Latest news : Supply Chain

World’s Largest Offshore Wind Farm Gets a Lift with New Partnership

12th March 2024 in Supply Chain

North East engineering and lifting expert, JK Lifting Equipment, is working with the world’s largest wind farm, Dogger Bank, to enable the safe movement of operation and maintenance equipment.

As part of the lifting and product supply partnership, JK Lifting Equipment has developed a rigging loft specifically for the Dogger Bank Wind Farm. The specially converted shipping container features all the necessary lifting equipment required to support safe heavy lifts and can be used both onshore and offshore.
James McAlees, Marine Logistics Coordinator at Dogger Bank Wind Farm, said: “JK Lifting Equipment will play an important role in the operations of the warehouse and logistics function of Dogger Bank, enabling the safe movement of equipment required to operate and maintain the world’s largest offshore wind farm.

“They join a growing number of North East companies bringing specialised technology to the industry-leading project.”

James Bright, Managing Director at JK Lifting, said: “We’re thrilled that Dogger Bank Wind Farm have entrusted us to be their lifting partner – it’s a privilege to be a part of such an exciting and transformative project.

“Dogger Bank recognised our strong track record of quality engineering, providing innovative solutions, developing collaborative working relationships and delivering a comprehensive range of both onshore and offshore services across the UK and Europe.

“With four decades of lifting expertise, our certified engineers bolster the wind farm’s existing lifting operations, utilising their in-depth sector knowledge to find innovative solutions.

“Based on the banks of the River Tyne, we’re proud to support Dogger Bank Wind Farm, alongside the region’s growing renewable energy hub and the UK’s Net Zero 2050 target.”

The Dogger Bank offshore Wind Farm is a joint venture partnership between SSE Renewables (40 per cent%), Equinor (40 per cent%) and Vårgrønn (20 per cent%).

SSE Renewables is leading the development and construction of Dogger Bank Wind Farm, and Equinor will operate the wind farm on completion and during its expected operational life of around 35 years. Vårgrønn provides specialist offshore wind expertise to the project.

The North East of England is a growing UK hub for the global marine, offshore, and renewable sectors. Its North Sea location, as well as the vast experience, knowledge and network of the region’s specialist companies, mean it is attracting growing levels of investment.

JK Lifting, one of the North East’s leading engineering firms, has been helping companies lift well for over 40 years. Founded by John Kesson in 1983, the firm was acquired by James Bright in 2019 to lead the company into its next chapter. Following continued growth, in May 2022 the firm celebrated the opening of its specialist marine base at Port of Blyth.

CFB Risk Management awarded contract on Dogger Bank Wind Farm

7th March 2024 in Supply Chain

CFB Risk Management (CFB RMS) CIC has supported the World’s Largest Offshore Wind Farm, Dogger Bank, providing Emergency Response Plans.

Dogger Bank Wind Farm has awarded CFB RMS with the opportunity to develop and produce their Emergency Response Plans for their Logistics and Warehouse departments, which are based from the Dogger Bank operations and maintenance base in South Shields, North East England.

Dogger Bank is committed to long-term value creation in a low-carbon future, investing £1m during the construction phase of the wind farm, working with education providers to support the development of skills for the future of green energy.

CFB RMS, who are a CIC, give back 65% of profits to support the local community, a value that is very much close to Dogger Bank’s heart.

CFB RMS have unique expertise and decades of experiencing managing highly complex emergency response situations within High Hazard industries globally including; Chemical, Energy and Oil & Gas, with a passion for excellence and customers being at the forefront of everything we do.

CFB RMS are always looking to build up strong existing client relationships. Securing this contract with such an innovative company, who have an eagerness to take on new challenges, and strive to make a safe and good place to work and put their people first, and committed to minimising negative impact on people and the environment.

Working closely with them will allow us to exchange ideas that provide more sustainable services, optimising the skills and expertise CFB RMS technical team hold to ensure plans are in place to support Equinor’s team in the event of an emergency situation.

We are excited to work with a global leader, and to start implementing key training and service requirements to prevent major accidents, and protect business reputation the best way possible, in order to satisfy our client on a personal level by providing the best services within the market.

CFB RMS have already built a great relationship with this organisation, and look forward to watching this relationship grow and flourish over time.

