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Highly qualified and experienced engineer Ellis Hutchinson has joined RVA Group as a project manager.

Ellis’ appointment adds further strength to RVA’s expanding team of decommissioning experts and assists with the company’s continued growth, not only in the UK but also internationally. In the past six months the company has been awarded a number of significant new contracts by leading organisations such including ConocoPhillips and Total. It has also recently established a fully resourced operating entity in Singapore.

Commenting on the appointment Richard Vann said: “We are always looking out for really talented and experienced engineers and we are very pleased to have found Ellis. He brings a great combination of project management skills having worked for a number of the most prestigious names in the energy and power sectors, as well as with leading engineering and project management consultancies prior to joining RVA.”

As a specialist engineering organisation RVA travels the world advising clients on the safest and most cost effective methods for decontaminating and dismantling structures ranging from power stations and chemical production facilities to off-shore oil rigs.

An engineer with many years’ power, energy and petrochemical sector experience, Ellis will initially oversee the CDM co-ordination and project management aspects of a new package of large-scale, high-hazard decommissioning contracts in the North of England.

Specialist engineering consultancy RVA Group has been appointed to support GDF SUEZ with the safe decommissioning and dismantling of its Teesside power station in North Yorkshire. The company was awarded the contract by GDF SUEZ following an extensive tendering process.

In its role as project managers and CDM co-ordinators and working closely with the client’s team, the first phase of RVA Group’s work on the 23 acre Teesside site has been to conduct hazard identification workshops, project definition studies and procurement specifications.

Commenting on the project RVA Group managing director Richard Vann said: “Providing project management and CDM co-ordination on a decommissioning, dismantling and decontamination programme of this complexity requires precision planning and the very best teamwork, with all of those involved. Our leading heavy industrial experience and expertise means we are well placed to ensure the safe, secure and best value strategies are implemented on this landmark site.”

Prior to being mothballed in 2011, the Teesside power station was capable of generating 1,875 megawatts of electricity.

RVA Group has appointed three new project managers as it continues to expand its operations both in the UK and across the globe.

Rashid Shauq, James Armstrong and Keith Kirby are all highly skilled professional engineers with many years’ experience of working in high hazard sectors, including the oil and gas, chemical, pharmaceutical and manufacturing industries.

Richard Vann, RVA’s managing director, comments: “The nature of our work means we hand-pick the very best and most talented individuals in our sector. All of our three new project managers have considerable knowledge of the markets we serve and they will be a great addition to the RVA team as it continues to expand, winning new international projects as well as ensuring it maintains the No.1 position in the UK, which is equally important to us.”

RVA has used the last 12 months wisely trading through the global recession whilst at the same time, investing heavily in its personnel training, quality management systems and IT infrastructure as it prepares to build on its solid position. The move is seen as crucial to supporting and sustaining the business on an international platform and continuing to meet the dynamic demands of its clients.

Richard Vann explains: “This investment by the company is considerable and absolutely necessary – our international work in particular needs to be supported by a strong corporate infrastructure that operates efficiently around the clock and across multiple time zones.

“Our reputation for the delivery of safe, secure and best value engineering projects has grown steadily over the last few years and this in turn has helped increase the number of overseas assignments both for existing and new clients. It’s a reputation well deserved by our hard working, highly experienced and innovative team.”

RVA’s growing client portfolio includes major blue chip companies including Total, ConocoPhillips, INVISTA, GSK, Bayer, INEOS, Huntsman and BASF. The company has recently secured major projects in the UK, Europe, North America and Asia.

RVA’s managing director Richard Vann has been invited to speak at Decom North Sea’s Offshore Decommissioning Conference next month.

Funded by the Department for Energy & Climate Change (DECC), Scottish Enterprise and Highlands & Islands Enterprise, the Decom North Sea forum was established to tackle supply-chain issues within this highly specialist sector.

Richard joins a line-up of leading industry experts who will share their experience and innovative decommissioning strategies with the 300 delegates.

Commenting on the event Richard Vann said: “The scale of the structures to be dismantled in the oil and gas sector has led to a number of significant problems and delays. However, we at RVA know that to an extent these problems can be readily overcome by drawing on the expertise, experience and equipment amassed by decommissioning specialists working on comparatively complex facilities on shore.

“RVA for example has undertaken over 600 large scale high hazard decommissioning and dismantling projects worldwide, many of which have been within the oil and gas sectors and we fully understand the importance of balancing cost effective, innovative and pragmatic dismantling solutions with EHS excellence – there is much invaluable on shore knowledge and experience that will translate and add value to off shore dismantling programmes.

“Events such as this provide an excellent catalyst for change and I’m delighted to have been asked to play my part.”