Major renewables contract secures jobs at Falmouth
A computer image showing a Seajacks vessel with blades
A&P Group’s Falmouth shiprepair yard in England recently won a multi-million pound contract to construct 100 tonne blade racks for two self-propelled jack-up vessels owned by Seajacks International.
Both purpose-built vessels, the Seajacks Leviathan and Seajacks Kraken, arrived in Falmouth during May to have the blade racks installed. These racks carry massive wind turbine blades to offshore wind farms where the four legs are lowered to the seabed and the vessel jacked up out of the water to provide a stable platform for installing the wind turbines.
Work began on the planning and materials stage of the contract in March and construction of the blade racks was completed in April. While they are in the docks, A&P will undertake a full maintenance work package on the vessels.
Peter Child, managing director of A&P Falmouth, said “This is a very significant new contract for us and we are delighted to be working at the forefront of the marine renewables sector. We won the contract in stiff competition with many of the UK’s other major yards. It is fantastic news not only for A&P, but for the whole of Falmouth and the wider local economy. With the country in a period of economic uncertainty, to be able to create new jobs is something we are proud of and confirms our commitment to the town.
“Many of the jobs will be for highly skilled workers, such as engineers, electricians, steel workers, plumbers and painters.”
A spokesman for Seajacks said “This mobilisation work includes fabrication of significant structures which need to be installed on the vessel in a short period of time. Seajacks are confident that the proactive approach adopted by A&P Falmouth will allow the works to be facilitated in the timescales required.”
The contract not only secures A&P’s claimed growing reputation in the marine renewable energy sector, but dozens of highly-skilled jobs at the dockyard. The Seajacks vessels are purpose built for installing and maintaining offshore wind turbines and are being converted for use on the Walney 2 offshore wind farm project off Liverpool.
2010 was a year of rapid growth for A&P in the marine renewable energy sector, thanks to the company’s focus on meeting the needs of offshore wind developers. In November, Marine Designs, part of the A&P Group, received a Green Energy award for an innovative pontoon system designs to support the offshore renewables industry.
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