Supply chain case studies
Producing energy that the UK needs today and progressing our plans to help support a lower carbon future sees us working with a wide range of businesses from across the UK.
In 2023 we spent a total of £5.3 billion with UK suppliers. From Southampton to Shetland, we worked with a wide and diverse range of businesses, from start-ups to companies with over 100 years’ experience. Through several projects we supported companies to trial new technologies, gain experience operating overseas, grow their workforce and build credibility in their respective markets.
These case studies shine a spotlight on some of the companies we worked with in 2023.
Camm-Pro
Founded in 2016, Camm-Pro is an Aberdeenshire based small-medium enterprise that works with energy operators to deliver project management, integration and engineering, procurement and construction services across oil and gas and energy transition projects.
The award of a multi-million pound contract with bp to deliver a new pipeline and onshore facilities on Shetland represents a real step-change for Camm-Pro with an expected boost in the workforce of around 25% to over 50 employees.
In addition to supporting Camm-Pro’s own ambitious growth plans, the new contract is driving economic growth in the local supply chain. As a company which is committed to working with local suppliers, Camm-Pro has engaged extensively with Shetland-based companies, as well as those in the north-east, to deliver the project. For example, Camm-Pro has awarded the module fabrication scopes to Forsyth’s in Buckie, helping to protect jobs and underpinning economic prosperity in this historic fishing hub in the north-east of Scotland.
“Our contract with bp has been a game changer, helping to elevate our profile in the marketplace. It also supports us to unlock opportunities to widen our service offering, accelerate our growth plans and create more local jobs.”
Simon McBain, managing director, Camm-Pro, Aberdeenshire
The EV Network
Founded by father and son team Reza and Sam Shaybani in 2017, The EV Network (EVN) is an electric vehicle charging infrastructure developer and investment company. It has raised £400 million to create a network of high-powered public charging hubs across the UK that help meet the changing transport needs of the country.
Since signing a framework agreement in 2021, The EVN and bp pulse have worked together on several exciting and innovative EV charging projects, and in 2023 delivered 10 projects and most notably launched two Gigahubs in Kettering and the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) in Birmingham.
Since the beginning of the relationship the two organizations have grown and developed their strategy, working together to support both new projects and deliver reliability and uptime for the consumer.
The EVN designed, developed, and constructed the NEC Gigahub alongside bp pulse as operator. At the time it was unveiled, the NEC site was the largest EV charging hub in the UK. It sits at the heart of the national motorway network, boasting 30 ultra-fast 150kW and 150 7kW charge points, conveniently located for the 60 million road users that travel through the area each year.
Having created dozens of EV charging stations across the UK, the completion of the NEC Gigahub helped to launch The EVN on a more ambitious growth trajectory.
“Our long-term relationship with bp pulse is a transformative step towards bolstering the UK’s electric vehicle charging infrastructure.”
Reza Shaybani, CEO and co-founder of The EV Network, London
Costain
Founded in the 1860s as a housebuilder, Costain is an infrastructure solutions company that now has 3,500 employees in the UK. With offices in London, Manchester, Aberdeen and Maidenhead, Costain has been involved in carbon capture projects since the 1960s. The company was involved in the creation of Teesside’s first industrial cluster and retains a growing presence there today.
Costain has been working with bp on the development of Net Zero Teesside (NZT) Power and the Northern Endurance Partnership (NEP) – both part of wider plans to support Teesside to transform into an innovative lower carbon hydrogen and CCS hub.
Costain’s involvement with the NZT Power and NEP project has been to oversee and manage the engineering and procurement of the onshore CO2 gathering system and associated utilities serving the East Coast Cluster. Costain used advanced mapping technology to visualize and deliver the proposed pipeline routing which would help create the above ground CO2 infrastructure – the first of its kind in the UK.
Working with bp on Teesside helped Costain continue its long legacy of being at the heart of industrial change in the region while growing itself and supporting local jobs. The project is showcasing the very best of Costain’s full design and development capabilities, supporting its highly-skilled team with opportunities to collaborate closely with bp.
