The multi-million pound contract is part of an agreement with Lamprell, an international provider of fabrication, engineering and contracting services, which will fabricate 60 jackets. The Harland and Wolff contract will support up to 200 jobs in Belfast, where the company is based.
Standing over 65 meters tall and weighing more than 845 tonnes, the three-legged steel jacket structures will be nearly as prominent on the Belfast skyline as the famous Samson and Goliath cranes. Lamprell's Jebel Ali and Sharjah yards in the UAE will also work on the contract, with the project due to commence in March 2017 and last for a period of approximately 18 months.
East Anglia ONE is a £2.5 billion offshore windfarm which will generate 714 MW of electricity when completed in 2020, enough to power 500,000 homes per year. ScottishPower Renewables is on target to deliver an industry-leading 50 percent UK content across the life of the project.
The project will be the most cost efficient offshore windfarm ever to confirm construction, and is leading the way to meet the UK Government's cost reduction targets. The price of £119 per MWh was secured after a competitive auction process run by the Government, and is more than 15 percent lower than other offshore wind projects in construction elsewhere in the UK.
“East Anglia ONE will be the best value offshore windfarm ever constructed, at the same time as delivering industry-leading levels of UK content” said Keith Anderson, Chief Executive of ScottishPower Renewables. “Both of these considerations have been prominent in our thinking during the process of placing these contracts and we are pleased that Belfast will play important roles in delivering this project, supporting hundreds of skilled jobs. The facilities in Belfast are excellent for supporting offshore wind construction, as we experienced on our West of Duddon Sands project. We hope that the successful delivery of this contract will lead to even more opportunities in the offshore wind industry for Belfast.”
Mr Anderson added that ScottishPower Renewables contracting strategy will ensure that over 50 percent of the overall lifetime investment for East Anglia ONE goes to suppliers in the UK. The company is encouraging investment and supporting highly skilled jobs in Hull, Lowestoft, Great Yarmouth and Belfast, and it is also in discussion with a range of other UK suppliers to deliver important contracts covering all aspects of the project.
H&W Chief Executive, Robert J Cooper welcomed the contract stating that H&W is delighted to work with ScottishPower Renewables on such a nationally significant project.
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