jf acquires cowan manufacturing - james fisher & sons

QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER FOR THE JAMES FISHER GROUP OF COMPANIES SPRING 2017


Tall story Young talent Steaming ahead Mud coolingStrainstall fits movement monitoring system to Malaysia’s new skyscraper: Page 2

Outstanding achievement awards for two JFSS officer trainees: Page 3

JFN’s decommissioning project at Winfrith is now ready to break ground: Page 4

Scan Tech AS tests new mud cooling system offshore: Page 7


Wind farm contract for JFMS

The James Fisher Marine Services’ team has built on previous success delivering complex marine and offshore projects, to win a significant new contract for London Array, the world’s largest operational offshore wind farm situated in the Thames Estuary.

This means JFMS will be responsible for balance of plant inspection and maintenance services on London Array’s 175 turbines, its meteorological mast, and statutory inspections on two offshore substations over the next five years.

JFMS will also act as a single source supplier for multiple projects, allowing London Array to benefit from using the wider range of services offered by the James Fisher group.

Martin Myhill Sisley, managing director of JFMS renewables services division says: ‘For some time our focus has been on creating a service that enables our customers to draw on JFMS’ full range of assets and capabilities to deliver, through a single contracting interface, a fully-integrated solution.’

‘We’re delighted to have been chosen by London Array. The length of this contract means we can focus on long term operational efficiencies, cost reduction and improve overall uptime.’

London Array is the leading supplier of clean energy to the UK, generating enough power for nearly 500,000 homes. Jonathan Duffy, general manager at London Array,

JFD support for Indian Navy acceleratesExpert dive training has commenced for the Indian Navy as JFD completes key milestones in a major submarine rescue system project. Full story on page 3

JFMS has signed a multi-million pound, five-year contract to provide marine services for London Array

JF acquires Cowan ManufacturingJames Fisher has expanded its Australian presence with the acquisition of specialist diving and recompression company, Cowan Manufacturing in a move which enhances the group’s capability within the defence and commercial diving sectors and broadens the offering to the Royal Australian Navy.

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adds: ‘We look forward to working with James Fisher - we have been impressed with the comprehensive range of solutions, the ability to deliver innovative and bespoke services, as well as the company’s strong QHSE record, and its commitment to excellence.’

Being part of the James Fisher group allows JFMS to provide its customers with a wide range of solutions that is unrivalled in the offshore renewables industry, to support the safe, timely and cost-effective delivery of challenging offshore projects.

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Strainstall’s movement monitoring system guides construction of Merdeka PNB 118 in Malaysia - which will be the world’s fifth tallest building

Aiming high in Kuala Lumpur

Strainstall Malaysia has been awarded a major contract to incorporate its sophisticated movement monitoring equipment into the prestigious Merdeka PNB 118 skyscraper being built in Kuala Lumpur.

A full range of sensors and third party satellite system technology are being employed to take measurements across the structure as it takes shape with instrumentation strategically positioned throughout the 118-storey building from the basement to the top of it’s spire (see graphic).

This will provide the contractor with important information about the building’s alignment during construction and generate a real-time early warning system of possible weather-related damage during the building’s lifetime.

The building’s complex design means monitoring during construction - and afterwards - is considered to be critical to the build. Monitoring has already begun and is expected to continue for ten years beyond the completion date in 2020.

Strainstall’s monitoring system will combine accelerometers, strain gauges for steel and concrete, a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) positioning system and a weather station. This information will feed information to Strainstall’s Smart Asset Management System (SAMS) software which records and collates data in real time. SAMS will be integrated with the development’s own building management system to share information and provide warning of any events that fall outside acceptable parameters, allowing engineers to mitigate risk and take remedial action where required.

‘With tremors being felt in Malaysia from seismic events all around Asia and an increased typhoon risk in the region, our long-term health monitoring system will provide a historic data library which can be brought up at any time,’ explains Damian Griffiths, regional monitoring solutions manager for Strainstall in Malaysia.

