Tynesides renewables ‘Super Group’

The influential band of companies, united under the name Energi Coast, aims to demonstrate the region’s ability to service the entire needs of the renewable energy sector, particularly offshore wind.

A&P Tyne is one of 19 companies brought together by NOF Energy to promote the region as being perfectly positioned to supply the offshore wind market with the required skills and facilities already in place.

Neil Jarvis of A&P Tyne said, “The North East is increasingly recognised as the best place in Britain to service the burgeoning offshore wind market. It’s traditional engineering skills in shipbuilding, heavy manufacturing and engineering are easily transferable to building, operating and maintaining large offshore wind farms and our geographic location is ideal for major offshore wind developments such as the Round 3 Dogger Bank project.

“The region can literally be a ‘one stop shop’ for the offshore renewables sector. We have companies that can provide services and solutions that extend right across the offshore wind supply chain. Add to that the ongoing development of wave and tidal power devices and the prospects for the North East are likely to be significant.”

The other companies in Energi Coast are Able UK, Barrier Ltd, CTC Marine Projects, Heerema Fabrication Group, JDR Cable Systems, McNulty Group Holdings, Mech-Tool Engineering, MPI Offshore, NOF Energy, OGN Group, PDL Solutions (Europe) Ltd, Port of Tyne, Reef Subsea, SMD, Tag Energy Solutions, Tata Steel Europe, Technip UK Ltd and Wilton Engineering Services.

Mr Jarvis added: “Like others in Energi Coast, A&P Tyne has successfully diversified in recent years into new sectors such as offshore oil and gas and renewable energy. Not only are we building new structures for these markets, but we continue to use our core marine skills in vessel conversions and upgrades.”

Energi Coast will have its own website which will be linked back to the group members’ own websites, the NOF Energy website and supply chain directory pages. The group say the fact that 70% of all North Sea platforms were built in the region highlights the experience it has in marine structures, which is readily transferable to the renewable energy market.

Mr Jarvis added, “It’s our hope that the clean energy market will bring more work and, most importantly, more employment to the area, which will filter right the way down the supply chain.”

George Rafferty, chief executive of NOF Energy said, “Energi Coast will play a serious role in the debate of the cost of renewable energy. A cohesive and collaborative supply chain operating from one geographic location can have an impact on reducing the cost of producing renewable energy for the long term.”