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Black & Veatch’s IgniteX Climate Tech Accelerator Program Now Accepting New Applications from Innovators

Wednesday, March 08, 2023

Nationally recognized program empowers startups involved in climate, decarbonization technology

OVERLAND PARK, Kan - As climate change presents increasing challenges and opportunities, global critical infrastructure leader Black & Veatch again is sounding the call for climate technology innovators eager to leverage the company’s deep expertise in developing and deploying their solutions.

Through the company’s IgniteX Climate Tech Accelerator, Black & Veatch is soliciting proposals from bold, cutting-edge thinkers and partners for promising technologies that accelerate the development of decarbonization and sustainability solutions.

As a 12-week primarily virtual program, IgniteX empowers startups offering scalable climate solutions for critical infrastructure. Selected program participants partner with Black & Veatch subject matter experts to co-develop, pilot and market their new technology. Along the way they receive mentorship, access to the company’s vast industry network, product testing opportunities, pitch development coaching, and investor introductions. The program includes funding of up to $15,000 in non-dilutive grants and in-kind services plus potential equity investments up to $50,000.

“As the challenges of climate change intensify, this program seeks outside-the-box ideas and solutions that help lower the globe’s carbon footprint,” said Ryan Pletka, vice president of innovation for Black & Veatch. “Startups with potentially transformational concepts often need a boost in developing and scaling their technologies, and we have the vast expertise in making that happen.”

This is the fourth cycle of the IgniteX program. Black & Veatch in recent years has awarded over $1 million in investments, grants and in-kind services. More than 500 applications have been submitted, and over 30 investments and partnerships with startups and other companies have been made.

Black & Veatch is accelerating technologies capable of significant carbon reduction while also seeking to increase diversity in the climate innovation ecosystem. In recognition of our work, the IgniteX Climate Tech Accelerator was named by the U.S. Department of Energy as a semifinalist in the American-Made Energy Program for Innovation Clusters (EPIC) Prize Round 2.

This year’s IgniteX program is looking for innovations in:

• Alternative fuels, foods and materials

• Carbon capture, utilization and storage

• Circular economy

• Clean energy

• Clean transportation

• Climate change mitigation, adaptation and resiliency

• Construction technology

• Water/wastewater technologies

Applications are due by 24 March. After selected participants are announced, the Climate Tech Accelerator program will run for 12 weeks and culminate with an in-person showcase. The entrepreneurs will present their solutions, outlining their value proposition and market opportunity. To learn more and apply, go to bv.com/ignite.

Black & Veatch, SHI awarded FEED for Canada’s Ksi Lisims LNG project

Tuesday, August 08, 2023

LNG infrastructure solutions company Black & Veatch and Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) have been awarded a front-end engineering design (FEED) contract for Canada’s Ksi Lisims LNG nearshore floating production facility.

Developed collaboratively by Western LNG, the Nisga’a Nation, and Rockies LNG, the venture aims to create a facility with the capacity to generate up to 12 million metric tonnes of liquefied natural gas (LNG) annually, destined for international markets.

Located on the Nisga’a Nation's exclusive treaty land, Ksi Lisims represents a significant milestone as one of the most noteworthy Indigenous-led infrastructure undertakings in Canada's history.

Eva Clayton, President of the Nisga’a Lisims Government, expressed her excitement about the project's transition to the front-end engineering and design (FEED) phase after a decade of meticulous planning.

Javid Talib, Vice-President and Managing Director of Black & Veatch’s Energy Resources Industries Business, emphasized the significance of the FEED award as a pivotal stride toward their collaborative efforts in realizing this exceptional project through its engineering and construction phases.

Upon its completion, Ksi Lisims LNG is projected to exhibit one of the world's most minimal unit carbon emissions rates among large-scale LNG export initiatives on a global scale. This will provide global energy markets with dependable, low-carbon LNG, contributing to the growing energy requirements while lessening the necessity for constructing coal-based power plants.

By connecting to British Columbia’s renewable hydroelectric grid and integrating innovative design elements, the project aims to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 90% compared to conventional LNG facilities.

Additionally, the project's comprehensive offset management strategy aspires to achieve a Net Zero status by 2030.

Charlotte Raggett, President and CEO of Rockies LNG, added, “Canada is stepping up to offer the world’s most reliable, low-risk and low-emission natural gas. We’re happy to have Black & Veatch and SHI join us in getting this important clean energy resource to the markets that need it most.”

Black & Veatch Appoints Andrea Bernica as Chief People Officer

Thursday, September 28, 2023

Company president, former chief of staff to CEO to guide global human resources efforts as company continues growth trajectory

Andrea Bernica, who was Black & Veatch’s lead employment and corporate counsel before serving as Chairman and CEO Mario Azar’s chief of staff, has been named Chief People Officer of the global critical infrastructure solutions leader.

