Yesterday the Forth and Tay Offshore Cluster hosted its first ScotWind supply chain event in conjunction with the Scottish Offshore Wind Energy Council.
With the event based in Dundee’s Michelin Scotland Innovation Parc, attendees heard from nine of the successful ScotWind developers, who outlined their plans for their projects and specifically how companies large and small could be a part of their multi-tiered supply chain. Delegates also had an opportunity for attendees to visit Forth Port’s renewables capability at the Port of Dundee, experiencing first hand the size and scale of offshore wind equipment currently being marshalled there.
Scottish Engineering’s Shona Clive, project lead for the Forth and Tay Offshore Cluster stated: “The Forth and Tay Cluster exists to connect Scottish companies, particularly SMEs, to the opportunity of Offshore Wind, and today has underlined that this opportunity is very real, with lots of enthusiasm from both developers and supply chain companies to make that work. As an event, we were sold out within days of announcing, a ringing endorsement from industry that offshore wind deserves their investment of time to be a key part of this.”
David Webster, Director of Energy at Forth Ports (owner of the Port of Dundee), said: “Today’s event was staged only a couple of miles from Scotland’s only operational custom-built renewables hub at the Port of Dundee with the location and modern facilities which make it perfectly suited for major contracts in offshore wind.
“We are currently the turbine preassembly facility for EDF’s NnG project and we have recently secured a similar contract with Inch Cape. Across the Group we are investing in major port infrastructure in Leith and Dundee to support the drive to increase Scotland’s offshore renewable energy generating capacity.”
David Sweenie, Development Manager for NnG Offshore Wind, said: “The impressive tower sections and blades for the 450 MW Neart na Gaoithe offshore wind farm are being stored by SGRE at our Logistics Hub at the nearby Port of Dundee.
“Construction on site is well advanced, with the first 10 of 54 wind turbine jackets now installed, along with the first of two offshore substations. We remain on schedule for the installation of turbines to commence in 2023 and for NnG to be generating clean, green electricity at full capacity in 2024.”
