Cammell Laird wins major wind farm deal
CAMMELL Laird shipyard in Birkenhead has won a major contract from RWE npower to help build a €2bn ofshore wind farm in the Irish Sea.
Cammell Laird has been selected alongside the Port of Mostyn at Flintshire in North Wales as a base to work on the Gwynt y Môr wind farm. The contract is said to be worth £5m to Cammell Laird over an initial three-year period, but will generate further revenues of the 25-year project lifespan.
The company said it is likely to be the first of several major deals in offshore wind which could create hundreds of long-term jobs.
The company is building a global engineering excellence base at the Wirral, which it said would serve the offshore renewables, nuclear, engineering and maritime sectors.
RWE npower renewables’ Gwynt y Môr project director Toby Edmonds said: “We are delighted to be able to able to work for the first time with Cammell Laird, a very capable and experienced shipbuilder, port operator and engineering partner.
“Through Gwynt y Môr, the port of Cammell Laird now has the opportunity to showcase its capability to the offshore industry and take advantage of even more offshore opportunities in the future.
“Gwynt y Môr is the largest offshore wind farm we have ever built, and due to the size of the undertaking our best approach is to establish key relationships with partners who are able to help us deliver the project. With Cammell Laird on board, we have a strong construction operation now in place, and look forward to starting offshore works.”
Cammell Laird chief executive John Syvret added: “This is an immensely important contract for the company to sign. It catapults us further into the offshore renewables market and showcases the breadth of skills and expertise we have to offer to the broader engineering market, as well as the maritime sector.
“We hope this deal helps express the scale of our ambition and reinforces our standing as one of the world’s leading engineering companies. Our vision has always been to generate wealth and secure long-term skilled jobs on Merseyside.”
