WORKING AT HEIGHTS - Wind Energy Network

SPONSORS OF TYNE & TEES FEATURETAG awarded E.ON’s HumberGateway offshore wind farmcontractE.ON and TAG Energy Solutionsannounced recently that TAG has beenawarded a contract to manufacture 16monopiles and transition pieces for E.ON’sHumber Gateway offshore wind farm.CONTINUED...>UK Round 3 sites“With nearly 55% of UK Round 3 siteshaving water depth of greater than 40meters, project developers and utilitiescan realise significant economic benefitsfrom WindFloat systems and reducedcomplexity in their project contracts.Principle Power will be working with TAGEnergy Solutions, its project partner, ondefining methodology for the WindFloatserial production using UK basedindustrial infrastructure.”First UK manufacturer to securea substantial monopile andtransition piece projectThe contract will see the Teesside basedmanufacturing firm become the first UKmanufacturer to secure a substantialmonopile and transition piece project for awind farm in British Waters. An additional60 people will be employed to deliver thecontract.Preparation work for the manufacturingof the sixteen, 60 metre long, 650 tonnemonopiles and associated transitionpieces will begin immediately at TAGEnergy Solutions’ state-of-the-artproduction facility on the banks of theRiver Tees.The first steel is expected to arrive inMarch and the contract is planned to becompleted by quarter four 2013.Humber Gateway windfarmE.ON’s £736 million Humber Gatewaywindfarm, situated 8km off the YorkshireCoast close to the mouth of the HumberEstuary, will consist of a 73 turbinearray that will generate up to 219MW ofelectricity, enough energy to power up to170,000 homes.CongratulationsEdward Davey, UK Secretary of State forEnergy and Climate Change, said: “I wantto congratulate TAG Energy Solutions onbecoming the first UK manufacturer tosecure a contract of this kind for a windfarm in British Waters. I hope that they arethe first of many.“The development of a thriving UK supplychain is vital to support ourrapidly-growing offshore windindustry. The Government isworking closely with industry tohelp fulfil its ambition to sourceat least half of all project contentfrom within the UK. This willhelp build the lasting legacy of astrong domestic offshore windmanufacturing capability.”Tony Cocker, CEO of E.ON UK,said: “We’re extremely pleasedto be able to work with TAG onthis very important next step inthe construction of our HumberGateway wind farm and tosupport local businesses in thisway. I welcome TAG on boardand hope that this is just thebeginning of our organisationsworking together.”Alex Dawson said: “This highprofile contract represents asignificant achievement in TAG EnergySolutions development and the importantrole it plays in the manufacturing ofcomponents for the offshore renewablessector. We are very pleased to be workingwith E.ON and this award demonstrateswe have the skills, products andcapabilities to serve the offshore windindustry.”50www.windenergynetwork.co.uk