Hull-based electrical engineering firm Pearson Electrical has signed a framework agreement to provide maintenance work on A2SEA’s wind turbine installation vessel Sea Challenger being used to transport Siemens turbine components from Green Port Hull and install them on the 402MW Dudgeon offshore wind farm.
Sea Challenger has recently installed the first of 67 Siemens 6MW turbines on Dudgeon for Statoil, Masdar and Statkraft.
For the next months, the vessel will install the turbines being shipped from Green Port Hull at the city’s Alexandra Dock.
“For more than 30 years, we have worked in the marine, industrial and hazardous area sectors, so it’s fantastic to be able to take our expertise and apply it to wind energy. As a Hull business, we have followed the development of the Siemens blade manufacturing facility closely, and we’re delighted to play a part in the transportation of the parts to Dudgeon in the North Sea,” Mark Pearson, Director at Pearson Electrical Limited, said.
“A2SEA opened talks with us last year about being on the framework. Fortunately, we’d received some funding from the Green Port Growth Programme to achieve a vital ISO accreditation, which was crucial to accessing the framework.”
With an investment of over GBP 26 million, the Green Port Growth Programme, which is supported by the Regional Growth Fund, is designed to provide continual support to help local businesses recognise and embrace potential opportunities within the renewables sector.
“It’s important for A2SEA to use and develop the local supply chain for support of our project operation in the Hull region. With the framework agreement with Pearson Electrical, A2SEA has taken another important step in this direction. Pearson Electrical has been proactive in the initial process, having the right capabilities and organisation to support future A2SEA demands within their core business,” Jens Nielsen, Procurement Director at A2SEA, said.
The Dudgeon offshore wind farm is a GBP 1.5 billion project expected to be fully commissioned by late 2017.
Statoil is developing the Dudgeon offshore wind farm and is the wind farm’s operator.