A lawyer by trade and an existing member of Black & Veatch’s leadership team, Bernica as a new president will lead all elements of the company’s global human resource strategy while managing talent and organizational capability, cultivating an inclusive, high-performing work environment with professionals from diverse backgrounds.

Bernica, who joined the entirely employee-owned company in 2011, previously served as its vice president and lead employment and corporate counsel, overseeing corporate compliance and enterprise risk management functions. Most recently as chief of staff, she collaborated with Azar on companywide strategic objectives, helped prioritize and track progress of companywide initiatives, and shepherded follow-through on decisions and actions for the Black & Veatch Board of Directors. She also has served as assistant secretary to the board.

“Change is a constant in an evolving and growing business, and transformation is a living process,” Azar said. “In her new role, Andrea will remain instrumental in keeping us on our exciting trajectory of growth, opportunity and innovation for our clients, communities and employee-owners.”

The company has expanded its workforce by 31 percent since January 2022 as it addresses some of the world’s most-pressing megatrends, including sustainability, water supply, connectivity and a dynamic energy transition.

Acknowledging that “our employee-owners are the heart of everything we do at Black & Veatch,” Bernica said she is honored to serve “a diverse workforce committed to excellence, innovation, integrity and community engagement.”

“Our strategy is more than just a plan for growth; it's a commitment to our employee-owners,” she added. “By inspiring and elevating our talent, cultivating innovation that solves our clients’ challenges and positively impacting our communities, we will continue to attract and retain top talent that shares our values and seeks to make a positive impact on the world.”

Katie Werner, a senior vice president who joined Black & Veatch in 2000, succeeds Bernica as the new chief of staff to Azar. She most recently served as vice president and lead human resources partner for the company’s energy and process industries business sector, which serves clients in power, oil and gas, mining and other process industries such as pharmaceutical, manufacturing, and food and beverage. She previously directed operations and talent development for the company’s former oil and gas business.

Accelerated Liquefied Natural Gas Production Essential for Transitioning to a Low-Carbon Future: Black & Veatch

Wednesday, October 04, 2023

SINGAPORE: The urgency to increase liquefied natural gas (LNG) production and improve the security of supply will be central themes at Gastech 2023 in Singapore as the world faces volatile impacts from climate change and the challenge of ensuring a reliable and sustainable energy supply.

In its new eBook, LNG: Fueling the Future, Black & Veatch examines the role LNG will play in the future of the global energy landscape. It details how the industry must scale beyond its current production capacity to balance increasing levels of renewable energy alongside near- and long-term consideration of alternative clean energy solutions, including hydrogen, nuclear, energy storage and carbon capture.

"Global economies are in the process of transitioning from a carbon-based economy to an electron- and molecule-based one. Finding the right energy mix for near-term requirements and long-term change will be critical,” said Mario Azar, Chairman and CEO, Black & Veatch.

“Liquefied natural gas is essential to moving the world towards a low-carbon future at a faster pace by stabilizing grids and enhancing their resilience,” added Narsingh Chaudhary, President, Asia Pacific and India, Black & Veatch.

Across maritime nations, including those throughout the Asia Pacific, LNG demand is growing as an energy source for large-scale gas-fired power generation. LNG for baseload power can bridge the gaps between the retirement of coal-fired power assets, the speed of renewable energy penetration and the emergence of newer and alternative clean energy solutions.

Scaling production, speed to market and maintaining competitive pricing are critical components for the industry to meet growing demands. Innovative approaches to technology and execution, such as floating LNG (FLNG) and modularization, are driving the industry forward and unlocking stranded gas in locations unsuitable for traditional large-scale facilities.

Black & Veatch is a pioneer in successfully delivering FLNG solutions. The company is or has been involved in five of the 10 FLNG projects in operation or under construction globally. It includes the first MOSS vessel conversion to an FLNG facility, the Golar Hilli Episeyo FLNG vessel, which was completed in Singapore.

FLNG technology offers speed to market, capitally efficient and innovative solutions for monetizing offshore gas reserves and the ability to develop nearshore facilities to export pipeline gas. The approach also increases construction efficiency and quality while risks are mitigated through modular design and construction in shipyards. Additionally, FLNG technology provides compact designs that enable smaller environmental footprints than onshore facilities.

Black & Veatch’s leadership in developing and constructing FLNG facilities is supported by its PRICO® technology, a proven liquefaction technology ideal for producing LNG that can be used for peak shaving, medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, industrial fueling, baseload power and offshore applications. PRICO®‘s simplified operation and flexible configuration make it scalable for use in small, mid and large-scale facilities and enable innovative project solutions for onshore, offshore and nearshore LNG facilities.

