Que: Can you elaborate on the transformation of Nauvata Engineering to Nauvata Energy Transition (NET) Enterprise? What prompted this evolution?

Ans: NET stands for net-zero. In its new avatar as NET Enterprise, Nauvata is expanding its resource base and service offering to undertake projects in new energy and energy transition – carbon capture and sequestration/storage, plastic circularity, biofuels (3rd Generation Ethanol, BioLNG, CBG) and green hydrogen. We aim to support clients across various sectors to set up and operationalize their capital projects in these areas through EPC/EPCM/E&P/PMC services. At the same time, our emphasis on our services to the conventional oil and gas industry continues unabated.

The Oil and Gas assets in the Upstream, Midstream and Downstream in India have been low on digitalization and, therefore, have suffered poor productivity and efficiency. In simple terms, they lost production due to avoidable downtimes. NET Enterprise in a JV partnership with dDriven Solutions, Singapore, provides Digitalization solutions (including Digital Twins) with optimal use of existing data from these facilities. Digitalization is aimed at improving monitoring and diagnostics of running plant equipment (thereby reducing unplanned shutdowns), reducing the man-machine interfaces through better automation, improving the quality of decision making (data based decision making) at all levels in the organization and improving the uptime and productivity of the O&G assets. All these add up to improvement in efficiency and hence increased production from these assets.

Transformation of Nauvata Engineering to Nauvata Energy Transition (NET) Enterprise is a culmination of our collective vision of achieving an energy self-sufficient and sustainable future. On the one hand, India is set to become the third largest economy of the world. On the other hand, our per capita energy consumption is only 0.6 tonnes of oil equivalent (toe). The global average stands at 1.8 toe. With rising standard of living, energy demand in India is set to soar. At the same time, to sustainably meet this demand, we have to look at sources other than fossil fuels. India has set itself the target of achieving 500 GW capacity by 2030 in non-fossil sources of energy. As NET Enterprise we intend to take the pole position as the enabler in this energy transition.

Que: How does NET Enterprise contribute to resolving the Energy Trilemma, specifically in terms of Energy Security, Energy Equity, and Environmental Sustainability?

Ans: To improve energy security and equity, our country needs to become self-sufficient in energy generation. Towards this goal, NET Enterprise supports its customers, including leading PSUs, set up and operationalize their capital projects efficiently. Our bouquet of services aims to bring down capex and opex of our customer’s assets to ease final investment decisions. From concept study, EPCM to PMC services, all our offerings are buoyed by a talented resource pool built over our existence over the past decade and a half. Sustainability has become an important focus of Nauvata as NET Enterprise. Towards this aim, we are actively participating in tenders related to carbon capture, green hydrogen and ethanol production. Acquisition and development of key technologies in these areas through forming joint ventures is another step in that direction.

Que: Could you provide examples of how NET Enterprise supports oil and gas companies like ONGC and Cairn in their developments to address these energy challenges?

Ans: With oil and gas companies in India, our relationship goes back over a decade and a half. During this time, we have provided engineering, procurement, construction management and project management consulting services to our valued clients. ONGC being one of our important clients in this regard, we have worked with them directly and also as subcontractors. We have supported them in developments, both, on the east as well as the west coast.

As PMC (in consortium with Consub) NET Enterprise supported the start of the 98/2 Deep Water Field of ONGC on January 7, 2024. At any time, about 50-75 Technical experts, Quality Experts and Safety Experts from NET Enterprise were at site in Kakinada onshore, on the FPSO and in the Fabrication Yards in Malaysia and in Singapore on this project, providing technical inputs and managing contractor interfaces for ONGC so that the project could be delivered safely and on spec.

Cairn is another valuable clients of NET Enterprise for whom we’re executing several projects on PMC or EPCM basis for the development of their Oil and Gas blocks in Barmer, Rajasthan. Rajasthan fields of Cairn are the largest onshore production fields in India.

Que: Can you share specific instances where NET Enterprise has successfully applied its technical expertise, especially in projects like Carbon Capture, Hydrogen Generation, and Plastic Circularity?

Ans: As the EPC contractor to HPCL Vishakh Refinery, Vizag, NET Enterprise is constructing a carbon capture unit. The captured carbon comes from HPCL’s hydrogen generation unit that is to be compressed, liquefied and bottled for final delivery from the facility. It is a matter of pride for NET Enterprise to have been chosen to develop this first of its kind facility in India for HPCL using their proprietary HP-HiGAS Technology.

