Telford-based Fabweld Steel Products Ltd (www.fsp.co.uk) — best known for its access covers for road, rail and other infrastructure projects — made moves into the biomass sector earlier this year, and it is now planning to enter the offshore wind sector with the help of two grants from the GROW:OffshoreWind service, which is supported by the Regional Growth Fund.

The company will use these grants to further develop its management systems and staff training programmes, as well as diversifying its welding procedures to meet the needs of the offshore wind sector. It is anticipated that two new jobs could be created.

The UK is a leader in offshore wind, with as much installed capacity as the rest of the world combined. With further growth expected, grant funding has been made available to ensure that specialist firms like Fabweld are equipped to take advantage of the opportunities on offer.

Managing director Richard Hilton says: “It is easy to assume that those working in the steel industry are a mile away from anything with green credentials, but we have a very real and significant role to play in this area. We knew that to have a realistic chance of gaining customers in the offshore wind sector, we would need the very best management systems, training and procedures in place. The grants that we’ve received will make a significant impact on our ability to achieve this.”

Dominic Brown, head of GROW:OffshoreWind, said: “With somewhere in the region of 40 new offshore wind projects currently being planned in waters off the UK, there is a huge opportunity for manufacturers in the West Midlands to become part of the supply chain that will realise these projects.”