Lowestoft to benefit from offshore wind power

ScottishPower Renewables (SPR) and Associated British Ports (ABP), which owns the port in eastern England, have awarded contracts worth around £10m for development at the facility to support the East Anglia ONE offshore windfarm.

Land adjacent to Hamilton Dock is being leased from ABP to allow for the development of a new operations and maintenance base, with SPR having hired contractor NRS Group to design and construct the operations and maintenance building. This facility will contain warehousing and specialist offices.

The construction will help support the offshore stage of the windfarm’s building work alongside the project’s operational lifespan of 30+ years.

Meanwhile, ABP is constructing vital land-side utilities and pontoons to let crew transfer vessels operate from Hamilton Dock, having hired contractor McLaughlin & Harvey to design and build the facilities.

Commenting on the granting of the contracts, Paul Brooks, ABP Lowestoft’s port manager, said: “This project will allow us to continue to support the prosperity of the local community, affirming the Port of Lowestoft’s place as [the] East of England’s innovative Energy Hub.”

ABP director for Short Sea Ports Andrew Harston said: “SPR have made a clear commitment to both Lowestoft and Suffolk with the East Anglia ONE development and have provided a clear pipeline of future projects that will secure the future of Lowestoft and the renewable energy sector for many decades ahead.”

Charlie Jordan, project director for East Anglia ONE at SPR, commented: “Lowestoft is going to be the home of our windfarm for the next three decades, so it is pleasing to see construction work underway at the port.

“The new facility will be a hive of activity for engineers and technicians, and the base for our marine operations to support the day-to-day operations of the windfarm.”

The project director added that once East Anglia ONE is finished, there will be about 100 full-time jobs at the Port of Lowestoft, with thousands of supply chain-operators and contractors using the site each year.