150 jobs safeguarded as we announce final contracts for Hornsea Project One transition pieces

Thanks to orders from Hornsea Project One, around 150 Teesside jobs will be safeguarded.

With a capacity of 1.2GW the 174-turbine project will be the first windfarm with a capacity of over 1GW, capable of supplying well over one million homes.

Transition pieces link the monopile foundations of offshore wind turbines with the towers, incorporating key infrastructure to access and maintain the windfarm. Each one weighs 400 tons, around five times as heavy as a space shuttle.

EEW Special Pipes Constructions GmbH (EEW SPC), who are providing all 174 monopile foundations, will supply 30 transition pieces which will be manufactured at EEW Offshore Structures (Britain) Ltd (EEW OSB), in Teesside. The facility, formerly Offshore Structures Britain¹ a joint venture with Bladt Industries, has just been fully bought out by EEW SPC.

Picture above: Monopile foundations. Photo credit: EEW

Bladt Industries, who already held a contract to supply 96 transition pieces (56 of which will be manufactured at EEW OSB), will now provide an additional 28.

This announcement is another clear boost for Teesside manufacturing, with EEW OSB now manufacturing 86 of the 174 transition pieces [56 through Bladt and 30 through EEW SPC]. In addition, Wilton Engineering, also based in Teesside, will provide significant scope for 20 transition pieces. They will receive the basic steel tubular structure and do the majority of the manufacturing process including sandblasting and outfitting the transition pieces with boat landings, internal platforms for cables and other electrical equipment and platforms. Before they are deployed from Teesside, Wilton Engineering will also protect the steelwork from the marine environment with a cathodic protection system and a high specification coating. In total 106 of the striking yellow transition pieces will be loaded out to the wind farm from Teesside.

Duncan Clark, Hornsea Project One Programme Director said:

“The north east is a hub of manufacturing excellence, and it’s great to see the growing offshore wind industry supporting real engineering jobs here. EEW OSB is a great example of that; in just two years the facility has revived and supplied increasing numbers of transition pieces for our offshore windfarms across the country, securing hundreds of Teesside jobs. 

 “Hornsea Project One will make a significant contribution to the UK’s carbon reduction targets. Developing the UK supply chain not only boosts the local economy, it will help us maintain the UK’s position as global offshore wind leader.”

Offshore construction for Hornsea Project One will begin later this year and the windfarm is expected to be fully operational in 2020.

Background information - Hornsea Project One foundations:

The project will consist of 174 turbines, that will all use the monopile foundation and transition piece design:

• November 2016 - Ørsted announced that EEW SPC would provide 116 monopile foundations for Hornsea Project One offshore windfarm
• January 2017 – Contracts signed for 96 transition pieces from Bladt Industries with 56 to be manufactured at Teesside-based EEW OSB
• February 2017 – Steelwind Nordenham contracted for 20 transition pieces with Teesside-based Wilton Engineering providing significant scope
• June 2017 - the company announced that monopile foundations will also be used for the remaining 58 foundations and in August 2017 that these would be supplied by EEW SPC.

Foundation contracts agreed for Hornsea Project One

¹Offshore Structures Britain

The Teesside facility, previously owned by TAG Energy solutions, was reported as insolvent in 2014 losing around 100 jobs. In 2015 it was taken over by Bladt Industries and EEW SPC who formed Offshore Structures Britain (OSB).  Their first order, for 16 transition pieces, came from Ørsted's Burbo Bank Extension and one year later, Ørsted ordered 40 for its Walney Extension project. The order for Hornsea Project One will load the facility to full capacity until autumn 2018 and safeguard around 120 jobs in Teesside.