At Gastech 2023, Azar will share global best practices on encouraging the development, deployment and scale-up of climate-impacting technologies that will guide the industry to a lower carbon and more sustainable future. Chaudhary will discuss the prospects of climate technology today and in the near future.

Black & Veatch Earns Esri State and Local Government Specialty Designation

Monday, January 29, 2024

Infrastructure solutions leader will leverage ArcGIS technology to deliver geospatial services to clients

Global engineering, consulting and construction leader Black & Veatch announced it has earned the State and Local Government specialty designation from Esri, the global market leader in geographic information system (GIS) software, location intelligence and mapping. With this Esri Partner Network designation, Black & Veatch is recognized for its commitment in applying Esri ArcGIS technology to develop and configure ready-to-use solutions and deliver geospatial services to strengthen its municipal, state and local government services.

Black & Veatch’s global GIS and information solutions professionals provide innovative data management and spatial analytics for all aspects of project engineering and client support. The company provides clients with easier ways to organize large volumes of spatially enabled data, offering consulting services such as the following:

• Asset management and capital improvement planning.

• Community planning, including resilience, hazard mitigation, emergency response and social equity.

• Application development and data analytics.

• Alternative energy assessments and environmental remediation.

• Modeling and systems integrations.

• Land acquisitions and permitting.

• Automation and web-based collaboration and management dashboards.

“Our collaboration and engagement in the Esri Partner Network helps us deliver the latest in digital infrastructure solutions to our clients,” said Andrew Chastain-Howley, director of specialized solutions at Black & Veatch. “Earning the State and Local Government specialty designation helps us expand our GIS and location intelligence services and solutions across a variety of situations.”

Black & Veatch Moves the Starting Line in Industrial Cybersecurity

Wednesday, April 17, 2024

Global Infrastructure solutions leader presses benefits of ‘built-in’ rather than ‘bolt-on’ approach to cyber protections

OVERLAND PARK, Kansas – Black & Veatch, a global engineering, procurement, construction (EPC) and consulting leader, is revolutionizing industrial cybersecurity by moving the starting line to the beginning of asset development.



Black & Veatch’s industrial cybersecurity practice begins with integrating cyber into the engineering, design and construction of assets, following through on its belief that cybersecurity is better built-in, rather than bolted-on. Post-delivery, Black & Veatch designs, builds and runs cybersecurity programs that keep assets up and running safely throughout their lifecycles.



"Our experience in designing and building critical infrastructure assets makes us the logical choice to help our clients build resiliency to protect such assets against cyberattacks," Black & Veatch Chairman and CEO Mario Azar said. "In today’s world, cyber resiliency must be built-in and maintained from the ground up."



Utilities, cities, governments and enterprises own and operate some of the world’s most critical and vulnerable infrastructure systems, which in the face of new, evolving vulnerabilities demand greater protection. Black & Veatch establishes operational safety and security in critical infrastructure projects from concept through the lifecycle, by implementing its “security-by-design” methodology.



“Cyber attackers are bringing the fight to our clients’ home fields,” said Ian Bramson, vice president of Black & Veatch’s global industrial cybersecurity practice. “They are infiltrating the equipment, networks and devices that run operations. With a strong cyber program, our clients can build a home-field advantage. Who better to help our clients build a home-field advantage than the people who built the field?”



Black & Veatch's industrial cybersecurity practice, launched earlier this year, offers a full suite of services, including cybersecurity assessments, design and implementation of cybersecurity solutions, regulatory compliance and risk management, and incident response planning and execution. The company's cyber experts work closely with clients to understand their unique risks, develop a customized cyber strategy, and implement and maintain effective programs. "Given the significant danger that these threats pose to public and environmental safety, project site safety and business uptime, asset owners must prioritize measures to mitigate these threats effectively," Azar said.

Black & Veatch Launches Integrated Strategic Advisory, Lifecycle Resiliency Business

Tuesday, June 11, 2024

OVERLAND PARK, Kan.,– Global critical infrastructure solutions leader Black & Veatch has appointed innovation and transformation expert Charlie Sanchez as president of the company’s Strategic Advisory and Lifecycle Resiliency Services business.

Sanchez, who will join the company’s executive team, will lead the newly merged portfolio of strategic consulting and operating resiliency services as he fulfills the continued commitment to drive end-to-end transformative enablement for Black & Veatch’s clients. This important enhancement stems from experiencing how a fully integrated lifecycle view – from investment to operations and optimization – is driving resiliency and competitive advantage for Black & Veatch clients.

