ScotWind Floating Offshore Wind - Enlight
Enlight Renewable Energy, an international developer specialising in renewable energy, oversees a robust portfolio of 17 GW spread across 12 diverse countries. As part of an exploratory move into investing in four individual ScotWind license regions overseen by Crown Estate, Enlight Renewable engaged EP for a comprehensive review and technical due diligence of floating offshore technologies. EP meticulously identified potential issues that could potentially lead to a low ranking or even a denial of the application. This effort led to critical insights and highlighted specific areas for enhancement in the ongoing ScotWind applications.
Further to this, EP executed an independent, objective assessment for each of the four individual license applications, adhering to the publicly available scoring guidelines. This exercise accurately forecasted the potential success of the applications and proved instrumental in fortifying the client's commercial negotiation stance.
Omø Syd Wind Farm Ornithology Study - European Energy
European Energy is advancing the Omø Syd offshore wind farm project, located in Smålandsfarvandet, a Special Protection Area (SPA) renowned for its diverse birdlife. Facing challenges due to potential environmental impacts, EPConsult Energies (EP) was engaged to conduct an ornithological study. The study aimed to balance wind farm development with bird species conservation. Key project objectives included crafting a compelling argument that balanced opportunities and risks, and developing risk reduction measures, including monitoring and mitigation plans.
Working closely with European Energy, EP produced an optimised analysis and a persuasive report, designed to assure stakeholders and authorities about the measures to minimise the wind farm's ornithological impact. EP's role also included preparing a comprehensive report to prompt discussions about co-existence and potential layout adjustments. Additionally, EP provided a robust justification for the project, considering regulatory requirements, risks, and opportunities.
Thanks to EP's effective strategies and successful implementation, the Omø Syd offshore wind farm project has now advanced to the next phase. This progress represents a significant achievement for renewable energy development and biodiversity conservation alike.
Energy Island - DEA/Sweco
The Danish Energy Agency is orchestrating a visionary project - establishing an Energy Island in the North Sea. With ambitious plans of generating 3 GW of power via floating offshore wind by 2030 and scaling this up to 11 GW by 2033, the project marks a significant stride towards renewable energy. Notably, the project also envisages the production of green hydrogen, utilising half of the energy output for this purpose.
Integral to EP's involvement is the creation of a comprehensive Engineering Package. This covers everything from the conceptual design of the island and construction methodologies to the implementation of power intake systems and the essential hydrogen facilities required for sustainable green energy production.
Upon completion of the Engineering Package, EP transitions into the role of assembling an exhaustive Tender Package. This important document harmonises the engineering plans with clearly defined functional requirement specifications and stringent contract conditions, thereby setting the stage for the project's practical execution.
Risk Management is another sphere of EP’s expertise put to use in this project. Their responsibilities involve crafting and implementing robust strategies to manage the program, alongside accurately estimating the project risk reserve to preemptively address potential hurdles and ensure a smooth trajectory towards project completion.
To support this, EP also carries out a comprehensive Risk Analysis, deploying a toolkit of approaches including a risk register, expected monetary value (EMV) analysis, event trees, and decision risk assessments. This suite of techniques aids in pinpointing, studying, and prioritising potential risks.
EP also takes on the role of shaping the future of the island by drafting the Operations and Maintenance specifications. This crucial groundwork defines the scope of island operations in the long term, thereby ensuring its functionality and sustainability.
In parallel to all these tasks, EP manages the Programme Management Office (PMO), adeptly coordinating the various interfaces, meticulously planning costs, and diligently reporting significant data to the Danish Energy Agency.
Hydrogen Concept Safety - Welsh Government
EP took on an imperative role in an Independent Safety Review for a Small-Scale Hydrogen Generation Plant. This complex project entailed multiple facets that required careful consideration and expertise. Foremost, EP leveraged its wealth of knowledge to provide strategic planning input. This guidance was specifically tailored to small-scale hydrogen generation projects, relying on renewable resources stationed at remote sites scattered throughout the beautiful landscapes of Wales. The safety of these ventures was a paramount concern. EP diligently conducted a Hazard Identification (HAZID) study to screen for safety considerations, which involved analysing possible threats and outlining ways to mitigate potential risks. To prepare for potential emergencies, EP also undertook a comprehensive conceptual review. This involved evaluating the crucial elements needed to deal with Consequences of Major Accident Hazards (COMAH). By assessing scenarios and drafting effective response strategies, they helped to ensure a level of preparedness commensurate with the inherent risks. Lastly, the team assessed and planned for the necessary Health, Safety, and Environmental (HSE) regulatory requirements. This step was critical in ensuring full compliance with the stringent regulations set forth by governing bodies, which is integral to any project's long-term success and sustainability.
