ISG has secured a £3 million project with E.ON to construct an Operation & Maintenance facility in Grimsby, as one of the first phases of the energy provider’s Humber Gateway offshore wind farm development.
The wider scheme sees E.ON installing 73 turbines 8 km off the East Yorkshire coast to generate 219 MW of electricity – enough energy to power up to 170,000 homes.
The new maintenance facility will be built on the former fish docks at Grimsby’s North Quay and comprises a single-storey office building, which is linked to a 5,920 sq. ft. warehouse and an adjacent 4,047 sq. ft. storage building. ISG will use a modular off-site solution to create the office accommodation, with 17 individual modules forming the new structure. The double height warehouse and storage buildings will both feature steel portal frames and an external envelope of marine grade composite panels.
Due to the environmentally sensitive nature of the site, which is in close proximity to migrating birds, the piled foundations for the new facility will be formed using a driven ‘quiet hammer’ pile system to minimise noise and the environmental impact of the work. The Operation & Maintenance facility will also feature a range of sustainable technologies to conserve energy and reduce emissions, including roof mounted photo voltaic panels, a wind turbine and sun tubes to harness natural daylight.
ISG’s John Gittins, managing director – North East, commented: “The Humber Gateway development will not only generate a large number of job opportunities during its construction, but will also act as a catalyst for further investment and regeneration in the local area. Securing the onshore hub for this important regional scheme is a major vote of confidence in ISG’s ability to develop innovative programmes to successfully deliver projects in challenging environments.”
E.ON’s Stefan Robson said: “The site at Grimsby dock has been disused for a number of years and it is good to see it redeveloped. The facility, which will support the construction, operation and maintenance of the Humber Gateway wind farm, is due to be complete this summer and will create up to 50 jobs. We’re looking forward to working with ISG to make this a successful project.”