J&B Recycling supports families in North East using wind farm revenues

20th February 2024 in Community News, Supply Chain

J&B Recycling has announced its first annual donation to the charity Feeding Families. This contribution is sourced from the revenue generated by recycling materials from the construction of Dogger Bank Wind Farm.

In 2023 J&B Recycling secured a 3-year contract with GE Renewable Energy for sustainable waste management during the construction of the wind farm. This collaboration underscores a shared interest in environmental responsibility while also having a direct impact on the local community.

Under the terms of the agreement with GE Renewable Energy, J&B Recycling committed to donating revenue from recycled materials to a local charity. The chosen beneficiary, Feeding Families, operates in the North East to combat food poverty. Given the current economic situation, this support is particularly relevant and needed in the region where J&B Recycling operates.

Ingrid Brough-Williams, Marketing Manager at J&B Recycling, said:

“The scale of their operation is substantial; they need to distribute over 3,000 boxes monthly to those in need. It’s a challenging task, especially as they cannot always rely on food donations and often have to purchase supplies. Hearing the stories of individuals and families in our area facing severe hardship was eye-opening and underscores the importance of our contribution.”

Sarah McPhie from Feeding Families, said:

“We are incredibly grateful for the support from J&B Recycling and Dogger Bank Wind Farm. This partnership is not just about the financial contribution; it’s a lifeline for many families. It’s heartening to see local companies stepping up to make a real difference in the community. Their support enables us to continue our work, reaching more families in need during these challenging times.”

Dogger Bank Wind Farm Community Engagement Manager, Rachel Lawrence, said:

“It’s truly heart warming to see our supply chain improving the lives of families in our key communities. J&B are helping us to ensure the legacy of our construction programme is far-reaching and helping those who most need it.”

 

 

Dogger Bank Wind Farm host almost 5000 delegates across 22 supply chain events

10th January 2024 in Supply Chain

Suppliers to the renewable energy sector have been able to strengthen their engagement with Dogger Bank Wind Farm and discover new opportunities.

Following the Dogger Bank Wind Farm ‘Meet the Buyer’ event on November 23, which took place at Hardwick Hall Hotel in Sedgefield, NOF and Dogger Bank Wind Farm has announced that nearly 5000 delegates have now attended 22 supply chain engagement events over the last five years. The 22 events, all organised by NOF – the business development membership organisation for the energy sector – were designed to educate businesses on the opportunities created by the project, driving innovation and building new relationships and partnerships across the offshore wind sector.

Dogger Bank Wind Farm, which is located more than 130km off the coast of North East England, will be the world’s largest offshore wind farm once complete. It will have a total capacity of 3.6GW, which is enough to power around six million homes in the UK with renewable electricity and is approximately equivalent to 5% of the UK’s electricity demand.

The wind farm is a joint venture between SSE Renewables, the lead operator for the development and construction of the wind farm, Equinor, who will be lead operator for the for the duration of the wind farm’s operational phase, and Vårgrønn, who bring specialist offshore wind expertise to the project. Equinor will operate the wind farm for its expected operational life of around 35 years from a state-of-the-art Operations and Maintenance (O&M) base at Port of Tyne in South Shields.

Based in Durham, North East England, NOF is a national membership organisation working with organisations of all sizes across the energy industry supply chain, including offshore wind, hydrogen, carbon capture & storage (CCS), nuclear and oil and gas. The organisation has more than 35 years of heritage and connects suppliers to major developers, operators and tier one contractors, to support their energy projects.

NOF has supported Dogger Bank Wind Farm with a wide variety of events. These have included a number of ‘Meet the Buyer’ events, tours of the Port of Tyne, an O&M Innovation Day with the Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult, which was held at Port Training Services at Port of Blyth, and an O&M Innovation Workshop at The Catalyst in Newcastle upon Tyne, which focused on robotics.

In addition, during 2020 – when it was not possible to host face to face events due to Coronavirus restrictions – NOF delivered 10 webinars involving tier one contractors, to assist Dogger Bank Wind Farm and its potential suppliers. Tier one contractors included: Jan de Nul; OHT; DEME Offshore; Jones Bros; ABB; GE Renewables; NKT; Aibel; Saipem; Sif and Smulders

NOF also delivered the Dogger Bank Wind Farm O&M Base Opening Ceremony & Drinks Reception in March 2023, to celebrate the launch of the base. This was attended by Minister of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, Graham Stuart MP, and other dignitaries.

