Energy Consulting Case Study – Sale of Severn Group to Valmet Corporation

On behalf of Bluewater, a UK-based specialist energy and industrials private equity firm, Westwood provided a series of commercial due diligence reports covering the global valve and actuator industry. On 22 December 2025, Valmet announced it had entered into an agreement to acquire Severn Group from Bluewater. The transaction is due to be completed in 2Q 2026.

Client Name

Global valve and actuator OEM, Severn Group (comprising LB Bentley, ValvTechnologies and Severn Glocon – together ‘Severn’).

Project Brief

Building on a 2019 buy-side exercise whereby Westwood supported Blue Water Energy LLP with a primary investment into Severn Glocon Group, Westwood were re-engaged in 2021 to provide a buy-side commercial due diligence report to support a bolt-on acquisition, and again in 2025 to provide a sell-side commercial due diligence report covering the current state and outlook for the global valve and actuator industry.

Our 2025 scope of work included:

• A detailed assessment of what, where, how and to whom the Severn Group of businesses sells, including capital sales and relevant aftermarket opportunities (e.g. refurbishment, replacements, and repairs).
• A comprehensive review of current and future business and market drivers, including the number of installations and wells drilled globally.
• A deep dive of macroeconomic trends and outlooks, including global electricity demand, liquids and gas supply by region.
• Analyses of the competitive landscape, by valve and actuator type, operating sector, and geographic reach.
• A quantitative assessment of the present and potential market size for each of LB Bentley, ValvTechnologies and Severn Glocon across global oil, gas, power, mining, CCS, and hydrogen sectors.
• A review of potential growth opportunities in new geographies and emerging energy verticals.

Consulting Sectors: Upstream Oil & Gas, Energy Transition, Power Generation, Mining

Westwood Approach

Leveraging our core on- and offshore energy equipment databases, alongside our longstanding expertise in delivering insights and advice to original equipment manufacturers and wider the supply chain e.g., presenting at the British Valve and Actuators Association’s annual meetings, Westwood provided a comprehensive review of the valve and actuator industry and key drivers of demand across their current and future applications.

Using a component-level view of where and how many fluid control devices are used in the up- mid- and downstream oil and gas sector, Westwood created Total Addressable and Serviceable Market assessments across the geographies and solutions relevant to Severn. A similar approach provided quantitative assessments of the market potential across mining, power generation, carbon capture and storage, and hydrogen. Our report also reviewed, inter alia, planned and probable activity by project, developer, and region – the evolution of the buyer and supplier landscape, market drivers and challenges, and performance by division.

Project Outcome

Blue Water Energy LLP had been a majority shareholder in Severn Group investor since 2019, and ValvTechnologies since 2021. Westwood’s 2025 appointment as provider of due diligence data, analytics and reporting helped educate and inform prospective buyers on the Severn Group and its business operating environment. Severn joins Valmet Corporation in 2026.

Westwood Consulting Project Team

For every energy consultancy mandate that Westwood delivers, we define key roles to ensure the smooth management and delivery of each project.