Although SAMS was originally developed for large bridge projects it is now proving invaluable for the health maintenance of high rise buildings and this contract win joins Strainstall’s portfolio of

high profile monitoring projects which include the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai.

Damian adds: ‘Strainstall Malaysia has a strong record of successfully monitoring large, complex structures and we are confident our system will offer complete transparency concerning the performance of this tower throughout construction, commissioning and beyond.’

Cutting demonstration seals the deal

Strainstall’s sensor types and locations

GPS station: 1 rover on the roof (2 reference base stations on surrounding structures)

Tri-axial accelerometer:2 on the roof, 2 on the ground

Bi-axial accelerometer:2 on level 74, 1 on the spire

Anemometer: 2 on the spire

Strain gauges: 20 on the spire

Data acquisition unit with monitoring PC

Tower facts

Name:Merdeka means independence

Height to top of spire:644 m / 2,113 ft

Number of floors: 118

Total floor area: 292,000 m2 / 3,143,062 ft2

Offices:HQ for Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB), shopping centre plus hotel rooms

Parking capacity: 5000 cars

Earlier this year, James Fisher Offshore (JFO) hosted a four-day cutting demonstration at its headquarters in Aberdeenshire, for a key Middle Eastern client ahead of a large-scale decomissioning project.

The team was able to replicate specific and complex subsea cutting operations speedily and effectively to reassure the client ahead of planned mobilisation to the Middle East for the project later this year.

They were able to demonstrate the internal abrasive cutting of large diameter pipelines, hydraulic cutting of large concrete coated pipes and piles as well as pipe dredging and the lifting of cut pipes at full load with zero ground clearance.

Key to the demonstration’s success was the use of Water Abrasive Suspension (WAS) cutting technology which is faster and more efficient than conventionally used systems. It links with a sophisticated verification system which provides real-time data analysis of the subsea cutting process, receiving measurement data from cutting sensors and relaying the information via a traffic light dashboard system to the operator to indicate cut success, speed and location.

Through offering this integrated package, JFO has proved it can efficiently and cost-effectively complete the decommissioning project with just one topside hydraulic/ancillary spread.

KEEPING AN EYE ON MERDEKA PNB 118

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James Fisher Shipping Services (JFSS) was delighted to hear at the end of 2017 that two of its officer trainees had received outstanding achievement awards. Both started their training at Fleetwood Nautical College, near Blackpool in 2015 and these awards recognise their commitment to maritime officer training which combines academic studies with practical sea time within the JFSS tankships fleet.

Benjamin Welch 24, who completed a Foundation Degree in Nautical Science in addition to a II/1 Deck Officer of the Watch Certificate of Competency, was named the college’s top graduating student for outstanding achievement during his maritime officer training. He now works with the JFSS tankships fleet as part of its career advancement programme.

Joshua Bell 22, was awarded Liverpool Marine Engineers’ and Naval Architects’

Guild Engineering Apprentice of the Year 2017 having successfully completed his HNC in marine engineering in addition to a III/1 Engineering Officer of the Watch Certificate of Competency. He has been gaining experience of the third engineer rank.

The awards came as part of the pair’s involvement with the JFSS career advancement programme which is designed to provide newly qualified officers


JFD has completed the build of the first of its 3rd generation submarine rescue system for the Indian Navy and has commenced the contracted training plan

Making the grade

Back in the summer of 2016 we announced in Pelican that JFD had landed a significant submarine rescue deal with the Indian Navy to create two new systems, train its operators and maintain all equipment.

In February 2018 senior representatives from the Indian Navy flew to JFD’s manufacturing base in Renfrew near Glasgow to celebrate the build completion of the first system. The ceremony marked a world-first in the final integration of a complete submarine rescue system within a single manufacturing facility, enabling engineers to test in-situ how each component part would integrate in order to deliver the optimum submarine rescue capability.

Under the £193m contract, JFD is providing two complete fly-away submarine rescue systems to the Indian Navy, the first of which has now been delivered. Each system includes a deep search and rescue vehicle (DSRV), launch and recovery system (LARS) equipment, transfer under pressure (TUP) systems, and all logistics and support equipment required to operate the service.

