Offshore Group Newcastle Ltd. (OGN), a Tyneside-based company working within the offshore oil & gas and renewable energy industries, is looking for ways to become a larger player in the renewables market by spreading its business.
“The River Tyne is ideal for wind turbine companies with its location for access to the proposed Round 3 offshore wind sites,” The Journal cites David Edwards, CEO of OGN Group .
He continued: “It is a wide river, with room for manufacturing and assembly facilities, and we have the skills to provide logistical support to the industry.
“The potential is here. The question now is whether we will grab it?”
OGN will receive £4,500,000 from the Regional Growth Fund as part of the total £50m investment in the new plant producing steel foundations for offshore wind turbine generators to be developed at their Hadrian Yard site in Wallsend, Tyne and Wear.
The factory will be able to manufacture various types of steel foundations suitable for large generators with the capacity of 5MW or more each. It will include the innovative Triton foundation, a three-leg steel jacket, developed by OGN and its subsidiary Aquind, specifically to address the needs of developers of large-scale offshore wind farms in the UK and Europe.
The faster manufacturing methods will help to remove a major supply chain bottleneck while securing more than 700 direct and 300 indirect jobs for highly skilled workers. It will help motivate young people to get relevant education and training, while contributing to the reputation of the North East as a major supply hub for offshore wind.
“The New Year will kick off with a bang for the UK renewable industry,” The Journal quotes Mr. Edwards as saying. “I think it’s game on. We now have the stable pricing mechanism we needed and the Government is looking for the industry to get on with it.”
He added: “The UK supply chain is set to benefit from the volume of work that will become available.”
“One thing we can be certain of is that there will be plenty of work for everyone, creating thousands of new jobs.”
The OGN Group has made it clear that it has serious plans to diversify into renewable energy and to secure its spot there long-term.
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Offshore WIND Staff, January 8, 2014; Image: OGN