Author Archives: Louisa Moore

  1. Penspen Launches Energy Transition Training Courses in Aberdeen, Scotland

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    International energy consultancy to share learnings from extensive hydrogen and carbon capture portfolio

    Penspen, a leading international energy consultancy, has announced it is launching its first training courses in Aberdeen, Scotland, focused on Repurposing Pipelines for Hydrogen and CO2 Capture & Transmission. 

    Following the successful introduction of the training courses in London earlier this year, Penspen will bring the two-day courses focused on repurposing existing infrastructure for cleaner energy to Europe’s energy capital – a city well-positioned to take advantage of the vast opportunities offered by repurposing oil and gas assets. 

    Designed by Penspen’s in-house Centre of Engineering Excellence for those involved in conceiving, planning, designing, constructing, and commissioning hydrogen or carbon capture (CCUS) projects, the courses will explore groundbreaking research, emerging legislative framework, and practical advice required for a successful implementation.  

    The courses will be taught from Penspen’s Aberdeen office, and will be led by Nigel Curson, Executive Vice President – Technical Excellence at Penspen. Nigel has more than 30 years of experience in energy consultancy and was recently shortlisted for Hydrogen UK’s Thought Leadership Award. He specialises in the reuse of pipelines and associated infrastructure for hydrogen and CO2 transportation.  

    Nigel Curson commented: “Having delivered the first round of Penspen’s hydrogen and carbon capture courses from our London headquarters to brilliant feedback from attendees, we’re thrilled to bring our courses to Aberdeen – Penspen’s first training courses to be offered in the city.  

    “The sheer concentration of oil and gas activity in Aberdeen makes this a natural next step as we look to tackle the skills shortage as the energy transition accelerates. We look forward to welcoming our first set of delegates.” 

    The Benefits of Repurposing 

    Europe alone has over 260,000km of pipelines serving more than 100 million households and industries. With hydrogen and carbon capture bound to play a key role in the road to net zero, repurposing this infrastructure with direct market access presents an enormous opportunity to decarbonise Europe’s energy supply.  

    Leveraging Penspen’s extensive energy transition portfolio with infrastructure repurposing projects delivered in the UK, Portugal, Ireland, and Turkey, the courses will also share key learnings from the company’s delivery of complex hydrogen and CCUS projects across the continent.  

    Energy Transition Expertise 

    The announcement follows a series of strategic energy transition project awards across Europe for Penspen. In November 2024, Penspen secured a contract to provide hydrogen blending assessment services for Conexus Baltic Grid, and in January 2025, Penspen was selected to deliver a hydrogen gap analysis for the Trans Adriatic Pipeline AG – one of the foremost energy transition infrastructure projects in Europe. 

    Penspen has also delivered hydrogen repurposing projects for REN-Gasodutos S.A., a national gas transmission system operator in Portugal, supporting Portugal’s carbon neutrality goals by performing studies to certify the network for service with hydrogen, as well as the design of nine classes of hydrogen blending stations. 

    As well as having delivered innovative energy transition projects across Europe, Penspen has an excellent track record in training. With more than 4,000 people trained through industry-recognised courses and as a trusted training partner to leading energy companies, Penspen is uniquely placed to leverage more than 70 years of engineering heritage and its dedicated training team to design highly effective learning solutions for delegates. 

    • The first courses take place on 17-18 June (Repurposing Pipelines for Hydrogen) and 24-25 June (CO2 Capture and Transmission). For more information or to secure a spot on one of the courses, visit www.penspen.com/energy-transition-training, or email contact@penspen.com. The courses will also run in London in September 2025. 

  2. Penspen wins the Association for Materials Protection and Performance’s Distinguished Organisation Award

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    (L-R Brandon Alexander – US Director, Peter O’Sullivan – CEO, Gustavo Romero – LATAM Director)

    At the Association for Materials Protection and Performance’s (AMPP) Annual Conference and Expo in Nashville, Tennessee, Penspen, a leading international engineering consultancy, has been awarded the Distinguished Organisation Award in recognition of its 70 years of heritage in delivering global corrosion and engineering solutions. The award recognises an organisation’s efforts to advance the mission and values of the AMPP, including the advancement of technical products and processes, advancement in corrosion science and engineering, advancement in corrosion science education, and advancement of global standardization in the field. 

    Penspen were selected as winners of the award for their commitment to advancing solutions that meet the unique challenges posed by both the energy transition, drive progress in a new digital era, and encourage and support the next generation of industry professionals. 

    Gustavo Romero, Director – Latin America, commented: “We are very grateful to the AMPP for this recognition, a true celebration of our commitment to advancing the field of corrosion control and asset integrity. 

    “As proud members of the association, we have over 25 employees who are members of the AMPP and 15 engineers certified in AMPP programs working across our teams, and look forward to more collaboration in future as we continue to amplify the important work of our industry.” 

    Bringing pipeline integrity into the digital era 

    As a corporate member of the AMPP for over a decade, Penspen recognises the value of industry collaboration in the advancement of knowledge, technical processes, and education surrounding corrosion science and coatings engineering.   

