Up to 75 new jobs could be created at Great Yarmouth-based Seajacks after the company was awarded a major installation contract for the East Anglia One wind farm.
ScottishPower Renewables has contracted marine engineering specialist Van Oord and Seajacks to transport and install the foundation jackets which will support the turbines on the £2.5bn, 714MW project.
The main installation vessel will be Seajacks' Scylla, the world's largest and most advanced working in offshore wind. The contract will support 140 current positions with Seajacks, and allows the company to create up to 75 new jobs.
Seajacks will recruit at least five new local apprentices as part of the contract, which will see the Scylla vessel engaged on the project for at least six months from April 2018.
Scylla has 105-metre legs, and is capable of working in water depths of up to 65m. Deck space is 5000 square metres and it has a load capacity of just under 9,000 tonnes. The Scylla vessel will work in tandem with Van Oord's Svanen vessel, which recently installed the monopiles and transition pieces for the Burbo Bank Extension project.
The three-legged jacket structures stand over 65 metres tall and weigh more than 845 tonnes, and will support the turbine towers, nacelle and blades.
Jonathan Cole, managing director of offshore wind at ScottishPower Renewables, said: 'Seajacks are a world-leading offshore installation company who are based in East Anglia, so we are especially pleased that we were able to secure their services for our project.
'The additional jobs and training opportunities that this contract will create locally is important for our project.
'East Anglia ONE continues to make excellent progress. We are now starting preparations for the onshore work, as well as ensuring all of the plans are in place for the offshore work.
'The project will be the best value offshore windfarm ever constructed, at the same time as delivering industry-leading levels of UK content.
'We are proud that the project is encouraging investment and supporting highly skilled jobs in Great Yarmouth, Lowestoft, Hull and Belfast.'
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