Advanced Insulation, the Gloucester-based provider of insulation and protection systems, has received a Queen’s Award for Innovation, which recognises the creation and success of ContraFlame MS400, the company’s fire protection product for the oil and gas sector
Philip Watson, topside sales director at Advanced Insulation, commented, “Our Lightweight MS400 insulation and fire protection system has provided significant weights savings on all the recent mega oil and gas projects that have been built in Korea, which has enabled oil and gas operators to gain huge monetary savings to their projects.”
“On average, the MS400 System has saved each project in excess of 100 tonnes of topside weight and these were prominent design factors which have steered oil and gas operators to our conclusion, that ContraFlame MS400 is the external Passive Fire Protection to use,” Watson added.
“With the big increase in the requirement to insulate and fire proof the cellar decks of offshore oil and gas platforms, which are being located in extreme harsh environmental locations around the world, oil and gas operators are requiring a much more robust system that can deal with wave slam and wind loads to the cellar deck coupled with winter temperatures down to -44°C.”
“Operators were also experiencing considerable design, construction and installation difficulties in the development of what they termed a ‘fit and forget’ external under deck Passive Fire Protection system for a 40-year platform life, which is why they now specify the ContraFlame MS400 System.”
Chris O’Leary, production manager at Advanced Insulation, said, “ContraFlame MS400 is formulated, designed and manufactured here in Gloucester before being sent out to clients worldwide. When I started at the company in 2012, we were making 52 panels a year of around three square metres each.”
Richard Graham, Conservative MP for Gloucester added, “British innovation is driving our growth in exports and jobs and Advanced Insulation’s contribution to both the Gloucester and our national story is a shining example of that.”
