UK: British company wins £Multi-million Galloper offshore services contract

Galloper Wind Farm Limited (GWFL) confirmed the appointment of James Fisher and Sons plc (James Fisher, the Group) for a contract in excess of £25 million for the delivery of an integrated suite of offshore and marine services during the construction of the wind farm.

James Fisher expect the contract to generate up to 100 new jobs, with the vast majority being based in the east coast of England. This will comprise a dedicated project management team of around 20 people based at OrbisEnergy in Lowestoft, a further 20 to 30 onshore and offshore based personnel who will form part of the project’s Principal Contractor Team, and a further 40 to 50 offshore technicians.

The company will be responsible for providing key elements of marine services and support to the Galloper team including: construction site set-up; marine co-ordination, OWMS™ marine management system, crew transfer vessels, vessel refuelling and emergency response services. The contract also includes provision of ad-hoc support arrangements for diving services, operation of remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), and unexploded ordinance identification and disposal.

The Galloper Wind Farm is being constructed by RWE Innogy, with the offshore construction phase scheduled to commence in June 2016, with the project commencing operations in March 2018.

Commenting on the award, GWFL Project Director Toby Edmonds said: “We are very pleased to be working with a UK based service supplier as our Offshore Services Contractor. As you would expect, the UK is a forerunner in terms of expertise in offshore and marine services and James Fisher has the skills and experience to compliment that expertise. We are particularly pleased at the direct benefits the contract will bring in terms of jobs in and around the Lowestoft area. The company will provide a broad range of specialist marine services over the next two years and we look forward to working with them and welcoming them to the Galloper team.”

“Nick Henry, CEO of James Fisher and Sons plc commented: “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.”

Overall, Galloper offshore wind farm is expected to create around 700 jobs during the construction phase and around 90 jobs once operational. The wind farm off the coast of Suffolk, will be capable of generating up to 336MW, enough energy for up to 336,000 homes.