A Stokesley-based offshore wind installation company has started work on the Amrumbank West windfarm in Germany.
Monopiles being loaded ready for work on the Humber Gateway windfarm
Stokesley-based offshore specialist MPI Offshore has installed its first foundation for E.ON at the Amrumbank West wind farm in the North Sea.
The company, which owns installation vessels Resolution, Discovery and Adventure - all named after Captain Cook’s famous ships - has signed a six-year multi-project contract with the energy giant.
Bosses are also tracking “in excess of 50 projects across Northern Europe” as wind turbine demand surges.
MPI installs foundations, turbines themselves and offshore Grid connection platforms on E.ON’s projects in Sweden, the UK and Germany. The utility company wants to become the cost leader in building and operating large-scale offshore projects.
The first contract in a long chain of works was for MPI Discovery on Sweden’s Karehamn windfarm, before she returned to the UK to work on the Humber Gateway windfarm.
In between, she made a three-week stopover at home on the Tees to prepare for foundation work on the Humber Gateway and Amrumbank.
MPI’s business development manager Andrew Duncan said: “This is all part of a six-year relationship with E.ON, covering numerous projects across the UK and Sweden.
“A six-year deal is very unusual, it’s a good thing for us as it gives continuity and flexibility, allowing for the shifting of schedules or possibly even the sequence of events due to weather, or supply chain demands. It also retains for the long term a key alliance and construction guidance to the utility company, as they develop their offshore wind portfolio.
“Discovery spent 21 days at the Tees Offshore Base, where MPI contracted local fabricators and specialist companies for the installation of many tonnes of sea fastenings and offshore equipment.
“She turned around in three weeks from her mode of turbine installation, to the foundation or monopile installation mode for the Humber Gateway project.”
He added that MPI Offshore, which was solely a wind turbine vessel owner in its early days, has evolved over the years.
The company now provides the ship management of the three main vessels, a fleet of high speed crew transfer workboats, engineering, project and construction management.
Its staff of more than 70 has grown in the last four years since the delivery of the two most recent vessels, Adventure and Discovery.
Mr Duncan added: “The likes of E.ON can draw on us because we own a fleet of additional offshore transport equipment, hydraulic heavy handling equipment.
“Stokesley is the engineering and consultation hub, and we also have the support of fully trained in-house personnel, both offshore and on shore.”
MPI added that it is due to finish at Amrumbank West, which is located off the coast of Germany, by the end of this year.
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