By Erikka Askeland
SSE has awarded an oil and gas services giant a deal to support the development of one of the UK’s largest offshore wind farms.
Fresh from selling its energy supply business and criticism over the lack of Scottish companies in its offshore renewables supply chain, SSE announced it has signed up Petrofac as a preferred supplier to design and install the HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) systems for onshore and offshore substations on the Seagreen wind farm.
The HVAC deal is the first stage of a work scope, thought to be worth in the tens of millions, that will include the development and installation of the wind farm’s offshore substation platform, including topside, jacket and piles. Petrofac said the larger job was subject to a final investment decision from SSE which it expects to be confirmed in the coming months. SSE initially won a contract the sell energy from the windfarm – known as a contract for difference (CfD) – for the first stage of its development from the UK government in September. The wind farm is expected to deliver capacity of 1,075mw based 27km off the Angus coastline.
The announcement comes as union bosses and energy companies held a summit in Holyrood with members of the Scottish and UK government to hash out plans to increase the number of Scottish companies involved in the offshore wind supply chain. SSE, owner of the largest offshore wind portfolio in the world, has come under fire for looking overseas to develop Seagreen.
Petrofac is an international industrial services firm specialising in the offshore oil and gas industry although recently it has worked on offshore wind projects in the Dutch and German North Sea as well as off the coast of Suffolk. It has operations in Aberdeen and Montrose and is listed on the London Stock Exchange.
Yesterday, SSE insisted Petrofac, a tier 1 supplier, would source and procure local goods and services for the project, including site infrastructure, plant hire and manpower requirements. It added Petrofac would be announcing the appointment of a Scottish-based civil engineering contractor to develop the onshore substation works “shortly”.
The SSE statement added: “It is anticipated these construction works will support up to 100 jobs annually.”
Meanwhile Lapmrell, a UAE-based oil services company, said work on UK offshore wind projects for EDP and Scottish Power is “progressing.”
It added commercial settlement negotiations on the East Anglia One project with ScottishPower Renewables “continue”.
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