    Advancing digital solutions beyond integrity assessments, Penspen’s digital pipeline integrity tool THEIA is the result of collaboration amongst our global network of corrosion and integrity engineers. THEIA’s game-changing predictive technology uses in-line inspection data to simulate the corrosion growth process, producing accurate corrosion growth rate models for analysis. 

    Not only does the tool reduce the time required for data analysis from weeks to seconds, but it enables our clients to have confidence when it comes to integrity management. With clients across the world, THEIA now processes over 15,000km of pipelines globally. 

    In addition, THEIA’s collaboration with Senslytics elevates pipeline integrity analysis by exploring how artificial intelligence (AI) can improve decision-making for pipeline operators and ensure the safe and reliable operation of pipelines.

    Addressing the skills shortage: supporting the development of the next generation 

    As a trusted partner to highly respected educational institutions, Penspen has developed university-level courses spanning pipeline integrity management and corrosion science to address the worldwide need for skilled engineers in these areas. 

    In 2005, Penspen launched its first MSc course in partnership with Newcastle University in the UK. With 500 graduates from the course, its success led to the creation of a second MSc program in pipeline integrity management with Northumbria University in 2013, covering the assessment of risk, corrosion, and pipeline damage. Having been previously recognized as a world-class provider of industry training courses, the launch of these MSc programs established Penspen as a leader in master’s level education in pipeline and corrosion engineering. 

    More recently Penspen has developed higher education courses in Latin America, with the launch of a pipeline maintenance and inspection diploma in collaboration with the Juárez Autonomous University of Tabasco, Mexico, which was later converted into a two-year master’s program. In 2024, Penspen established a new qualification in partnership with the University of Piura (UDEP) in Peru to draw on a wealth of expertise from our senior industry experts and support the development of Peru’s next generation of corrosion specialists.

    Future-proofing knowledge and standards 

    Last year, Penspen established a new corrosion laboratory in Peru to advance developments in chemical and microgeological analysis. By using samples from pipelines and analysing parameters relating to corrosion, the laboratory will be a key hub for corrosion identification research and the development of appropriate control methodologies. It’s a major step forward in corrosion science research, powering our efforts to expand and modernise expertise in this area. 

    Penspen is also a founding member of the Pipeline Defect Assessment Manual (PDAM), an engineering manual providing definitive guidance on the best practices, procedures, methods, and equations for the assessment of defects. 

    Throughout 2024, PDAM was reviewed for further updates, with plans to expand the scope of PDAM further to align better with industry trends towards hydrogen and CO2 pipelines, as well as covering defects in older onshore and offshore pipeline assets. Penspen’s contribution has shaped the industry-recognised guide, which continues to be a cornerstone of any integrity engineer’s toolkit. 

    Meeting the challenge 

    Harnessing a 70-year heritage to meet the challenge of extending asset life, Penspen is proud to be recognised by the AMPP for our ongoing contribution to the materials protection and performance industry.  

    By developing upcoming talent across the world, future-proofing industry standards, and improving the safety and efficiency of energy infrastructure, Penspen’s contribution to the industry is aligned with our wider mission: to continue to improve access to secure and sustainable energy globally.  

    Commenting on the award, Peter O’Sullivan, Chief Executive Officer, said: “This award recognises Penspen’s contribution to shaping corrosion engineering and corrosion services globally, supporting energy infrastructure owners to optimise their assets in a safe and sustainable way.  

    “We are particularly proud of our exceptional track record in skills development, where we have used our deep technical expertise to both invest in the next generation of corrosion experts, and to drive innovation in the sector by developing services for digitalisation and the energy transition.” 

    For media enquiries, please contact: 

  3. Penspen Launches New Hydrogen Repurposing Training Course for 2025

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    hydrogen training course repurposing pipelines

    Leveraging its extensive experience working on hydrogen projects, Penspen has launched a new training course on repurposing ageing infrastructure for hydrogen.

    International engineering consultancy Penspen is leveraging its extensive energy transition expertise to address an industry-wide skills shortage with the launch of a new training course focussed on repurposing pipelines for hydrogen. 

    Designed for those involved in conceiving, planning, designing, constructing, and commissioning assets repurposed for hydrogen, the two-day course will explore groundbreaking research, emerging legislative framework, and practical advice around the resources required for successful implementation. 

    Nigel Curson, Executive Vice President – Technical Excellence, said: “Our clear track record of delivering pioneering projects in this area has laid the groundwork for the development of this new hydrogen training course.  

    “The interest in developing this course is testament to the depth of specialist knowledge that we have at Penspen around hydrogen repurposing. The natural next step is to use this expertise to empower pipeline operators to conduct their own hydrogen repurposing projects, bringing together our Centre of Engineering Excellence and our experienced training team to deliver a comprehensive course and tackle the skills shortage at a pivotal moment.” 

