Harland & Wolff’s Methil yard in Scotland has been awarded a contract by Saipem Limited for the fabrication and load-out of eight jacket foundations for the Neart na Gaoithe offshore windfarm
Construction of the jacket foundations for the EDF Renewables/ESB-owned Neart na Gaoithe project in the outer Firth of Forth is due to get underway in July 2021. The deal is expected to create around 290 direct and indirect jobs.
In a statement, InfraStrata-owned Harland & Wolff said that, although work will principally be conducted at the company’s newly acquired Methil facility in Scotland, should there be an opportunity to further optimise the work programme and make the contract more cost-effective, Harland & Wolff and Saipem will work jointly to spread additional workstreams within the contract across its three other sites in Belfast, Arnish and Appledore.
InfraStrata chief executive John Wood said, “We are delighted to have entered into this contract with Saipem. It paves the way for the execution and delivery of future fabrication contracts, a significant number of which are currently in advanced negotiations.
“The geographical proximity of our Methil facility to the North Sea makes it an ideal site for fabrication and load-out to windfarm projects such as this.
“More importantly, it validates our strategic vision of expanding the group’s fabrication footprint into regions that are strategically located within proximity to major windfarm projects.
“This will enable us to spread workstreams across our facilities to drive down costs, deliver against tight schedules and, crucially, align ourselves to the government’s goal of providing wind-generated power to all homes in the UK by 2030.
“I am confident this is only the beginning of a stream of projects in our pipeline that we expect to come to fruition. We are hugely excited about the massive potential that this first contract has unlocked, and we look forward to working with Saipem to successfully deliver under it.”
Commenting on the announcement, RenewableUK deputy chief executive Melanie Onn said, “It’s great to see an iconic company like Harland & Wolff creating 290 Scottish jobs with a big contract to manufacture steel foundations for a major Scottish offshore windfarm, especially as this will take place at the former BiFab site at Methil in Fife generating new opportunities there.”
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