The submarine rescue systems have been specifically designed to operate at the leading edge of capability whilst also being optimised to be easily transported by as many different aircraft types as possible. This greatly increases the number of available aircraft to transport the system, minimising the time required for mobilisation.

The equipment has been designed, manufactured, integrated and tested by JFD and the first system has now been shipped to India, arriving mid-April, for final commissioning and trials.

‘Protecting the lives of submariners is the foundation of our business,’ says Giovanni Corbetta, JFD’s managing director. ‘That is why we have invested significantly in the development of our 3rd generation system, using our deep and unrivalled knowledge of submarine rescue to conduct an extensive research and development programme, developed against a set of generic, but well-considered and representative requirements.’

The submarine rescue systems will be situated on bases maintained on the east

Create, train and maintain

Benjamin Welch (left) being presented by Shajan Lukose, Head of Maritime Operations at the Fleetwood Nautical Campus and Joshua Bell (right) receiving his award from John Troop, Chairman of the Liverpool Marine Engineers’ and Naval Architects’ Guild.

with the experience and sea time to gain a permanent position within the JFSS fleet in either the second officer or second engineer rank.

‘We feel it is important to not only reward company loyalty but to also provide newly qualified officers with an opportunity to start their career, gain confidence and build on their knowledge as future officers in our fleet,’ says James Rowland-Smith, JFSS head of QSE.

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and west coasts of India. Both bases will have state–of-the-art rescue assets that will be operated by the Indian Navy, which is now being trained and supported by JFD’s maintenance and training staff as part of the deal, also including a 25-year all-inclusive annual maintenance contract.

JFD specialists commenced the training programme at the end of 2017, with 72 officers and sailors from the Indian Navy at various facilities throughout Scotland. The initial five-week phase covered chamber operation, ROV training and familiarisation, and in-water submersible training. Training then continued on the operation of submersibles and is culminating in cross-training on DSRVs, following sea acceptance trials. By the end of the programme, trainees will be ready to safely undertake live rescue operations at sea.

View our project video here


Strainstall monitors tension in VietnamStrainstall has won a contract to supply a specialist load monitoring system to an innovative oil and gas platform being built off the coast of Vietnam.

Construction work has just begun on the platform which will be the first to pioneer a three-column tension leg design, and Strainstall has been commissioned to create a bespoke monitoring system.

The platform will be secured to the seabed via six tendons each of which will house three of Strainstall’s subsea load cells configured in a ring around the tendon. These will feed tension information via connectors developed and supplied by RMS Pumptools, through to the Strainstall Tendon Tension Monitoring System (TTMS)

WHAT IS WINFRITH?

Winfrith’s SGHWR was built in 1967 as a prototype power-producing water-cooled reactor. It ran for 23 years supporting a major experimental programme and operating as a power station, feeding electricity into the national grid.

Back in the summer of 2016 James Fisher Nuclear (JFN) won a tough competitive tendering process to secure a £60m contract with Magnox, working on behalf of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and the team has been hard at work developing the technical solutions necessary to remotely segment Winfrith’s redundant Steam Generating Heavy Water Reactor (SGHWR) core and handle the resultant waste packages.

Because the core is categorised as ‘Intermediate Level Waste’ it has to be handled by remotely operated equipment, which has made this a very technically challenging project. However, it is now progressing towards the end of the detailed design stage ready for implementation. The team is now engaging with its supply chain and integrated teams of specialist sub-contractors are fine-tuning procurement plans.

Kerry Bailey, JFN’s principal project manager for SGHWR explains: ‘We’ve made extensive use of 3D modelling systems to develop the design, integrating modifications to the mechanical plant with the equipment required to remotely decommission the reactor core. A key driver throughout has been to utilise a mixture of commercial off the shelf (COTS)

material with bespoke equipment to provide Magnox with the most optimised solution.’

