DONG Energy has signed a contract with EEW SPC, which covers the supply of 32 monopile foundations and the associated transition pieces for the 258MW Burbo Bank Extension offshore wind farm to be built in Liverpool Bay.
Under the contract, a high proportion of the transition pieces will be manufactured at the Teesside plant by Offshore Structures (Britain) Ltd. The joint venture business was set up by EEW SPC and Bladt Industries A/S, who acquired the manufacturing site of offshore foundations business TAG Energy Solutions in Billingham, near Middlesbrough, which went into administration last October.
Monopile foundations for the wind farm will be fabricated at EEW SPC’s facility in Rostock, Germany, while the transition pieces will be produced partly at the Teesside plant on the British east coast and partly in Aalborg, Denmark at Bladt Industries’ facility.
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.
Image: Dong Energy