Author Archives: Colene Woolcott

  1. Penspen Delivers Record Year With $500M in Contract Awards in 2025

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    Chief Executive Officer, Peter O’Sullivan: “2025 stands out as one of the strongest commercial and delivery years in Penspen’s history.”

    Penspen has announced a record year, securing $500 million in new contract awards in 2025, up 120% on 2024. The performance was driven by strong growth across the Middle East, Africa, Europe and the Americas, supported by major energy infrastructure and energy transition programmes.

    The milestone reflects a year of strong global performance across engineering, project management consultancy (PMC) and asset integrity services, supporting national oil companies, utilities and infrastructure developers on complex energy projects worldwide.

    Penspen’s record year was underpinned by growth and delivery across its key operating regions:

    • Middle East and Africa: 65 new contracts worth $456million, spanning project management supervision and consultancy services, FEED, detailed design and integrity assessment
    • Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: 12 new agreements, covering studies, FEED, detailed design and project management supervision services
    • UK and Europe: 177 new contracts worth $16million, including fuelling terminal operations, pipeline maintenance and inspection, hydrogen repurposing and blending, carbon capture studies, gas compression upgrades and pipeline diversions
    • Americas: 54 new contracts worth $5million, including pipeline fitness-for-service, electrical interference and cathodic protection studies, gas pipeline project management, production operations support and environmental testing

    Energy transition momentum accelerates in Europe

    In the UK and Europe, Penspen continued to grow its energy transition order book through hydrogen, CO₂ and green ammonia projects, supporting the development of lower-carbon infrastructure at scale. This included two major contract wins: United Infrastructure’s Liverpool Bay project, where Penspen is delivering detailed engineering design for the development of onshore CO₂ pipelines and above-ground installations to the Liverpool Bay CCS Storage Facility, and the Trans Adriatic Pipeline, where Penspen is supporting one of Europe’s most strategic energy infrastructure assets through hydrogen repurposing assessment and gap analysis services.

    Penspen also secured a new three-year contract to continue the provision of operations and maintenance services for Uniper’s Isle of Grain and Enfield power stations, reinforcing its long-term role supporting critical energy assets.

    Expansion in Latin America

    In Latin America, Penspen expanded its service offering with the award of a major project management services contract by Grupo Carso, supporting the construction of a new pipeline in Mexico and helping secure access to energy for communities in the north of the country.

    Additional asset integrity contracts were also awarded across Colombia, Peru and Chile, with clients including Sempra Infrastructure, ENAP and Perenco, strengthening Penspen’s delivery footprint across the region.

    Middle East remains a strategic growth engine

    The Middle East continued to be a cornerstone market for Penspen in 2025, with the UAE remaining its largest and most strategic country of operation, supported by deep engagements across the ADNOC Group.

    During the year, Penspen secured and executed multiple high-value PMC assignments supporting critical gas infrastructure, including LNG pre-conditioning, compression facilities, utilities and production enhancement programmes, alongside multiple offshore and onshore PMC packages.

    The breadth and scale of delivery across ADNOC Gas, Offshore, Onshore, Distribution and downstream entities firmly establish Penspen as one of the ADNOC Group’s top-20 energy sector contractors operating in the UAE.

    In Saudi Arabia, Penspen continued to build momentum through its selection under a framework with ENOWA, executed through a joint venture with Dar Al Handasah and in collaboration with Technip, positioning Penspen at the heart of NEOM’s next-generation energy and water infrastructure.

    Chief Executive Officer, Peter O’Sullivan, said: “2025 was a year marked by scale, complexity and geographic reach for Penspen, reinforcing our position as a trusted engineering, project management and asset integrity partner to national oil companies, utilities and infrastructure developers. With cumulative contract awards of $500 million, 2025 stands out as one of the strongest commercial and delivery years in Penspen’s history.

    “While we continued to build momentum across Europe and the Americas – particularly in energy transition – our performance was anchored by exceptional delivery in core markets where demand for large-scale, complex energy infrastructure remains strong. This record year has been driven by our people’s unwavering commitment to quality delivery; in 2025, our headcount increased to over 1,700 talented people, with new offices opened in Aberdeen and Bogota.”

