A contract has been signed for Harland & Wolff to carry out the fabrication and loading works of eight foundation ducts for wind turbines (WTG)

The contract was jointly announced by Neart na Gaoithe (NnG) Offshore Wind Limited (jointly owned by EDF Renewables and ESB), Saipem and InfraStrata, owner of Harland & Wolff.

With work starting July 1, 2021, Harland & Wolff will use its newly acquired facilities from Methil to Fife for manufacturing work, creating around 290 Scottish direct and indirect jobs.

Assistance can be provided as needed at other Company facilities in Arnish, Appledore and Belfast with Saipem’s consent and as needed.

The foundations, used to support and anchor NnG’s WTGs to the seabed, are supplied and installed by Saipem, a global provider of solutions in the energy and infrastructure sectors. Saipem will also supply and install two additional ducts for the offshore substations.

NnG is committed to using the Scottish supply chain and this work on the project is a new boost to the offshore wind industry in Scotland, creating new green jobs and manufacturing opportunities.

Offshore construction of NnG began in August last year with the installation of caissons for the piles and preparation of the seabed before the arrival of the steel foundation sheaths.

NnG will provide enough low-carbon electricity for approximately 375,000 homes and has a capacity of approximately 450 megawatts (MW) of low-carbon energy and will offset over 400,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions each year .

Paves the way for execution and delivery

Matthias Haag, NnG Project Manager, said: “This is an important day, for the offshore wind industry in Scotland and for our project.

“When we announced our main subcontractors in 2019, we made it clear our commitment to the Scottish supply chain and the role it must play in building NnG.

“This is why this contract signing is such good news. We are pleased that the contract has been awarded to Harland & Wolff, with the bulk of the work taking place in Scotland.

“With the Port of Dundee supporting the project as a maritime hub for NnG, the Port of Leith as a staging point for the pile casings and the planning permission recently granted for an O&M base at Eyemouth Harbor, Harland & Wolff join our project demonstrating our commitment to Scotland. “

John Wood, CEO of InfraStrata, added: “We are delighted to have entered into this contract with Saipem. This contract paves the way for the execution and delivery of future manufacturing contracts, many of which are currently in advanced negotiations.

“The geographic proximity of our Methil facility to the North Sea makes it an ideal site for manufacturing and loading wind farm projects like this one.

“More importantly, it validates our strategic vision of expanding the group’s manufacturing footprint into strategically located regions close to major wind farm projects.

“I have no doubts that this is just the start of a flow of projects in our pipeline that we hope will come to fruition.

“We are extremely excited about the enormous potential that this first contract has unlocked, and we look forward to working with Saipem to achieve it.”