RWE has appointed Humber-based firm Hobson & Porter to complete the construction of its new state-of-the-art operations and maintenance facility known as the Grimsby Hub.
The multi-million pound contract includes an extension to the existing Triton Knoll Offshore Wind Farm operations base located at Grimsby’s Royal Dock, and includes the creation of a new Centralised Control Room (CCR) to oversee the operation of the vast majority of RWE’s UK Offshore portfolio, helping to cement Grimsby’s role as a leading location for the UK’s offshore wind sector.
RWE announced the creation of the Grimsby Hub back in 2021, marking a major strategic commitment to the UK’s east coast. As well as Triton Knoll, RWE’s 1.4 gigawatt (GW) Sofia Offshore Wind Farm, currently under construction, will also locate its operations and maintenance activities to the new hub in the future.
In total, RWE expects the new facility will accommodate around 140 RWE employees, with potentially around 70 new local jobs created, plus indirect jobs required in support. The Grimsby Hub will also enable the company to strengthen its relationship with the region’s businesses and local communities, by committing to a longer-term presence in the area.
The location of the Grimsby Hub was chosen because of its proximity to existing and future projects and its deep-water quayside, which is suited to the use of Service Operations Vessels (SOVs). Construction is due to commence shortly and will take around one year to complete. Once construction has finished, the new facility will include a joint control room offering 24/7 monitoring of multiple sites, new shared office space, and separate warehouse facilities.
Guy Middleton, RWE general manager for the Grimsby Hub, said: “We are thrilled to have Hobson & Porter onboard to complete the extensive construction works required to extend the existing Triton Knoll facilities. It is great to have been able to award the contract to a local firm which brings a wealth of experience to the project. We can’t wait for construction to finish and provide even more locally based, skilled jobs for the region.”
Joe Booth, business development director for Hobson & Porter, said: “We are delighted to be working with RWE on this exciting project and continuing our strong affiliation with both the Humber-based offshore wind industry and the town of Grimsby.
“This project will take our business revenues from the offshore wind industry beyond £25million in recent years having previously delivered the adjacent East Coast Hub for Orsted and the Aura Innovation centre in Hessle for The University of Hull; plus a number of other smaller projects.
“For a local, family-owned business like ours, this is testament to the vast array of business opportunities the offshore wind sector is creating for local businesses, especially when you consider that not one of our 120 local employees have ever had to step offshore to attain or deliver these projects. We look forward to seeing this one, once complete.”
RWE is a leading player in renewables and expects to invest more than €50 billion gross by 2030 to grow its green core business, globally, with £15 billion earmarked for the UK. During 2022, the 856 megawatts (MW) Triton Knoll offshore wind farm became fully operational, while RWE’s 1.4 GW Sofia offshore wind farm is now well into construction.
RWE is also involved in four of the UK’s seven offshore wind extension projects and recently signed Agreements for Lease for their two Dogger Bank South offshore wind farm sites. Meanwhile the company is also exploring floating wind projects including in the Celtic Sea region.
