A new £16 million centre for sub-sea development has opened in East Kilbride, positioning Scotland as a world leader in multi-phase flow measurement.

Developed by TÜV SÜD National Engineering Laboratory — a leading provider of R&D, consultancy and testing to the international energy industry — the centre gives Scotland a unique global capability, builds on its position as a leader in flow metrology for sub-sea engineering and oil and gas innovation, and makes a significant contribution to the growth ambitionsof companies operating in the oil and gas sector.

Known as the Advanced Multiphase Facility (AMF), the new centre was officially opened during a visit by Derek Mackay, Scottish cabinet secretary for finance.

Brian Millington, managing director of the TÜV SÜD National Engineering Laboratory (www.tuv-sud.co.uk), said: “The AMF’s world-leading research facilities will support the global oil and gas industry with both current and future measurement challenges, from well optimisation to fiscal accounting.

"While significant production opportunities exist in extreme environments, higher operating pressures and temperatures can impact the performance of multi-phase flow measurement devices.

"The AMF will increase the viability of well exploitation by helping operators to more accurately measure multi-phase flow and better understand the performance of production operations in these challenging but potentially profitable environments.”

The new centre will focus predominantly on the global sub-sea sector, but it will also offer potential benefits to companies in other sectors, such as food and drink, aerospace and renewable energy.

It will have technology that can provide high-definition images of how fluids and gases behave to give companies intelligence on the efficiency of their operations and how to plan for future flow.