North West business briefs: Essar Oil UK; No Brainer; LJLA; Manchester Utd; BPD Zenith

Essar Oil UK has changed its name to EET Fuels, as it delivers on its plan to become the UK’s first low carbon process refinery, setting the global benchmark for lower emitting refineries and industrial decarbonisation.

For a century, the refinery based at Stanlow, on the River Mersey, has provided the fuel and chemical building blocks that people rely on for their everyday lives. EET Fuels remains committed to sustainably meeting the energy needs of the country. Supporting the UK’s energy transition ambitions, EET Fuels is changing the way fuels are produced by significantly reducing all emissions related to the company’s production processes.

EET Fuels is investing $1.2bn to support industrial decarbonisation, with the ambition to deliver a 95% cut in carbon emissions associated with its production processes by 2030. That is two million tonnes of carbon emissions per year – 12.5% of all of the North West’s carbon emissions, thereby making a substantial contribution to the UK’s plans to decarbonise industry.

EET Fuels’ decarbonisation strategy will reduce refinery emissions with two state-of-the-art approaches: Industrial carbon capture (ICC) which was announced in November 2022 and planned to be operational by 2028. The project will result in an annual reduction of ~1 million tonnes of CO2. Hydrogen fuel switching from natural gas and other refinery fuel sources to hydrogen as a fuel, resulting in an annual reduction of ~1 million tonnes of CO2.

Deepak Maheshwari, CEO, EET Fuels, said: “This is an exciting time for our business. We are delivering on our plan to be the world’s first low carbon process refinery and world’s first low carbon process fuel producer. It is world leading and we’re pleased that it is happening now, in the North West.”

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No Brainer team

Search-driven content agency No Brainer has been awarded B Corp Certification status, becoming one of the first agencies of its type to secure the global accreditation.

B Corp recognises companies with a shared mission to use ‘business for good’ and the Cheshire-based digital marketing agency received the certificate after months of assessment. Across the UK there are more than 1,600 companies with B Corp status. The certification requires businesses to pass a series of rigorous tests, measuring a company’s entire social and environmental impact.

Aspects such as operations, ownership, staff pay and community engagement are all factored into the assessment, with companies continually measured to ensure they drive continuous improvements in order to retain the coveted accreditation. Lee Cullen, director and co-founder at No Brainer, said: “B Corp is built on the mission of using business for good and when we first came across it a couple of years ago, we felt like it reflected exactly the type of business we are.

“There’s been a huge shift in businesses focusing on their purpose and looking to embrace better Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) practices. The beauty of B Corp for me is that it brings all of those things together, creating a growing community of like-minded businesses sharing the same values.

“The assessment phase is very comprehensive, with a high threshold required before you can obtain the certification. We scored well in lots of key areas, so are all very proud to have landed B Corp status.”

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Liverpool John Lennon Airport has launched the Liverpool Airport Community Fund, which has been created by the airport to further develop and enhance its commitment to both local communities and to help improve the surrounding environment.

Each year funds will be set aside to support projects that meet certain criteria to bring a range of benefits for local communities including, enhancing the local environment, educational projects, community improvement projects and various sustainability initiatives.

Local groups or organisations will be able to apply for grants up to a maximum of £3,000, with applications then considered by a Community Fund Management Group, which will include representation by local community representatives. The Management Group will meet twice a year to evaluate each application carefully and use their local knowledge and expertise to ensure that the fund is used to deliver the greatest possible sustainable benefit to the local community.

Grants will be prioritised for projects that benefit communities in Eastham, Garston, Hale, Halebank, Ditton, Halewood, Hunts Cross, Runcorn and Speke. Carol Dutton, Liverpool John Lennon Airport’s HR & Community Director, said: “This is the first time that we have introduced such a fund that will hopefully help to make a difference for some local good causes and if successful, we hope to grow the scheme bringing wider benefits in the future.

“We know that so much goes on locally by community groups and volunteers perhaps helping friends and neighbours of all ages who may be less fortunate and creating environments for local communities to enjoy. We’ll be delighted if we can help such groups by providing some much needed financial support to help them continue the fantastic work they do.”

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Sir Bobby Charlton visits an orphanage in China, in 2017

Manchester United and thousands of football fans from around the world have honoured Sir Bobby Charlton’s legacy with generous donations to a number of well known charities.

Sir Bobby, who passed away in October 2023, had an enormous impact on football which was mirrored by his charitable endeavours off the pitch as he helped those in need through his own Sir Bobby Charlton Foundation and by supporting many other worthy causes. Following the 1966 World Cup winner’s sad passing, the club donated £100,000 to charities close to Sir Bobby’s heart to continue his legacy. This donation was allocated by the Charlton family to the Sir Bobby Charlton Foundation, Alzheimer’s Society and The Children’s Adventure Farm Trust (CAFT).

In addition, more than £50,000 was also raised by donations from thousands of football fans who wished to honour the United and England legend by supporting the causes he was so passionate about.

Lady Norma Charlton, Sir Bobby’s wife, said: “On behalf of the family I want to thank everyone, not only for the donations but also the love and support they have showed following Bobby’s passing, the response has been nothing short of remarkable. I know Bobby would be so proud of the impact the funds donated will have on so many lives – as a family we are engaged with these charities and will see firsthand the difference they will make.

“This collective effort embodies the true spirit of our football family and ensures that Bobby’s legacy lives on.”

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John Wigham

Scottish Water has appointed Carlisle-based BPD Zenith, a global leader in Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) solutions, to drive its asset management transformation as part of a six year, £5.8bn strategic maintenance and improvement plan.

In line with government and regulatory expectations, in 2021 Scottish Water launched a six-year investment programme aimed at making improvements to Scotland’s water and wastewater infrastructure. With more than2,500 planned projects in progress to improve drinking water quality, protect the environment and support economic growth, the programme aims to support the success of the water supplier’s three strategic ambitions: Providing excellence in service, going beyond net zero emissions, and helping to deliver greater value and financial sustainability.

Scottish Water is a publicly-owned water supplier, serving 2.62 million households and 159,000 business customers across Scotland. The provider supplies 1.51 billion litres of drinking water daily and takes away and treats 1.07 billion litres of waste from customer properties, before returning it safely to the environment.

As part of the multi-year contract, BPD, which has 30 years in EAM, will work in partnership with Scottish Water to streamline operations, maximise asset performance and efficiency, and ensure the continued delivery of high-quality water and wastewater services to all its customers across Scotland. John Wigham, senior responsible officer – ORBIT Transformation Scottish Water, said: “It’s exciting to be collaborating with BPD Zenith on the implementation of IBM Maximo through BPD’s MaxiCloud enterprise asset management solution. The system will play a key part in enabling Scottish Water’s ambitious Asset Management aspirations and our strategic objectives to meet the needs of our customers and communities every day.”

Richard Donaldson, Managing Director for EMEA at BPD Zenith said: “We are thrilled to partner with Scottish Water, a forward thinking organisation that recognises the value of effective Asset Management, to deliver their new transformation project. Our team at BPD Zenith is dedicated to providing World-Class EAM solutions that not only optimise asset performance, but also contribute to a sustainable, carbon neutral future. This partnership demonstrates our shared commitment to delivering the best possible services to the people of Scotland.”