‘To support this methodology JFN is manufacturing some of the specialist tooling and integrating it with COTS equipment to allow development trials to take place over the coming months. Additionally, we have a safety case team working closely with our engineers at JFN’s Bamber Bridge office to ensure every stage of design, construction, commission and operation meets relevant safety standards required for the project.’

‘Site mobilisation activities commenced earlier this year, to support the initial on site enabling works and we are now ready to start breaking ground on site,’ she adds.

After nearly two years of detailed design and preparatory work, James Fisher Nuclear has reached an important milestone in its major £60 million decommissioning contract at Winfrith in Dorset

Steaming ahead with core business

The plan is for the JFN team to work closely with Magnox to ensure its operations team is trained to use the equipment and can safely take the reactor apart.

Winfrith’s SGHWR is just the second nuclear power reactor core to be approved for decommissioning in the UK. It is a prestigious project for JFN and represents one of the largest value decommissioning projects to have been awarded in the UK in recent years. In the eyes of the industry, this firmly establishes JFN as the UK’s leading contractor for reactor decommissioning implementation.

Kevin McIntyre, reactors programme manager for Magnox says: ‘Decommissioning the SGHWR is a significant step in dealing with the country’s nuclear legacy. JFN has proven itself as an able and innovative partner. The team has attacked the challenges presented by the Winfrith reactor and put forward innovative, safety focused and cost effective solutions.’

Three load cells located at each tether

View from the seabed

software to be analysed. This information is sent from the un-manned platform to the operating control room on a nearby floating production, storage and offloading unit and used to monitor the stability of the platform and inform operators in real time of mooring conditions, issuing warnings if it is subject to conditions which fall outside established operating parameters.

Although this is Strainstall’s 10th TLP contract this is the first three-column platform in the offshore oil and gas industry and it cements the team’s position in the market as the sole provider of TTMS.

Commenting on the new configuration, Frank Rose, business development manager

at Strainstall says: ’This innovative design will deliver cost efficiencies at a crucial time for the industry and our system will send valuable data to the control room increasing safety and protect the platform.’

HOW IT WORKS


EDS HV Group (EDS), which recently joined the James Fisher group, was one of only three UK based companies in first quarter 2017 to receive a major EU grant to support the large-scale customer trials necessary to demonstrate the technical advantages of its Cable Sentry system which detects subsea cable faults in real-time.

The grant forms part of the EU’s largest research and innovation funding programme aimed at driving economic growth through innovation to help secure global competitiveness in Europe.

EDS has recently received €1.3 million in European Union Horizon 2020 funding to put Cable Sentry through large-scale trials

EU funding for Cable Sentry system

Under the surface with:

Project development lead

Joe Lawson

Cable Sentry has been designed to create operational and cost savings for the offshore renewables sector using distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) technology already proven in the oil and gas industry to detect subsea cable faults in real time.

EDS’s recent trial, at Gwynt y Môr offshore wind farm off the coast of North Wales, which was undertaken in conjunction with Balfour Beatty (BB), has now been successfully completed. BB is currently developing a proactive strategy to repair cables using a range of non-invasive

tests to monitor cable performance and create a comprehensive cable health index.

Geoff Briggs, technical manager at EDS says: ‘We believe this technology will be a game changer within the industry, and the funding will enable us to develop Cable Sentry to the next level.’

John Sinclair, development director - power transmission and distribution at Balfour Beatty Investment adds: ‘We welcome the chance to get involved with these trials as cable health is at the forefront of our O&M strategy and having seen Cable Sentry’s performance on trial at our Gwynt y Môr site recently, we are delighted to play a part in supporting its role out.

on Prolec’s PME 500 machine envelope control system and the Prolec pcX-Pro guidance system that offers efficiency and safety improvements by automatically setting height, reach and slew limits with minimal operator involvement (as previously reported in Pelican). It’s a really exciting concept which we expect to transform the construction market.

In the past, you had to set up individual safety limits for any vehicle on a construction site, then re-set those limits every time each vehicle moves. But this system allows you to set up the safety limits for the entire site in one go then load it on to any number of different machines so they can all see the same hazards and avoid them in exactly the same way.

