UK: Seacat Services gets Race Bank deal

As offshore wind developers begin construction on current projects in the UK, there is a strong demand for experienced and highly capable supporting contractors equipped to facilitate the installation of new, increasingly sophisticated, sites. With all 91 turbines at Race Bank to be fully commissioned by 2018, construction of the project will demand the highest possible level of workboat availability – something that can present significant challenges for developers when undertaking large-scale installations far out to sea.

Seacat Services provides first-class workboats

Since the early days of offshore wind development in UK waters, the domestic service vessel industry has risen to this challenge, and the versatility, expertise and number of operational hours provided by UK fleets and crews continues to grow with the expansion of the industry.

Seacat Services is committed to providing the market with first-class workboats capable of delivering technicians safely and comfortably to site in the toughest of environments. The operator’s fleet of DNV-GL 1A1 HSLC R1 Service 1 classified vessels, all built locally on the Isle of Wight by South Boats, is able to deliver large cargo payloads, at high speed. Under the terms of the agreement with DONG Energy, the first charter day will take place on 1st April 2016.  

Investments into local supply chain to come

“The construction timeline for UK offshore wind projects requires highly capable partners to deliver projects in a manner that keeps developments on time and on budget” said Ian Baylis, Managing Director, Seacat Services. “So far, we’re proud to say that the UK maritime sector has delivered when it comes to supporting this growing industry. Our work with DONG Energy on Race Bank over the coming months will enable us to channel further investment into the local supply chain by providing opportunities for local crew and supporting services. Furthermore, this contract award is a testament to the hard work carried out by Seacat crews on DONG Energy’s Westermost Rough construction project and we look forward to continuing our relationship with the project development team.”

Jason Ledden, Construction Project Manager for Race Bank at DONG Energy said: “I am delighted to be using these state-of-the-art vessels, built right here in the UK, to assist with the logistics and construction of Race Bank. Placing contracts with UK suppliers whenever possible is a real priority for DONG Energy and we have already worked with Seacat Services for our Westermost Rough offshore wind farm. The company’s commitment to service, quality and safety meant there was no hesitation in using them again for our Race Bank project. These crew transfer vessels are part of a new fleet, and will help safely and efficiently transfer our engineers and technicians offshore to work on the construction of Race Bank’s 91 wind turbines and two substations.”