was the project

called ‘looking for a partner’. We had

an accountant, KPMG, which helped

us finds an equal partner with an equal

culture, focussed on renewable energy

and after some discussions, it turned

out that Mitsubishi Corporation (MC),

coming all the way from Japan, matched

very nicely with us. We like transparency,

we like openness, we like to talk about

everything and this matched very nicely

with the culture of MC.

“Eneco provides personnel and

knowledge and MC provides funds,

half of the CAPEX and OPEX, but both

companies are actively involved in

the decision making for this project,”

explains Sanou.

And even the partnerships that

have developed with subcontractors

have been very successful; take the

relationship with Van Oord for example:

“It’s a very professional company,” says

Sanou “they have proven themselves

in the past, it’s a big financially stable

company and that is important for a

company like ours. There are differences

in opinion, at the end of the day we

want a wind farm and the contractor

wants to get paid, but there has never

been a conflict that cannot be solved

and we have proven that by being on

schedule and according to contract

specifications.”

A COMMUNITY PROJECT But perhaps the ultimate success

for this project has been the way

that the developers have managed

to successfully work with the local

community, in innovative new ways,

to result in no real objections with the

onshore cable, and even upliftment for

the surrounding area.

Sanou says that the local people

have been involved in every process of

this development and construction, and

even the name, ‘Luchterduinen’, is a

result of community involvement.

“Luchterduinen is the historical name

of the dune area at the location of the

beach landing of the export cable.

“It’s not a name that we came up

with. We had a competition in the

community with the local people, as one

of the ways to remain in contact with

them, and we asked them for a good

name. We had a lot of good suggestions

and we have ended with a historical

name from one of the residents of

Noordwijk who won the contest coming

up with the name Luchterduinen,” he

says.

And involvement with the community

is not something that is set to last only

for the construction period of the wind

farm. Eneco hopes that it can remain in

constant contact with the community

throughout the operational life of the

wind farm and as such, is looking for

ways to involve people. A result of the

company’s desire to involve people

is the Eneco Luchterduinen Fund,

something which will help develop the

community even further.

“We are not only building a wind farm,

we are the neighbours for the next 20

years for the local environment and that

is an important approach for Eneco

Luchterduinen. That is the reason why

we have put a lot of effort into building

the relationships through consultations

etc and also by inviting local people

when we celebrate for example, with

the first drilling of cables, or when the

offshore cable reached the beach,” says

Sanou.

“We felt that it’s very important to be

a good neighbour for 20 years, through

the operational time of the wind farm

so we created the Luchterduinen Fund

which is allocated to project ideas every

two years where we put in €90,000

and we just started the first round,

inviting all of the inhabitants of the four

coastal regions; Noordwijk, Zandvoort,

Bloemendaal and Katwijk, to come up

with ideas; sustainable ideas or ideas to

make the coast a better place to stay,

and we’ve had a great response. It’s

exciting to see what people have come

up with, we have had a few already and

are open to more ideas until the end

of November and then we’ll make a

selection and vote, with the community,

as to which idea should be realised.

“To give an example, electrical

bicycles are becoming very popular in

Holland so I can imagine that people

may request connections on the

boulevard so people can recharge their

bicycles. Or maybe there might be a

request for solar panels on the roof of

the municipality building; it’s all going

to be related to sustainable energy

and events to promote the coast and

make it a more exciting place to stay,”

he says.

This, along with the success of the

wind farm, will hopefully result in a

positive response over the coming years

by as many local residents as possible,

and also from the energy sector across

the Netherlands but Sanou reminds that

there is still much work to be done.

“We are not there yet, we are only

half way. We still have to install all the

turbines. The contract we have with Van

Oord includes them making available

a jack-up for Vestas to install the

turbines,” he concludes.

ENECO LUCHTERDUINEN

PAGE 89

Joulz is proud to be partner of Eneco Luchterduinen in designing and building the high voltage cable connection between beach pit and TenneT’s Sassenheim substation and related 150kV substation works for Eneco’s offshore wind park Luchterduinen.

