The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
Wind farm has potential for a supply chain boost
● Major Seagreen project will require more than 300 contracts
Millions of pounds of potential work has been pitched to the Granite City’s oil and gas supply chain in an effort to bring firms in on a giant Scottish wind farm development.
SSE Renewables was in Aberdeen to meet contractors as part of the construction of its 114-tubine Seagreen wind project planned off the Angus coastline.
John Casserly, head of procurement at the firm, said millions of pounds worth of tier-two supply chain work is “on the table” for pioneering firms who can adapt from traditional oil and gas to work in renewables energy.
He claimed that SSE’s previous project, the 84-turbine Beatrice Offshore Wind Farm in the Moray Firth, spent more than £600 million in Scotland – which will become £2 billion over the lifespan of the project.
Mr Casserly revealed that the Seagreen project will require more than 300 contracts to build the mammoth wind farm. He wants the “broad skillset” of the north-east energy sector to be involved.
Mr Casserly said: “Aberdeen has the oil and gas firms and the infrastructure around it, and particularly in things like design, engineering and technical capabilities – the goods and services that we’ll need.
“We’re actually oversubscribed here in Aberdeen, we’ve had to get a bigger room.
“We know from working on Beatrice, that from Inverness to Aberdeen to Dundee, the skill sets are here.”
Seagreen Offshore Wind Farm is expected to have a £6bn lifetime investment and could bring thousands of jobs to the area during the construction phase. It is also understood that up to 410 jobs could be created to operate the wind farm.
Planned 16 miles off the coast of Angus, Seagreen Phase 1 will be the most powerful wind farm in the UK once completed.
It should produce enough energy to power 40% of all households in Scotland.
Meanwhile, SSE Renewables’ “meet the buyer” events were also held in Inverness and Dundee this week.