Turbine foundation production for Newcastle
OGN Group expects future wind farm construction to increase dramatically. Photo of Thanet Offshore Wind Farm by Peter Barker.
A Tyneside UK shipyard is expanding to accommodate a wind turbine foundation production line facility.
It is part of a major initiative by nineteen leading north east of England energy sector companies to promote the region as a global hub for offshore renewable energy solutions.
OGN Group occupies part of Hadrian Yard in Wallsend and is currently busy constructing an oil production platform for the American company Apache. They are now planning to expand their presence at Wallsend, investing £50m in developing a facility for construction of offshore wind turbine jacket foundations. The site will cover an area of 36,000m², with the estimated creation of in excess of 600 jobs, and completion as early as 2013.
The prospect of the huge potential demands associated with UK Round 3 windfarm projects are in ONG Group’s thoughts, but they are also looking at the potential for sales in the Dutch, Belgian and German sectors. They point out that there is only one other yard, in Scotland, working towards satisfying what could become a requirement for 600 to 700 jacket foundations per year, a demand it considers unlikely to be within the capabilities of any one company. This proposal clearly involves mass production on a grand scale, with three production lines running in parallel 24 hours a day seven days a week. Plans are expected to be submitted to North Tyneside Council early in 2012 with the hope that the planning process will be completed before Easter.
The company originally considered switching over to renewables entirely, but has decided not to turn its back on the oil and gas industry. It still considers there is much good work available from this sector and is tendering for a number of various projects, the aim being to present a mixed portfolio of products.
The promotion of the north east of England as a global hub for offshore renewable energy solutions is being pursued through the formation of Energi Coast, North East England’s Renewable Group. ONG Group is one of nineteen representative companies from the energy sector, brought together by NOF Energy, to promote the region. Energi Coast members have invested almost £400m meeting the demands of the renewable market, employing 6,000 people in the region, a figure that is forecast to increase by 30% as Round 3 activity gathers pace.
The geographical location, bordering the North Sea, is clearly an important factor in promoting the north east’s suitability for the offshore wind industry. The region contains a rich mix of engineering skills dating back over 100 years and Energi Coast’s members have a strong track record of collaborative working, a feature they see as key with the diverse nature of the offshore wind industry supply chain.
By Peter Barker
Images for this article - click to enlarge
Unless otherwise stated, all images copyright © Mercator Media 2012. This does not exclude the owner's assertion of copyright over the material.
