Windhoist Limited is delighted to announce that a contract has been placed by Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy for the company to carry out onshore turbine pre-assembly work for the Beatrice offshore wind project in the Moray Firth. Having constructed more than 11GW of onshore wind capacity globally to date, this award is the company’s first in the burgeoning offshore wind sector and will sustain over 40 jobs for the 10 month duration of the project starting this month.
The contract requires Windhoist to provide onshore pre-construction support for 84 Siemens 7MW turbines to be deployed by the start of 2019. The Beatrice offshore wind project is Scotland’s largest offshore development to date and SSE(project developer) estimate that of the GBP 2.6 billion investment, GBP 1.1 billion is expected to add to UK GDP supporting more than 18,100 years of full-time employment in the UK (around 900 jobs for the full period of construction alone). The Scottish supply chain is expected to see a spend of GBP 530 million from the construction of the Beatrice project.
Energy Minister Paul Wheelhouse, said: “Having secured this new contract to carry out onshore turbine pre-assembly work for the Beatrice offshore wind project in the Moray Firth, Windhoist Ltd are one company who are actively seeking emerging opportunities in the renewables sector. With assistance from Scottish Enterprise to identify new opportunities, this is an excellent example of a company utilising its knowledge in one sector to secure contracts in another, while sustaining over 40 jobs in a very competitive market.”
Andy McDonald, director of energy and low carbon technologies at Scottish Enterprise, said: “We have been working with Windhoist for a number of years, and it’s great to see that access to our offshore wind expert support has really helped the company to develop their understanding of the market and take advantage of emerging opportunities within the renewables sector. This has seen the company succeed in what has previously been a challenging market, to secure these types of contracts in offshore wind. The awarding of this contract is evidence that the skills we have in Scotland, linked to the ambition of our companies to secure more work in this field, is being recognised and rewarded. We look forward to working with the company as it continues to develop its growth plans.”
Hugh McNally, Managing Director of Windhoist, said, “We have worked with Siemens / Gamesa for a number of years within the onshore wind sector. We are delighted to build upon this relationship and look forward to bringing our extensive onshore construction expertise into the offshore wind sector”.
Ryan Burke, Windhoist’s Project Manager on Beatrice, commented, “We are very excited about working with SGRE on this Scottish project. The reputation our construction teams have made around the world for innovative and seamless execution was a real defining factor in terms of securing this award.”
A spokesperson for Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy said of this contract award, “We are delighted to be undertaking our largest turbine supply contract in Scotland to date and are pleased that Windhoist will support us on this project. We are committed to stimulating indigenous innovation, competition and skills and support from the Scottish supply chain will be invaluable for us to deliver this project successfully.”
With over 300 technicians employed, the Windhoist Group has operating presence in Scotland (Irvine and Stirling), Ireland, Australia, Germany, South Africa and Morocco. The company has successfully deployed its wind technical resources in over 18 countries globally and maintains one of the most comprehensive heavy lift fleets available on the market.
Press enquiries to Alan Duncan [email protected] / Kevin Daly [email protected]
