BiFab's turbine work powering ahead
Burntisland Fabrications (BiFab) is helping lay the foundations of a major wind farm off the coast of Cumbria.
A worker at the BiFab plant in Methil.
- By Aileen Robertson
- Published in the Courier : 14.07.10
- Published online : 14.07.10 @ 04.23pm
The company's Methil manufacturing plant has completed four 45-metre high turbine bases, which left the Fife coast on Tuesday for the 150MW Ormonde offshore wind farm.
Component parts were made by BiFab at Arnish on the Isle of Lewis before being transported to Fife for completion.
BiFab has agreed a lease with Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) and employs 60 on Lewis.
The substructures, each weighing 450 tonnes, are the first of 31 steel foundations being built by BiFab's operations at Fife Energy Park.
They were floated down the Forth on a barge and, weather permitting, will arrive on site near Barrow-On-Furness on Friday.
Once installed they will act as sub-sea platforms for turbines, with one holding an electrical sub-station.
Ormonde offshore wind farm is being developed by European energy giant Vattenfall Wind Power — a subsidiary of Swedish state-owned Vattenfall AB.
David Hodkinson, head of Vattenfall Wind Power's UK developments, said, "I would like to thank everyone at BiFab for their professionalism and hard work in the manufacturing of these turbine jackets for Ormonde.
"Productive working relationships with companies like BiFab will be vital as Vattenfall fulfills its long-term commitment to developing renewable energy across the United Kingdom and make a substantial contribution to the delivery of green energy targets."
BiFab managing director John Robertson added, "Loading out these jackets substructures represents a major milestone in our dealings with Vattenfall.
"The agreement to provide these jackets has helped to support more than 370 jobs at the Methil yard here at Fife Energy Park.
"Renewable energy is a key sector for us and we are delighted with the progress we have made on this project.
"It is a testament to the skill and expertise we are developing to meet demand from the offshore wind sector."
Onshore works at Ormonde started in autumn last year and offshore works got under way in May. The wind farm is expected to start generating next year.
It is just one of the projects resulting from the Crown Estate's granting of licences for major wind farm developments around the UK coastline.
The demand for jacket substructures has created a bottleneck in the supply chain and BiFab is set to benefit as one of the few companies in the UK manufacturing these structures.
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