Stornoway yard back in business
A fabrication yard in Stornoway that ‘effectively closed’ almost a year ago has been brought back into use to build supports for offshore wind turbines.
The Canadian company which owns the yard, DF Barnes, is celebrating its first contract win with the creation of 82 jobs at its yard in Arnish, less than a year since taking over BiFab.
The contract, worth up to £26.5 million, was awarded by GeoSea in connecton with the Moray East Offshore Windfarm development.
The yard was mothballed after a raft of redundancies last July when a contract linked to the Beatrice Offshore Windfarm came to an end.
Energy Minister Paul Wheelhouse has welcomed the new contract as ‘great news’ for the Western Isles.
He said: ‘The Scottish Government’s continued support and collaborative approach with DF Barnes has helped secure, at peak, 82 jobs for this yard. However, we have always been clear there remains hard work ahead to rebuild the pipeline of work for the business. It is essential developers and the wider supply chain look to use Scottish content wherever possible from the start, helping our indigenous supply chain become stronger and more competitive. That is in the interests of the sector and economic impact is a key consideration as we consider future licensing opportunities and planning applications.’
Vice president of business development at DF Barnes Sean Power said this is just ‘the first stage in a long process’ that aims to secure a sustainable future for the yard.
‘We have made a long-term commitment to BiFab and are actively leveraging our global skills and expertise to position the company for future growth,’ he said.
DF Barnes is in discussions with the developers and contractors in relation to the Neart na Gaoithe (NnG) offshore wind farm.
Mr Power added: ‘We are really grateful for the support we have received from the trade unions, local politicians and the Scottish Government and its agencies. The high quality skills among the local workforce on the isle of Lewis will be critical to our long-term success. Although we are pleased to secure this work, we are working flat out to secure additional contracts.’
Alasdair Allan, SNP MSP for Na h-Eileanan an Iar, said he was delighted with the announcement that secures an ‘important economic asset’ for the island.