Caithness companies prepare to parachute into offshore renewables
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Two Caithness-based companies are aiming to break into the multibillion-pound offshore renewables energy market and have been selected for the first Fit For Offshore Renewables (F4OR) programme.
The industry leading F4OR supply chain growth programme is delivered by the Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult, will be supported by £125,000 from West of Orkney Windfarm, and will take companies 12-18 months to complete.
The two Caithness companies join five others and are:
- Imenco UK Ltd (Wick, Caithness)
- Berkshire Engineering (Wick, Caithness)
- Serimax UK Ltd (Evanton, Easter Ross)
- Ocean Kinetics Ltd (Kirkwall, Orkney)
- Orcades Marine Management Consultants Ltd (Kirkwall, Orkney)
- Leask Marine Ltd (Kirkwall, Orkney)
- Aquaterra Ltd (Stromness, Orkney)
The chosen companies come from a wide range of sectors including engineering, marine renewables, offshore operations and maintenance, and subsea monitoring.
The F4OR programme has been designed alongside offshore wind industry experts with a focus on giving businesses the skills and expertise to deliver success in the offshore renewables sector. It has experienced widespread success across the UK since it started in 2019.
To date, five F4OR regional programmes have been delivered in the north east of Scotland, north east of England, East Anglia and Suffolk, alongside national programmes run across Scotland and UK-wide. Over 110 companies have been supported altogether, with participants experiencing an average 28 per cent increase in turnover and many securing a wide range of new contracts.
Iain Taylor, manufacturing site manager, Imenco UK Ltd based in Wick said: “We are very excited to be part of the F4OR programme since we have identified the renewables market as a strategic target to strengthen and grow our business. The F4OR programme has already proven of benefit to companies getting ready to secure work in this market and we are looking forward to being part of it for Caithness, Sutherland and Orkney.
“The maritime environment is where we founded our core businesses of subsea engineering, aquaculture and harsh environment imaging and communication equipment and we want to build upon that knowledge by developing products and services that capitalise on the exciting engineering opportunities presented by the renewable market.”
Davood Sabaei, F4OR programme manager at ORE Catapult, said: “We are delighted to be embarking on our first ever F4OR programme across Caithness, Sutherland and Orkney, and we look forward to working alongside these local companies on their journey towards success in offshore renewables.
“This region already has a long and proud history of delivering engineering excellence in relation to sectors like oil and gas. As part of the just transition that we want to drive across Scotland and the rest of the UK, this programme will help these innovative local companies transfer their skills and knowledge to be ready to meet the extraordinary demand we expect to see from offshore wind in the coming years.”
Stuart McAuley, West of Orkney Windfarm project director, said: “We’ve been engaging with businesses and organisations in the north of Scotland for a number of years.
“Although construction of ScotWind projects will not ramp up fully for a few years, early engagement with the local supply chain is critical. Participation in this F4OR programme will equip forward-looking firms with the attributes they need to compete successfully for future contracts.”
The West of Orkney Windfarm remains on track to start construction in 2027, with first power scheduled for 2029. It has engaged in a £105 million investment initiative during the development phase of the project to develop the supply chain that is planned to be enhanced to £140 million by match funding from third parties."
In 2022, the West of Orkney Windfarm secured the rights to an area of seabed from Crown Estate Scotland in the ScotWind leasing process to bring forward a 2GW fixed foundation windfarm around 30km west of the Orkney Mainland.
