200 Teeside Jobs Secured Thanks To DONG Energy Wind Farm

A contract has been signed today by DONG Energy and Bladt Industries for 96 transition pieces for its Hornsea Project One offshore windfarm.

Over 50 transition pieces (56), which link the monopile foundation of offshore wind turbines with the towers, will be manufactured at the Offshore Structures Britain (OSB) facility in Haverton Hill near Billingham, Teesside. The remaining transition pieces (40) will be manufactured at the Bladt Aalborg facility in Denmark.

With a capacity of 1.2 gigawatts (GW) Hornsea Project One will be the first windfarm in the world over 1GW, capable of providing enough environmentally friendly electricity for well over one million homes.

Duncan Clark, Hornsea Project One Programme Director, said: “As well as making a significant contribution towards decarbonising the UK power system, Hornsea Project One is a huge infrastructure project which is providing a real boost to regional UK firms.”

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 who formed Offshore Structures Britain (OSB). Their first order, for 16 transition pieces, came from DONG Energy’s Burbo Bank Extension and one year later, DONG Energy ordered 40 for its Walney Extension project. This order for Hornsea Project One will load the facility to full capacity for around one year and safeguard around 200 jobs in Teesside.

We’re delighted to be working with OSB once more and proud to play a part in bringing life into factories like this

Duncan added: “We’re delighted to be working with OSB once more and proud to play a part in bringing life into factories like this. It’s great to see the figures increasing – this order is three and a half times the size of our initial order with OSB in 2015. The suppliers we’ve worked with on Hornsea Project One are building their capabilities to support more UK projects, and can look forward to further opportunities including the potential for export.”

Brent Cheshire, UK Country Manager at DONG Energy, said: “With eight operational wind farms in the UK and four under construction, DONG Energy is clearly invested in the UK. Last month we announced our investment in the UK’s first offshore wind tower factory which will enable us, and all UK developers, to use UK manufactured towers for the first time.

“Substantial contracts like this are giving suppliers all over the UK the opportunity to grow and compete in the offshore wind industry, not just for Hornsea Project One but for future UK offshore wind farms too.”

Jan Kjærsgaard, CEO, Bladt Industries said: “We are very pleased to take part in the Hornsea Project One and we are particularly happy to receive yet another order for our OSB facility in Teesside. Since the decision to invest in OSB in 2015, we have undertaken a full upgrade of the facility and have employed close to 200 employees. This order will follow our two first orders for Burbo Bank Extension and Walney Extension and will secure our capacity utilization for approximately one full year.”

Attached photo shows transition pieces manufactured by Offshore Structures Britain’s factory in Teesside for another DONG Energy project, Walney Extension. Credit: OSB