Construction underway on operations base for offshore wind industry

Energy provider, RWE, is investing in Grimsby Hub, a new operations and maintenance facility which is now under construction at the company’s existing site in Grimsby’s Royal Docks.

RWE is responsible for operating the existing Humber Gateway and Triton Knoll offshore wind farms from the Grimsby Docks as well as construction of the Sofia offshore wind farm and development of a further two offshore wind farms on Dogger Bank in the North Sea.

Once fully operational, the Grimsby Hub will be the operations base for Triton Knoll and Sofia as well as hosting RWE’s Centralised Control Room (CCR), where technicians will oversee the operation of the vast majority of the company’s UK offshore portfolio.

Humber-based firm Hobson & Porter is responsible for building the multi-million pound facility, which is expected to accommodate around 140 RWE employees.

The Grimsby Hub has the potential to bring around 70 new skilled jobs to the region, plus indirect jobs required in support.

Recruitment is underway with the opening of over 20 technician roles in support of the Sofia offshore wind farm.

Building works are due to complete next year and will include a joint control room offering 24/7 monitoring of multiple sites, new shared office space, and separate warehouse facilities.

MPs Lia Nici and Martin Vickers have visited the site and were introduced to staff.

Guy Middleton, RWE general manager for the Grimsby Hub, said: “It was fantastic to welcome Lia and Martin to the Grimsby Hub to discuss our investment plans for the local region, which will bring plenty of skilled roles and provide many opportunities for the regional supply chain.”

RWE’s newly appointed director for Net Zero East Coast UK, Corinne Barry, added: “It is a hugely exciting time for RWE in the Humber with all the new investment proposed, and I cannot wait to see our plans progress.

“The Humber has gained an enviable reputation in supporting the country’s net zero ambitions and RWE is proud to be a part of its future.”

During the visit, the MPs also discussed RWE’s plans for a new carbon capture power station near Stallingborough which could generate up to 800 MW of decarbonised, secure, flexible energy, enough to potentially power the equivalent of around one million homes.

RWE is working with Harbour Energy to explore options for transporting and storing the captured carbon through its Viking CCS network.

Nici said: “It was great to see RWE’s continued investment in its Grimsby Hub offshore wind base, which is set to be a central location for the management of many of the company’s offshore wind farms across the UK – bringing high-quality job opportunities to Grimsby and reinforcing the town’s position as a leader in the sector.”

Vickers added: “The visit also gave us an opportunity to hear about RWE’s wider investment plans in the region, which includes not only further offshore wind projects, but carbon capture investments at its regional power stations, linked to the Viking Carbon Capture and Storage network, which was recently awarded Track-2 development status by the Government.”