    Neale Carter, Executive Vice President, Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific Regions, added: “ The Middle East played a pivotal role in Penspen’s 2025 growth, contributing the largest share of new contract awards and reinforcing the region’s role as a strategic engine for the business.

    “Our long-standing relationships across the UAE and Saudi Arabia, combined with our ability to deliver complex gas, LNG infrastructure and PMC programmes at scale, continue to differentiate Penspen in a highly competitive market. With sustained investment across gas, energy security, aviation, and transition-linked infrastructure, we see significant opportunity to build on this momentum in the years ahead.”

    For media enquiries, please contact: 

  2. Penspen Awarded Major CO₂ Pipeline Study in Switzerland

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    International engineering consultancy Penspen has been awarded a pre-FEED study by CO₂ Pipeline Schweiz AG to support the development of a national CO₂ transport system in Switzerland.

    The study focuses on the high-level design of a CO₂ pipeline corridor between Basel and Zurich, with consideration of onward connections across eastern and central Switzerland. The work forms part of Switzerland’s wider effort to establish carbon transport infrastructure capable of supporting national emissions reduction targets.

    Penspen’s scope covers the technical design of the pipeline backbone and associated hubs, including intermediate valve stations, compressor stations and supporting infrastructure. The project, delivered by Penspen’s engineering teams in Aberdeen and London, will also provide routing support, site selection input, support to the economic evaluation and guidance on regulatory and standards alignment for CO₂ transport within the Swiss context. The project is scheduled to complete in March 2027.

    A key objective of the study is to help shape consistent technical and assessment standards for CO₂ pipelines in Switzerland. These standards are intended to support future project development and provide a common reference for operators, regulators and stakeholders. Penspen has extensive engineering experience in long-length pipeline projects for the transportation of CO2, with recent work including the HyNet CO₂ transportation pipeline at Liverpool Bay in the UK and a dense phase CO2 pipeline in the United Arab Emirates.

    Darren Bartlett, Director of Engineering and Energy Transition at Penspen commented: “This appointment builds on Penspen’s global experience supporting large scale CO₂ transport and storage projects and reflects the growing demand for early phase engineering studies that can underpin the safe and practical deployment of carbon management infrastructure.

    “Together with CO2 Pipeline Schweiz AG, we are proud to progress this pioneering carbon transportation system project designed to serve multiple emitters including waste incineration, cement plants and industrial plants across the region, contributing to Switzerland’s national emissions reduction goals.”

  3. Penspen Launches Game-Changing THEIA Pockets™, Enabling Custom Analytics Securely in One Platform

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    New capability lets integrity engineers create, run and share their own analysis scripts within THEIA, Penspen’s digital pipeline integrity platform.

    International engineering consultancy Penspen has announced the launch of THEIA Pockets™, a powerful new coding capability within its digital pipeline integrity management platform, THEIA, designed to help integrity teams build and use custom analytics more easily.

    THEIA Pockets™ gives integrity engineers and developers a secure space to create, run and visualise their own analysis scripts – called “Pockets” – directly inside THEIA’s existing secure, traceable digital environment. That means teams can apply the calculations and methods that fit their specific assets and integrity challenges, while keeping data, results and decision-making in one governed platform.

    In many organisations, integrity data and engineering calculations still sit across spreadsheets, personal drives and disconnected tools – making them hard to find, hard to repeat and difficult to scale across teams. THEIA Pockets™ brings those calculations and datasets together so engineering teams can collaborate, standardise methods and move faster.

    Louise O’Sullivan, Managing Director, THEIA, said: “Across our industry, standards, methodologies and data are everywhere, yet the integrity information and engineering code engineers rely on is often scattered, ungoverned and difficult to scale. Even as more teams adopt digital tools and write their own Python scripts, those codes and data sets too often sit in isolation – making it harder to collaborate, optimise and innovate. 