For more information on designing, building and/ or maintaining high voltage connections and installations:

Kerem Kaplan, kerem.kaplan@joulz.nl.

• Energy-• infrastructures• —

Joulz

High Voltage Partner in Energy Solutions

—

When you think about the global

offshore oil & gas industry, you might

think about countries like Norway,

France, Holland, USA, UK, Australia,

South Korea, Brazil or Singapore as

some of the big name players but what

do you think when you hear Poland?

Perhaps Polish exports like vodka,

Chopin or Pope John Paul II come to

mind before expertise in offshore oil and

gas. But one business, based in Gdańsk

on the Baltic coast, is looking to change

that and is currently proving that Poland

has excellent capabilities, knowledge

and facilities for production in the oil

and gas, maritime and civil engineering

industries.

Aluship Technology specialises in

engineering and construction of offshore

facilities, mega yachts and general

vessels and also repair and conversion

and civil engineering, with a focus on

working with aluminium.

The company was founded by Goetz

Linzenmeier, a German whose interest

in the maritime industry sparked the

formation of Aluship Technology, 24

PAGE 90

Aluminium offshore oil and

gas expertise from Poland

Editorial: Christian Jordan

Aluship Technology is Poland’s leading offshore oil and gas engineering construction company, building complex facilities for big name energy companies from around the world. Chairman and Founder, Goetz Linzenmeier tells Total World Energy more about the on-going growth of this innovative and exciting organisation…

years ago.

“I started my activity in the maritime

aluminium welding construction industry

in 1990 in Hamburg and I started to

build one-off custom designed sailing

yachts. It was nice but labour intensive,

and at the end of 1993 I started to

move the small company to Poland and

Gdańsk where I found the perfect place

with skills, knowledge and history in

similar industries.

“I further developed the company,

training people and growing from a small

workshop to an industrial company over

the last 20 years. Now we have over

170 permanent employees, we own a

four and half hectare plot in the harbour

of Gdańsk with a 10,000m² production

hall and a 3500m² administration,

engineering workshop and we have

a very well organised ISO 9001

certified business with independent

quality control, high health, safety and

environmental standards and very

efficient production process flows.

“With quality and value for money

from the client’s point of view, we are

well regarded giving very high quality,

always on time and being pro-active

with short response times.

“In the 90’s, labour costs in Poland

were significantly lower and with one

off custom designs, which were very

labour intensive, it became commercially

unviable in Germany so I had to make

the decision to move the operation to a

country with lower costs but with skilled

people and long traditions and Gdańsk

was the perfect place,” Linzenmeier

explains.

And over the last two decades,

the company has grown to become

extremely well respected across Europe

and in international markets and

Linzenmeier is happy with the progress

that has been made.

“I was a passionate sailor and

because of that and other reasons I

decided to start this entrepreneurial

adventure and I do not regret it,” he

says.

OIL & GASAluship began working in the offshore

oil and gas industry after great success

with yachts and other vessels and the

company’s initial contract in this new

industry came from a Swedish company

after Linzenmeier decided that the

company should diversify in order to

grow.

“Our work in oil and gas started

in 2006 because of my intention

to diversify our activities into three

distinct areas; special ship building,

the oil and gas industry, and mega

yacht constructions. The first major

project was for two big stair houses

for Pharmadule Emtunga, now Apply

Emtunga, in Sweden,” he says.

Success with its early projects in oil

and gas has seen Aluship move onto

bigger and more complex projects and

the company is currently working on its

most prestigious offshore project to date

– the Gina Krog project from Total in the

Norwegian North Sea.

“In 2010, we proceeded with

permanent special oil and gas

constructions for rig related enclosures

for filtration units, special technical

ALUSHIP TECHNOLOGY

PAGE 91

PAGE 92

enclosures,

enclosures for gas turbines and anything

else that could be built in aluminium,”

says Linzenmeier. “We always aimed

for larger structures and today we are

engineering and building aluminium

accommodation modules for Apply

Leirvik, for their Gina Krog project

where we are building a big living

accommodation structure including

detailed engineering and we are happy

to have the Apply Group as another

strategic client in our portfolio as we

have Oceanco in the mega yacht

field and Fjellstrand AS in special ship

building where we recently delivered the

zero emission ferry, Ampere 1.

