Serving the Teesside Business Community | 37
Wilton chief executive Bill Scott was proud
to see the first group of wind farm transition
pieces leave his Port Clarence facility for the
Hornsea Project One.
RIVER POWER
A
significant milestone has been
achieved in the continuing sector
diversification strategy at Wilton
Engineering with the completion
of the first tranche of offshore wind farm
structures.
Originally founded to serve the offshore
oil and gas industry, Wilton has applied its
experience and expertise in the production
of complicated steel structures to the
renewables industry.
It has completed a series of 21, 340-tonne
transition pieces for offshore wind turbines
at Ørsted’s Hornsea Project One as part of a
contract with German company Steelwind.
With eight of the transition pieces already
loaded out from its Port Clarence base on the
River Tees, and the next tranche due to leave
for the North Sea shortly, Wilton is already
aiming to secure further projects for the
offshore renewables market in the coming
months.
Bill Scott, chief executive of Wilton
Engineering, said: “We’re very proud to see
the first group of transition pieces leave our
Port Clarence facility for Hornsea Project
One, built to world-class standards of quality.
“This project demonstrates our ability
to deliver steel structures with multiple
components for a cross-section of industries
and we are keen to further strengthen our
position in the offshore wind market.”
Completed at Wilton Engineering’s vast
fabrication facilities and painted within its
state-of-the-art coatings facility, the transition
pieces were loaded vertically onto a barge
to be transported to the offshore wind farm
located off the Yorkshire coast.
The cylindrical shell of the transition pieces
was fabricated by Wilton’s client Steelwind
Major diversification milestone
as offshore wind structures
depart Wilton Engineering
The first eight of 21 transition
pieces have already sailed
down the Tees, heading for the
Hornsea Project One.
in Germany before they were transported to
its 54-acre site on Teesside. The company’s
scope of works was to supply, manufacture,
inst all and fit all secondary steelwork and
associated electrical installations.
This included internal and external
platforms, concrete platforms, ladders and
boat landings. Wilton also installed electrics
and navigational aids prior to managing the
load out to the wind farm location.
Shot blasting and painting was carried
out on site by Wilton’s sister company
Universal Coatings, utilising its new 2,256
sq m preparation and coatings facility. Part
of a £3m investment, the facility provides an
advanced working area for technicians with
its breathing air system compliant to the new
EN12021 standard.
As part of the transition piece project,
Wilton has engaged a predominately North-
East supply chain, including a number of new
suppliers to the renewable market such as
Lionweld Kennedy and Marine Fabricators.
Across the project, Wilton is ensuring
that more than 95% of its project delivery
contained UK content.
He added: “It is testament to the
capabilities and expertise of our workforce,
along with our North-East supply chain, that
we were not only able to secure this export
project, but are delivering it completely
compliant to the specifications required by
Steelwind and Ørsted.”
He added: “The North-East has a strong,
collaborative and integrated supply chain that
maximises on its infrastructure, such as the
ports and rivers, and its location on the UK’s
East coast, to be able to effectively service
offshore wind farm developments such as
Hornsea Project One.
“Now the Government has confirmed
the biannual schedule of Contract for
Difference auctions, which will bring stability
to the sector and help with the planning of
investment programmes, the region is well-
placed to support the ongoing deployment of
offshore wind as an essential part of the UK
energy mix.”