    Industry-leading training 

    The urgency of the energy transition demands significant infrastructure repurposing, particularly of pipeline networks, to reduce emissions in an economically sustainable way. Given that Europe alone has over 260,000km of pipelines supplying 100 million households and industries, the scale of our pipeline networks presents an enormous opportunity to decarbonise energy supply by repurposing infrastructure with existing direct market access. 

    Penspen’s two-day course, delivered from its London headquarters, will also cover key learnings from the company’s proven energy transition track record, analysing innovative hydrogen transmission and distribution infrastructure repurposing projects in Portugal, Ireland, Turkey, and the UK.

    Having trained more than 4,000 people through industry-recognised courses spanning asset integrity, asset management, pipeline legislation, and energy transition, Penspen is recognised by leading industry organisations for its pipeline industry training courses. 

    Established hydrogen experience 

    For more than 70 years, Penspen has utilised its engineering heritage to design, maintain, and optimise energy infrastructure to improve access to secure and sustainable energy across the world. 

    The launch of the new hydrogen course follows two major energy transition project awards for the company. In November 2024, Penspen announced it had been selected to provide hydrogen blending assessment services for Conexus Baltic Grid. Under this contract, Penspen’s integrity specialists in the UK will carry out studies to provide recommendations for the introduction of hydrogen into the operator’s network. 

    Additionally, earlier last week Penspen announced it been awarded a contract to provide hydrogen gap analysis services for Trans Adriatic Pipeline AG, one of the most strategic energy transition infrastructure projects in Europe. 

    • Penspen’s ‘Repurposing Pipelines for Hydrogen’ training course will take place on the 11-12 March 2025 and the 9-10 September 2025 at 150 Holborn, the company’s London headquarters. To view more information on the course modules and secure a place on the course, click here. 

  4. Penspen Signs Agreement With Mexican University to Collaborate on CorrLab Initiative

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    (L-R Wilfrido Miguel Contreras Sanchez – Secretary of Research, Graduate Studies and Linkage at UJAT, Dora Maria Frias Marquez – Director of the Academic Division of Engineering and Architecture, Guillermo Narvaez Osorio – Rector of UJAT, Gustavo Romero Urdaneta – Director of Latin America at Penspen, Ezequiel Gregorio Epitacio – Manager of Penspen Mexico, Isaac Rubio – Representative of the British Embassy)

    Penspen, a leading global energy consultancy, has signed a new collaboration agreement with the Universidad Juárez Autónoma de Tabasco (UJAT), building on over a decade of successful collaboration with the Mexican university. 

    The new agreement seeks to harness the potential of the university’s advanced laboratories for research around topics related to corrosion science, including the characterisation of materials and analysis of fluids. A ceremony was held in Villahermosa, Mexico to mark the commencement of the agreement, led by Guillermo Narváez Osorio, Rector of Universidad Juárez Autónoma de Tabasco, and Gustavo Romero Urdaneta, Director of Latin America at Penspen. 

    Gustavo Romero Urdaneta, Director of Latin America at Penspen, said: “Penspen is delighted to continue working alongside UJAT. This agreement underlines our commitment to promoting initiatives that drive innovation and sustainable growth.  

    “We believe in the value of investing in the future of energy, which is why we have been proud to partner with the UJAT for over 10 years, with a commitment to developing the next generation of integrity engineers. This latest development reflects that commitment and is an exciting step which will leverage the expertise of both Penspen and UJAT colleagues to carry out important research in corrosion science. 

    “We are also working on similar agreements in other Latin American countries to continue leveraging our experience to shape the future of energy.” 

    Pioneering research 

    For over a decade, Penspen and the Universidad Juárez Autónoma de Tabasco have worked together to develop the next generation of integrity engineers in Latin America.  

    This new initiative, named CorrLab, brings together experienced engineers from Penspen and doctoral research staff from UJAT to offer:  

    • Structural analysis services for metals and sands 
    • Identification of corrosion products 
    • Removal, installation and evaluation of corrosion coupons 
    • Sampling and analysis of fluids 
    • Tests for failure analysis 
    • Crystallinity and mineralogical analysis 
    • Analysis of coatings and additives 
    • Water quality tests 

    The laboratory benefits from highly advanced equipment including an x-ray diffractometer, an infrared and UV-vis spectrophotometer, a scanning electron microscope, a high-resolution transmission electron microscope, a gas chromatograph, and equipment for microbiology and water analysis. This will enable Penspen and UJAT to conduct extensive research in the field of corrosion science, supporting our wider efforts to safely extend the lives of ageing pipeline assets globally. 

    A successful relationship 

    In 2014, Penspen and UJAT launched a first-of-its-kind degree in pipeline inspection and maintenance, with modules led by Penspen’s technical experts. This partnership was strengthened in 2019 with the launch of a new specialist two-year MSc degree focused on corrosion and integrity management. 

    For media inquiries, please contact: 

    Colene Woolcott, Head of Marketing & Communications, Penspen: c.woolcott@penspen.com 

Penspen
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