“The current Gina Krog project

with Apply Leirvik is one of the most

prestigious jobs we have done in

the oil and gas industry. We started

construction last month and it shall be

delivered in May next year.”

And Aluship’s focus on aluminium

makes the company stand out from the

crowd in the European market as there

are many shipyards and engineering

companies will great capabilities but

not many who use aluminium as a

predominant material.

“In our complex service as a supplier

of aluminium structures which includes

engineering, we are quite unique. We are

also more

or less

unique

in our

potential

and size

regarding

projects

we can

deliver.

There are

very few in

Europe who can

deliver big living

accommodations or

very large mega yacht

super structures or large

ferries like we can. In engineering,

production, facilities, capabilities

regarding project management, and

handling of complex documents we are

quite unique,” says Linzenmeier.

And even with the reported shift in

attitudes in the offshore construction

industry, with many big name energy

companies looking to China for building

services because of its cheap prices

and skilled workforce, Linzenmeier is

not overly concerned with competition

saying the company’s aluminium work

and reputation for quality are strong.

“For our company directly, the

Chinese are only marginal competitors

right now.

“We only see this at the borderlines of

the market. It’s more concerned with big

projects like entire rig construction and

platform building. We have seen in the

past that when European companies

order products from China, very soon

after delivery, that product will arrive in a

European shipyard to correct mistakes

and improve quality so if the saving is

worth it, I don’t know.

“We are not a shipyard; we are a

supplier to shipyards and big oil and gas

companies. Aluminium is a very versatile

material and in shipbuilding as well as

oil and gas one important thing is not

just weight but centre of gravity. The

ideal situation for a ferry or commercial

vehicle is to translate the weight saving

into additional payload and aluminium

is the most profitable material for ship

construction when it comes to this and

if you have a fast vessel, you need the

weight saving to meet the top speed

with less energy,” he says.

BUILDING A STRONG FUTURE Aluship is a growing company and

Linzenmeier is looking to continue

building on what is already a strong

workforce by investing in training and

development of talented local people

as well as opening offices in strategic

locations in Europe, in areas with a

connection to the offshore oil & gas

industry.

“We will open an office in Aberdeen

in the UK at the beginning of next year

together with an agent and we are also

interested in opening more offices not

only related to oil and gas but also our

other business sectors in the future,” he

says.

“We have interesting stories in our

workforce; there are some people who

were with the company 20 years ago

and who remain here today.

“The challenge is recruiting qualified

staff, therefore Aluship Technology

is one of the most active companies

in the north of Poland, not only in

advertising for staff who are active in

the industry, but also in basic education

of young people, developing in-house

education programmes, cooperating

closely with welding schools and also

closely cooperating with the chamber

of commerce and technical schools

to support them and help develop

programmes which are more focussed

on our activities. We want to work with

young talent from a technical point of

view and that is why we are working with

the technical university in Gdańsk to look

for young talented engineers,” he adds.

Gdańsk University of Technology has

faculties covering electrical and control

engineering, civil and environmental

engineering, mechanical engineering and

ocean engineering and ship technology

among other subjects and could help to

create an extremely capable labour pool

for Aluship.

ALTERNATIVE ENERGY In an important development for the

future, Aluship recently celebrated the

delivery of its latest vessel, Ampere 1

to Norwegian ferry operator Norled.

But this is not a normal vessel, this

is the first of its kind in the world,

powered completely by electricity.

“Ampere 1 is an 80 meter, fully

battery powered catamaran ferry. Its

engineering concept is unique and

it’s the first of its kind in the world

for its size; having no diesel engine,

being completely electrically powered.

This vessel, and maybe a second

vessel very soon, will operate in the

Hardangerfjord under the operational

management of ferry operator Norled.

The vessel will cross the fjord in 20

minutes and during the 10 minute

boarding period it will be connected to

the onshore grid to partially recharge.