What stage are things at?We have our phase one system up and running with Transport for London and other development systems being tested on construction sites and highways elsewhere. The technology and concepts are continually evolving and we are working with Cranfield University on a shared project which hopes to result in a Confident

Construction system with even more functionality.

What does the future hold?The phase two system will understand three-dimensional hazards enabling the operator to work in incredibly complex environments with no risk of damage to assets. Our ultimate goal is to create a system so comprehensive and safe you can eventually take the operator out of the machine, with complete confidence that the machine understands its environment dynamically. This would allow any task in hazardous locations to be done with no danger to human life.

Tell us a bit about yourselfI joined Prolec straight after finishing my degree in geological oceanography at Bangor University last May. I am passionate about watersports and I enjoy sailing and wakeboarding and spent much of my holiday time on the sea, and working on different maritime projects over the years. I think the combination of the land surveying I undertook as part of my studies, with my experience in product design and development has significantly helped me in this role.

What’s your role at Prolec?I’m responsible for bringing together the many different experts and departments that work on Prolec’s Confident Construction system and to investigate ways of pushing the project forwards. Confident Construction is a sophisticated suite of product enhancements based

We meet Joe Lawson who is spearheading the development of Confident Construction for Prolec

Joe (second from right) with the Confident Construction team


Lightening the aquaculture loadA Scottish aquaculture company will be using Scotload’s specialised load links on its nets to ensure compliance with lifting regulations in a move that identifies a new area of application for the load monitoring specialist.

Aquaculture companies typically use large nets which can be submerged for up to two years. In this time algae can grow in abundance on the net, adding to the weight and making lifting operations potentially dangerous.

The Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations (LOLER) issued

When one of the yachts competing in the Clipper Round the World race ran aground at the site of a nature reserve on Africa’s Cape Peninsula last October, a team from Ardent-Subtech was sent in to help clear up.

Once the 18 crew members had been safely evacuated by the local National Sea Rescue Institute, pollution control became the top priority and the rapid response contract was awarded to Ardent-Subtech.

The team’s debris removal job was complicated by the fact that the area (Cape Point Nature Reserve) is a protected wildlife sanctuary which means vehicles are not allowed on the beach under any circumstances. As a consequence, all the salvage equipment had to be hand-carried to the site and all perishables (including sails) hand-carried off the beach too, before being loaded onto trucks and delivered to the Ardent-Subtech warehouse for the Clipper team.

Clipper race chairman and founder, Sir Robin Knox-Johnson explained: ‘Once the assessment had been made that the vessel was not repairable, we needed to deal with the situation quickly with the priority of minimising environmental impact and returning the beach to its original state.’

Saudi partnership for Fendercare Marine

Focus on quality services in Nigeria

Ardent-Subtech to the rescue

Capt. William Moore, salvage manager at Subtech says: ‘The operation was a challenge as all the equipment had to be handled manually to and from the site with poor accessibility. However, the team really came together and we were able to remove all fuel form the wreck within 24 hours, ensuring that the surrounding nature reserve and wildlife were not impacted.’

by the UK government requires all lifting operations to be carried out in a safe manner and these special links offer a fully compliant solution. By regularly using load links to test equipment the user can monitor weight and tension during lifting and ensure all equipment remains suitable for use. This greatly reduces the risk of machine failure or unsafe procedures.

Eight of Scotload’s 12.5t load links have been supplied to ensure LOLER compliance and prevent potentially dangerous overloading of lifting equipment when nets are being removed from pens.

Thanks to a new partnership with shipping agency, GAC Saudi Arabia, Fendercare Marine’s range of products and equipment is now available in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

This arrangement means Fendercare Marine will be offering a wide range of stock (such as ropes, chains and shackles) to purchase locally through GAC’s base at the port of Dammam in Saudi Arabia, which is strategically situated to service the region’s oil industry and to be close to the country’s second largest port.