This senior leadership position is another milestone in Black & Veatch’s strategic transformation to further strengthen how it supports its clients as a comprehensive partner. Seen as an investment in the challenges ahead for heavy industry, Black & Veatch is aiming to enhance the ways it enables the ecosystem collaborations needed to help its clients thrive throughout the journey. Together, they hope to pioneer new ways of optimizing critical capital investment decision-making related to asset lifecycle management, decarbonization and broader ESG initiatives, industrial cybersecurity and resiliency and, ultimately, commercial excellence.

With more than 25 years of global experience, he has most recently held increasingly senior leadership roles for the global consultancies within Deloitte and PriceWaterhouseCoopers. With a history as an industry and software technology executive prior to consulting, Sanchez has a broad multi-industry background in strategy, operating model design, process innovation, data science and artificial intelligence (AI), digitalization, risk management, and regulatory compliance. A frequent author and sought-after public speaker about innovation, business transformation and trends in generative AI and the digital economy, he also has led Fortune 500 companies through their most demanding challenges to make high-yield business performance improvements.

“Charlie brings a unique combination of industry experiences, advanced thought leadership and consultative client engagement,” Black & Veatch Chairman and CEO Mario Azar said. “That is a cornerstone of how Black & Veatch objectively advises our clients with their sustainability strategy development and execution across their entire asset lifecycle, from roadmap to bankability and optimizing ecosystem resiliency.”

In his new role, Sanchez will lead a global team with a diverse portfolio of deep industry expertise in transactional, regulatory, decarbonization, digital infrastructure design and enablement, cybersecurity resiliency and real-time asset optimization. Black & Veatch uniquely combines objective early-stage advisory consultancy services with the practical insights, capabilities and lessons learned from the vantage point of an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) company that innovatively has designed and engineered large-scale projects while continuously assessing the latest technologies and business models.

“Black & Veatch has always been the go-to game changer in the sustainability marketplace,” Sanchez said. “I am delighted to join this innovative and talented team at this pivotal time when it is essential that we’re the agile partner that clients entrust with their most precious strategies, investments and operations.”

Digital Services Expert to Propel Black & Veatch's Strategic Growth

Friday, June 21, 2024

Critical infrastructure leader names Brunswick veteran Mike Adams to new chief digital technology officer role

As global engineering and construction leader Black & Veatch designs, builds and maintains increasingly more advanced sustainable infrastructure assets to enable businesses and communities to thrive, it also is generating and leveraging huge amounts of real-time data at a scale and intensity never experienced before. To accelerate the company’s innovation and technology strategy in this fast-expanding digital economy, Black & Veatch has named digital transformation expert Mike Adams to a newly formed role as its chief digital technology officer (CDTO).

Adams is tasked with driving leading-edge initiatives to research, validate and adopt emerging technologies that accelerate digital competitiveness across Black & Veatch’s global workforce, operations and diverse portfolio of client-centric solutions. Whether its digitally enabling worker productivity and safety, tracking carbon emissions or leveraging data-driven insights to create new sources of recurring revenue, the new CDTO’s mission is to ensure that the next generation of Black & Veatch solutions adapt technologies that are innovative and intuitive to use and aligned with creating quantifiable value for employees, clients and partners.

Mike Adams comes to Black & Veatch from Brunswick Corp., where he served as vice president, chief information officer and leader of a digital engineering consulting business. While with that multi-billion-dollar recreational marine company, he successfully guided a large-scale digital transformation that focused on customer experience key performance indicators, including engagement, lead conversion and digitally assisted sales. Before that, Adams served as a DuPont Corp. digital transformation leader accountable for enhancing end user experience, optimizing technology investment and improving service reliability and performance.

Black & Veatch Chairman and CEO Mario Azar said Adams’ deep digital expertise will be invaluable as clients entrust the company not only with their physical infrastructure assets but also more increasingly with their critical datasets across the whole lifecycle from design to build, operate and maintain.

“With our relentless focus on disruptive innovation, safety and project management, Mike will be instrumental in transforming our broad application of advanced technologies – from drones and machine vision to artificial intelligence, digital twins, geographic information systems (GIS) and industrial cybersecurity solutions, “Azar said.” This evolution in role from chief information officer (CIO) to CDTO is a leap to change our view and adoption of technology from an IT tool to an integral part of how we run our business.”

“My mission has always been to strategically align and place the right bets on digital capability best able to advance and deliver transformational change and durable competitive advantage, and I am excited to bring that mindset to Black & Veatch and the clients and communities we serve,” Adams said. “Data is a critical ingredient to durable competitive advantage. It is essential that we both protect it and put it to work.”

Editor’s Notes:

• For a high-resolution image of Mike Adams, click here.

• As Brunswick CIO, Adams was a finalist for the 2023 Chicago ORBIE Awards, which recognize technology executives for leadership, innovation and excellence in that rapidly growing, CIO-led national professional association.

• Adams earned a master’s degree of business administration in international business management from Drexel University in Philadelphia.