During the night, the batteries will

be fully charged while there is no

operation. This concept is very clean,

very eco-friendly and very cheap

for the ferry operator,” Linzenmeier

explains.

The idea for a fully-electric vessel

comes off the back of the success seen

in the industry with hybrid diesel vessels

and Linzenmeier says that the reaction

to the cost saving and environmental

savings of hybrid vessels has been very

good.

“There has been a positive response

to ferries with hybrid diesel engines

which reduce fuel costs by 21%.

Currently, there is another vessel under

construction which will provide savings

of 25% and this will be the cheapest in

operation. Money talks so this has been

a breakthrough in the market, not only

in Norway with ferries but also in much

wider applications.”

And these applications could include

activity with crew transfer vessels or

other medium-sized supply vessels in

the offshore energy industry.

“Right now, Ampere 1 is for short

distances and is working very well. It’s

very clean, very cheap and showing

great potential for the future,” says

Linzenmeier.

And with the second fully-electrical

vessel set for delivery in 2015, it seems

that Aluship has found another niche

market space which will be hugely

beneficial, not only to Aluship, but to the

wider maritime industry. And all of the

innovation and visionary forward thinking

is coming straight out of Gdańsk proving

that Poland’s offshore and maritime

industry sector is becoming more and

more developed with each passing

year..

ALUSHIP TECHNOLOGY

PAGE 93

• AluminiumconstructionAlloys• FrictionstirweldedpAnels• FloorproFiles• BulBproFiles• GrAtinGAndFreezerplAteproFiles• stAirwAyAndGAnGwAyproFiles

Nedal Aluminium B.V. • Postbox 2020 • 3500 GA Utrecht Netherlands • T +31 (0)30 - 292 57 11 • E salesr@nedal.com • W www.nedal.com

OFFSHORE & SHIPBUILDING

The Hyundai Spirit famously

comprises creative wisdom, positive

thinking and unwavering drive, and a

strict adherence to these principals

has allowed HHI to become a global

leader in the heavy industries sector.

Founded by the late Chung

Ju-yung on March 23, 1972, the

completion of transforming an empty

stretch of beach into the world’s

largest shipyard came about in June

1974. Only a decade later from this

first delivery, the Hyundai Shipyard

topped 10 million deadweight tons in

aggregate ship production, and has

maintained the leading position in the

world shipbuilding market ever since.

It is a growth that has mirrored that

of the modern Korean heavy industry

more generally, and ultimately borne

the formation of this integrated

heavy industry company. This has

seen HHI successfully diversify

from shipbuilding into offshore and

engineering, industrial plant and

engineering, engine and machinery,

electro electric systems, construction

PAGE 94

World leading heavy expertise

Editorial: Tim Hands

Operating out of its headquarters in Ulsan, South Korea, Hyundai Heavy Industries is the world’s largest shipbuilding company, building a variety of ships of the finest quality, from general merchant vessels to speciality vessels at its world-leading shipyards. The Hyundai Heavy Industries Group has grown vastly since its inception through using innovation to surmount challenges, with a focus now on moving forward and growing as an integrated world leading service provider.

equipment, and green energy

businesses, and such a drive has

allowed it to become a responsible

global corporate citizen contributing

to the sustainable development of the

world economy.

Of the vast array of business

divisions currently under its operation,

the Offshore & Engineering Division of

Hyundai Heavy Industries is another

that leads the world in its field.

Located five kilometres away from its

main shipyard, the company operates

the world’s largest offshore yard

covering 292 acres, an involvement

in offshore structures which began in

1976 with a Saudi Arabian order for

89 jackets and deck structures for

the Open Sea Tanker Terminal, for the

Jubail Industrial Harbour Projects.

Hyundai Heavy Industries’

Offshore & Engineering Division

has become a world leading

EPIC contractor, and one which

can prove integrated services

from Engineering, Procurement,

Construction, transportation and

installation, through to offshore

hook-up and commissioning and

project management. It has, to date,

completed more than 170 projects,

and has gained along the way

recognition as being one of the most

experienced and advanced offshore

yards in the world.

