From 28 May 2012, Scira Offshore Energy, the company developing the Sheringham Shoal Offshore Wind Farm [88 turbines between 9-17 miles off the coast of North Norfolk,] is to charter Eden Rose, one of Tidal Transit’s innovative wind farm personnel and equipment transfer boats, to service the site development.
The Sheringham Shoal Offshore Wind Farm is the third major offshore wind energy project to be supported by Tidal Transit vessels. Immediately after her arrival in the UK from Spanish ship builder, Mercurio Plastics, Eden Rose went into operation for RES Offshore in Grimsby, servicing meteorological masts 60 miles out into the North Sea, whilst Ginny Louise is currently contracted to the SSE and RWE npower renewables partnership; this partnership is developing the 140-turbine Greater Gabbard Offshore Wind Farm off the Suffolk coast.
Both vessels are state-of-the-art, high-specification, purpose-designed vessels for use by companies involved in the planning, development and construction of offshore wind farms in the Greater Wash and southern North Sea.
Einar Stromsvåg, General Manager of Scira Offshore Energy, said: “Here at Scira, we are very pleased to welcome such a high speccification vessel to our fleet, and are delighted that we can source this vessel from a local company . Tidal Transit is a fantastic example of a Norfolk based company which has positioned itself as part of the supply chain for the developing wind industry in this region.”
Tidal Transit Commercial Director Leo Hambro is delighted with the company’s progress since the first vessel, Ginny Louise, arrived in the UK in late December last year, saying:
“There are currently some 4,000 offshore wind turbines in the early stages of the survey and EIA process, waiting for planning consent or actually under construction in the Greater Wash and the southern North Sea. This is creating a strong demand for our no-compromise workboats which are specifically designed to serve the needs of the North Sea wind energy industry. These are greatly superior to the current fleet being used for the same purpose around the UK.”
He added: “The Sheringham Shoal development is widely seen as a ‘pathfinder project’ and we are delighted to now be working with the team at Scira Offshore Energy.”
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Offshore WIND staff, May 21, 2012; Image: Tidal Transit