Galloper Wind Farm Limited has today, in partnership
with Associated British Ports (ABP) and OGN Group, announced that the Port
of Lowestoft has been selected
as the base of offshore construction for the Galloper
Offshore Wind Farm.
Around 40 personnel will work from the OGN Group facility over the two
year construction period. The deal signifies a multi-million investment
into the local economy both in terms of lease and port payments and the
preparation of the facility ahead of it becoming the project’s offshore
construction base.
Galloper
offshore wind farm is
being developed next door to the existing and fully operational 504MW Greater
Gabbard Wind Farm off
the coast of Suffolk. Following community consultation, in-depth site investigations
and a thorough examination by the Planning Inspectorate, Galloper
was awarded Development Consent in May 2013. The wind farm, which has grid
connection secured, represents an expected investment potential of more
than £1.3 billion.
The announcement coincides with Offshore Wind Week and was confirmed today
by Waveney Member of Parliament, Peter Aldous, at an event hosted at OrbisEnergy
(the home of 4C Offshore) in Lowestoft, to celebrate Offshore Wind Week.
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Aldous said: “This
is very welcome news and confirms Lowestoft’s position as a centre for
the offshore wind industry. The project will bring new jobs to the area,
further opportunities for existing businesses and can act as a catalyst
for further growth in the sector.”
Last month RWE announced that financial
close had been reached after the company acquired three new project partners,
UK Green Investment Bank, Siemens Financial Services and Macquarie Capital,
who had all joined RWE Innogy in becoming 25% joint equity partners of
the Galloper
Offshore wind project.
Toby Edmonds, Project Director for GWFL, said: “The new base, with
its excellent quay, office and laydown facilities will be a thriving hub
of activity during the Galloper wind farm construction period. Our team,
which will include both existing and locally sourced personnel, will be
located in the area until at least March 2018 and with that, we expect
lots of positive spin-off benefits for local businesses.”
ABP Director Andrew Harston
said: “ABP’s
Port
of Lowestoft
already supports around 1,200 jobs and contributes around £80 million to
the economy. This positive development by RWE Innogy which utilises the
extensive OGN facility to provide a 'ready to go' support base for Galloper
underpins the port’s role as a key driver of both the local and regional
economy, with the potential to make a significant contribution to the prosperity
of the town and it’s hinterland.”
Construction of the Galloper
Offshore wind farm,
which will be capable of generating up to 336MW, enough energy for up to
336,000 homes, is set to create around 700 jobs during construction and
around 90 jobs once operational.
Dave Edwards, CEO of OGN Group said: “This is great news for us,
the port and for the local area. We are delighted to be supporting GWFL
during the construction of their prestigious windfarm off our coast. From
OGN’s base in Commercial road, we look forward to working with the Galloper
team in achieving a successful project.”
The GWFL team will mobilise on site in March 2016 and before moving into
the construction phase in June 2016. The site, which was formally an oil
operations base, is located within the ABP facility in Lowestoft.
Further GWFL project announcements, including the final decision on the
Operations & Maintenance base are expected to be made in the coming
months.
To find out more about the Galloper
offshore wind farm please follow the links
provided. Alternatively you can view the project on 4C Offshore's interactive
map.
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