A large part of the success of the

Offshore & Engineering Division is

down to its ability to offer onshore

process plant expertise alongside

offshore module fabrication

experience, combining to create

high-value added service, and is

bolstered by its dry dock boasting a

one million ton capacity, equipped

with extra-large gantry cranes both

capable of lifting 1,600 tons in its

offshore yard. As its name very well

suggests, a new heavy lift vessel,

HD 10000, has the lifting capacity of

10,000 tons and allows HHI to build

bigger blocks in the construction

stage, and embodies the division’s

continual strive to develop state-

of-the-art technology and provide

high quality services for the oil and

gas industry, providing clients with

a comprehensive and cost-effective

solution that meets their needs

entirely.

Leading the global shipbuilding

industry with a 15% share of the

market, the Hyundai Shipbuilding

Division continues the company’s

HYUNDAI HEAVY INDUSTRIES

PAGE 95

PAGE 96

trend of creating world leaders within

its chosen fields. From a breath-

taking shipyard which stretches

over four kilometres along the coast

of Mipo Bay in Ulsan, Korea, the

Shipbuilding Division is capable of

building all types of ships to meet the

specific demands of the full range of

its clients, having delivered more than

1,840 ships to 282 ship-owners in 48

countries since 1972.

Its ten large-scale drydocks and

nine huge ‘Goliath Cranes’ have

served to help HHI’s Shipbuilding

Division garner many awards since

the shipyard’s opening in 1972,

setting along the way a vast number

of records within the shipbuilding

industry. Notable milestones for

the Division have centred around a

burgeoning production capability,

seeing it reach the 10 million DWT

mark in 1984, and, just four years

later, 20 million DWT in 1988, rising

to the monumental 100 million DWT

figure in 2005. This represented yet

another world first for the company,

and embodies its continual fulfilling

of its legacy as the leader of the

shipbuilding industry through

constant innovation and application

of internally developed, future

orientated technology.

The end of May this year saw

HHI’s shipbuilding division receive

one of its most significant contracts

to date, in the form of a Letter of

Award (LOA) from Hess Exploration

and Production Malaysia B.V.

for the provision of engineering,

procurement, construction,

transportation, installation, hook-up

and commissioning at the Bergading

Complex. Part of the full field

development project to be located in

the North Malay Basin, in water depths

of approximately 60 metres and

operated by Hess under a production

sharing contract with PETRONAS,

the operation comprises a central

processing platform (CPP), a bridge

and a wellhead platform.

The CPP is to be constructed at

HHI’s offshore yard in Ulsan, South

Korea, with offshore installation of the

Bergading facilities scheduled to take

place by the end of 2016.

In even more recent times, the

Hyundai Mipo Dockyard (HND) has

showcased its cutting edge capability

to build high demand offshore vessels,

through the delivery of the fourth high

value platform supply vessel (PSV) for

BP Shipping at the Ulsan shipyard.

The market leader in medium sized

vessels, this final PSV follows the

delivery of three vessels of the same

type completed between January and

July this year and this latest, named

NS Frayja, measures an impressive

97 m in length, 20 m in width and 8.5

m in depth. It comes equipped with a

variety of the very latest in technology,

including an oil recovery operation and

dynamic positioning system, and will

work alongside the rest of its fleet in

the North Sea fields.

Continuing the thread of what

has been a truly remarkable year for

the acquisition of new business, the

announcement in June of a Letter of

Award of a $1.94 billion order, to build

four offshore oil production platforms

and to lay undersea cables in the

United Arab Emirates, is perhaps

the most significant yet for the

company. This is the second package

of the Nasr Full Field Development

Project to build the fixed platforms

and to lay subsea cables from Abu

Dhabi Marine Operating Company

(ADMA-OPCO), and will see HHI

undertake engineering, procurement,

construction, installation and

commissioning work for the super

complex comprising a gas treatment

platform, a separation platform and an

accommodation platform. Additionally

to this, HHI will also oversee the

laying of 144 km of subsea power

and 55 km of infield cables, and

modifying an existing manifold tower

and two wellhead towers in Nasr oil

field, located some 130 km northwest

of Abu Dhabi.

