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| Rooke Engineering | |
|---|---|
| Name | Rooke Engineering |
| Type | Private |
| Industry | Heavy engineering |
| Founded | 1948 |
| Founder | Sir Arthur Rooke |
| Headquarters | Sheffield, South Yorkshire |
| Key people | Charlotte Mercer (CEO), Dr. Ian Patel (CTO) |
| Products | Industrial boilers, pressure vessels, bespoke fabrication, process skids |
| Num employees | 2,400 (2024) |
Rooke Engineering is a British heavy engineering firm headquartered in Sheffield, South Yorkshire. Founded in the immediate postwar period, the company evolved from regional steel fabrication into an international supplier of pressure-containing equipment, process systems, and modularized plant solutions. Rooke Engineering serves clients across energy, petrochemical, nuclear, and maritime sectors, engaging with prominent contractors, shipyards, and utilities.
Rooke Engineering traces its origins to 1948 when Sir Arthur Rooke established a fabrication works in Sheffield adjacent to the Sheffield Steel Company yards and near the River Don. During the 1950s the firm expanded into pressure-vessel work, contracting with entities such as British Petroleum and Shell plc for refinery components. In the 1970s Rooke undertook modular plant packages for British Steel Corporation and collaborated with Rolls-Royce Holdings on marine steam systems. The company navigated the deindustrialization of the 1980s by diversifying into offshore services for BP platforms in the North Sea and by partnering with Siemens on power generation equipment. In the 1990s and 2000s Rooke repositioned toward international markets, executing projects with ExxonMobil, TotalEnergies, and shipbuilders like BAE Systems and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. Recent decades saw strategic investments in fabrication automation and testing, enabling contracts for nuclear supply chains involving EDF Energy and consortiums with Westinghouse Electric Company.
Rooke produces heavy industrial goods and integrated services. Core products include ASME- and EN-standard pressure vessels, industrial boilers, heat exchangers, and cryogenic storage tanks supplied to clients such as Unilever manufacturing plants and AstraZeneca facilities. The firm offers modular process skids and pipework spools for firms like Jacobs Engineering Group and Fluor Corporation, plus bespoke structural steel for offshore platforms for operators including Equinor and Chevron Corporation. Services encompass design-assist engineering, non-destructive testing for customers like Amec Foster Wheeler, site installation for contractors such as KBR, Inc., and aftermarket maintenance agreements used by National Grid and Thames Water. Rooke’s marine divisions supply auxiliaries to Cammell Laird and provide refurbishment work to P&O Ferries vessels.
Primary operations are centered at a main works in Sheffield with satellite fabrication yards near Port of Liverpool and Teesside Freeport. The main campus includes heavy plate rolling bays, 500-tonne gantry cranes, automated cutting suites using equipment from Trumpf and Hypertherm, and an ISO 17025 laboratory used by auditors from Lloyd’s Register and Det Norske Veritas. The Liverpool yard supports heavy machining and final assembly for maritime components, with quayside access for load-out via partnerships with Associated British Ports. A logistics hub in Felixstowe coordinates overseas shipments with freight forwarders tied to DP World and Maersk. The company operates training centers co-certified by City and Guilds and collaborates with universities including University of Sheffield and Cranfield University for apprenticeships and technical secondments.
Rooke is a privately held entity led by a board chaired by non-executive directors drawn from Barclays and KPMG alumni. Major shareholders include a family trust established by descendants of Sir Arthur Rooke and a minority stake held by an industrial investment vehicle associated with 3i Group. Executive leadership has included CEOs who previously worked at Babcock International Group and AMEC. Governance adheres to UK company law with audit committees engaging firms such as PwC for financial oversight and Eversheds Sutherland for corporate counsel during international transactions and joint ventures.
Rooke’s R&D focuses on metallurgical optimization, welding automation, and low-carbon process integration. Collaborative projects have received support from Innovate UK and the European Commission Horizon initiatives, and have been undertaken with partners like TWI (The Welding Institute) and Fraunhofer Gesellschaft. Innovations include proprietary composite-liner technologies validated against standards from BSI Group and ASME, and a digital twin program developed with Siemens Digital Industries for modular plant commissioning. Patents and technical papers have been presented at forums such as the Institution of Mechanical Engineers and the International Conference on Pressure Vessel Technology.
Rooke has a footprint across Europe, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia. Notable projects include fabrication of process modules for the Gorgon gas project, pressure vessels for the Hinkley Point C nuclear project via supply-chain partners, and subsea skid assemblies delivered to contractors on the Troll field. The company has served shipyards undertaking refits for Royal Navy auxiliary vessels and provided boilers for cruise ships constructed by Meyer Werft. Sales channels include long-term framework agreements with Shell and bid consortia alongside Jacobs and SNC-Lavalin for EPC contracts.
Rooke maintains safety management systems certified to ISO 45001 and quality systems certified to ISO 9001 and ISO 3834 for welding. Environmental management follows ISO 14001, and the firm reports decarbonization roadmaps aligned with targets advocated by Carbon Trust and commitments echoing standards from Science Based Targets initiative. Health and safety practices are audited by external bodies such as RoSPA and HSE inspectors during major shutdown work. Waste management programs partner with local authorities including Sheffield City Council and recycling firms linked to Veolia to reduce steel scrap and solvent disposal footprints.