EIC Newsbrief – Northern Region February 2013
Oil and Gas
Fabricom Offshore Services plan to hire more than 200 staff A Tyneside oil and gas engineering services company is preparing to recruit hundreds of staff in the next few years and has opened its own apprentice academy to help reach its ambitions of adding £20m to sales. Fabricom Offshore Services has masterminded a training, learning and development set of programmes aimed at engineering graduates, apprentices and people looking to upgrade or diversify their skills. More than 30 people are already in various training programmes at the academy with another intake of around 12 expected this year. With offices in Newcastle, Teesside and Aberdeen, Fabricom created its academy to consolidate the company’s position for future growth. http://www.nebusiness.co.uk/business-news/latest-business-news//2013/01/31/fabricom-offshore-services-plans-to- hire-200-more-staff-51140-32715236/?campaign=Newcastle_email_nebusinessemail:20130131
Carbon Capture & Storage
National Grid sets date for UK drilling test programme National Grid has signed an Agreement for Lease with the Crown Estates to enable the UK’s first carbon dioxide appraisal well to be drilled at a storage site in the southern North Sea, 70km off Flamborough Head in Yorkshire. The drilling will be the first ever offshore test of carbon dioxide storage potential in the UK and will start as early as May this year. The saline aquifer site which is about 1km below the sea bed will initially support carbon capture and storage projects in the Yorkshire and Humber region – currently the area of the UK that produces most CO2. "The appraisal drilling is the culmination of a three year work programme which has been largely funded by the EU and National Grid," said Jim Ward, Head of CCS at National Grid. "Our work to date has confirmed that the site is very large and capable of storing carbon dioxide from both power generation and industrial sources, including the Don Valley Power Project and the White Rose Project." http://www.carboncapturejournal.com/displaynews.php?NewsID=1099&PHPSESSID=l8dkjsha7qaa6s815mlrslvtq4
Energy from Waste
Durham hands £112m waste contract to SITA UK Durham county council has awarded an eight year contract to waste management firm SITA UK to treat around 140,000 tonnes of residual household waste per annum. The announcement comes just two days after it emerged that council-owned Premier Waste Management, which currently holds the contract, is set to wind down in May. The residual waste treatment contract, which starts in June 2013 and is worth over £112.8 million, also has an option for a four year extension, which would take the overall value to £158.9 million. The bulk of the waste will be treated at SITA’s Teesside EfW facility which is currently under construction and is expected to be completed later this year, with waste set to be treated at other SITA facilities while the plant is completed. http://www.letsrecycle.com/news/latest-news/councils/durham-hands-ps112m-waste-contract-to-sita-uk
Leeds Council approves two major waste plants Plans for two waste treatment plants in Leeds have been approved by the city council. The two incinerators will be built within a mile of each other. The first being developed by Veolia Environmental Services will burn household waste and is to be located at a site in Cross Green. The £125m energy from waste facility will be a largely glazed and timber frame building, which has been dubbed, the greenhouse. The 8-storey building will generate enough electricity for 20,000 houses. Works are expected to start at the end of this summer on a 36-month progarmme. http://www.constructionenquirer.com/2013/02/11/leeds-council-approves-two-major-waste-plants/
EIC Northern Region Tel: 01642 379972 Fax: 01642 379971 Email: [email protected] Web: www.the-eic.com
EIC Newsbrief – Northern Region February 2013
Biogas
North East Biogas energy project underway Construction is near to completion on an £8m renewable energy project that will use food waste to power 2,000 homes. Work on the County Durham-based anaerobic digestion (AD) facility is expected to end in March, and the site will start producing heat and energy from May 2013. Based at Emerald Biogas on Newton Aycliffe Industrial Estate, the site will be capable of producing 1.56 MW of electricity and processing 50,000 tonnes of food each year. The project will be the North East’s first commercial green energy plant, and will use the AD process to remove plastic, glass and metal traces from the food waste before it is sterilised and transferred to digestion tanks. http://bdaily.co.uk/environment/01-02-2013/north-east-biogas-energy-project-underway/#bulletin- 6ee07655b9ca4fa64cd6e8a748c6a091055e7f0c?utm_source=BulletinV1&utm_medium=content&utm_term=more+st ories&utm_campaign=North+East+biogas+energy+project+underway
Renewables
