Northern Ireland shipbuilder Harland & Wolff (H&W) has won a key deal to build eight wind turbine generator jacket foundations for Italy's Saipem.
No price has been revealed for the order, but the foundations will service the EDF Renewables and ESB-owned Neart na Gaoithe offshore wind farm project in the Outer Firth of Forth off Scotland, H&W owner InfraStrata said.
Work will start in July and create about 290 direct and indirect jobs.
Most of the fabrication will not take place at the historic Belfast site, but at a newly acquired plant in Methil, Scotland.
H&W was bought by the infrastructure company in August and this contract marks a milestone in its diversification aims.
The company has been able to capitalise on opportunities at both ends of the ship-repair and shipbuilding markets, InfraStrata said.
"Should there be an opportunity to further optimise the works programme and make the contract more cost effective, Harland & Wolff and Saipem will work jointly to spread additional work streams within the contract across its three other sites in Belfast, Arnish and Appledore," the company added.
Quicker construction?
A multi-site approach can cut construction times by as much as 30%, InfraStrata said.
John Wood, chief executive of InfraStrata, added: "I believe that this contract paves the way for the execution and delivery of future fabrication contracts, a significant number of which are currently in advanced negotiations."
He added Methil's location makes it an ideal site for North Sea wind farm projects.
Grand ambitions
The company has previously talked of a pipeline of contracts worth $8bn that it is targeting.
"I am confident that this is only the beginning of a stream of projects in our pipeline that we expect to come to fruition. We are hugely excited about the massive potential that this first contract has unlocked, and we look forward to working with Saipem to successfully deliver under it," Wood said.
InfraStrata also owns the Islandmagee gas storage project, which is expected to provide 25% of the UK’s natural gas storage capacity and benefit the Northern Irish economy when completed.
The first phase of H&W's rebirth has been to establish a credible ship-repair business.
The yard has won repair and maintenance deals from Seatrucks, Irish Ferries, Stena and P&O Ferries under new ownership.
