Nation-building EPC

Trinidad and Tobago

Mala Baliraj, CEO of Massy Wood Group (Massy Wood), talks to The Energy Year about the significance of the company’s five-year framework agreement with Shell and its approach to decarbonisation across its operations. Massy Wood provides project, engineering, maintenance and construction execution services to industrial, energy, process, utility and clean energy markets.

This interview is featured in The Energy Year Trinidad & Tobago 2024

What is the significance of the five-year framework agreement Massy Wood signed with Shell in March, and what does it signal for your company?
This five-year framework agreement with Shell is significant for Massy Wood as we have been afforded yet another opportunity to support one of the key operators in-country. Shell has a portfolio of major projects which will have a national impact over the next couple of years. For us, the ability to competitively win the bid means further positioning ourselves as a leading local EPC provider to support nation-building activities with operators who have high standards for quality and safety.
Trinidad is a small market with stiff competition, and we therefore feel privileged and grateful to continue supporting Shell with both their major and minor projects.

In what key ways are you investing in the short term to facilitate a successful delivery of these upcoming projects?
Our main focus for investment in the short term is our employee’s competency and capability. Technical training has been planned through one of our parent companies, Wood PLC (Wood), where we have access to their online training portal and project management academy. Our human resources department works diligently to identify other relevant, project-specific training modules as we continue to make these investments in our people.
Beyond the access to training from Wood, we are focused on developing our people in current technological advancements that are required for successful execution. We aim to continuously improve the way we deliver to our clients and that means employing the right technologies to support their efficiency, reliability and sustainability objectives to meet growing demand and overcome current and future challenges in the industry.

Which of your core strengths are most drawn from your parent companies?
Both parent companies provide substantial support in delivering to our clients. In all our project deliveries, we are supported by the systems, governance and procedures of Wood and have the ability to reach out for support globally and regionally, whether for competencies or technology.
Through Massy, we are able to benefit and gain support within our functions through guidance in local and regional governance, which offers the ability to access and work with local content engagement, legal support, and consulting.

How does Massy Wood approach decarbonisation efforts in the regional energy landscape?
Our approach to decarbonisation can be described by looking at two aspects: what we do within our internal operations as Massy Wood, and how we support our clients in their carbon reduction strategies.
Though we do not have assets akin to those of our clients, we do embrace the responsibility to reduce our carbon footprint as best we can and continue to look for ways to implement greener services. We have recently converted one of our warehouses, used by two major clients, to a solar-powered facility. This initiative will create mutual benefits for our clients since the use of a solar-powered warehouse can count toward their carbon reduction activities.
In supporting our clients, we understand that the operators in Trinidad are managing mature assets, therefore the opportunity to reduce carbon emissions will be in the operational aspect. There will be few opportunities where clients can design from the greenfield aspect to be able to build entirely clean and green assets. We can support our clients by offering carbon advisory services and blended solutions to reduce the carbon intensity of their operational assets.
Many of our clients have already completed their assessments to define their emissions scopes, and we are supporting them in meeting their goals. There are also growing opportunities for us to assist those who have not yet made those definitions or put emissions reduction plans in place. Massy Wood continually seeks ways to contribute to carbon capture projects and opportunities to integrate renewables in decarbonising operations.
Through Wood, we have the support of a dedicated consulting team who are implementing decarbonisation solutions for our clients across the globe. We offer solutions that are geared towards delivering methane emission objectives as well as provide services that support capital projects for the production of alternative forms of energy such as hydrogen. We also work with clients to implement carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects, such projects having the potential to play a vital role in decarbonisation by reducing the emissions from heavily polluting industries.

Are there any particular issues in the local landscape where you think the company can lead in decarbonisation?
Industrial plants in Trinidad still use flaring systems which present an opportunity for Massy Wood to provide engineering support, from the pre-FEED stage all the way to the implementation of minor modifications. We have the ability to support local clients through their decarbonisation journey via consultation, technical, design and implementation support, as well as offer services to aid analysis and software mapping exercises to meet their requirements.
Massy Wood has the opportunity to partner with our clients not only on production-driven scopes but also in ways that support their plans to reduce their carbon footprint. These partnerships will drive our capacity to lead in the services sector, as it will require us to strengthen our competencies and demonstrate our capability to understand our clients’ needs and priorities and develop the right solutions to meet and exceed their expectations.

How will Massy Wood provide support to Atlantic under the three-year EPC agreement signed in March?
Massy Wood is proud to support Atlantic through the provision of EPC services for all of their brownfield assets. Atlantic’s strategic plans driven at the macro level will play a significant part in the LNG sector in Trinidad and Tobago. Our support will therefore contribute to Atlantic’s readiness for increased activity in the LNG sector by ensuring the peak performance of the trains through robust engineering, project management and construction management services.

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