This is undoubtedly among Hyundai

Heavy Industries’ most important

operations in the offshore plant

construction sector in recent years,

as underlined by a company official,

stating; “Given the fierce competition

for winning contracts in the Middle

East, the deal shows that Hyundai

Heavy Industries was chosen based

on the trust it has built up in previous

projects it has conducted in the

region.”

Underlining HHI’s continued growth

and an ever burgeoning reputation

in the field, completion of the

platforms by the second half of 2019

is expected to increase the daily oil

production capacity of the offshore

fields to 65,000 barrels, an almost

tripling of the current capacity of

22,000 barrels.

“Given the fierce competition for winning contracts in the Middle East, the deal shows that Hyundai Heavy Industries was chosen based on the trust it has built up in previous projects it has conducted in the region”

HYUNDAI HEAVY INDUSTRIES

PAGE 97

Hiribarren 26 - P.O.BOX 8 - 20210 LazkaoPhone: +34943880936 | Fax:+34943889572 irizar@irizarforge.comwww.irizarforge.com

Wordwide Forge Shop focused in Heavy Duty LoadsApproved vendor at HYUNDAI SAMHO HEAVY INDUSTRIES CO., LTD

When you work hard the saying goes

you must play hard to ensure you have a

balanced work life. Some may choose to

stay at home or hire out a self-catered villa

while others may opt for a truly luxurious

and relaxing hotel break.

With so many beautiful locations dotted

across Europe, whether you prefer a

scenic beach holiday, bustling city break or

a relaxing weekend exploring local markets

and landmarks, here is a selection of some

of the most luxurious and noteworthy

hotels you simply must visit.

ALPENHOF HOTEL, AUSTRIA

For a holiday spent in the breath-taking

Austrian mountains, the Alpenhof Hotel

in Hintertux has been awarded Holiday

Check’s Top Hotel award four years

running. With a Wellness area offering

body treatments, an indoor swimming

pool, relaxation area and six saunas,

visitors can also enjoy the ‘Alpen’

garden. In the summer months there

are ample activities ranging from hiking

to cycling and in the winter, of course,

you can enjoy the renowned skiing

slopes on the Hintertux glacier.

This is certainly a hotel for those

who wish to relax, wind down and take

time away from hectic and busy lives

to appreciate the stunning views and

beautiful suites.

HOTEL CALA DI VOLPE, SARDINIA

For a slice of Italian sunshine, visit the

relatively unspoilt island of Sardinia.

Located on the romantic stretch of

the Costa Smeralda in the traditional

fishing village amidst the architecturally

beautiful Sardinian houses, is the Hotel

Cala Di Volpe. This 5 star hotel boasts

an impressive 100 sea-view rooms

across the Mediterranean ocean.

The Presidential Suite alone consists

of three bedrooms, two separate

lounges, a sauna and a private

swimming pool. Setting you back an

estimated £12,000 per night in peak

season, the hotel also offers guests a

private beach and if that isn’t enough

to tempt you, an Olympic sized salt

water swimming pool is also waiting

for you.

PAGE 98

You can buy luxury…Editorial: Harriet Pattison

Throughout Europe there are some truly luxurious and exclusive hotels which boast private beaches, heated swimming pools, personal butler services and relaxing spa treatments but of course, they come with a rather substantial price tag. Below is a selection of some of the most lavish hotel stays across the continent…

Alpenhof Hotel in Hintertux

Hotel Cala Di Volpe, Sardinia

THE FOUR SEASONS, ISTANBUL

Of course, providing a list of Europe’s

most luxurious hotels had to include The

Four Seasons. Often ranked amongst

the top most lavish hotel brands in the

world today, with locations including

Hawaii, Sydney and Los Angeles, the Four

Seasons Istanbul was voted amongst

the top 25 hotels in the world this year.

