What Whessoe Engineering does

Whessoe Engineering Limited is a UK-based engineering contractor specializing in the design, engineering, procurement, construction, and commissioning (EPC) of large-scale cryogenic and low-temperature storage facilities for liquefied gases. Founded in 1790 in Darlington, the company holds a unique heritage position in cryogenic infrastructure: it designed the world's first commercial LNG import terminal at Canvey Island in 1959, the world's first Gravity Based Structure (GBS) LNG terminal at Adriatic LNG for ExxonMobil in 2008, and the world's first rectangular modular LNG tank in 2009. In October 2023 it secured DNV certification for a 40,000m³ liquid hydrogen storage sphere design — over eight times larger than the current world's largest LH2 tank — signaling active positioning in the hydrogen economy. The company also designs ethane, ethylene, LPG, propylene, and ammonia storage systems, with experience spanning more than 120 projects across five continents over 50+ years.

The company's product portfolio centers on cryogenic storage systems for LNG, ethane/ethylene, ammonia, LPG/propylene, and emerging clean energy carriers (liquid hydrogen, liquid CO2, liquid air), supported by capabilities spanning concept development, FEED, execution, commissioning, and Project Management Consultancy. A standalone software product — PSA5 Pipe Stress Analysis — has served the power and petrochemical industries for over five decades. Notable technical differentiators include 9% nickel inner tank / prestressed concrete outer tank designs (Karstø), 200,000m³ LNG tanks (RGT-2 Malaysia), ultra-low boil-off 40,000m³ LH2 spheres at -253°C, and seismic isolation design (Revithoussa Greece, 1994).

Whessoe generates revenue through project-based EPC contracts, FEED and front-end engineering services, Project Management Consultancy (owner's representative), Tank Integrity and Life Extension Services, and PSA5 software licensing. It operates a pure B2B enterprise field sales motion, securing work through direct relationships with national oil & gas majors (PETRONAS, Saudi Aramco, ExxonMobil, Statoil), petrochemical producers (SABIC, PetroRabigh), LNG developers (Petronet LNG, Dragon LNG consortium), and emerging energy transition players, often through consortium arrangements with parent company Samsung C&T Corporation (which acquired Whessoe in March 2013). Samsung C&T provides procurement and construction scale, while Whessoe provides engineering and design — a structure that allows a relatively small 11-50 person engineering organization to participate in mega-projects.

Name

Whessoe Engineering

Legal name

Whessoe Engineering Limited

Website

https://whessoe.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1790

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Whessoe Engineering is a UK-based EPC contractor, founded 1790 and now a Samsung C&T subsidiary, specializing in cryogenic storage design for LNG, ethane, ethylene, LPG, ammonia, and emerging liquid hydrogen and CO2 applications, serving global oil & gas majors and petrochemical producers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Darlington

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. EPC Contracts: Full Engineering, Procurement, Construction, and Commissioning contracts for LNG terminals, storage tanks, and cryogenic facilities. Major projects include Dragon LNG (UK), Dabhol LNG (India), and Malaysia LNG terminals.
2. Project Management Consultancy (PMC): Owner representative services overseeing EPC contractors on major LNG projects. Examples include Kochi LNG Terminal (India) and Mundra LNG Project. Provides quality control, schedule monitoring, and compliance verification.
3. FEED and Front-End Engineering: Front End Engineering Design services providing techno-economic studies, project basis development, and value engineering. Delivered FEED for Costa Azul LNG (Mexico), Singapore LNG competition, and multiple ammonia/hydrogen projects.
4. PSA5 Software Licensing: Pipe stress analysis software licensing and support services. Revenue continuously reinvested in development and support. Used by major petrochemical and power companies globally.
5. Tank Integrity and Life Extension Services: Technical Integrity division providing inspection, repair, and engineered life-extension services for LNG and low-temperature tanks. Includes tank revalidation studies.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Whessoe Engineering provides Engineering, Procurement, Construction and Commissioning (EPC&C) services for cryogenic and low-temperature storage facilities serving liquefied gases (LNG, ethane, ethylene, LPG, propylene, ammonia) and emerging clean energy carriers (liquid hydrogen, liquid CO2, liquid air). The company delivers the full project lifecycle from concept development and FEED studies through detailed engineering, procurement, construction, commissioning, and ongoing tank integrity and life-extension services, supported by its proprietary PSA5 pipe stress analysis software. Its customer base comprises national oil companies, energy majors, LNG terminal developers, and petrochemical producers across five continents.

