Ørsted backs UK suppliers with large investment

Two of Severfield's shopfloor welders at the facility in Thirsk, North Yorkshire, Photo: ©Matthew Nichol Photography

Renewable energy company Ørsted has announced contracts collectively worth £75-£100 million with UK companies — JDR Cable Systems, Severfield and Smulders, all based in the North of England, will produce integral components and services for the Hornsea 3 wind farm on UK soil, supporting more than 300 UK jobs across the three businesses.

Severfield, headquartered in York, is the largest steel fabricator in the UK but this is its first contract on an offshore renewables energy project, representing an important step in its journey into the sector. Severfield will work with their strategic key contractor Hutchinson Engineering in Widnes, site of the recent Great British Energyd launch, and will undertake final assembly of key components at the Teesworks Port in Teesside. Smulders is a leading steel fabricator in the offshore wind industry, and since 2016, has operated the UK-based facility in Wallsend (Newcastle).

Severfield and Smulders will supply a large proportion of secondary structures for Hornsea 3’s foundations from the UK. This includes the Suspended Internal Platforms or SIPs, key internal parts of the foundations on which the wind turbines sit. In addition they will build the boat landings where smaller vessels will arrive, allowing technicians to directly access the turbine foundation. They will also provide anode cages, which protect the steel-made foundation structure from corrosion.

North East England-based JDR won the array cable testing and termination contract. The company will prepare and connect cables between the turbines and offshore convertor stations and then using its ‘state of the art’ testing capability will ensure that all cabling is fully integrated into the offshore electrical infrastructure and working safely.

Offshore renewables
Luke Bridgman, Hornsea 3’s managing director, said: “We value our partnerships with local suppliers and our continued commitment to working with the UK supply chain is reinforced today with these contract announcements. Operating with existing suppliers like JDR and Smulders and supporting Severfields’ diversification into offshore renewables is testament to the strength of the UK supply chain and the role Hornsea 3 is playing to boost economic growth across the UK.”

Benj Sykes, head of Ørsted in the UK, said: “Ørsted has been an investor in Britain, supplying clean energy, for 20 years and we believe in supporting the communities in which we work. Hornsea 3 is the world’s single largest offshore wind farm and, as well as being based in UK waters, we’re proud to be supporting Britain’s growing offshore wind supply chain.”

Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said: “This investment is a vote of confidence in British manufacturing and our mission to deliver clean power by 2030, boosting our factories and supporting jobs in the North of England to power up the world’s biggest offshore wind farm. This multi-million-pound investment will build on the manufacturing expertise of our industrial heartlands, ensuring these communities can benefit from the vast opportunities that come with us becoming a clean energy superpower.”