Bode Gbadamosi, general manager at Fendercare Marine Middle East says: ‘The partnership means Fendercare will house stock in Dammam which, when combined with GAC’s local knowledge allows us to provide a first-class logistical service through established distribution chains to all of the Kingdom’s major ports.’

James Fisher has expanded the group’s portfolio of services in Nigeria, offering its diverse range of capabilities to meet the demands of the growing regional oil and gas market there.

After 15 years in the region Fendercare Nigeria has been renamed James Fisher Nigeria. This expanded local service will offer local customers supply chain optimisation with the improved responsiveness made possible by using local assets, personnel and resources.

JF Nigeria director, Tunji Ladoja, says: ‘This move enables us to focus on the delivery of high quality services and products that Fendercare Nigeria was already known for but with the addition of support, knowledge and expertise of the James Fisher group.’

As a Nigerian company, JF Nigeria meets all the necessary requirements to provide specialised marine products and services to the Nigerian oil and gas sector.

The Greenings clipper in full sail and sadly running aground off the African coast

Fendercare Marine signs the deal with GOC

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For the past ten years James Fisher Rumic has undertaken a high profile role in providing overseers to the Ministry of Defence (MoD) for its 16 P2000 Fast Inshore Patrol Craft. Successful contract management has resulted in the MoD agreeing to renew this contract for a further seven years.

Overseers work on behalf of the MoD to oversee the work done at shipyards on MoD vessels. The overseers work both in the UK and at overseas dockyards and the contract is managed by Rumic which

Cool mud packs a punch for Scan Tech AS

JFSE makes its mark in India

Rumic sees renewal of MoD overseers contract

E.ON blazes path for future offshore operations

Global energy giant, E.ON has announced it will be working with the Offshore Wind Management System (OWMS) developed by James Fisher Marine Services (JFMS) at the Humber Gateway and Rampion Offshore wind farms.

This move highlights the importance of investments being made by JFMS in innovating products and services to support the industry’s drive to reduce the cost of offshore wind. It is also a vote of confidence by E.ON which blazes a path for future offshore wind farm operations.

OWMS allows operators to orchestrate everything from personnel tracking and vessel co-ordination to weather variants from one simple interface. E.ON will be using it to manage marine co-ordination for all operations and maintenance activities for the sites in a bid to boost efficiency and cut costs.

Scan Tech AS in Norway has designed and produced a sophisticated new mud cooling product which promises significant time, cost and space savings for the offshore drilling market. After rigorous testing with clients, a prototype model is now ready for its first offshore assignment.

The new mud cooler answers client frustrations with existing systems which are large, block easily, and are expensive to clear and clean. It is one-fifth the size of its smallest competitor (with a footprint under 2m sq) and is designed to be easily and quickly cleaned without need for complex dismantling. With limited deck space on the drilling rig, this is of prime importance.

‘Using unique pleat cooling technology and advanced design, we have created the world’s most compact cooler for use with one of the world’s nastiest fluids – recycled drilling mud,’ says Christopher Stevens, managing director Scan Tech Group Norway.

James Fisher Subsea Excavation (JFSE) has begun work on its longest pipeline trenching project to date – with a 110km trench at the Daman gas field, off the Mumbai coast in India.

The contract is part of a major pipeline completion programme for India’s Oil & Natural Gas Corporation. It comes on the back of 11 similar projects successfully completed by JFSE in the region in recent years.

The length of the Daman pipeline combined with strong currents and unpredictable seas in the area means JFSE is using its most sophisticated machinery and expertise. It will deploy its SP6000 and patented jetting function using a bespoke Launch and Recovery System which frees up the vessel’s crane for simultaneous operations.

Faisel Chaudry, JFSE’s regional director says: ‘Our experience of post-lay trenching in India, and in this particular field, is vitally important and gives our clients the confidence that we can truly deliver a time and cost-efficient solution to their excavation requirements.’

provides expert contracted personnel with many years’ experience in the maritime industry.