Circular economy is the cornerstone of sustainable development as we have been taught over the years – reduce, reuse, recycle. Plastic circularity has been in focus in this regard as it helps the world deal with the swathes and mountains of plastic debris we’ve built over the years of mismanagement and neglect.

NET Enterprise is partnering with technology providers of proprietary pyrolysis technology to create larger scale plants for manufacture and purification of Pyrolysis Oil from single use and multilayer plastics.

It is advising and funding the construction of commercial scale pyrolysis oil purification plant at Khapoli in New Mumbai in EPC mode. An MoU with the government of Uttarakhand has also been signed to for setting up a plastic circularity facility in the state.

Que: Can you provide insights into the impact of NET Enterprise's digitalization services on operational efficiency, safety, and asset lifecycle management?

Ans: Digitalization is present all around us today. Data analytics powered by artificial intelligence and machine learning are helping industries formulate new initiatives to drive quality, safety and efficiency. That in turn leads to better utilizations or lower operating expenditures. Digitalization helps avoid resource wastage across the value chain making it key ingredient to sustainability oriented initiatives. Cautious of these facts, NET Enterprise has started offering services in the areas of data platform creation, data analytics and digital twins. A key move in this direction over the past year has been the formation of Nauvata-dDriven Solutions LLP, a joint venture company with dDriven Solutions, Singapore. Through this JV, NET Enterprise bring benefits of field proven cutting edge technology to improve the operational efficiency, safety and lifecycle management of assets of customers.

Que: NET Enterprise has recently achieved significant milestones, such as an MOU with the Uttarakhand Government for Plastic Circularity and the successful collaboration with ONGC. How do these accomplishments align with NET Enterprise's broader goals and stra

Ans: NET Enterprise signed an MOU with the Uttarakhand Government for setting up a plastic circularity plant in the Uttarakhand; this would take flexible plastics and convert them into purified pyrolysis oil that can serve as cracker feed in refineries and can be used for blending in bitumen. NET Enterprise is Partnering with Technology Providers to deliver Projects which create higher scale and integration with petrochemicals complex. Depending upon the feedstock it can generate 25-30 percent IRR.

We are thankful for a very fruitful relationship we have had with ONGC over the years as our valued clients on several projects either directly or through subcontracts. Just last month, ONGC achieved first oil on January 7, 2024 from its KG-DWN-98/2 block in the Krishna-Godavari Basin. NET Enterprises in consortium with Consub UK were the Project Management Consultant to ONGC on this prestigious USD 5 billion project of national importance. With 90 percent of consortium staff deployed by NET, we helped ONGC manage through a very complex scope and multiparty contracting arrangement. We negotiated on behalf of ONGC on multi-million dollar change orders to keep the costs in check.

These accomplishments truly reflect NET Enterprise’s intent of playing a pivotal role in energy transition in India as we continue to help develop conventional sources of energy while exploring and expanding in new energy, circular economy and digitalization.

Que: Could you provide more details on the path-breaking Carbon Capture Project as the EPC contractor to HPCL Vishakh Refinery?

Ans: NET Enterprise is executing this project as an EPC contractor for a first of its kind Carbon Capture Unit for HPCL Refinery in Vizag, India. The unit will also be equipped with amine regeneration and CO2 compression, liquefaction & bottling facility besides the Balance of Plants. The project involves construction of a plant using a new technology for gas-liquid absorption process.

The technology is based on Process Intensification of separation processes and utilizes a Rotating Packed Bed (RPB) for improving the mass transfer efficiency which results in significant size reduction of equipment (HP-HiGAS Technology developed by HPCL R&D). The major benefits of the technology are size reduction, lower capital cost and improved safety while achieving the same capacity and separation. This effort is being specifically led by Sandip Malekar, VP Operations for NET Enterprise.

Que: Looking ahead, what is NET Enterprise's vision for the future, especially in terms of becoming the partner of choice for Oil and Gas Companies and Energy Transition Companies?

Ans: NET Enterprises is actively acquiring technology and talent that will help us serve the whole spectrum of energy industry requirements. An important step in this direction has been the appointment of Baroruchi Mishra, former new energy stalwart from Shell India as our Group CEO. With his rich experience driving new energy initiatives at Shell, Mishra brings on-board unmatched acumen and a profound vision to turn NET Enterprise’s vision into reality. Our head office in Bangalore has moved to a new location with more than double the capacity. Frequent walk-ins are being conducted to source the best talent in the industry. With all these developments so far, and much more to come in near future, we are looking forward with great optimism and excitement, to achieving our vision of a prosperous and sustainable future for all.