A UK-based company, James Fisher & Sons, has won a multimillion pound contract to work on the Galloper wind farm project. The announcement is expected to lead to the creation of 100 jobs on the east coast, including up to 50 offshore technician positions, and approximately 30 onshore and offshore staff will also be required.
The company will be responsible for delivering a range of offshore and marine services to aid in the successful completion of the Galloper windfarm, which is planned for Lowestoft, Suffolk.
Personnel from James Fisher will be assisting with a number of different support arrangements during the construction of the site including vessel refuelling, diving services, the operation of remotely operated vehicles, emergency responsive services, construction site set up and providing crew transfer vessels. The contract is worth £25 million to the company, which specialises in working with the marine, renewable energy and gas and oil sectors.
Commenting on the new contract, Nick Henry, CEO of James Fisher and Sons, stated:
“We’re delighted to be working with Galloper Wind Farm Limited on this exciting and challenging project. We are bringing together a range of services under one contract which enables us to focus on driving operational efficiencies and reducing risk on behalf of our client, through the integration of these services.”
Planning permission and additional investment
Permission for the building of the windfarm was first granted in 2013 and it is an extension to the already existing Greater Gabbard Wind Farm. In October 2015, RWE Innogy announced a financial close for the project and stated that Siemens Financial Services, Macquarie Capital and UK Green Investment Bank would become 25% equity owners in Galloper Wind Farm Limited.
Construction work and project completion
Work on the offshore construction is scheduled to begin in June 2016 and it will be completed in 2017.
Once complete, the Galloper windfarm will have 56 wind turbines that will have the capacity to produce 336 MW of power, which is enough to fuel more than 300,000 homes. 56 subsea array cables will be built under the sea to link the turbines to the platforms, and they’ll be one offshore substation.
It’s thought 700 jobs will be created during the construction stage, and approximately 90 operational positions will also become available once the construction is complete.
The opening of the windfarm is set for March 2018.