The contract also includes the support of annual refits on HMS Sabre and HMS Scimitar which are stationed in Gibraltar where they protect the sovereignty of the Gibraltar territorial waters. Overseers are also provided on Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessels in Birkenhead and Falmouth and Rumic supplies personnel to support the construction of the MoD’s Tide class tankers in South Korea.


Crawling, climbing, scrambling...

Top teamwork by the ‘Meldrum Mechs’

JFMS was headline sponsor for the 2018 East Anglian Air Ambulance (EAAA) ‘Only the Brave’ charity mud race, in which a team of 35 James Fisher employees took part in the gruelling sports challenge.

The team of ‘Peli-CANS’ made up of employees from Fendercare, ScanTech Offshore, Rotos 360 and JFMS, took on the gruelling six mile track, crawling, climbing and scrambling over 35 obstacles to reach the finish line. The event, held annually near

James Fisher Offshore (JFO) has been working closely with a school in Aberdeenshire to help inspire young people considering a future in the marine and offshore industry by supporting them in the building and racing of an electric car.

The move comes as part of a national project, backed by a charity called ‘Greenpower Education’ which has been set up to inspire young people in the fields of science, technology and engineering as part of a STEM initiative. School children aged 11-16 are encouraged to buy a single-seater kit car, then design, build and customise the car with the end goal of racing it at special Greenpower events at top motor circuits around the country.

This year, JFO has teamed up with Meldrum Academy which is based close to its HQ at Inverurie in Scotland, and is working closely with the school on the project. A dedicated area in the JFO workshop has been set aside to build and store the electric car and the 20 Meldrum pupils have been kitted out in JFO sponsored boiler suits. They work in two

teams of ten visiting the JFO workshop on alternate Tuesdays under the guidance and support of experienced JFO technicians.

Jack Davidson, managing director of JFO says: ‘It is a pleasure to support the local school by providing a real workshop environment and having experienced engineering staff on hand to support the pupils - their enthusiasm is inspiring and it is a real pleasure to be involved.’

Mrs Donna-Marie Stewart, who is design

and technology teacher at Meldrum Academy adds: ‘I’ve never seen our children so motivated to work through a project before. They have been learning skills which are helping them gain self-confidence and we’re getting a lot of positive feedback from parents too.’

The group plan to race their car alongside other local engineering groups at a Greenpower event at the Grampian Transport museum in June.

The ‘Meldrum Mechs’ from Meldrum Academy with their electric car

Thetford, in Norfolk at the end of March is an important fundraiser for EAAA. The Peli-CANS have raised more than £8,000. Talking about the headline sponsorship, Martin Myhill Sisley, managing director of services at JFMS says: ‘We were immensely proud to be headline sponsors for the event and delighted to help raise significant funds for EAAA which is a fantastic cause that provides invaluable service to the communities across East Anglia.’

Academic partnership University challengeJFMS has secured a partnership with the University of Exeter to develop new software solutions for increasing efficiencies in offshore wind power. The programme, called ORACLES (Offshore Renewables Accessibility for Crew transfer, Loss Estimation and Safety) aims to develop a forecasting algorithm which will enable energy companies to manage the crew transfer process in a way that maximises safety and minimises costs. It aims to help operators more accurately forecast the potential gains created by a marginal weather window and set these against any potential associated risks. At all stages of this project the team of academics will work closely with JFMS to ensure the methods produced on this project are directly relevant to the offshore wind industry.

James Fisher’s visual asset and data management specialist company, Return To Scene will be involved in a joint study with Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen.

The company’s award-winning software, R2S is now established in the oil and gas industry, but this two year project is designed to test the parameters of its application in the global construction and infrastructure sectors.

Claire Fleming, business support director at Return To Scene says of the project: ‘R&D is a central tenet of our business and we have a fundamental belief that engagement with academia and the establishment of platforms for knowledge exchange not only create commercial benefit but contribute to the wider climate of innovation.’

The research forms part of a European initiative of Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (or KTPs) which aim to boost a business’s competitiveness by matching it with higher education or research and technology organisations.

See a time lapseof the car

taking shape

jf acquires cowan manufacturing - james fisher & sons

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