Scotland to be home to a new Centre of Excellence for subsea development

Led by NEL, a new £16 million Centre of Excellence (CoE) for subsea development is to be established in East Kilbride. It is expected to help position Scotland as a leader in multiphase flow measurement by providing a unique global capability.

Thanks to a £4.9 million research and development grant from Scottish Enterprise, TÜV SÜD AG has agreed to invest £11.1 million in the site in East Kilbride to help develop the CoE. The project is the largest capital investment to date in the company’s UK business and, in addition to creating at least 17 new jobs, will safeguard a further 82 existing jobs in Scotland.

Designed to provide a new high pressure multiphase flow test facility with a test range beyond anything that is currently available, the CoE will allow NEL to provide world leading fluid flow technical services to the global oil and gas production market over the next 25 years.

The centre will provide opportunities for company-led industrial projects, development work with SMEs, hands-on training for the industry and academic research.

Focused predominantly on the global subsea sector, the CoE will also offer potential benefits to other sectors such as nuclear power, food and drink, aerospace and renewable energy.

The announcement comes during a visit by Economy Secretary Keith Brown to the Scottish Enterprise Technology Park in East Kilbride where the new facility will be built over the next two years. Brown said: “[This] is great news for Scotland and its oil and gas sector. […] it gives me particular pleasure to announce this total investment of £16 million, which includes £11 million from TUV SUD AG in Munich, NEL’s parent company. This will help to create at least 17 jobs and protect 82 more in the Scottish Enterprise Technology Park in East Kilbride.

Brian Millington, NEL’s Managing Director, said: “This is fantastic news for NEL and the investment from both Scottish Enterprise and our parent company, TÜV SÜD, demonstrates their confidence in NEL’s future and that of the oil and gas sector.”

Read the article online at: https://www.worldpipelines.com/business-news/04042017/scotland-to-be-home-to-a-new-centre-of-excellence-for-subsea-development/