“We have been operating in the Northeast for a very long time. We have witnessed it move from industrial decline to one of the most exciting places for new infrastructure in the world. The work we are doing with bp on NZT Power and NEP is leading to great things – we want to make a difference, and this partnership enables us to do just that.”
Laura Hughes, energy sector director, Costain, London
Empirisys
Founded in 2020 in Cardiff with a team of two, Empirisys now employs 35 people and has doubled its revenue every year since it started.
Turning data into insight is where Empirisys excels. A scale-up technology business based in Cardiff, its cutting-edge data solutions create early warning signals that help mitigate process safety risks, with a particular focus on human factors. Its team of engineers and data scientists analyse masses of complex production and operational data to help identify certain conditions that may, if not addressed, increase the chances of a major accident. In so doing, Empirisys helps its customers make more informed decisions.
Having grounded its approach to managing human factors through data analytics in academic research, Empirisys then accelerated the development of its technology by collaborating with bp, and honing its AI methodologies by training its machine learning models using bp’s vast data resources.
Working closely with bp’s team, the relationship has supported Empirisys to grow its capabilities, expand its team, and deploy its technology in global markets. Having started working together in the UK, Empirisys’ services are currently being trialled at six bp facilities, including in the Gulf of Mexico and Azerbaijan.
“We are a new technology start-up and so the credibility and confidence we have gained from working with bp has been transformative. Our relationship with bp is unique, one of true collaboration, operating as an integrated team. Through collaborating with bp, we made the strategic decision to accelerate our transition from a services to a product business. This move has enabled robust expansion in both our income and workforce.”
Gus Carroll, CEO and co-founder of Empirisys, Cardiff
HYDrogen sensoR for Industry (HYDRI) consortium
bp is leading the HYDrogen sensoR for Industry (HYDRI) consortium, bringing together academia and industry, to unlock the power of quantum technology for the hydrogen economy. This project draws exclusively on the UK’s expertise and supply chain in this field.
Existing hydrogen monitoring methods are complex and expensive. The consortium is on a mission to develop a new handheld quantum sensor capable of detecting hydrogen at a safe distance – previously impossible. The new technology would not only be a step forward for safety but significantly more affordable and simpler to deploy in hydrogen facilities worldwide. Creating an industry-ready device presents a sizeable economic opportunity for the UK.
“The HYDRI project is an excellent example of the development of critical technology that will underpin the UK’s future national infrastructure enabled by Scotland’s world-leading cluster of expertise in photonics and quantum technologies.” – Dr. Johannes Herrnsdorf, Strathclyde Chancellor’s Fellow, Institute of Photonics, University of Strathclyde, an academic partner in the consortium.
In recognition of its technological and economic potential, the consortium received £2.5 million in funding from Innovate UK – the government’s innovation agency. A collaborative project, the consortium includes Fraunhofer Centre for Applied Photonics, Redwave Labs, IS Instruments, Photon Force, Caledonian Photonics, and the University of Strathclyde, alongside bp.
“Building on the UK’s global leadership in quantum technology, we are helping to accelerate the development of a new quantum device – presenting major safety, commercial and economic benefits.”
Robin Yellow, principal, bp’s digital science team
Dynamon
In 2023 bp Ventures invested in Dynamon, a data analytics software company founded at the University of Southampton. Dynamon’s EV fleet software uses data science to help support the commercial transport industry on its journey towards a lower carbon future.
Dynamon takes inspiration from the world of Formula 1 – where data analytics has become essential to success. It is bringing the use of advanced data tools to Britain’s businesses, in a way that is accessible and actionable, to help them go electric. The transition to electric vehicles demands intricate data analysis to enable businesses to make cost-effective decisions on vehicles and infrastructure. Dynamon’s software and analysis tools help companies navigate this complex journey, providing robust analysis and actionable insights that underpin fleet customer’s strategic investment decisions.
The company’s ambitious drive to create employment opportunities outside of London is becoming a reality, with more engineers in Southampton joining thanks to the bp Ventures investment. It is hoped that a ripple effect will also be felt at the University of Southampton with more opportunities to collaborate expected in the future.