    “There’s a new generation of integrity engineers who don’t want to work in spreadsheets – they’re code-savvy, and many are already proficient in Python and artificial intelligence by the time they’ve graduated. THEIA Pockets™ gives them a secure, governed place to build, run and share their own calculations, so engineers and developers can experiment and innovate with confidence inside one digital platform.  

    “Until now, they haven’t had a reliable way to do that at scale, and that’s what THEIA Pockets™ delivers. Our vision is an ‘app store’ for engineering analytics.” 

    THEIA Pockets™ is designed to support collaboration across engineering and development teams – and across industry – by making it easy to create, share and standardise analytical methods across assets, regions and disciplines. Every Pocket runs on THEIA’s ISO 27001:2022-accredited data engine, helping ensure outputs are consistent, traceable and ready to support operational decisions.

    “For years, clients have asked us: ‘We love THEIA’s analysis – can we adapt it to the calculations we use?’ With THEIA Pockets™, engineers have more control over how they use their data, so they can get exactly what they need to support integrity planning,” O’Sullivan explained. 

    “The value of THEIA has always been consolidating myriad data and platforms into one secure environment that allows engineers to visualise their data in whatever format they wish to drive decision making. With THEIA Pockets™, there’s now no limitation on the analyses they can run – it can be completely tailored to their operations, whilst still retaining the flexibility and advanced visualisation THEIA offers.”

    For media inquiries, please contact:

    Colene Woolcott, Director of Marketing & Communications, c.woolcott@penspen.com

     

  4. Penspen to Partner with National Gas Transmission on Gas Inhibition Study for Hydrogen Pipelines

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    International engineering consultancy Penspen has been awarded a project by National Gas Transmission (NGT) to explore the effects of oxygen as an inhibitor for pipeline embrittlement as the operator develops a national hydrogen pipeline network.

    The project, which has been funded by OFGEM’s Network Innovation Allowance (NIA), will investigate whether oxygen is an effective and practical solution for inhibiting hydrogen embrittlement. It is well established that hydrogen embrittles pipeline steel, causing undesirable changes to key mechanical properties, such as decreasing fracture toughness and ductility, whilst increasing fatigue crack growth rate.

    As owner and operator of the 5,000-mile National Transmission System (NTS), National Gas are developing a 1,500-mile hydrogen transmission system, comprised of repurposed natural gas pipelines and a new hydrogen pipeline network, that will build the capability and flexibility required to transport hydrogen across Great Britain, supporting energy security and decarbonisation of hard-to-abate industrial sectors.

    The project will be delivered from Penspen’s Newcastle office, supported by members of the company’s Centre of Engineering Excellence based in Aberdeen, Scotland and Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Engineers will focus on identifying and addressing critical concerns related to the deployment of oxygen inhibition to enable informed decision-making on how to progress this innovative technology further. This includes investigating alternative gas inhibitors, identifying delivery mechanisms, including the design of a dosing system for oxygen injection, and a roadmap for validation and implementation.

    Dominic Wynne, Regional Business Development Manager at Penspen, said: “With our experience supporting operators with hydrogen infrastructure projects, mechanical testing programs, and process equipment design, Penspen are uniquely placed to support National Gas with this innovative project.

    “The results will play a critical role in defining an optimised operating window in both new and repurposed pipelines, supporting the transition to low-carbon energy.”

    Robert Best, Innovation Engineer at National Gas, said: “Gas inhibitors have the potential to optimise the efficiency of pipeline networks containing hydrogen by enabling higher operating pressures plus larger, and more frequent, pressure variations, conferring substantial benefits to pipeline operators. However, significant challenges remain with regards to the implementation of this technology. We are pleased to partner with Penspen on this multidisciplinary project exploring the viability of such technologies for the National Transmission System.”

    For media inquiries, please contact:

    Colene Woolcott, Director of Marketing & Communications, c.woolcott@penspen.com

     

  5. Penspen Appoints New Head of Asset Integrity for East Region

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    Penspen, a leading global engineering consultancy, has appointed Nicholas Molnar as Head of Asset Integrity – East Region.

