Engineering companies go for Global venture

Three Shetland engineering and fabrication companies have joined forces with business experts to form a “world-class service provider” for the energy industry.

Malakoff, Ocean Kinetics and LEF, together with supply and project management firm Carisma RCT, will be a joint venture known as ZE1 Global.The formation of the new com­pany, launched yesterday, is design­ed to position the isles at the heart of the energy sector in the North Sea. The three Shetland firms have more than 100 years of engineering, fabrication and marine excellence between them.

Operating as ZE1 Global, the new company aims to be the main contractor of choice for major en­gineering and fabrication solutions to the oil and gas, renewable energy, utility, marine and decommissioning sectors.

Ocean Kinetics, Malakoff and LEF will continue to operate inde­pendently on local projects but will collaborate as ZE1 Global, combin­ing their individual expertise, in order to win larger international energy contracts, such as those west of Shetland.

With a base in Aberdeen as well as its headquarters in Shetland, the company said its 135 staff were well-placed to provide skilled per­sonnel and resources quickly.

ZE1 Global chief executive Marco Busi said: “We are delighted to launch ZE1 Global. We believe that an organisation with our com­bined skills, partnering excellence, industry knowledge, facilities and unique location will make us major player in operational consultancy, specialist engineering and fab­rication services.

“With a number of factors impacting upon the oil and gas sector here in the UK, such as tighter regulation and increased taxes, operators are yet again being squeezed financially. We believe that through our location and excellence in delivery, we can address these issues directly as we are in most cases, closer to the action and at a far more central point to all North Sea offshore operations.”

While oil and gas is a primary focus, ZE1 Global will also pro­vide services to the renewables sector. Mr Busi said: “Our base in Shetland means that we are ideally placed to support the burgeoning renewables industry, both onshore and offshore. The islands are rich with green energy sources and offering the services and support that we can, we are perfectly positioned to help exploit this.”