Offshore Wind Development – Installation Interface Risk Assessment
EP has recently completed a complex study for a major UK windfarm developer. The Offshore Wind Development project is planned in a congested area of the UK North Sea. The development complexity concerns constructability, operations and decommissioning due to environmental sensitivity, existing shipping lanes and adjacent oil and gas installations and infrastructure. To support the Development Consent Order (DCO) process, EP performed a comprehensive technical and commercial interface opportunity and risk assessment, considering all phases of the project. The assessment was presented in a Technical Report, supporting the DCO submission. EP is continuing to support the client throughout the planning process to respond to evolving interface risks and challenges.
Offshore Windfarm Development - Oil and Gas Interfaces Tracker
In an increasingly congested UK continental shelf, major offshore windfarm developments need to manage project successfully interfaces both within the development and consenting phase and also during construction and operations. Successful interface management is achieved based on the provision of relevant and up to date information covering the offshore windfarm development space and surrounding areas. EP is working with a major windfarm developer and operator to provide a comprehensive information tracking service for the license area and surroundings. This comprises, data mining from a range of publicly available information portals, identification of interested parties (e.g. shareholders or licensees to overlapping and adjacent developments) to provide over 1000 search key-words, webscraping of news items from company websites or press announcements and compilation of a monthly news-bulletin detailed spreadsheet tailored to the client requirements. When items of interest are identified, EP provides further investigation and analysis.
Technical due diligence for a major FPSO project
Navitas Petroleum (https://www.navitaspet.com/) is a public oil and natural gas exploration and production partnership with significant exploration prospects focused on North America.
In support of their investment in a potential major greenfield FPSO project, EP was engaged to conduct a comprehensive independent technical due diligence exercise covering wells, subsea, flow assurance, turret and risers, FPSO topsides, marine engineering, export systems, logistics and infrastructure, operations, maintenance, commissioning and start-up, project services and technical assurance.
Technical Due Diligence for Low Carbon Energy and Heat Integration Project
Tritax Big Box is the UK’s leading investment company focused on larger scale logistics real estate. Tritax is fully committed to continuous improvement in environmental performance through responsible business and property management practices. As part of this, the company is considering the application of increased power generation from onsite-renewables and lower carbon energy sources. As part of this green energy transition, EP assisted by providing a Technical Due Diligence review.
Offshore wind licensing rounds – predictive algorithm for offshore oil and gas decommissioning
Working for an Offshore Wind Investment client, EP provided data processing and evaluation combined into a dashboard of mappable data predicting platform and other oil and gas infrastructure decommissioning in areas of interest such as the upcoming UK Offshore Wind Licensing rounds. The result is a “heat-map” of predicted future oil and gas decommissioning activity based on extrapolations and interpretations of publicly available data combined with EP’s in-house database. To provide the predictive decommissioning heat-map, a proprietary algorithm was developed tailored to the client’s specific business intelligence requirements. This approach included a detailed breakdown and quantification of offshore infrastructure, relative concentration of the full range of offshore activity, consideration of remaining reserves and production volumes, exploration activity, relative neighboring-block activity, and applications submitted by block operators. Additional narrative and analysis were provided to further explore the insight generated.
Engie - Fertilizer Plant - Process Safety
Engie provides power generation and heat to a fertilizer plant. We supported Engie with facilities design, process safety consultancy, and training in HAZID, HAZOP, and SIL assessment.
Amtek Aluminium – Energy Audit for Identifying Energy Saving Opportunities
An energy audit was conducted at the premises of Amtek Aluminium to identify energy-saving opportunities. The proposed measures in the report had the potential to lead to an overall reduction in energy usage by up to 32% with a potential saving of more than £600,000 per year. The revenue generated from the energy-saving measures could be £4.9m in 10 years, and the environmental benefit could reach 3,000tCO2 reduction in emissions per annum. For more information, see Energy Audit.
The study involved an analysis of the energy savings in terms of payback and carbon reduction calculation following the proposed recommendations. It began with an audit of the energy usage at Amtek Aluminium and provided information on the building complex. This was followed by an analysis of the data and proposed energy measures and considerations together with a forecast of the potential savings.