    Nick joined Penspen in 2024 as Senior Pipeline Integrity Engineer, and has more than 12 years of experience in the oil and gas industry, including roles in Engineering, Operations, and Pipeline Integrity with a major North American pipeline operator. 

    A licensed Professional Engineer (P.Eng), Nick holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada and is a key member of Penspen’s Centre of Engineering Excellence.  

    “I look forward to building on the strong foundation our team has established across the East Region,” said Nick.  “Most importantly, I am focused on helping our clients solve complex challenges, delivering high-quality integrity services and technically-advanced solutions that keep their assets operating safely and efficiently.” 

    • View our Asset Integrity work here.

    For media enquiries, please contact: 

    Colene Woolcott, Director of Marketing & Communications, c.woolcott@penspen.com 

  6. Halo Capital and Penspen Partner to Advance Landmark Helium and Hydrogen Projects in Australia

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    Memorandum of Understanding sets foundation for engineering and project management of Hussar and Mt Winter energy developments

    Halo Capital has partnered with global engineering consultancy Penspen to accelerate the development of two of Australia’s most significant energy redevelopment projects – Hussar and Mt Winter – unlocking vast helium and hydrogen reserves critical to global supply chains and the transition to cleaner energy.

    Penspen has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for engineering and project management expertise across the full development cycle, from feasibility studies to commissioning, ensuring the projects meet the highest technical and regulatory standards. In August 2025, Australian exploration company Georgina Energy Plc granted London-based Halo Capital a 12-month non-exclusive option to acquire the rights to 100% of helium, hydrogen and natural gas produced from its two large-scale gas redevelopments. Together, with the expertise of Penspen, the companies aim to position Australia as a leading supplier of helium, hydrogen and hydrocarbons for Asia Pacific and beyond.

    Hussar, located in Western Australia’s Officer Basin, and Mt Winter in the Amadeus Basin, Northern Territory, are recognised as prospects of significant national importance. With proven reserves and fresh drilling applications underway, both sites have the potential to deliver significant volumes of helium and hydrogen – gases central to medical technology, industrial processes and the decarbonisation of global energy systems.

    Development of Critical Infrastructure

    Upon securing funding, Halo Capital will be responsible for the delivery of processing facilities, including separation units for helium, hydrogen and cryogenic purification systems. Once operational, they will be solely responsible for storage, transport, export, trucking helium to Darwin, and converting ammonia to hydrogen. The agreement will enable Westmarket Oil & Gas, Georgina Energy’s wholly owned Australian subsidiary, to sell gas at the wellhead in its raw state, subject to a formal contract on commercial terms.

    Under the MOU, Penspen would provide a wide scope of engineering services, including concept/feasibility, FEED, detailed design and procurement support covering the full chain from wellhead to export. They would also provide project management support including scope/basis definition, tendering and bid evaluation, CAPEX estimating, contract preparation, project controls, and site/commissioning supervision.

    Penspen is an international consultancy with over 70 years’ of energy engineering heritage. The company has significant experience in the delivery of complex oil and gas infrastructure, and has developed a reputation as partner of choice for low carbon projects, with hydrogen, green ammonia, and CO2 programmes delivered across the United Kingdom, Ireland, Portugal, Turkey, Latvia, Colombia, and the United Arab Emirates.

    Nick Clarke, Chief Executive Officer, Halo Capital commented: “Halo Capital are very pleased to have Penspen join our efforts to develop the Hussar and Mt. Winter projects, bringing with them their deep technical expertise and project management experience.

    “Partnering with Penspen will ensure that our project teams will be able to meet all technical and regulatory requirements to drive these and our future projects forward.”

    Peter O’Sullivan, Chief Executive Officer at Penspen, said: “We are delighted to work with Halo Capital as engineering partner on this transformative development in Australia.

    “Our unwavering aim is to improve access to secure and sustainable energy, and Hussar and Mt Winter offer tremendous potential to address the growing gap between supply and demand for helium, as well as further develop hydrogen’s critical role in decarbonising global industrial sectors. Penspen’s extensive experience in the delivery of low carbon infrastructure systems, from feasibility and conceptual studies to detailed design and ongoing operations and maintenance, means we are well placed to support Halo Capital in the development of this project of national importance.”

