Oilfield Machinery Ltd (OilMac) has announced that it will set up an East Coast Centre for Energy Logistics (ECCEL) to support offshore wind farms in the North East UK. The centre will launch its new heavy lift division, OM Heavy Lift, into the offshore wind sector, according to the company.
The hub will be located in the Port of Dundee, which is currently developing a new GBP 10 million heavy lift quayside by owners Forth Ports, and will also be supported by transport consultants, Collett & Sons, and fabrication specialists, Motive Offshore.
The hub combines the heavy lift facilities and laydown space at the port with dedicated engineering services, and has been created to meet the logistic and marshalling needs of offshore wind farms, OilMac said. The hub will be equipped with heavy lift, light fabrication, self-propelled modular transporters and haulage support.
Operations are anticipated to start as early as 2018, with the creation of around four new positions.
Alex Fyfe , managing director at OilMac, said: “The hub’s location, together with its collective capabilities and expertise, offers east coast wind farms a range of low-cost solutions for marshalling, staging, assembly and load-out operations.
“ECCEL’s launch is hugely positive for the broader offshore wind sector, and we have significant sector knowledge which will allow us to succeed in this industry.”
David Webster, port manager at the Port of Dundee, commented: “We warmly welcome OM Heavy Lift and the ECCEL logistics hub to the Port of Dundee. This significant investment is further good news for Dundee and for the port.”