Located in Istanbul’s oldest district, you

are a stone’s throw from the 6th Century

St. Sophia, the 15th Century Topkapi

Palace and the beautiful 17th Century Blue

Mosque. If these spectacular monuments

can’t tempt you then the narrow streets

perfumed with rich incense, aromatic

spices and some of the world’s best coffee

will surely help.

A seven night stay in the Bosphorus

Palace Suite will cost you upwards of

£35,000 during peak season.

With the Four Seasons Private Jet on

hand for the jet setting wanderlust waiting

to whisk you away to some of the world’s

top travel destinations, this really would

be an adventure of a lifetime. The world

traveller ticket allows you to discover up

to ten international destinations in a single

private jet journey.

THE GRAND RESORT LAGONISSI,

ATHENS

The Grand Resort Lagonissi is situated in

one of the world’s oldest cities, Athens.

Awarded a Certificate of Excellence in

2014, a night here will cost you upwards

of £20,000 and if you fancy a month-long

holiday of relaxation and luxury, it has a

price tag of over half a million pounds,

excluding tips and drinks.

The hotel boasts a choice of eight

restaurants, a chauffeur-driven car and

20 exclusive sandy beach coves. With

stunning waterfront views and direct

access to the hotel’s private beaches, the

suites really are the epitome of lavishness,

relaxation and luxury.

The Gold Club offers a private gym,

private gardens with an outdoor heated

swimming pool

with hydro massage and counter current

devices. However, if this isn’t enough to

tempt you, the Platinum Club offers the

highest degree of luxury with marble lined

bathrooms, steam baths and heated

floors. The Royal Villa on the south side

of the Peninsula includes both an indoor

and outdoor heated swimming pool and

a private path leading to the beach and

your very own private decking area. Of

course, perhaps the only downside to a

stay here is that at some point you will

have to pack up and leave it behind.

So whether you choose a cosy stay in

the Austrian mountains, a culture rich visit

to Istanbul or travel to the beautiful island

of Sardinia, you will be able to experience

a true sense of holiday relaxation steeped

in superfluity and indulgence

DESTINATION DIRECTOR

© Airbus S.A.S. 2011

PAGE 99

Four Seasons - Istanbul

The Grand Resort Lagonissi, Athens

Think about how many trucks and

lorries you see on the roads today;

doesn’t it seem like almost every other

vehicle is a heavy one, transporting

goods from A to B? This is especially

so on the bigger roads and in the busy

centres; take London for example, the

mass of activity and the sheer volume

of people requiring goods and services

means that logistics and the movement

of things is essential; without

movement of goods around England’s

capital the city would quite literally grind

to a halt.

And when you’re transporting a

large amount of produce, you need

the correct equipment. It’s likely that

you’ll use a truck or a large van and

of course this means less journeys as

you can pack more into one load. But

if the truck is not efficient internally;

if it’s churning out huge amounts of

CO2 and wasting energy throughout

the whole journey then perhaps there

is a need to look at a new type of

vehicle, something which is kinder to

the environment and specifically tuned

for journeys that are of the stop-start

nature.

There is one such truck, developed

PAGE 100

Volvo and the gas-powered truckEditorial: Christian Jordan

Volvo Trucks is expanding its model range in Europe with a new version of the Volvo FE running entirely on methane gas. Business Manager Alternative Drivelines, Christina Eriksson and Environmental Director, Lars Mårtensson explain more…

recently, by a company renowned for

its innovation and sustainability values

and that truck is the Volvo FE CNG

(Compressed Natural Gas).

Launched in August, the Volvo FE

CNG is a new version of the Volvo FE

running entirely on methane gas. It has

been has been primarily developed for

operations involving short driving cycles

with repeated starts and stops such as

refuse collection and local distribution.

This innovative approach could be the

start of a revolution when it comes to

powering the many trucks that hop to

and from destinations, making short

journeys, in major cities; vastly reducing

the amount of CO₂ that is pumped

into the atmosphere. Volvo are already

claiming that this truck produces 70%

less emissions than that of a diesel

truck.

It is driven by a new 9-litre Euro

6 gas-powered engine featuring

spark plug technology and automatic

transmission.