    Halo Capital

    Halo Capital is an infrastructure investment and development company focused on investing in, developing and operating large scale infrastructure projects within logistics & distribution, water purification, data centres, natural resources and grid scale energy generation assets throughout the UK, Europe, Africa and Asia Pacific (APAC).

    Halo Capital are committed to delivering sustainable natural resources and energy solutions that power growth and prosperity.

    Penspen

    Penspen designs, maintains, and optimises global energy infrastructure to improve access to secure and sustainable energy for millions across the Middle East, Africa, Europe, the UK, and the US. With more than 70 years’ experience in engineering, project management, asset management, and integrity services, Penspen now employs over 1,200 specialists with offices in the UK, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Latin America, and the US.

    Penspen is part of Sidara, a global collaborative of 19,000 professionals across 60 countries offering specialist services in design, engineering, project management, sustainability consulting, and energy innovation.

    To learn more, visit penspen.com or follow Penspen on LinkedIn | YouTube

  7. Penspen Awarded Mowaamah Certificate for Commitment to Inclusive and Accessible Work Environments in Saudi Arabia

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    Penspen has been awarded a bronze Mowaamah certificate by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (MOHRSD), recognising our commitment to creating inclusive and accessible work environments for people with disabilities. 

    The Mowaamah Program, part of the Tawafuq Empowerment for Employment for Persons with Disabilities initiative, aims to support private sector organisations in adopting best practices that foster disability-friendly workplaces and create meaningful employment opportunities. 

    Najoua ElHamel, Director of Human Resources & Business Services (MEA), commented: “Following a comprehensive review of the Penspen’s work environment, this certification recognises our ongoing commitment to create an inclusive and accessible workplace for people with disabilities, ensuring equal opportunities and a supportive environment for all. Achieving the Mowaamah accreditation reflects our dedication to diversity, inclusion, and social responsibility.” 

  8. Penspen Marks Record-Breaking Year in Middle East & Africa With $400m Project Wins and Investment in Local Talent

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    Global engineering and energy services consultancy Penspen has announced record-breaking performance in the Middle East & Africa, securing project management consultancy and engineering contracts worth more than $400 million so far this year. The business has delivered around 25% annual growth, fuelled by a deliberate strategic focus on the Middle East and growing momentum across Africa.

    The latest contract awards – spanning upstream and midstream oil & gas, greenfield developments, brownfield redevelopments – underline strong regional demand for Penspen’s engineering, project management, and asset integrity expertise. While the vast majority of individual client names remain confidential, the scope includes major national oil companies (NOCs) in the Middle East, with projects covering both onshore and offshore energy infrastructure. 

    Beyond its core services, Penspen is also expanding in two fast-growing areas: 

    In aviation infrastructure, the company is delivering critical fuel systems – from fuel farms and storage facilities to hydrant networks – at airports in Kuwait, Qatar, and Dubai’s Al Maktoum International Airport, with additional projects under way in Ethiopia and Poland, and a joint bid with Dar Al-Handasah Consultants (Shair and Partners) for the redevelopment of Damascus International Airport. 

    At the same time, Penspen is building a strong track record in energy transition, with contract awards for infrastructure repurposing for hydrogen integration, a long-range CO₂ pipeline linked to the Hail and Ghasha development, and a corrosion assessment for MASDAR’s battery energy storage system in Saudi Arabia. A team of subject matter experts (SMEs) in Abu Dhabi provides local capability, and forms part of Penspen’s global Centre of Engineering Excellence, which shares expertise from landmark hydrogen, CO₂ and green ammonia projects in Europe.

    Emirati Graduate Training Programme: Investing in Emirati talent

    Alongside commercial growth, Penspen is also reinforcing its commitment to local talent development with the relaunch of its Emirati Graduate Training Programme in the UAE.

