Specialist electrical and mechanical scope leads to niche role in sector
Eastgate Engineering is a specialist electrical and instrumentation services contractor working in the oil & gas, mining, industrial and manufacturing sectors and with an increasing presence in offshore renewables. Employing more than 220 people, and with UK sites in Teesside and Humberside, Eastgate Engineering is a market leader in wind turbine mechanical and electrical pre-assembly.
For Inch Cape, the firm is contracted by Smulders (Iemants) for the electrical and mechanical installation on the Siemens Energy Offshore Transformer Module ® (OTM®). The OTM consists of two 545 megavolt amp (MVA) main transformers, two 500 kilovolt amp (kVA) auxiliary transformers, two 220 kilovolt (kV) GIS container modules and two 66kV GIS container modules on decks which will sit atop a jacket foundation at the heart of the offshore wind farm. Eastgate’s role has been to install equipment, containment, cabling, and terminations, both internal and external.
The scope includes the work on the 220kV and 66kV modules as well as all the high and low voltage requirements across each deck of the platform. More specifically this comprises installation and cabling of: navigational aids; lighting; electrical and control panels; safety equipment; meteorological mast; drain system; distribution boards; lightning protection; earthing and cathodic protection; davit cranes, handrails, secondary support steel, glass-reinforced-plastic (GRP) support systems and array cabling systems.
Outcomes
Through the opportunity of working on the Inch Cape offshore substation, Eastgate Engineering has been able to extend its service offering and develop a specialist niche capability within the offshore wind sector, amongst both Tier 1 suppliers and wider original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). This niche has helped to create a pipeline of projects, with 4.8 gigawatts (GW) now lined up in the UK alone, which enables the creation of long-term sustainable employment opportunities in the regions where the company has a presence.
With such a broad range of relevant sector experience, Eastgate has been able to train and upskill its personnel and transition their expertise across into the offshore wind sector, giving them new and interesting opportunities. While at the same time, the company is helping to address the sector’s skills gaps by bringing in people with knowhow which is vital to ensuring the delivery of these major infrastructure projects at scale.
Eastgate Engineering Managing Director David Brennan, said:
We are privileged to be working on the Inch Cape project which has given us the chance to demonstrate our growing capability in offshore wind. We are now working on 4.8GW of offshore wind projects in the UK alone and we are continuously building further capacity to service the current and future market needs.
With ambitious offshore wind targets of 50GW of capacity by 2030, coupled with innovations in floating technology, the future for the offshore wind industry is looking bright. Eastgate Engineering intends to be at the heart of this growing industry and to continue our growth within the industry for decades to come.
June 2024