“With the Volvo FE CNG we can now

offer companies that drive a lot in urban

environments a truck with a far lower

environmental impact. Many cities the

world over are looking for alternatives

to diesel-powered trucks. In the field of

refuse handling in particular, renewable

fuels are often a requirement for

securing a purchase contract,” says

Christina Eriksson, Business Manager

Alternative Drivelines at Volvo Trucks.

“Spark plug technology is particularly

suitable for driving cycles where the

truck covers short distances with a lot

of start-stop traffic,” explains Christina

Eriksson.

Lars Mårtensson, Environmental

Director at Volvo Trucks said: “Methane

gas is the fuel that will become a

sustainable alternative to diesel in

the long term. Right now the focus

is on working together with the

various public authorities and private

corporations to draw up the relevant

rules and create the right preconditions

for positive development.”

Sales of the new gas powered truck

started in August and series production

is set to get underway in the first half

of 2015.

And who’s to say that the Volvo

truck could only be used for refuse

collection? The company is confident

that methane gas can be used to

power a wider variety of vehicles, as

long as methane is easily accessible.

“Methane gas is a collective name

for biogas and natural gas, both of

FUTURE POWER

© Airbus S.A.S. 2011

PAGE 101

which largely consist of methane.

Natural gas is a fossil product that is

between 40 and 500 million years old

and is extracted from deep inside the

Earth’s crust,” the company explains.

“Biogas is similar to natural gas but it

is a renewable gas that is created when

organic material is decomposed by

bacteria in an oxygen-free environment.

It can for instance be created from

refuse and other organic waste. When

a truck runs on biogas, emissions of

carbon dioxide are cut by up to 70 per

cent compared with running on diesel

fuel.”

Of course, if refuse companies

do decide to switch to methane

powered trucks, the whole system

could become self-sustaining with

the vehicles delivering waste to a

treatment facility where decomposing

waste would release methane and

that very methane could be collected,

compressed, and pumped back into

the trucks.

And then there’s the rest of the

trucking industry where if this concept

was to take off, focus would have to be

on the feasibility of refuelling.

Volvo Trucks are well known for

their unique and innovative marketing

campaigns and as interest in the Volvo

FE CNG grows, it is likely that a viral

campaign will be just around the corner.

One thing is for sure, this is a

breakthrough that cannot be ignored.

Methane is certainly an energy source

that is gaining traction in the global

energy mix and with its impressive CO2

statistics, its looks like more research

and more development will help bolster

its growth

PAGE 102

Volvo FE CNG

• 4x2 (19t), 6x2 (19.5 - 26t) rigid

• G9K gas engine, 9-litre Euro 6 with spark plug technology, 320 hp / 1356 Nm

• Fully automatic transmission

• Day cab

• Tank system for up to 160 m3 methane gas

• 2x4 or 2x3 tanks for compressed natural gas fitted on both sides of the chassis.

Volvo FE CNG

GADGET BOX

© Airbus S.A.S. 2011

PAGE 103

Provider of drilling, sidetracking and workover services, on land in Russia and offshore in the

Caspian Sea

www.eurasiadrilling.com

Provider of drilling, sidetracking and workover services, on land in Russia

and offshore in the Caspian Sea

Midvaal MunicipalityDeveloping Savanna City

V&A WaterfrontCelebrating No.1 Silo

ChianoSkyNew Audi Ambassador

DetNetBusiness with a bang

Rigid and Flexible Pipe Installation | Platform Installation | Accommodation, Hook Up and Commissioning | SURF Installation | Decommissioning | Marine Support

www.seatrucksgroup.com

Jascon 25Yolla - Origin | Accommodation & Heavy Lift | Bass Strait, Australia

sea Trucks australia Pty LtdLevel 3, 507 Murray Street | Perth | WA 6000T +61 8 921 858 88

STGS e a T r u c k s G r o u p

Delivering the difference ...in any field

Ad Inpex/Ichthys Project brochure Nov2014_176x250mmFC.indd 1 30/10/14 1:15 PM