Electricity giant buys stake in Arnish yard 12/4/10
► Jobs boost for Arnish as company clinches massive order
Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE) has purchased a stake in the Arnish yard in Stornoway after investing in the plant’s parent company, BiFab.
SSE has also done a deal to buy 50 jacket substructures per year from BiFab for its
off-
BiFab is an established fabricator of structures and equipment for the oil and gas industry which has recently extended its expertise into the fabrication of jacket substructures suitable for offshore wind developments.
It operates three fabrication facilities in Scotland, two in Fife and one at Arnish Point in Lewis, Stornoway.
BiFab has already attracted government support to develop a new manufacturing facility for offshore wind jacket substructures.
SSE’s investment will be used to further develop this new plant and this is expected to expand BiFab’s capabilities to a total annual capacity of up to 130 units. The investment follows BiFab’s successful delivery of jackets for the Greater Gabbard offshore wind project and its much earlier collaboration with S
Ian Marchant, Chief Executive of SSE, said: "SSE is committed to becoming a major participant in the offshore wind market, and our current developments and success in securing development rights from the Crown Estate underline this.
"To realise our ambitions, it is essential that SSE is able to establish a reliable supply chain, particularly for those elements where manufacturing bottlenecks have already been identified as a significant risk.
“This investment in BiFab secures a reliable supply of offshore structures for our
SSE Renewables business, from a manufacturer with a proven track record. It also
provides our SSE Ventures business with an investment in a high-
John Robertson, Managing Director at BiFab, said: "This is great news for all at BiFab. We have been promoting the vision of a mass manufacturing facility in the UK since 2008.
“We are very pleased and impressed with the proactive approach within the SSE management team and their strategy in ensuring a strong Scottish supply chain for their offshore wind projects.
"It is important that the UK manufacturing industry has the infrastructure and the ability to deliver to the market. The UK Round 3 licences can create huge employment opportunities for Scotland and the UK."