Product overview

Whessoe Engineering is an engineering and contracting company with over 200 years of history, now a subsidiary of Samsung C&T. The company operates as a single unified offering platform for the hydrocarbon, petrochemical and energy industries, combining proven technology, quality and safety with global capabilities in Engineering, Procurement, Construction and Commissioning (EPC&C). The core product portfolio centers on the design and delivery of high-integrity cryogenic and low-temperature storage systems for liquefied gases, with PSA5 Pipe Stress Analysis software (their sole standalone software product) and liquid storage tank/terminal services forming the primary offerings. The storage portfolio includes LNG tanks and terminals, ethane/ethylene storage, ammonia storage, LPG/propylene storage, liquid hydrogen storage, liquid CO2 storage, and liquid air storage — all supported by capabilities spanning concept development, FEED, execution, commissioning, and project management consultancy services. The energy transition focus has expanded the portfolio to include hydrogen terminal design and ammonia as an energy carrier.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• PSA5 Pipe Stress Analysis Software Proprietary pipe stress analysis software supplied by Whessoe Computing Systems to the power and petrochemical industries for over five decades. Calculates stress levels from static and dynamic loading and compares them with allowable values for ASME III Class 1/2/3, B31.1, B31.3, BS EN 13480, and BS 806 standards. Licensed to engineering organisations worldwide with technical support.
• LNG Tanks and Terminals Full EPC&C delivery of LNG storage tanks and receiving terminals, including full containment, single containment, and modular tank designs for onshore and offshore LNG applications. For energy companies, LNG terminal developers, and national oil companies.
• Ethane and Ethylene Storage Engineering and design of ethane and ethylene storage tanks, including full containment and double wall storage solutions for petrochemical facilities and ethylene cracker complexes operating at temperatures down to -104°C.
• Ammonia Storage Liquid ammonia storage tank design services with over 50 years of experience, including refrigerated, semi-refrigerated, and pressurised storage configurations for fertiliser plants and energy transition applications.
• LPG and Propylene Storage Design and engineering of LPG (propane/butane) and propylene storage tanks, including full containment, mounded storage, and spheres for terminals and industrial facilities.
• Gravity Based Structures (GBS) Design of Gravity Based Structures for LNG storage and regasification, enabling offshore installation with modular primary containment vessels fabricated off-location and towed to site.
• Liquid Hydrogen Storage Ground-breaking 40,000m³ LH2 storage sphere design for temperatures as low as -253°C with ultra-low boil-off (0.1%) without internal refrigeration equipment, DNV-certified in October 2023. Targets energy companies and power generators building hydrogen import terminals and energy security storage.
• Liquid CO2 Storage Bespoke storage solutions for liquid CO2 (LCO2) including storage spheres and bullets, designed for temperatures below 31°C and above the product's triple point. Targets carbon capture and storage (CCS) value chain customers.
• Project Management Consultancy (PMC) Full lifecycle PMC services from review of conceptual data through bidder assessment to direct oversight of engineering and construction for cryogenic storage and receiving terminals. Whessoe acts as owner's representative, placing engineering teams in contractor offices to monitor quality, schedule, and compliance. Examples include Kochi LNG (India) and Mundra LNG.
• FEED (Front End Engineering Design) Techno-economic studies and front-end engineering design from initial concept through to fully developed project basis for LNG terminals and cryogenic facilities. Delivered FEED for Costa Azul LNG (Mexico), Singapore LNG, and multiple ammonia/hydrogen projects.
• Hydrogen Terminal and Process Design Concept and feasibility design for hydrogen import terminals including liquefied hydrogen storage, vaporisation, and power plant integration studies. Targets clean energy developers and hydrogen importers building the hydrogen value chain.
• Ammonia Terminal and Process Design Process design for NH3 import regasification facilities and export facilities including ammonia synthesis from electrolysis through storage prior to export. Targets clean ammonia producers and importers.
• Commissioning Services Commissioning services for LNG, ethane, LPG and ammonia storage tanks and receiving terminals, including cryogenic separation and refrigeration systems.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 120 LNG, ammonia, and cryogenic gas storage projects completed globally
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Worley Limited: Worley is a global engineering services and project delivery firm to the energy, chemicals, and resources sectors, with significant LNG, hydrogen, and ammonia work. It competes with Whessoe for FEED, PMC, and engineering packages on cryogenic and energy transition storage projects.
• Saipem: Saipem is a major global EPC contractor for LNG, offshore, and energy infrastructure projects, including cryogenic storage and regasification terminals. It competes with Whessoe for large LNG and energy transition storage EPC work, often in consortium arrangements.
• Air Products: Air Products is a global industrial gases and LNG technology licensor with deep expertise in hydrogen and LNG process and storage design, including proprietary LNG liquefaction technology. It competes with Whessoe in hydrogen and ammonia storage/process design and serves many of the same energy and petrochemical customers.
• Chiyoda Corporation: Chiyoda is a Japanese EPC contractor with deep LNG and hydrogen project expertise, including cryogenic storage and regasification terminal delivery. It competes with Whessoe in the same LNG terminal and energy transition infrastructure markets, particularly in Asia and the Middle East.
• Chart Industries: Chart Industries is a leading global manufacturer of cryogenic equipment and engineered solutions for the LNG, industrial gas, and energy transition markets, including large-scale LNG storage tanks. It is the most direct competitor to Whessoe in cryogenic storage engineering and equipment, with overlapping customers and applications.
• Technip Energies: Technip Energies is a leading EPC contractor for LNG, hydrogen, and ethylene facilities globally, including cryogenic storage and regasification terminals. It competes with Whessoe for major LNG terminal EPC work and has overlapping presence in hydrogen and ammonia project FEED.
• McDermott International: McDermott acquired CB&I, giving it direct cryogenic storage tank engineering and construction capabilities and a strong LNG/regasification project portfolio. It competes head-to-head with Whessoe on LNG storage and energy transition infrastructure EPC, including in Qatar.
• Linde Engineering (Linde plc): Linde Engineering provides EPC, process design, and proprietary equipment for olefin, LNG, hydrogen, and ammonia plants worldwide. It directly competes with Whessoe on ethane/ethylene storage and increasingly on hydrogen and clean ammonia terminal/process design.

Broad incumbents

• Wood Group (John Wood): Wood is a global consulting and engineering firm with major LNG, hydrogen, and process industry capabilities, including cryogenic storage and terminal design. It is a broad incumbent that overlaps with Whessoe in cryogenic and energy transition storage engineering, though with a much wider service portfolio.
• KBR, Inc. KBR is a large global engineering, EPC, and services company with a broad portfolio in hydrocarbons, LNG, ammonia, and hydrogen, including proprietary process technologies. It is a broader incumbent that overlaps with Whessoe on energy transition and cryogenic storage work but at much larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/whessoe

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Whessoe Engineering