“At Dynamon, the impact of bp’s investment has been transformative. It’s not just about topline growth – it’s about doubling our impact with well paid, highly skilled jobs right here in Southampton. Thanks to bp, we’ve expanded our horizons, reaching markets like North America at a scale that was not possible before the investment.”
Angus Webb, CEO and founder, Dynamon, Southampton
Johnson Matthey
For over 200 years, Johnson Matthey has been operating in the UK. Today, it is considered a world leader in technologies reducing carbon emissions and has been collaborating with bp for decades, including on the development of sustainable biofuels.
Johnson Matthey is set to play a vital role in bp’s plans to produce hydrogen on Teesside. Its innovative approach to hydrogen production, known as LCH™ technology, has been selected for H2Teesside (a) which, if it goes ahead as planned, could be one of the biggest blue hydrogen production facilities in the UK.
The LCH™ technology uses a gas-heated reformer and autothermal reformer to produce low carbon hydrogen from natural gas and could be used to decarbonize hard-to-abate industries including glass making, steel and cement.
This solution could provide a lower carbon, more sustainable, and cost-effective alternative to traditional hydrogen production. Not only is Johnson Matthey working on innovation in hydrogen for the UK, it is supporting a project that could help generate both direct and indirect job opportunities for the local community.
(a) Project subject to FID.
“bp’s proposed H2Teesside project could play a role in the UK’s efforts to decarbonize industry, and we’re proud to have our low carbon hydrogen technology at the heart of helping to achieve that vision.”
Alberto Giovanzana, managing director, Johnson Matthey, London
Wood
From its headquarters in Aberdeen, Wood has become a global leader in consulting and engineering across energy and materials, employing 35,000 people across 60 countries.
Wood has been supporting bp’s North Sea operations for several decades. In 2018 Wood was appointed to provide engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning services for the Seagull development which came onstream in 2023 – the first tieback to the Eastern Trough Area Project (ETAP) hub in 20 years.
Around 300 of Wood’s engineers and consultants were deployed on the North Sea project from its early design phase, all the way through to construction and now production. Developing Seagull meant reusing existing subsea infrastructure, which offers substantial benefits but also requires innovative solutions to the challenges of building on an existing asset. The skills developed and project experience are now being applied to Wood’s delivery of topside modifications on Murlach, another subsea tieback project to ETAP. In turn, this supports Wood in providing high-quality job opportunities in Scotland and elsewhere and to support its own supply chain.
A culture of openness and collaboration between bp and Wood was essential for the project team to effectively develop the solutions needed for success. Wood’s team, particularly the graduate designers and engineers, benefited from the opportunities to upskill and the unique experience of working on the Seagull project.
“As part of the Seagull project, our team gained invaluable skills supporting our growth, local employment and project delivery.”
Shaun Lewis, VP upstream, Wood, Aberdeen
Continuum Industries
Founded at Edinburgh University in 2018, Continuum Industries is helping to streamline the planning and development phase for building new infrastructure. It has created AI powered technology that analyses geospatial data, biodiversity, planning rules, social impacts, protected areas and more – to select optimal routes for transmission lines, cables and pipelines.
The scale-up is working with the Morven offshore wind project (b), a joint venture between bp and EnBW. Located around 60km off the coast of Aberdeen, Morven aims to power the equivalent of around 3 million homes. Continuum Industries’ technology aims to accelerate and streamline planning for new connections that will bring the energy generated offshore, to the national electricity grid.
Since it spun out of Edinburgh University, Continuum Industries has grown rapidly and opened offices in London and New York. The size of its team doubled in 2023 and now stands at over 50 employees.
(b) Depending on permits and contracts and subject to final investment decision
“Our project with bp has been important to our business growth. Working on the Morven offshore wind farm project fits squarely with our mission to accelerate the development of new infrastructure from project concept to planning consent.”
Grzegorz Marecki, co-founder and CEO, Continuum Industries, Edinburgh
