Escher Process Modules is a global partner to the oil and gas process plant industry providing process technology excellence since 1925, Exec Digital talks with Yvo Jansen about the company
Written by Jessica Summers & Produced by Nicholas Davies
As system integrator, Escher has all in-house capacity to render all services for FEED, engineering, fabrication, shipment up to complete turnkey project delivery and has been a name in the industry associated with excellence and innovation.
You may recognise the famous Escher name, the surname shared by the famous graphic artist and his cousin, Anne Escher, the founder of Escher Process Modules. After Anne Escher came to the Netherlands to study at Delft University as a mechanical engineer, he soon opened his own factory specialised in mechanical gas furnaces for industrial bread baking. Not long after, Escher actually produced the first electric welded hanging bridge in 1930 - in fact, these bridges can still be seen around The Hague in the Netherlands today.
After the Second World War, the company expanded rapidly. Escher really focused his plants on the petro-chemical industry, developing because of the discovery of natural gas in the Netherlands and Europe- where big oil and gas companies had begun to establish refineries.
From there, Escher’s journey has been an interesting one, and today the company has undergone many changes and developments that simply add to its wealth of expertise.
In 2005, Escher became a part of the IvGroep, which is a group of engineering companies from the Netherlands.
“Escher is now really developing as a process technology house and engineering contractor for process treatment plants” says Jansen, who joined the company in 2007 as Managing Director.
Escher is not manufacturing in-house anymore and is now more of a technology know-how process company, supporting oil and gas operators worldwide - from Europe, South East Asia and the Middle East. “One of our main advantages is our name, Escher is a very well-known brand worldwide - we’ve been around since 1925,” explains Jansen.
The oil and gas market is a very traditional one, in the sense that it is very dependent on proven technology and other vital aspects such as safety and quality. This is what Escher dedicates itself to, focusing on the top of pyramid, aiding companies like Shell and BP with resource and development. “The change has really been in that where before we were looking at the product and manufacturing, now we are focused on serving our clients with technology and working with them to develop these processes,” Jansen says.
Current Projects
In August last year, Escher was awarded a very interesting project with Sasol Oil, a worldwide oil & gas and petro-chemical company from South Africa. “It was exciting and important for us because it tied in with our new mission to supply directly,” explains Jansen.
The final destination for the process package plant will be to a big onshore gas field in Mozambique, where Escher has supplied three projects before. “We have tremendous know-how in incorporating the end user in development of these projects,” says Jansen. “It’s also been exciting for our young team to work with bright engineers of the client in South Africa,” he goes on.
And the Escher team are a young one, as Jansen puts it “most of the people in our company are well-educated young engineers, with an average age of around 35, they are an ambitious and eager team with a view to turning new technology into proven technology by working with the end users.”
Flare Systems
Escher’s Flare System experience spans more than six decades and includes innovations tested and approved with global operating companies like Shell, with whom Escher developed a business line with in the 70’s.
Escher’s scope encompasses process design, sizing, engineering, project management and turnkey EPIC execution of elevated and ground Flare Systems all based on individual process specifications, project and local site conditions.
“There are both safety and environmental implications,” explains Jansen.
The Venturi Flame Holder®, Escher’s latest innovative technology for enhanced industrial flaring in an eco-friendly way, was developed with Shell to keep up with Shell’s large concern with reducing CO2 emissions and lowering the Total Cost of Ownership; the flame holder is a new registered product for combustion technology and is the first step towards a smokeless and reduced emission production during flaring.
“We are now not only supplying that in the Netherlands, but in other countries with strict environmental objectives like Singapore as well,” says Jansen “There are two huge concerns in our industry and they are for the environment and safety, and the Venturi Flame Holder® is just one example of how Escher excels in implementing safety in our designs, as well as installations and looking at reducing environmental emissions and increasing life of products by really developing them in accordance.” And in regards to health, safety, environmental (HSHSE) and quality assurance Escher’s HSHSE system is SCCSCCSCC** (Safety Certificate Contractors double star) certified by Lloyds Register Quality Assurance, whilst its Quality Assurance system is ISOSO 9001:2008 certified by Lloyds Register Quality Assurance.
Innovation
Escher is as process technology house, both engineering contractor and supplier, and Jansen believes that one cannot be a good and prudent engineering contractor unless you know your clients, their objectives and products, and the environment they are in.
“This is where safety and environmental factors come into play - they’re a good way to promote and push innovation forward from the end users and operators,” explains Jansen.
“Our people are always working with the clients to stimulate innovation,” he also assures.
Escher certainly has developed and come along way over the years, its changed as Jansen puts it, from ‘being focused on export, hierarchical strong leadership and turnover’ to a company where innovation is at the core of everything they do, that, combined with the Escher name and expertise developed over years providing for their industry is testament to success.