Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Teesside Offshore Structures Ltd wins first offshore wind contract


A Teesside offshore wind supplier’s first contract win will bring ‘substantial fabrication work’ - and jobs - to Teesside.


Offshore Structures (Britain) Ltd took over TAG Energy’s site at Haverton Hill, after the company fell into administration in October.


It has secured its first contract with Dong Energy, to supply turbine parts for a major wind farm in Liverpool Bay, which bosses say could trigger a £30m investment and 350 new jobs subject to further work being won.


The company will manufacture a ‘high proportion’ of the transition pieces for 32 turbines, bound for the Burbo Bank Extension offshore wind farm.


Offshore Structures (Britain) Ltd. is a joint venture set up by German company EEW SPC and Danish firm Bladt Industries A/S,


Under the agreement, monopile foundations for the wind farm will be fabricated at EEW SPC’s facility in Rostock, Germany, while the transition pieces will be produced on Teesside and in Aalborg, Denmark at Bladt Industries’ facility.


Brent Cheshire, UK Country Chairman for DONG Energy, said: “We are delighted to have awarded this important contract, which will bring substantial fabrication work to Teesside.


“With the UK leading the world in the deployment of offshore wind technology, DONG Energy believes it is important that investments feed through to the local supply chain.”


Karl Klös-Hein, Managing Director EEW SPC said: “This will be the first project to be manufactured at Offshore Structures (Britain) Ltd at Teesside, a joint company of EEW SPC and Bladt Industries.


“We are very happy to get a kick-start for our new UK operation, as manufacturing of the foundations for the Burbo Bank Extension project will start as early as August 2015.


“With the UK being the biggest European market in offshore wind, we feel it’s about time to boost local manufacturing and we are glad to deploy our experience and technology in the UK steel fabrication world.”


He added: “Provided that we get awarded future projects, Offshore Structures (Britain) Ltd will employ up to 350 people and invest close to £30 million.”


DONG Energy gave the Burbo Bank Extension project go ahead in December 2014 when a Final Investment Decision to proceed was taken. This followed the award of development consent by the Secretary of State for Energy & Climate Change in September.


The Burbo Bank Extension wind farm will feature 32 MHI Vestas Offshore Wind 8 MW turbines and will be capable of supplying the electricity needs of around 180,000 UK homes when complete.


EEW SPC and Bladt Industries bought the assets of TAG Energy from adminstrators for an undisclosed sum.



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