Blue Energy Swoops for RidgeWind Renewable energy investor Blue Energy today bought a wind farm developer with a plan to invest a total of £250m in bringing all of its projects to fruition. Blue Energy, which is based in Alderley Edge, Cheshire, has acquired RidgeWind from private equity investor HgCapital. Ridgewind owns two wind farm projects which are under construction and will be operational within two months. They are at Hall Farm, near Beverley, Yorkshire and Wandylaw farm, in Northumberland. It also has planning permission for further schemes at Beinneun, in Inverness-shire, Middlewick, in Essex, Nutsgrove, near Peterborough, and Grange, near Scunthorpe. RidgeWind was founded in 2003 in Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, and bought by HgCapital in 2007. Blue Energy said it expects to invest £250m to acquire RidgeWind and build its development portfolio, and it plans further UK onshore acquisitions in 2013. http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/business/innovation/blue-energy-based-in-alderley-edge-1282199
Government delay is hitting Narec Wind farm bid The firm behind the UK's largest research and development project for the offshore wind industry says multi- million-pound wind farm projects in the North Sea could be thwarted by the Government's delayed Energy Bill. The National Renewable Energy Centre (Narec) has pioneered a £300m offshore demonstration project which, if approved, will see 15 giant turbines built in the sea off Northumberland. Narec submitted an application for the necessary Marine Management Organisation (MMO) approval in March last year for permission to construct the development. The application process is expected to be complete by the first quarter of the year and it is hoped that preparatory work on the construction phase will start this summer. http://www.nebusiness.co.uk/business-news/latest-business-news//2013/02/06/government-delay-is-hitting-narec- wind-farm-bid-51140-32752940/?campaign=Newcastle_email_nebusinessemail:20130206
EIC Northern Region Tel: 01642 379972 Fax: 01642 379971 Email: [email protected] Web: www.the-eic.com
EIC Newsbrief – Northern Region February 2013
Nuclear
Nuclear Plans thwarted after Cumbria vote No to underground store Ministers accept need for credible solution to waste storage as Ed Davey resumes mission to site £12bn waste repository. Plans to expand the UK's nuclear industry are in disarray after the only area to show interest in hosting an underground radioactive waste storage centre decided to thoroughly reject the idea. Cumbria county council's cabinet voted by more than 2-1 to pull out of feasibility studies, following expert critiques of the fractured local geology and an international outcry over the threat to the western Lake District. The decision is a major blow to government ambitions to build new nuclear power plants, with ministers accepting that the UK needs a credible and permanent solution to dealing with current and future waste. Green MP Caroline Lucas said the government's nuclear ambitions were now "completely derailed". http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2013/jan/30/nuclear-expansion-thwarted-cumbria- no?goback=%2Egde_2960508_member_210196523
New £5m technology centre will test most complex rope ever made Rope manufacturer Bridon International has opened a £5m technical facility at its Balby Carr Bank site in Doncaster. The Doncaster-headquartered firm said that its Bridon Technology Centre (BTC), which is due to be officially opened by Doncaster Central MP Rosie Winterton today, will design and test some of the largest ropes in the world. The centre is set to create five new skilled positions, and support the work of Bridon’s global production capability, including the Doncaster Wire Mill, where the company recently invested another £5m in hi-tech equipment upgrades. Bridon chief executive Jon Templeman said: “BTC will be a hi-tech hub for next generation rope development, where the finest minds in rope technology use sophisticated testing equipment to validate the designs of the largest and most complex ropes ever made. http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/business/business-news/new-5m-technology-centre-will-test-most-complex-ropes- ever-made-1-5390437
NES Global Talent aims for £100m profit Manpower firm NES Global Talent today set its sights on achieving profits of £100m by 2020 as it announced its eighth consecutive year of growth. NES, which is based in Altrincham, unveiled adjusted underlying pre-tax profits of £24.3m for the year to October, up 45 per cent from £16.8m, after what chief executive Neil Tregarthen described as 'the most exciting year' in the company's history. Revenues surged nearly 30 per cent from £380.2m to £492.4m. The company, which supplies technical and engineering staff on permanent and temporary contracts to the oil, gas, infrastructure, rail, power, life sciences and IT sectors, was sold by private equity outfit Graphite to AEA Investors, an American investor, for £234m in October. The firm opened offices in Denver, Darwin and Melbourne which took the number of its branches to 32 across 21 countries, with a workforce of 439, up by a almost quarter from 352 a year earlier. Further overseas office openings are planned for this year. http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/business/enterprise/manpower-owned-nes-global-talent-has-grown- 1296291
