Aker Kvaerner Netherlands B.V., trading as AK Process, and part of the Aker Kvaerner Group, has become the first EPC contractor in the Netherlands to be certified by Lloyd's Register as a qualified manufacturer under the European Pressure Equipment Directive. A key benefit of the certification is that it will enable a significant reduction in the involvement of Notified Bodies in assessment and inspection during the engineering and construction phases of projects. As Wim van der Zande, President of AK Process, confirms, "This certification represents an important step in our drive to be a leading centre of project execution excellence for our industry. A core element of our management systems is to ensure proper quality levels on our delivered projects.