Member Article

Technip safeguards hundreds of Tyneside jobs with world leading cables facility

French energy conglomerate Technip has opened its multi-million pound, world-leading umbilicals manufacturing facility on Tyneside.

The firm’s Duco Ltd subsidiary, based at Walker Riverside’s Neptune Energy Park, has now started production of highly specialised subsea cables used in the offshore oil and gas industry.

Following major investment from Technip and Regional Growth Fund money, the Walker facility has been equipped with a gigantic ‘vertical helix assembly machine’ - a bespoke piece of machinery which is the only one of its kind in the world.

It is housed in one of the tallest single floor buildings in Europe, at 58 metres tall, and allows Technip to harness vertical tensions to produce cables that will withstand increasing depths at which subsea energy projects are being located.

The precision equipment is part of Technip’s ambition to grow its subsea umbilicals business across the world - feeding work through the North East site.

Jean-Louis Rostaing, managing director at Technip Umbilicals, talked to international press at the Duco facility this week and outlined how the investment has safeguarded around 150 jobs, of the 600 who work at the site.

He told Bdaily: “We chose the Tyneside site because of the access to the North Sea, the excellent deep water facilities here and the expertise of the people here.

“We’ve got a very healthy backlog of international work which will feed our facility here, and our hope is to build on that, and if succcessful - that would mean further jobs.”

Part of the North East investment also includes crucial R&D facility which is developing and patenting technology to provide Technip with a market-leading edge.

As part of a major re-branding strategy across Technip’s subsidiaries - Duco will become known as Technip Umbilicals Ltd.

The firm’s other worldwide operations in the US, Angola and Malaysia will undergo similar rebranding and positioning.

Mr Rostaing added: “We are currently a leading player in umbilical technology with a track record for large and complex dynamic systems, including the world’s largest and heaviest umbilical manufactured for BP Skarv at 325mm OD and over 200kg/m.

“The investment we have now made in advanced steel tube umbilicals is aimed at satisfying future market demand for deep water, long tieback and large complex umbilical systems.

“This investment will contribute to consolidating our leading position in our sector by ensuring that we have the capacity and capability to meet our clients’ needs for both steel tube and thermoplastic umbilicals. The fact that the technology is housed in what is believed to be one of Europe’s tallest single floor buildings says everything about our ambition.

“With this fantastic new facility backed by a world class workforce, we can look forward to the future with great anticipation and confidence. There is already strong market demand with over a year’s worth of orders already booked into the new facility.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Tom Keighley .