JGC Engineering has completed the first fabrication milestone in the Moray East offshore windfarm project.
The Thurso firm finalised work on containers which will be fitted with either high voltage transmission equipment or electrical monitoring and control equipment for the three offshore substation platforms.
The containers’ total length, height and volume are more than that of an Airbus A380 aircraft, according to Siemens – who are lead contractors, with JGC being the supply chain partner. Eight of the twelve containers were fabricated in Thurso by JGC.
Stephen Sutherland, company director at JGC Engineering & Technical Services Ltd said, “JGC were delighted to win the Moray East container fabrication and fit out from Siemens with whom we have now delivered several successful projects for the offshore wind sector over the last five years. Winning work in this sector with a major client is hugely important to JGC and the region we do business in, allowing us to re-invest in our facilities and our excellent workforce ensuring strong private business in the Highlands of Scotland.
“JGC employed around 60 people on the project including up to ten apprentices giving them an opportunity to hone their skills in a new and developing sector whilst delivering what has been described by our client as an excellent quality product.”
The containers will now be transported from Thurso to Fabricom-Smulders in Belgium, where substation equipment will be installed inside before being sailed out to the location on Scotland’s Moray Firth in the summer of 2020.
Alongside the three offshore substation platforms, Siemens will also be behind the construction of a new onshore substation at New Deer in Aberdeenshire, which will connect the Moray East project.
Mark Pilling, managing director of Siemens Transmission and Distribution Ltd, said, “The containers are the heart of the substation, providing the intelligence and safety equipment to run the windfarm effectively. This is the first of many milestones we will achieve on this project to provide low cost, low carbon electricity. We are delighted to have achieved this important milestone and to celebrate the event with those who have worked so hard to get everything ready on time.”
At 950MW, the Moray East development will be capable of providing enough electricity to power almost one million homes – saving 1.4 million tonnes of CO₂.
