The Lloyd’s Register (LR) group, the leading global provider of independent assurance and expert advice, has reinforced its commitment to the North Sea as construction work begins on its new Aberdeen energy headquarters.
Located on the Prime Four business park in Kingswells, Aberdeen, the 100,000 square foot office complex is being built to LR’s specifications by park developers Drum Property Group. It is expected to be operational in Q3 2017 and will have capacity for up to 900 staff.
The complex will be the largest LR office worldwide in terms of headcount.
LR’s Energy Director John Wishart commented: “While we appreciate we are operating in a challenging market, we are fully committed to supporting both the energy sector in the UK and our global energy operations with the talent available in the area. We are very much looking forward to expanding our base in Aberdeen, with our new fit-for-purpose office facility which will become one of the hubs for our global energy operations. This underpins our approach of ensuring that we can help drive improved performance of UK oil and gas assets whilst effectively managing risk for the sector.
“The United Kingdom Continental Shelf (UKCS) has been pivotal in our energy business’ success to date and remains a key focal point for our operations and this investment is testament to our commitment to the region.”
The facility at Prime Four will colocate LR Energy’s existing operations in Aberdeen with LR Senergy’s North-east of Scotland workforce, which includes bases in the city centre, Alford and Banchory. In September 2013 LR made its largest ever investment in global energy services company Senergy to expand its range of technical assurance and consulting services to the oil and gas sector.
Graeme Bone, Group Managing Director of Drum Property Group, developer of Prime Four, said: “We are delighted to be starting construction on another significant office building at Prime Four. Despite the market conditions remaining challenging for the energy sector, the commitment to the city and area from Lloyd’s Register is testament to Prime Four’s reputation as a global centre and international-class working environment for the industry.”
LR will join major energy operators Statoil, Apache, Nexen, Transocean, OneSubsea and Premier Oil, and accountants Anderson Anderson Brown, at Prime Four.
Social amenities at Prime Four include the Fourcourt plaza, designed to be the park’s social hub and comprising a multi-use sports pitch, the Village Urban Resort hotel and health club complex, a Starbucks, a bar and restaurant and the Fresh takeaway delicatessen. In addition, pre-school childcare is available at Kingswellies Nursery, which opened in April earlier this year.
Bone continued: “LR staff are already participating in the vibrant and active community at Prime Four and we look forward to them taking advantage of the facilities on site – be it the deli or Starbucks; the health club and spa; Kingswellies Nursery, or signing up to the membership scheme and other social and sporting activity now being delivered at the Fourcourt plaza.
“There will be over 3,000 staff on site at Prime Four by the spring of 2017 and the park will continue to play a major role in generating hugely significant economic activity for the north east of Scotland for many years to come.”