Engineering solutions for evolving markets delivers record year for Air Control Entech with further growth planned in 2022

Air Control Entech, the certified remote inspection technology specialist, is successfully reinventing robotic remote inspection in the oil and gas industry – and it’s proving to be a lucrative move.

The company has just announced a record year for business in 2021 with plans for further growth this year, more than doubling the workforce and expanding into new offices.

The Aberdeen-based firm is proving its ability to engineer solutions for evolving market demands and aims to more than double its head count to 30 following a 194% revenue growth in 2021 and target to exceed £3million in revenue this year. The majority of new recruits will be in the operational side of the business, specifically robotics technicians.

To accommodate this growth, Air Control Entech is expanding into 340 square meters of office space in Murcar House, close to its existing premises that will be used for operations and technical development.

“Business is going extremely well. Our revenue has grown significantly and to enable further expansion we need more people. We increased our head count last year and we anticipate a need to more than double our number of employees this year,” said Chief Commercial Officer Marc Whitton.

“Around the world, there is a growing recognition of the value remote inspection technology brings in delivering highly accurate data, reducing project costs and avoiding risks to personnel.”

The company’s rapid growth has been due to increasing demand in the offshore and onshore oil and gas industry for remote inspection services. Another key factor has been an innovative business model which has seen Air Control Entech partner with leading established asset inspection providers.

Under the company’s robotics 365 business model, Air Control Entech’s robotics technicians work permanently alongside inspection engineers on the asset, using market-leading drones, mini-ROV’s and robotic crawlers paired with cameras (or inspection payloads) to deliver the best quality, most enhanced and comprehensive inspection data available. The robotics technicians are also trained to carry out surveys and additional tasks on site, reducing the need for extra personnel on board.

Air Control Entech is expanding into new markets including renewables, infrastructure and power and distribution. While maintaining focus on the North Sea, it is also enhancing its presence internationally including new opportunities in Europe, the US and the Middle East.

The increasing adoption of remote inspection technology, such as Air Control Entech’s world’s first lightweight optical gas imaging inspection system, is generating significant benefits for operators. Using highly sophisticated drones and cameras, Air Control Entech recently saved a client 50% on tank inspection costs offshore, cutting the process from one week to two days, delivering highly accurate data from difficult to access areas while reducing personnel on board and operational safety risks.

Specific accreditation for vessel inspection services from class bodies including DNV and ABS – rare among robotics control service providers – means Air Control Entech can undertake class inspections without the need for a class surveyor, saving time and costs.

“With a growing number of aging assets in mature regions like the North Sea and the need to maximise returns, the requirement for highly accurate, holistic inspection services delivered in the safest and most cost efficient manner has never been more critical,” said Marc Whitton.

“Remote inspection technology offers a powerful inspection solution. Integrating our robotics technicians into permanent inspection teams so they are on the asset all year round which improves asset knowledge, enhances data quality and brings an additional specialism to inspection services.”