Government pushed to take on Nuclear New-builds Pressure is mounting on the Government to take over the nuclear new-build programme, which includes a plant at Sellafield. The GMB Union is calling for the state to step in after another private company pulled out. Centrica, the owner of British Gas, has announced that it would not take up an option for a stake in the construction of nuclear power stations at Hinkley Point in Somerset, and Sizewell, Suffolk. Chief executive Sam Laidlaw said the company was "uncertain about overall construction costs and timeline." Its partner, EDF, must either pick up the tab or find a new partner. Although Centrica’s decision has no direct bearing on the NuGen consortium’s proposals for Sellafield, it adds to doubts about whether the private sector will be able to fund new build. http://www.newsandstar.co.uk/news/business/government-pushed-to-take-on-nuclear-new-builds- 1.1033170?referrerPath=news/business
EIC Northern Region Tel: 01642 379972 Fax: 01642 379971 Email: [email protected] Web: www.the-eic.com
EIC Newsbrief – Northern Region February 2013
Jacobs joint venture project wins NDA innovation award Jacobs Engineering Group has announced that its ACKtiv Nuclear Joint Venture (comprised of Jacobs, Carillion and Atkins) received the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority’s (NDA) Estate Supplier Award for “Best Example of Innovation by a Large Company,” for a project at Sellafield Limited in the United Kingdom. The award recognizes the joint venture for its development of an innovative method for safe removal of protective cementitious grout work on the Isolations and Risk Reduction Project at the Sellafield site. The remotely operated solution enabled critical pipe isolation work to be conducted safely and effectively. http://www.yournuclearnews.com/jacobs+joint+venture+project+wins+nda+innovation+award_86631.html
Costain and McAlpine in Line for £200m Hinkley tunnels Project sources have confirmed that the Costain/Sir Robert McAlpine joint venture is in line to win a £200m civils package at the planned Hinkley nuclear power plant. The Marine Works contract will involve construction of tunnels to channel seawater in and out of the plant. Main nuclear build contractor BYLOR – a consortium of Bouygues and Laing O’Rourke – is waiting for client EDF to rubber stamp the project as funding doubts continue. http://www.constructionenquirer.com/2013/02/14/costain-and-mcalpine-in-line-for-200m-hinkley-tunnels/
General News
ERDF invest £6m to stimulate north east growth Thousands of North East firms will receive business support and advice following a £6m investment made by the European Regional Development Fund Competitiveness Programme 2007-2013. Eligible SMEs will receive a minimum 12 hours of support to help grow their business and improve performance. The programme will be delivered to more than 3,000 companies by the North East Business Support Fund, which will be run by Northumberland Business Service Ltd (NBSL). http://bdaily.co.uk/entrepreneurship/04-02-2013/erdf-invests-6m-to-stimulate-north-east-growth/#bulletin- 6ee07655b9ca4fa64cd6e8a748c6a091055e7f0c?utm_source=BulletinV1&utm_medium=content&utm_term=sub+stor y+3&utm_campaign=ERDF+invests+%C2%A36m+to+stimulate+North+East+growth
Redhall Group order book stands at record £140m Engineer Redhall Group said its order book is at a record level and the new management team is making progress with sorting out problem contracts. The Wakefield-based group told shareholders at its annual general meeting that trading for the current year is in line with expectations although profits will be heavily weighted towards the second half. Redhall’s chairman David Jackson said such second half bias is not unusual in Redhall’s line of business. The group plans to shift its focus from contract work towards more manufacturing contracts, where margins are greater and the risk is lower. http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/business/business-news/redhall-group-order-book-stands-at-a-record-140m-1- 5385873
