Aberdeen-based firm OEG Offshore has expanded into the renewables sector for the first time by securing a £2.2million deal with a major UK offshore wind farm project.
The company – which specialises in the design, build and rental of cabins and cargo carrying units for the offshore oil and gas market – will deliver specialised equipment room modules for use on the first phase of London Array, which will be located in the outer Thames estuary.
The first phase of London Array will consist of up to 175 turbines generating 630MW - enough power to supply over 472,000 homes. Upon reaching its 1000MW capacity, it will become the world's largest offshore wind farm, making a substantial contribution to the UK Government's climate change targets.
The significant contract was awarded by Siemens Transmission and Distribution Limited, which is one of six European suppliers involved in the London Array project. The contract will involve the design and construction of 18 custom-built Local Equipment Room (LER) modules to be installed on two in-field transformer platforms situated within the offshore wind farm development.
The units – which will be designed and built by OEG at their Kirkton and Pitmedden facilities in Aberdeen – will be used to house electrical switchgear, workshops and emergency accommodation on the offshore sub-station platforms. Once completed, the modules will be shipped to Belgium for installation on-deck before they are transported offshore.
Stewart Heggie, Operations Director at OEG, said: “This project with Siemens is OEG's biggest single contr act to date and demonstrates our ability to apply our skills and experience to the offshore renewables' sector which has obvious synergies with the offshore oil and gas industry.
“The units have been designed to an offshore specification and have similar properties to our standard VSD and LER modules that we have recently supplied to operators in the oil and gas sector. Having a substantial amount of experience in the offshore sector means that we are well-placed to transfer our skills into the wind power and renewables' sectors – markets in which we will be looking to develop future business opportunities as OEG continues to grow locally and internationally.”
Richard Horan, Project Manager at Siemens, added: ”The modular approach has been chosen as it allows a fast and efficient platform build which is necessary to meet the tight timescales for this project.”
“On-time delivery of equipment and modules is crucial to the wind farm being completed on budget and schedule, and we required a reliable company with a reputation for delivering quality services within the required timescales. OEG Offshore met these criteria, and the company's experience of delivering similar modules for offshore environments means they are well-qualified for this project.”
The units for the London Array project are due for completion in June 2010.