Centrica – Lincs Offshore Wind Farm– Confined Space Risk Assessment – Offshore UK Southern North Sea
The Lincs development is a 270MW offshore wind farm covering an overall area of 35km2, located in water depths of 8 to 18m, approximately 8km from the coast off Skegness, Lincolnshire.
The scope of the risk assessment was to identify and record the potential hazards arising within the transition piece and look at the components and scenarios that are flammable or may emit gas, fumes, or vapor or the lack of oxygen that would cause the loss of consciousness or asphyxiation for any person within the area, and to assess the associated risk levels to personnel.
The risk assessment considered the confined space regulations of 1997 in adopting an improved operations and maintenance strategy and recommended risk reduction measures to demonstrate ALARP.
Centrica – Lynn and Inner Dowsing Offshore Wind Farm Area – OPEX Study – Offshore UK, Southern North Sea
The Lynn and Inner Dowsing Offshore Wind Farms, collectively referred to as LID, are located offshore, east of Skegness in Lincolnshire. Each wind farm consists of 27 3.6MW wind turbine generators. The turbines cover an area of 20 square kilometers with the closest row of turbines 5km from the coast and the furthest 9km offshore. The wind farms have a design life of around 20 years.
Centrica’s objective was to identify and implement cost savings and reduce the overall OPEX without compromising risk to people, environment, and assets. The OPEX study focused on identifying operational systems and activities that could be improved and reviewing inspection, testing, and maintenance activities that could be optimized. EP supported Centrica in identifying these cost reduction initiatives and also supported the implementation, which led to significant OPEX reduction for each wind farm.
DONG Energy - Renewables – Burbo Bank Offshore Wind Farm Project – Environmental Management Plan
EP provided an Environmental Management Plan, HSE Plans, Risk Assessment, and preparation of Quality Plans for the Burbo Bank Offshore Wind Farm Project. The plans and assessments were prepared by experienced senior consultants and conformed to the legislation laid down by the UK HSE. The plans and assessments secured execution with minimal disruption to health, safety, and environment.
LOTOS Petrobaltic – B8 Oil Field Development Project – Field Development Study
EPConsult Energies updated the original Field Development Study for LOTOS Petrobaltic's B8 Oil Field Development Project. The updated study included reservoir simulation using updated PVT tables for the black oil simulator and updated vertical flow performance (VFP) tables. History matching was performed to resolve issues in the model, and various production profiles were modeled to determine the optimum production profile.
Escal UGS / JP Kenny – Underground Gas Storage Project – Fishing and Shipping Risk Assessment
EP performed a fishing and shipping interaction study for the Escal Underground Gas Storage Project offshore Spain. The study evaluated the risk to the pipeline from fishing and shipping activities and recommended appropriate risk reduction measures based on cost-benefit analysis.
Galsi Project / JP Kenny – Gas from Algeria to Italy - Pipeline Integrity Management
EP provided various services for the Galsi Project, including HAZID, QRA, Pipeline Integrity Study, and RAM study. These services aimed to optimize the engineering design and secure a solid production system for the offshore and onshore sections of the pipeline.
Cadogan Petroleum – Ukraine Production Sites – HSE Management System and Quantitative Risk Assessment
EP supported Cadogan Petroleum in implementing an HSE Management System for its operations in Ukraine. Additionally, HAZID, QRA, and HAZOP services were provided to well sites and production plants. These studies helped Cadogan Petroleum maintain rigorous production systems within acceptable levels of HSE risks.
SDag Shtokman – Shtokman Project – Carbon Footprint and Life Extension Study - Russia
EPConsult Energies worked with SDag and JP Kenny during the FEED phase of the Shtokman project. The scope of work included safety, environmental, operational, and risk assessment services. The emphasis was on optimizing the design and operational aspects of the offshore and onshore sections of the pipeline and exploring the possibility of life extension beyond the initial design life.
Petroplus/Fluor – Sulphur Recovery Units at Coryton Refinery – HAZOP and SIL Study – UK
EP conducted Hazard and Operability (HAZOP) Review and Safety Integrity Level (SIL) Review for the sulphur recovery facilities at the Petroplus Coryton Refinery. The objective was to ensure the safety and reliability of the plant by identifying potential hazards, evaluating the risk levels, and recommending necessary risk reduction measures.
Total E&P – Conceptual Engineering Flow Assurance Studies for Usan and Carina Projects
EPConsult Energies has supported Total E&P in Paris with a number of Conceptual Engineering projects, through the performance of flow assurance work for African and South American development projects.