    Originally launched nearly five years ago, the programme has evolved from a short-term placement scheme into a career development and retention pathway for Emirati engineers. The programme now supports 40+ graduates, with a target of 50+ by year-end, across key engineering and functional disciplines.

    To lead the initiative, Dr. Sameer Jalan, a recognised expert in graduate development, has been appointed as Engineering Graduate Development Manager. The 12-month programme is receiving strong client feedback for the calibre of local engineers being developed. 

    Record year for regional expansion

    Penspen’s UAE office is now its largest worldwide, with more than 850 people – 22% growth in the last year alone. Meanwhile, its Al Khobar and Al Khafji project offices in Saudi Arabia have surpassed 130 staff since opening in 2023. Across Africa, activity has also accelerated with upstream, midstream, downstream, and new energy projects awarded over the past three years.

    Neale Carter, Penspen’s Executive Vice President for Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific, said: “Our incredible growth story is a testament to the dedication and focus of our talented employees, who ensure we deliver upon our commitments to our valued clients.”

    “Key to this acceleration has also been collaboration with our fellow Sidara company, Dar Al-Handasah Consultants (Shair and Partners), one of the region’s longest-established engineering consultancies. Dar’s reach and relationships across the region complement our technical capabilities, and together we can deliver best-in-class service for clients. It’s a win-win for both us and the wider Sidara collaborative.”

    Penspen’s long-term growth strategy has a strong focus on the MEA, focusing on digital technology, energy transition, and talent development.

    Carter concluded: “Looking forward, we see huge opportunity in applying digital tools to engineering and project management – improving quality, reducing costs, and raising standards across the board. Combined with our experience in energy transition, and our investment in local talent, Penspen is well placed to continue supporting the region’s energy security and sustainability goals for decades to come.

    “Our strength lies in combining deep regional presence with global expertise. The work we’ve done in Europe – developing and repurposing assets for hydrogen and CO₂ transport – is exactly the type of capability we expect to be in demand across the Middle East and Africa. We are building a bridge between proven heritage and the future of energy.”

    About Penspen 
    Penspen designs, maintains, and optimises global energy infrastructure to improve access to secure and sustainable energy for millions across the Middle East, Africa, Europe, the UK, and the US. With more than 70 years of experience in engineering, project management, asset management, and integrity services, Penspen now employs over 1,200 specialists with offices in the UK, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Latin America, and the US. 

     Penspen is part of Sidara, a global collaborative of 19,000 professionals across 60 countries offering specialist services in design, engineering, project management, sustainability consulting, and energy innovation. 

  9. Hydrogen UK Launch Driving Demand Report at Penspen Headquarters

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    Penspen hosted Hydrogen UK’s Member Briefing at the company’s 150 Holborn headquarters in London this week as the industry body launched their latest report – Driving Demand.

    The front cover of Hydrogen UK's Driving Demand Report, featuring an image of two industrial workersThe report, compiled with contributions from Hydrogen UK members, shows where hydrogen is truly needed, from steel and chemicals to aviation, and sets out the clear policy priorities for government as it works towards refreshing the UK Hydrogen Strategy.

    Though its role in decarbonising some of the hardest to abate sectors of the UK economy is well recognised, hydrogen’s ability to provide flexibility with long-term energy storage and immediate availability for offtake provides the UK with a vital opportunity within energy system resilience and security.

    Brett Ryan, Head of Policy at Hydrogen UK gave an overview of the current barriers facing the development of hydrogen projects in the UK – economics, policy uncertainty, infrastructure and technology – which make up the pillars of the latest report.

    A panel session, featuring Penspen CEO Peter O’Sullivan; Adam Baddeley, Head of Project Development at Progressive Energy; Michael Seager, Economic and Commercial Manager at Storegga, and Marian Garfield, Director of Sustainability at Heidelberg Materials, addressed some of the key topics raised in the report and  provided a key opportunity to share knowledge and experience from live projects.

    Thanks to Hydrogen UK for the opportunity to take a deeper look at the report and to drive these important conversations with industry peers.

    • Discover more about Penspen’s extensive hydrogen experience here.