- Wind farm expected to bring up to £750m and 1,900 jobs to the UK economy, with opportunities available to Scottish and local businesses
- Local suppliers across Scotland and the UK invited to Supply Chain events in Aberdeen and Edinburgh later this month
Inch Cape Offshore Limited (ICOL) has selected several tier one suppliers to work collaboratively together to deliver key elements of its proposed wind farm 15km off the Angus Coast in the East of Scotland, marking a significant step forward for the development.
Three companies will be responsible for the project’s electrical transmission systems package – GE’s Grid Solutions, NKT and Boskalis Subsea Cables & Flexibles – who will deliver and install the approx. 85 km 220 kV dual circuit AC export cables and both offshore and onshore substation infrastructure. Preferred suppliers for the turbine and marine packages will be announced in due course. ICOL is also continuing to engage with local port authorities to confirm where the O&M base will be located.
Ian Johnson, ICOL Project Manager, said: “Announcing our preferred suppliers is a momentous step forward for the project and we hope government and industry alike will take this as a sign of confidence that we are in a favourable position to progress following consent and CFD eligibility.
“Our decision-making process was carefully informed by our demand for high quality products and services, as well as the need to create jobs and boost the renewables service industry here in Scotland and the UK. We are satisfied that we have achieved the right balance and would encourage local suppliers to maximise the opportunities that will be available to them.”
The wind farm development is expected to create up to a £241 million per annum boost to the UK economy and create up to 1,900 full time equivalent (FTE) jobs during the three year construction period. UK and particularly Scottish based businesses within the renewables sector are encouraged to attend the ICOL supply chain events, organised in partnership with Scottish Enterprise, to meet the ICOL team and their preferred suppliers, and learn more about the potential opportunities available to them and their local area.
Local businesses operating within the renewables and energy sectors can still confirm interest in attending the supply chain events in Aberdeen on Wednesday 28th November and in Edinburgh on Friday 30th November.
Ian added: “Our preferred suppliers will rely on local businesses to help them achieve and deliver elements of the construction packages. These supply chain events will give smaller, tier two and three suppliers a chance to learn more about the project and opportunities to secure contracts, as well as how to navigate the complex procurement process. We look forward to engaging with these local industry experts and sharing more insights into how the Inch Cape wind farm will be developed.”
Andy McDonald, Director Energy & Low Carbon Technologies at Scottish Enterprise, added: “Scottish Enterprise welcome’s today’s announcement by Inch Cape Offshore Wind Ltd of its preferred suppliers, which illustrates the value of offshore wind to Scotland’s low carbon economy and our growing strengths in this sector. Scottish Enterprise is now working with ICOL to organise a series of ‘Meet the Buyer’ events to help showcase the £multi-million supply chain opportunities arising from the construction of this £2bn project.”
The preferred supplier announcement follows a series of recent developments for the ICOL project. The team completed a period of public consultation for its new submission for offshore consent in early October and is awaiting a decision from Marine Scotland, while its current offshore investigation will draw to a close at the end of November.
