Scotland has missed out on hundreds of millions of pounds of work in the creation of one of the country’s biggest offshore wind farms to overseas firms, the Herald can reveal. Unions are furious at what they see as “the scraps off the table” that Scotland has received in the work on the £2 billion Neart Na Gaoithe (NnG) wind farm off the Fife coast, awarded by EDF, the French state energy giant. It is understood that in a key contract – it is proposed a minimum of eight of 54 steel foundation jackets which anchor the turbines to the seabed will be built in Scotland with the rest being constructed in south east Asia. The Herald can also reveal that Scotland has lost further important project work, worth hundreds of millions of pounds to England, Germany, Finland and France. The £640m Saipem turbine jackets deal will mean Canadian-owned Burntisland Fabrications (BiFab) yards in Arnish and Fife continuing to lose out in the “green manufacturing revolution” getting an estimated 15% of this valuable and crucial manufacturing work. Saipem will also supply and install an additional two jackets for offshore substations. But while the fanfare over the finances for what is one of Scotland’s biggest renewable energy projects was made yesterday, a Saipem source stated that the Scottish contract, which it was hoped would revive BiFab’s fortunes in Scotland, is yet be signed. BiFab, which employs around 1,400 workers was rescued from the brink of administration by the Scottish Government with a loan valued at £37.4m, but then was purchased by Canadian firm DF Barnes, although hundreds of jobs were shed. The workforce is now estimated to then stand at just 115. The only new confirmed jobs Scotland would gain is 50 over 25 years, at a new maintenance base at Eyemouth harbour.

Herald 29th Nov 2019 read more »

Scotland’s renewable energy supply chain has received a boost after securing contracts for the £1.8 billion Neart na Gaoithe offshore wind farm. Burntisland Fabrications is in line to build foundation jacket structures for the turbines. Alongside that the 54 turbines will be assembled at the Port of Dundee and Eyemouth Harbour has been selected as the preferred location for a maintenance base which would employ about 50 people. EDF Renewables, which is leading the project in the outer Firth of Forth, has more than doubled its Edinburgh staff to 100 in recent months. The contracts will come as a relief to many in the industry, having missed out to overseas rivals on a number of big projects. Burntisland Fabrications, which has two facilities in Fife and one at Arnish on the island of Lewis, is now owned by DF Barnes, a Canadian engineering group, although the Scottish government also has a stake. Its yards can collectively employ more than 2,000 people when fully utilised but have lain practically dormant for months as work dried up. CS Wind UK, which makes turbine tower structures at its site near Campbeltown, is another part of Scotland’s renewables supply chain which is struggling. It is in talks about cutting dozens of jobs from its workforce of 94 as its next contract is not due to start until the summer.

Times 29th Nov 2019 read more »

A total of 54 turbines for the wind farm will be assembled at the Forth Ports in Dundee, before being transported out to the site. Meanwhile the Scottish engineering firm BiFab are also involved in the project, and will construct a number of the foundation jackets, which anchor the turbines down to the seabed.

Scotsman 28th Nov 2019 read more »

Telegraph 28th Nov 2019 read more »

The National 29th Nov 2019 read more »

It is the green energy revolution that aims to transform the renewable economy in Scotland and the rest of the UK. Nine years ago, the Scottish Government said large-scale development of offshore wind represented “the biggest opportunity for sustainable economic growth in Scotland for a generation”. The world’s first floating offshore wind farm, Hywind Scotland, was then installed by Norwegian firm Equinor off the coast of Peterhead in 2017. But unions have becoming increasingly concerned the nation is losing out financially and has called for urgent action to ensure it is cashing in on the economic opportunities. As the Scottish Government aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 75 per cent over the next 10 years – as part of efforts to make the country a “net-zero” society by 2045 – there have been calls to end multinational interests now “calling the shots” north of the Border.

Herald 29th Nov 2019 read more »

Claire Mack chief executive of Scottish Renewables: Make no mistake about it: the announcement of contracts for the Neart Na Gaoithe Offshore Wind Farm show that this sector in Scotland is truly up and running. The contracts announced yesterday will create jobs in the Scottish Borders, and in Fife, in Dundee, and potentially even further afield across Scotland. The initial contract announcement has been made, but this is an enormous project that will require a hugely-diverse range of skills and technologies, and there’s likely to more good news to come as its development progresses. Scotland, with 25 per cent of Europe’s offshore wind resource, stands at the beginning of its journey into offshore wind, and we’re now starting to experience the very real economic benefits this exciting industry can deliver north of the Border. Already the Beatrice Offshore Wind Farm has created almost 100 permanent jobs in one of Scotland’s most economically fragile regions. There, offshore wind is delivering skilled, well-paid employment, and we’re now starting to see the Neart Na Gaoithe project delivering on its promise too. With historic delays now behind us we stand at the starting line for this sector in Scotland. Our plans for offshore wind are staggering. The Sector Deal struck between industry and the UK Government earlier this year aims for 30GW of offshore wind in UK waters by 2030. Following on from that deal, the Scottish Offshore Wind Energy Council was set up to deliver an offshore wind sector which plays to Scotland’s strengths, delivering jobs, investment and export opportunities in line with that UK Sector Deal as a key part of the path to net-zero.

Herald 29th Nov 2019 read more »