Liberty House Group has bought Mabey Bridge Renewables, which shut down its business in 2015, and will use its equipment in a new British manufacturing centre to supply the country’s offshore wind market and tidal lagoon power industry.
The new manufacturing centre, which will supply tubular steel structures to the offshore wind market and turbine casings for tidal lagoon projects, will be supported by two Scottish steel plants, Dalzell and Clydebridge, which the international metals and industrial company acquired from Tata Steel in April 2016.
Both RenewableUK and Scottish Renewables welcomed the news.
RenewableUK’s Chief Executive, Hugh McNeal , said: “This is great news and shows how the renewable industry can provide a market for steel produced in Britain. The growth of renewables in the UK is a huge opportunity for British businesses, as high demand for quality steel has increased.”
Jenny Hogan , Director of Policy at Scottish Renewables, said: “Renewable energy already supports 21,000 Scottish jobs, and it’s good news that a number of those employed at steel-works in Motherwell and Cambuslang could soon be joining the industry’s supply chain.”
Liberty House has started recruitment for the newly reopened Dalzell and Clydebridge steel plants at the beginning of this month, before the production restarts at the plants. Liberty said it hopes to re-employ some of the ex-Tata employees who lost their jobs when the plate plants were mothballed in October 2015.