INDUSTRY
Group Industrial plays
key role in MGT energy plant
MAIN IMAGE BY TOM BANKS
It may have its home on Teesside, but Group Industrial is a
company which works all over the UK.
Its skilled industrial services personnel form a vital
and active part of a whole host of engineering and
construction projects across the UK.
But it is a major venture much closer to home that the
Teesside-based industrial company, headquartered at
Dinsdale House on Dawson’s Wharf in Middlesbrough,
remains most proud of being involved with.
The groundbreaking Tees Renewable Energy Plant (REP),
to be exact.
The MGT Teesside power station is currently under
construction on Teesport, between Redcar and
Middlesbrough.
Nearing completion, the biomass power station will
generate 2.3TWh of low carbon, green electricity every year
- enough to power 600,000 homes as well as supplying
heat for nearby users.
It will cost £650m to build and has created hundreds of
jobs during construction.
The services of Group Industrial have played a significant
role within the progress of the project including a controlled
reactive service during the difficult first months of the
Covid-19 pandemic.
Mike Marsh, Group Industrial’s MD, says: “MGT Tees REP
is a major project and one which suits the service offering
of our business model, based on reactive demands and the
particular skillset offering of our team. Tees Rep is one of
the biggest projects of its kind in Europe.
“To be involved in a project of this scale in our local area
is a significant milestone in our progression. It is great to be
working with companies of this stature in a sector that we
have identified as having real potential for the continuous
growth and success of our business and staff.”
The coronavirus pandemic and ensuing lockdown ushered
in an unprecedented period in UK history.
Thousands of workers have been furloughed, many
industries, projects and plans on personal and commercial
levels were put on hold.
Some of the UK’s firms have weathered the storm, some
have not. Others - Group Industrial included - have found
they have grown and strengthened and are building working
relationships going forward.
The firm has an overall workforce of around 100 including
an office-based team of eight.
The onsite teams have continued to work on-site on the
power station project, says Mike, and they have done so
responsibly and with a flexible and reactive attitude which
has served to cement the firm’s reputation.
The company has been involved in project areas including
industrial coatings and painting, scaffolding, rope access,
mechanical and fabrication works in addition to other
projects and preservation works within the industry.
A source of pride is Group Industrial’s flexibility and
adaptability. Each site has its own unique challenges and
being able to provide the necessary skills and expertise to
keep the project moving is a real asset of the business.
Plans are customised on a regular basis – daily, if required
- to fit each and every client’s individual needs.
“Our service ethos is in place throughout the construction
and commissioning phases of the project to its conclusion
and beyond,” says Mike.
“Tees REP, for example, has benefited from this
approach. We have a facility minutes from the site and
provide support via other local suppliers to assist the
project requirements.”
Mike is justifiably proud that Group Industrial continues
to go from strength to strength.
And he says the next six months will see more projects
across the UK.
“We have continued throughout the pandemic, we are
lucky,” he reflects. “We are in the right industry at the right
time.
“We still have much to aim for and we are going in the
right direction.
“We are doing really well; Tees REP is a significant
project for the region and to have a major part in that is
fantastic. I am immensely proud of that.
“We’ll continue to grow with caution, doing things in
the correct manner and growing at the pace we need
to in line with our long-term vision. There will be many
opportunities.
“And we’re always looking to meet potential new
customers.”
Tees Renewable Energy Plant (Tees
REP) is a 299MW biomass-powered,
combined heat and power plant by MGT
Power.
A £650m project, Tees REP will diversify
the UK’s energy resources and enable it
to meet the larger target of generating
15 per cent of all energy consumed from
renewable sources by 2020.
Tees REP will generate approximately
2.4TWh of electricity a year, enough
to power 600,000 homes, which is
equivalent to annually displacing 1.2Mt of
CO2 emissions.
Contact Group Industrial: T: 01642 688665.
E: [email protected]. W: groupindustrial.co.uk
The voice of business in the Tees region | 39