Joanne Leng MBE, Chief Executive of NOF, said: “As a trusted supply chain partner, we are committed to supporting Dogger Bank Wind Farm in building its supply chain ecosystem and the events we deliver are key to this.

“Dogger Bank Wind Farm is a development of huge international significance that is helping to transform the UK’s energy industry. NOF is very proud to be playing its part in supporting the project.

“It has been fantastic to see so many delegates attend NOF’s Dogger Bank Wind Farm events over the last few years and we look forward to working with the wind farm’s partners, suppliers and stakeholders into 2024 and beyond.”

Tom Nightingale, North East Stakeholder Manager at Equinor, said: “We are extremely pleased to have hosted our 22nd Dogger Bank supply chain event, which have all been organised by our supply chain partner, NOF.

“The project has had the privilege of hosting almost 5000 delegates over the last five years, providing valuable networking and business opportunities to the renewable energy industry.

“Across these events, we have been able to showcase the latest advancements, trends and solutions that are being implemented to build the world’s largest offshore wind farm as well as creating new connections and opportunities for local suppliers.”

Dogger Bank Wind Farm has created or supported more than 2000 jobs to date in the UK. More than 400 long term roles associated with operations and maintenance have been provided at Port of Tyne by Equinor, GE Renewables, North Star Renewables and Port of Tyne itself.

Dogger Bank Wind Farm is investing £1 million during the construction phase to support the development of green energy skills. This will include increasing and expanding STEM provision in local communities with bespoke programmes. More investment will be made in community initiatives during the wind farm’s operational phase.

NOF works closely with clients to make valuable connections between businesses in the global energy sector. Client support can include face to face events, webinars, the coordination of one-to-one meetings, supplier enquiry support, surveys and marketing assistance.

For more information on NOF, visit https://www.nof.co.uk/
For more information on Dogger Bank Wind Farm, visit https://doggerbank.com/

Yorkshire engineering specialist wins contract on world’s largest offshore wind farm

1st November 2023 in Construction, Press releases, Project news, Supply Chain

Boston Energy has secured a contract with Ge Vernova to provide mechanical and electrical expertise during the construction of Dogger Bank Wind Farm.

The East Riding of Yorkshire-headquartered firm will undertake onshore commissioning and completion work at Able Seaton in Hartlepool, as well as offshore mechanical and electrical (M&E) completion and offshore commissioning.

The work will involve more than 190 UK based personnel at its peak, and represents Boston’s largest ever single award in offshore wind.

Dogger Bank Wind Farm Commercial Director, Simon Bailey, said:

“It’s great to see another key contractor creating job opportunities to support the construction of Dogger Bank Wind Farm. Construction and commissioning of turbine technology is a critical element of our programme that will help us to steadily ramp up to full operating capacity of 3.6GW by 2026.”

Nathan Fahey, Project Director at GE Vernova, said:

 “We have been working with Boston Energy since the contract award for offshore commissioning of the Dogger Bank Wind Farm and I’m really pleased to have them as a trusted partner as we move into the operational phase of the project.

“I trust the team will deliver the expected results, at the quality and execution standards we want to provide to our customer.

“We are very much looking forward to working with Boston Energy to help us deliver this fantastic project utilising our Haliade-X turbines. Delivering this project will significantly enhance the UK’s net zero ambitions and help make a substantial dent in CO2 emissions.”

Julian Cattermole, CEO of Boston Energy, said:

 “We’re thrilled that GE Vernova have entrusted us to deliver the onshore and offshore commissioning of this truly exciting, and transformative project.

“GE has recognised that Boston Energy has a very strong track record of delivering exceptional quality on its projects as well as ensuring it delivers to budget and to the highest safety and environmental standards.

“We now need to get on and deliver to those same exacting standards that GE Vernova expects.”

To demonstrate its commitment to local content, Boston Energy has employed 80 per cent of its offshore team and 85 per cent of its onshore team from the North East of England, where pre construction activities are taking place.