Humber Tidal Energy Firm goes into Administration The company behind a pioneering tidal device which has been providing electricity to The Deep's Business Centre has gone into liquidation. Neptune Renewable Energy was established in 2005 to develop tidal stream power generation using a new, niche concept and approach. It was hoped the company could further develop the project, with a view to rolling it out commercially. However, following extensive testing, the directors of the company say they have accepted "there is no commercial value in pursuing the project any further". Chairman Nigel Petrie paid tribute for the support Neptune had received after setting up a base in the region. http://www.thisishullandeastriding.co.uk/Humber-tidal-energy-firm-goes-administration/story-18088385- detail/story.html#axzz2KIrA48Sh
AV Dawson signs 40 year deal for energy site Logistics company AV Dawson has signed a 40-year deal to site a waste-to-energy plant at its Riverside Park base in Middlesbrough. Greenlight AD Power’s energy plant is the first project in the UK to benefit
EIC Northern Region Tel: 01642 379972 Fax: 01642 379971 Email: [email protected] Web: www.the-eic.com
EIC Newsbrief – Northern Region February 2013
from the Government’s Green Investment Bank (GIB) with funding of £8m matched with funding from the private sector. The company, which is partnered by Wilton-based Earthly Energy, has planned six schemes around the country as part of a £100m investment plan – including a second at a Redcar location – and chose Dawson’s site next to the River Tees because it was strategically placed to serve the waste-to- energy requirements of a blue-chip client base. http://www.nebusiness.co.uk/business-news/latest-business-news/2013/02/12/av-dawson-signs-40-year-deal-for- energy-site-51140-32791061/
Rotabolt success on BP heat Exchangers Following a 100% track record of success in assuring bolted joint integrity over many years of operation, RotaBolt° tension control fasteners have been chosen for a re-fit programme in the BP Harding North Sea oilfield. The extended life of the BP Harding North Sea oil and gas field has led to four of the field’s heat exchangers being completely re-fitted with RotaBolt tension control measurement technology. BP took the decision to completely re-fit the exchangers as part of the field’s extensive maintenance and review programme. The field, which began production in 1996, now has an expected operational life well past 2020. http://www.yourprojectnews.com/rotabolt+success+on+bp+heat+exchangers_86879.html
Darchem’s £8m engineering plant will create 86 skilled jobs. A precision engineering company has started work on an £8m plant that will lead to the creation of 86 skilled jobs. Darchem Engineering boss Graham Payne was joined by local dignitaries for a ground-breaking ceremony, which officially started the first phase of building the 75,000 sq ft factory on a brownfield site next to the firm’s main factory in Stillington, near Darlington. The investment has been prompted by demand for Darchem's high-quality products, particularly in the growing market for large scale nuclear fabrications. The investment, which has been supported by a £1m grant from the Government’s Regional Growth Fund, has seen Darchem’s parent company, the Esterline Corporation, invest the remaining £7m in the plant. http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/business/news/10220845.Darchem_s___8m_engineering_plant_will_create_86_s killed_jobs/
Boulting win Johnson Matthey Contract Warrington-based Boulting Group has won a contract with global leading speciality chemicals producer, Johnson Matthey. The nine month long contract requires multi-disciplined Boulting to implement their full scope of services to undertake upgrade works on the expansion project at Johnson Matthey's Clitheroe site. The upgrade works consist of the installation of new dryer and peripheral equipment. Boulting Group will act as Principal Contractor onsite and, as such, will plan, manage and monitor the construction phase. Boulting‘s services will encompass all mechanical, electrical, instrumentation and civil works, which will comprise the fabrication and installation of pipework, structural steelwork and support steelwork; scaffolding, insulation, painting, installation of main plant items, and waste disposal services. Fabrication will be carried out at Boulting's dedicated mechanical services facility at St Helens. http://www.boulting.co.uk/news/boulting_win_johnson_matthey_contract
Hima-Sella’s Planar4 secures approval from Sellafield Ltd. Safety systems specialist Hima-Sella’s Planar4 solid-state logic solver modules have secured approval from Sellafield Ltd for use in safety systems. Securing approval is a particularly rigorous process using the EMPHASIS Assessment methodology and included a Sellafield Ltd representative visiting HIMA in Germany where the Planar4 was designed and manufactured. The Planar4 is a modular solid-state logic system, where each module within the system includes I/O and logic processing; interconnected using wiring techniques such as wire-wrap, solder or termipoint. http://www.pandct.com/media/shownews.asp?ID=35759&goback=%2Egde_2960508_member_213241689
EIC Northern Region Tel: 01642 379972 Fax: 01642 379971 Email: [email protected] Web: www.the-eic.com