SCOTTISH firms are being invited to an online event to find out about opportunities on the construction of the £2 billion Inch Cape offshore wind farm.
To be located off the coast of Angus, Inch Cape Offshore Limited said the invite applies ‘particularly’ to businesses based in East Lothian, Fife and Tayside.
The September 16 event – run by Inch Cape, Xodus Group and Scottish Enterprise – will allow firms to understand how they can engage with the project in the middle years of this decade.
Adam Ezzamel, project director at Inch Cape, said, “Offshore wind presents a significant opportunity for businesses of all sizes in Scotland, but it is hard for many medium and smaller enterprises to understand how to engage and tender for work.
“In common with all major infrastructure projects, a high proportion of contracts will be awarded to large ‘tier one’ suppliers. However, each of these suppliers will in turn be reliant on multiple specialist subcontractors, and this is where local businesses can play to their strengths.
“For these businesses, this event will explain Scotland’s ‘Cluster Builder’ initiative, led by offshore wind supply chain experts Xodus, which works with Scotland’s two offshore wind clusters – Forth & Tay Offshore and DeepWind – to support the Scottish supply chain to target opportunities in offshore wind.
“At the same time, Inch Cape is keen to contract directly with specialist suppliers of all sizes if they can introduce new technologies and innovative ways of working with a focus on lowering the cost of energy on the project and reducing construction time, cost and carbon footprint whilst prioritising health and safety.”
Shona Clive, project lead of the Forth and Tay Offshore Cluster, added, “Scottish Engineering, as the newly appointed cluster manager for the Forth and Tay Offshore Cluster, is delighted to be supporting the Inch Cape procurement event. The Inch Cape project is right in the heart of the Forth and Tay geographic area, home to world leading offshore engineering companies which are well positioned to support this major multi-million pound project.
“This event, followed by a series of other more discipline-specific events, will help to inform local SMEs and those further afield about the huge scope of opportunities arising from the construction and long-term operation of the Inch Cape Wind Farm.”
The event will take place from 10-11am on Thursday 16 September. To register, click here.
