Global Marine Group chooses port of Blyth to extend UK footprint

Blyth, a modern, well-specified port, has emerged as a major support base for UK offshore energy projects. Operating from the Port of Blyth, both of GMG’s two business units, CWind, which provides services to the offshore wind industry, and Global Marine, which provides fibre optic cable solutions to multiple sectors, will be able to offer regionally-focused support, resulting in faster mobilisation, greater flexibility and enhanced response times for customers.

The expansion to the Port of Blyth is the latest step in GMG’s plan for continued growth and the development of a suite of local operational hubs situated where customers need support. Beginning in August, Blyth will serve as a regional base for strategic asset management and modular equipment storage, as well as a mobilisation and deployment site for the GMG fleet, complementing the Group’s existing operational UK bases at Grimsby, Lincolnshire and Portland, Dorset. A number of GMG assets, including C.S. Sovereign and CS Recorder, two highly capable, multi-role DP2 vessels with excellent track records in both power and fibre optic cable installation and repair, will operate out of Blyth, utilising local engineering skills and regional business support networks.

Recently, CS Recorder and Q1000, a jet-trenching remotely operated vehicle (ROV), mobilised from Blyth to undertake a cable reburial contract for the Prinses Amaliawindpark, located off the West Coast of the Netherlands. Subsequently, the port will serve to mobilise future telecommunications and power projects for the GMG.

Portland will continue to provide services to GMG’s power, renewable energy, oil & gas and telecommunications cable maintenance agreement customers, while Grimsby will predominantly deliver regional support for the offshore wind sector. Blyth will enable GMG access to a wider market in the Greater North Sea, as well as further afield in Europe, where a large offshore wind customer base already exists.

“It has been a pleasure to work with the Port of Blyth, which has been extremely supportive throughout our integration period,” said Ian Douglas, Chief Executive Officer of Global Marine Group. “We expect that by operating in close physical proximity to our customers, suppliers and trusted partners, we will further strengthen our relationships with key market players and continue to reinforce our reputation for delivering projects safely, on time and to a high level of quality. The combination of being in the right physical location, having a team of highly-capable onshore and offshore staff and access to Group assets, enables us to offer cohesive installation and maintenance services to our customers in multiple sectors.”

“We are very pleased to have attracted a company with the profile of Global Marine Group to operate from the Port of Blyth,” said Martin Lawlor, Chief Executive of the Port of Blyth. “We view this as another critical step forward in our development as an offshore energy base. We believe building infrastructure and partnerships in a single location is the formula for growth and innovation in the sector.”